Translation:Combatknife txt/en
Technical Specifications: Combat Knife
CLASSIFIED LEVEL YELLOW
PHALANX Extraterrestrial Response Unit
Technical Document, Delta Clearance
Filed: 20 March 2084
By: Cdr. Paul Navarre, R&D: Engineering Division, PHALANX, Atlantic Operations Command
Overview
The alien attack on Mumbai made our situation painfully clear. Their technology is far more advanced than ours. The complete inability of Commonwealth troops to make a dent in the Mumbai offensive revealed critical weaknesses in current military training and equipment. They lost three battalions just bringing the aliens to a standstill without inflicting significant casualties. PHALANX has to overcome these odds, and to do that we need the very best human technology has to offer.
The Excalibur Program was created to find the most effective weapons on Earth by reviewing their manufacturing standards, durability, operational record, and their combat performance in the situations where we've managed to bring the aliens to battle.
The combat knife is a solid, twenty-six centimetre bar of sharp steel that can be used for a number of everyday purposes. As a weapon, the combat knife's edge is reinforced with hard ceramics to give it extra armour-piercing power, and it is balanced for throwing should the need arise. It also has a bayonet ring for affixing the knife to the barrel of an old-style battle rifle.
The inclusion of the combat knife in our arsenal was a subject of hot debate. Mumbai has taught us that even in the most favourable conditions, a knife is no match for the aliens' weaponry. If a knife-equipped soldier isn't shot down before he even reaches his target, he will almost certainly be gutted by one of the wicked alien blades that slice right through armour. Only in a handful of occasions have experienced knife-fighters been able to win out against alien opponents.
Still, the combat knife has saved many a life over the years when firearms became inoperable or ran out of ammo. It has never been rendered obsolete by centuries of progressing technology; even the aliens use bladed weapons. When the chips are down, a knife in hand is still vastly better than a man's own fists.
If a soldier makes it all the way to melee range, this weapon will serve him well.
Recommended Doctrine
In combat, the knife is a weapon of last resort. If all other weapons are exhausted and the enemy is at the gates, then a good knife can save the day. However, even in such desperate situations it is risky business; using a knife on an enemy that hasn't been previously wounded or weakened is a fast way to end up in the morgue.
Addenda
None.