Movie Military Fight-Off: United States Colonial Marines Versus Mobile Infantry

 Greetings,

For a bit of fun, for a change I decided that I would do a comparison between the United States Colonial Marines of "Aliens" (i.e. the second movie) and the Mobile Infantry of "Starship Troopers". Now, before any more discussion is made, it is the movies which is being discussed in regard to "Starship Troopers" not the book by Robert Heinlein, there are quite a few significant differences between them, as will be pointed out. 

There will be a general comparison of weapons and gear between the two military units which the discussion is focused upon, followed by tactics, then an examination of the opponents, and finally a comparison of their ideology. Hopefully, by the end, an idea of the preferable unit that a person would want supporting them if they had to make the choice will be presented.

Not the Book

There is a distinct difference between the Mobile Infantry of the book Starship Troopers and the movie "Starship Troopers". The first big clue is that in the book they are supposed to be wearing large, powered, armoured suits which bound across the battle field using short bursts of thrusters. Hence the phrase "On the bounce" which gets referred to throughout the franchise. These armoured suits have different weapon systems mounted on them. The troopers in the movie are not in such suits indeed they have barely more than military units have in our present military. Only "Starship Troopers 3: Marauder" comes close with the powered suits which feature in the end of that movie. So a different Mobile Infantry is being discussed here, the movie/s not the book.

Gear and Weapons

In the comparison of gear and weapons, the load-out between the standard CM (Colonial Marine) and MI (Mobile Infantry) troopers is similar. Both have helmets, both have body armour of some sort. Both have an automatic weapon. In the case of the CM the M41A Pulse Rifle has an under-slung grenade launcher; for the MI cap trooper, the Morita Assault Rifle started out with an under-slung shot gun, and then progressed to an under-slung grenade launcher in the later movies in the Morita III Assault Rifle.

Various technical gear for communications was available to both CM and MI forces along with support weapons and so forth. The MI even had tactical nuclear weapons at their disposal, but similar high-grade weapons are also mentioned in "Aliens" as well. This results in a pretty even match between the two forces in the initial parts. Only when the MI gains access to powered armour suits with weapons built into them do the MI significantly pull ahead in terms of gear available.

Tactics

In both cases, the units of both forces seem somewhat "disposable," being sent in with little support should they encounter real trouble. The MI has to rely on the Navy for pick-up from a hot-zone, and the CM has to rely on its pilots or wait an extended period of time before pick-up is available. In both cases the mortality rate in both units is quite high.

The MI in the early part of the films work as large units in multiple waves this is seen at work in the Battle of Klendathu, which fails. Shortly after there are smaller units used, with some success, but these smaller unit tactics really do not work particularly well and are never really as small as those found in the CM until access to powered armour suits is gained. Then overwhelming fire-power is used to shift the balance in their favour. Their tactics remain rudimentary throughout the movies.

The CM as seen in "Aliens" use small-unit tactics, sending in only two squads for the operation on LV-426. There is clearly two units by the doubling of equipment, all under the command of a single officer, who is clearly inexperienced. This inexperience and lack of camaraderie reduces the morale of the troops significantly and affects their ability to work as a team especially under stressful situations. This results in the deaths of troopers. Their tactics are better developed but the inexperience of their command hampers its effectiveness. A real, experienced, officer might push the CM ahead in this area, though battlefield knowledge is difficult to beat. 

The Opponents

The CM face off against the Xenomorphs i.e. Aliens; the MI against the Arachnids. Both are of alien origin the former's home is unknown while the Arachnids originate from Klendathu. Both are hive creatures and work together for the species rather than the individual. This is most evident for the Xenomorphs in "Alien: Resurrection" where the weaker is sacrificed to escape from their cell. Both are more aptly controlled by a hive mind, the Queen in the case of the Xenomorphs and the Brain in the case of the Arachnids. Both standard forms prefer hand-to-hand combat and are vicious. The Xenomorphs, however, will capture some of their victims so they can grow new ones.

The Xenomorph is quick, preferring speed and stealth to frontal attacks. While it does have a certain amount of protection in its skin, its ability to make quick attacks is its best defence. It also has acid for blood which encourages its opponents not to kill it as well. The Arachnid on the other hand is hardened, having a hard shell and damaging mouth and limbs. It has only a very small spot where it is particularly vulnerable, its preferred method is to attack in waves, overwhelming its opponents with sheer numbers. 

The opponent that a person faces, especially where it is species versus species will determine what weapons, defences and tactics the person will choose to best go against it. This can explain some of the differences in approach, tactics and load-outs between the Colonial Marines and the Mobile Infantry. Neither of these foes would be particularly pleasant to face.

Ideology

The final part of the comparison is to compare the ideology of the two units. To compare some of the society upon which they are based to see which mind-set benefits their fight the best. This will address some sensitive issues, but must be performed in a systematic and scientific way. 

The world of the Colonial Marines is much the same as it is today except corporations have become stronger, capitalism is clearly still in full swing with the almighty dollar still ruling all the most important decisions. Weyland-Yutani is what they would call a mega-corporation owning vast assets and having interests in many different areas. It is actually on their recommendation that the colony is built and due to one of their executives that the Xenomorphs invade the colony. It could even be implied that it is by their influence that the Colonial Marines are sent.

Once the CM of the movie are introduced, it is clear that some are there for a term and a pay-cheque, not because they actually believe in what they are doing. Their structure is upon similar grounds to 18th century armies where the officers are a class different from enlisted men and so are often inexperienced. This affects the morale of the group, only made worse by individuals who are only there because they get paid. It is evident as the group starts to break down as soon as things do not go their way. This affects the morale of the group overall.

Some would claim that the world of "Starship Troopers" is a military dictatorship where only the veterans who have served are considered citizens of the Federation. What will be noted is that there is still a lot of difference in occupation and still a spread of wealth amongst those who are not citizens. A capitalist society seems to be operating with rich and poor. Further, there is evidence that there is still some sort of voting present, even if it is for citizens only. It is not to defend the way of life which is presented, but people choose to serve the Federation and become citizens. Obviously what is seen is only a slice of the civilization, but the same can be said for both movies.

In the MI the best are elevated to positions of authority, in some situations, especially on the ground, this is due to survival. This is especially the case for the later operations. It means that the officers actually know what is going on and know something of the enemy. Further the MI candidates chose to serve the Federation and once the 'Bug War' began they are fighting for their species, not for a pay-cheque. This gives them an edge in terms of morale and the ability to push through difficult situations. Respect is given to those 'on the ground' more than those who are not.

Conclusion

From the pure perspective of what has been presented here, the Mobile Infantry as depicted in "Starship Troopers", even though it suffers mass casualties in many of its battles, and is often left in situations where it is outnumbered and outgunned, has the advantage over the United States Colonial Marines of "Aliens". The prime area where they have this advantage is in ideology. A person who believes in a fight, is more likely to fight harder. If each trooper believes in the next trooper, it increases unit cohesion, and increases morale. Morale is especially important when the unit is outnumbered by the enemy.

The USCM have a slight edge to begin with in regard to tactics, but these are difficult to truly implement when the platoon leader is a) not on the ground with the troops, b) is inexperienced in actual combat situations, and c) thinks themselves to be above their troopers and apart from them. This is an issue which is not present amongst all but the highest of military officers in the MI. As far as equipment goes, what is available to the standard trooper is very similar between both groups, so much so that there is no comparison, except in the later movies for "Starship Troopers".

Overall, it is a win to the Mobile Infantry of "Starship Troopers"