Can this be Real? @_@

[MATTHEWDMETCALF]

Well, theory three is impossible, since the US would launch one good missle at it and it'd crumble like an Iraqi tank (c'mon, they're crap). The other two are highly likely

[urban dream]

And also, if the Japanese military were to make a mecha (which, for the reason MATTHEWDMETCALF mentioned and others would be extremely inefficient) why on Earth would they make it look like just like an anime character? :o

...yeah. They wouldn't. :P

[Organous]

If it were a real military craft, it certainly wouldn't be made of plastic. It would be made of materials that would have obviously withstood rigorous testing. After all, why spend lots of money to make such a weapon if it has a weakness? Also, they really might make it like a character out of a show, if it's a good idea. Inspiration has to come from somewhere, after all. I think a humanoid robot, albeit probably smaller, would be a great weapon, but a large one would also have its uses.

[MATTHEWDMETCALF]

No, a giant mecha has no real uses in combat. It fires giant shells, giant bullets, which have limited uses, mainly for taking out armored divisions. And most tanks can manuever around those giant shells. The gundam would also be a gaint target, and, even though of it's large strides, would get pummeled by tank/mortar shells and aircraft missles/bombs, it wouldn't take much to destroy it. And, considering the research cost, the cost of all the electronics, the frame/armor ete., the idea's bust, defeated by nimbler armored calvary and aircraft. It's a giant, very expensive target. The real future of the military relies in armored calvary, swifter and with a more accurate cannon on it, so it can be more effective as a counter-offensive weapon (or offensive weapon, if you aren't using it for defensive purposes). Also, aircraft is a huge advantage. Swift, can do huge amounts of damage with one strike, then gone in an instant. It's virtually undamagable if you can fly it right. Armored calvary and aircraft, that's the future of the military world. Not gundams

[urban dream]

...Organous, don't take this personally, I'm not trying to insult you, but you need a reality check ^^;;;;;

And just what would the advantages of a giant robot over a tank or fighter plane be? Apart from the fact that it looks better, which doesn't really matter all that much in a war?

EDIT: MATTHEWDMETCALF just pointed out basically everything I had going through my head there, but was too lazy to type. He's perfectly right.

[ShadrachVS]

Ok first off, Organus we have one HUGE problem with a mecha in the next 20 years... power supply. We have only one solution. Nuclear Power Plant and the World's Longest and Biggest Extension Cord. A standard Fission Reactor is not only too inefficient, but too bulky to be put 'onboard'.
Hence the reason I so much prefer the Mechwarrior view of the BattleMech.

And yes Matt Mech's can have a purpose in combat.
We learned this the hard way in WW1, and we used it against the Germans in WW2; What happens to the Mobility of armored crafts in Cities?

Answer; so much metal, so much to aim at. (and don't say armor will protect them, it can only stop so much before it is ripped open like a tin can. Then the men inside are literally ripped out of the tank in rapid gas expansion).

The Idea of the MW BM is perhaps the most logical, the BM is typically slower than fast moving armored cars, but easily out runs the tanks. The Mech is used because of it's capability to field more armor and more versatile arrays of weapons that the track mounted armored tanks. And DODGE giant shells? have you taken Physics?! Go look up how fast even a simple Rail Gun can toss a 10lb metal ball, it is quite frightening. Dodging the Fire of an UAC 20 (if you know MW/BT) would be like you trying to dodge a spray of automatic weapons fire; the Odds are against you.

Back to my point, the Battlemech is one man, one machin; capable of fielding more firepower than a regimen of infantry and calvary combined. Think of the Efficiency, 1 man + 1machine replaces 250 footmen and 25 armored vehicles.

Trust me on this one; a Vulture (approximately 26metres tall, 70 tons, 2 racks of LRM 20s with 12 shots of each[12 x 20 missiles], and 2 Medium Pulse Lasers, and 2 Large Pulse lasers) This Mech could easily defeat an entire rank of tanks (not our tanks, MW world tanks) and well a lot of infantry... unless the Infantry are really intelligent (which doesn't happen much).
btw that's no offense to Infantrymen, that's on offense to the Infantrymen of the MW world... they are insane to such the point they frighten me.

Also there is one other thing; imagine the terror you would feel... you and 249 other men. All of you armed with light body armor, advanced night vision optics, hand held fusion powered laser rifles and the lucky few of you who have been given the fusion powered magnetic explosives. The idea of the lance of medium and light mechs coming to destroy your position... The idea of 4 - 8 30-60 Ton machines all coming to kill you and your comrades would be terrifying. You know your lasers are mere pinpricks, and only the few of you with fusion explosives can even have a chance at maiming them...

See where the Mech comes in? If the problems of power supply, applicable drive capability (hydralics are too slow, gears to problematic, and electric motor too limited in power/response), with those out of the way in the next 20 or so years this technology will not only be applicable but it will seem a viable choice compared to fielding many men and women on the field of battle. You see in the MW/BT universe they have been at war since 2800 and most of the MW games take place around 3050 and later... thats over 250 years of constant battle... in conventional (our style) of warfare that would have depleted the primary resource of our military... men and women....

Hope that makes a few more valid points...

[UnknownH]

hey... giant robot cool I'd like to have a giant robot or even a medabot or at least a megaman.exe net navi that would be cool
heh giant robots are cool
(am no I am not high rght now )

[ShadrachVS]

Oh I also forgot to add this.
Another problem would occur in the mech's weighing over 40 tons...
Metal Fatigue.

But do a quick search on Bucky Ball's and the wonders of the Carbon molecule.

[Red Mage Dragon Tiamat]

what's the deal with haveing such a giant robot. Will the destroy planets with it?

[MATTHEWDMETCALF]

One man...one machine? That's a very naive statement

It's more like 40 men and one machine. You forgot about researchers, special mechanics, special programmers, test pilots (there'd have to be some failures), and putting the thing together in the first place. The frame would be massiv,e and would have to be strong so it doesn't collapse on itself, the armor woudl have to be thick enough so that it would take more than 5 tanks to destroy it, the wiring would have to precise, if anything goes wwrong with that it's a severe handicap.And let's not forget about weapons. The bullets would cost alot, each of them, let's say, being the size of a mortar. The gun, assuming it's an automatic gun, would have to have a great cooling system or else it melts. Vulcans around the head will also have to be cooled, and there would have to a substancial cavity in the head.And the whole generator thing is flawed. It's like using a flamethrower with a canister for gas on the back. One good tank or aircraft shot aty that tank (or generator) and the whole thing's dead. And a cable can be snapped. Easily.

Now, it also has some fundimental issues. It may be fast, but it's size cancels that out. Artillery strikes would blow it sky high, because it couldn't run from all those shells (and don't kid yourself, one good artillery strike, a mecha can't dodge that). And jets. You take a few, 3-5, jets. Fly the, let's say they're raptors, to the mecha, if even 2 of them launch their missles (and the missles are pretty accurate, if the pilot's good enough), it could either tip the mecha over, or, by hitting it in the legs, can completely immobilize it, the head, can knock out it's camera system, the chest, tear up the torso armor and expose some key electronic equipment (it's the biggest cavity there, there'd have to be some things in there), it's really easy. And any damage given to the mecha would be costly, destroying it would be a major blow.

Missles is even easier. It's like the aircraft, only it's more explosive.

And most tanks are fast enough to weave around and become hard targets. And they can fire while they're manuevering. It's pretty tough to hit Abrams if they're moving. Plus, the cannon fire is pretty heavy, the mecha can be torn up by 4 or 5 of them, if thw manuevering is right. It's really formidalble.

And you better pray that the mecha isn't in or near the oceans or the seas, it'll get ripped up like a tin can. Artillery from a ship is way too powerful and fast for the mecha to dodge. It'll get blown sky-high. And, if the mecha jumps, it'll get a barrage of missles.

So the mecha really only stands a chance against an entirely infantry army. It's really not worth all of the money that goes into it.