Translation:Incgren txt/en
Technical Specifications: Incendiary Grenade
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.
Incendiary grenades are area-denial weapons, covering a large stretch of ground with very hot flames that are almost impossible to extinguish. Once thrown, the body of the grenade explodes, spreading the incendiary compound over the surrounding area -- and anyone unlucky enough to be inside the area of effect. The compound itself is a modification of a mixture that has been in use since World War II; thermite, barium nitrate, sulphur and binding agent. The grenade's delayed fuse is ignited by first pulling the pin and then releasing the handle, usually released as the grenade is thrown. It will detonate after a period of several seconds.
The standard American M71 grenade consists of a core of C8 explosive, an inner layer of incendiary agent, and an outer plastic casing that provides no fragmentation but more importantly doesn't slow down or otherwise impede the delivery of the payload over a large area. The M71's casing is a smooth cylinder shape, unlike the old 'pineapple' grenades of World War 2, to make it easier to roll across various surfaces.
Like all hand grenades, their range is limited, but they can be an essential tool for achieving control of the battlefield.
Recommended Doctrine
Incendiary grenades are tactical weapons that should be used to contain or herd the enemy into disadvantageous ground. They cannot be thrown very far, but they can serve to block off escape routes, to flush out rooms, or simply to catch the enemy in a blazing inferno.
Care should be taken that no friendlies (especially civilians) are caught in the area of effect, as the effect of the thermate cocktail on human tissue is a particular public relations nightmare. In such situations the use of lethal grenades is strongly discouraged; flashbangs should be given preference.
It's recommended that all soldiers carrying non-heavy weapons should be equipped with at least one grenade of some variety -- be it an incendiary grenade, frag grenade, flashbang or other -- in case the need should arise. Two or more are strongly recommended.
Addenda
None.