Design Starfleet Infantry and Special Forces

[Alyeska]

Using only technology reasonably available to Starfleet design proper Starfleet infantry forces (assume some sort of armor support exists as well as armor opposition). Also design Special Forces. Special Forces gets more creativity (you can use technology less likely to be available, at least wide spread), their weapons can be technicaly less reliable (ie endurance, less ammo, etc.) as long as they provide a good mission capability for what you want.

So, does Trek have some cool modern gadgets that can be used for infantry forces?

[SirNitram]

Well, we know they have relatively light but sturdy metals, so some form of unpowered body armour should be possible. Straight up kinetic rifles; funky fields can work over a phaser. Phaser sidearms with a more sensible design.

And remember the scariest thing about the modern military: An American soldier with a map, binoculars, and a radio!

[Alyeska]

From where I stand, those funky fields tend not to be used commonly and Starfleet is constantly adapting to make such fields useless. Its already been mentioned in DS9 that the TR-116 never entered service because the Type-3 was modified to fire in dampening fields. I think the Infantry OOBS should require an equal number of phaser rifles to kinetic rifles.

[SirNitram]

From where I stand, those funky fields tend not to be used commonly and Starfleet is constantly adapting to make such fields useless. Its already been mentioned in DS9 that the TR-116 never entered service because the Type-3 was modified to fire in dampening fields. I think the Infantry OOBS should require an equal number of phaser rifles to kinetic rifles.

I disagree. There should never, ever be a time when your primary weapon is rendered useless. If the 'funky fields' are ever replicated by an enemy force, the half with phaser rifles is, how shall we say, fucked. It would be criminal to take that chance when, very bluntly, a kinetic rifle will do the job with far less complexity to it.

[Alyeska]

From where I stand, those funky fields tend not to be used commonly and Starfleet is constantly adapting to make such fields useless. Its already been mentioned in DS9 that the TR-116 never entered service because the Type-3 was modified to fire in dampening fields. I think the Infantry OOBS should require an equal number of phaser rifles to kinetic rifles.

I disagree. There should never, ever be a time when your primary weapon is rendered useless. If the 'funky fields' are ever replicated by an enemy force, the half with phaser rifles is, how shall we say, fucked. It would be criminal to take that chance when, very bluntly, a kinetic rifle will do the job with far less complexity to it.

A Kinetic Rifle wouldn't have the same firepower potential of a phaser. There are risks and benefits to each weapon system. A better way to deal with the problem is to design shielding into the phasers. Look at what can disrupt the phasers, use shielding to stop this. I have a sneaking suspicion that a faraday cage could stop the dampening fields from working on phasers.

[Noble Ire]

A Kinetic Rifle wouldn't have the same firepower potential of a phaser. There are risks and benefits to each weapon system. A better way to deal with the problem is to design shielding into the phasers. Look at what can disrupt the phasers, use shielding to stop this. I have a sneaking suspicion that a faraday cage could stop the dampening fields from working on phasers.

Baring that, why not equip troops with a kinetic rifle as a main weapon, and a hand phaser as a sidearm, perhaps along side a small kinetic weapon? Larger Phasers could be carried by a few indaviduals in the squad or unit, for use when their heavier firepower is needed, and when there was no disruption in place.

[Alyeska]

A Kinetic Rifle wouldn't have the same firepower potential of a phaser. There are risks and benefits to each weapon system. A better way to deal with the problem is to design shielding into the phasers. Look at what can disrupt the phasers, use shielding to stop this. I have a sneaking suspicion that a faraday cage could stop the dampening fields from working on phasers.

Baring that, why not equip troops with a kinetic rifle as a main weapon, and a hand phaser as a sidearm, perhaps along side a small kinetic weapon? Larger Phasers could be carried by a few indaviduals in the squad or unit, for use when their heavier firepower is needed, and when there was no disruption in place.

Hand phasers wouldn't have the range of phaser rifles.

[Nephtys]

Hand phasers are tiny. Just make an over-under config for a rifle or something. Heck, just remove the 'variable power' settings of the said phaser, if you're not going to take prisoners and make it even smaller.

[Noble Ire]

Hand phasers wouldn't have the range of phaser rifles.

True, but my point is that heavier firepower (admittedly with more limited utility) could be combined with a more reliable main weapon (kinetic.) Of course, modifying the phasers would be the ideal option.

[Knife]

Assuming that Starfleet keeps with the space superiority concept, ground forces can be kept at light infantry with naval gunfire support. Organic support will be used though, they just don't need divisions of heavy tanks.


Use a basic MEU (I just can't help it Oohrah!) model but intergrate Admin and logistics where applicable with standard Starfleet. Various BLT's will be encluded with every fleet for rapid deployment and small security forces deployed on combat ships.

Call em Marines or MI or Naval Troopers, what ever. Keep the basic structure of platoons and squads, ect. Basic kit should consist of basic fatiuges, combat armor (made out of what ever the packing crates are made from ) and a primary weapon. Really, I have no problems with the various forms of they type III rifle, per here. Neither are 'beam' weapons and deliever a bolt that won't necessarily devulge your exact position. I would recomend a more ergonomical design for a secondary pistol though.

Some sort of enviromental suit with combat armor intergrated for hostile enviroments and a basic HUD in the faceplate. The troopers, though, must get away from active scanning and go to passive scanning for a majority of their gear. Platoon Leaders and up may have a tricorder but it is not standard issue. Passive scanning systems might be, mission dependent.

Transporters are not the major tactical mobility device of the troopers either. Drop ships for orbit to surface and modified dunebuggies of death with better T&E with pintals for the Type IV. LAV's with phasers and micro torpedo-like launchers are availble when Naval gunfire is too much and a hand phaser is not enough. CAS and CIFS can be delivered by modified shuttles designed for air support roles.

I see every trooper with a primary weapon and a secondary, and every trooper with NVG ability and perhaps a built in compass and limited comm. Mission dependent, man portable photon motars and heavy repeating Type IV cannons, ect...

[Netko]

Well, Elite Forces games tended to show a ok force for SF in terms of equipment - basicly they have some sort of transporter buffer or something to justify the usual FPS 10 weapons or so, so if we take that as cannon (the OP said we could be creative with SF ) they can be outfitted with pretty much any weapons you want at the same time as long as each is man portable, the usual HUD and stuff, also they had personal shields and body armor iirc. The main difference I would make is that their tactics would be more akin to Delta Squad (SW: Rep. Commando) or real life SF then the shown heroics of charging at the enemy without taking cover more or less ( ).

Regular forces would be basicly the same in terms of equipment, just with all the uber expensive toys taken away. They would also be modeled into squads like the current western armies. So each grunt gets just a phaser rifle (hopefully one of those pulse versions because the rate of fire on the beam versions never really seemed very impresive to me - I welcome any corrections on this) instead of the buffer thingy, with heavier weapons available to specialised squad members. Personal shields to each if they are not too expensive, if not just passive body armor (admidedly taking gameplay mechanics a bit into account here, but the armor in EF seemed to be pretty good).

For both, some sort of transport/assoult shuttle should be made for insertions/pickup/battlefield mobility, can't really think of something like that shown (altough we get a mention of "hoppers" iirc from that dieing marine in the ep with the klingon dud mortars ). Transports would be used if sufficient power is available and if there are no strange winds that distrupt them at the target site ( ) - on that note, each grunt should be given one of those transport enchantment rods (whatever they are called) if beaming up/down is expected during the mission, but some sort of hardened shuttle should be available and used if that is not possible - perhaps converted runabouts could be used for this purpose (upshielded, the interior stripped of most of the furnishings to make room and with all but the basic phasers taken out - keeping with shown tactics the fleet will provide arty/fire support and if they are forced from orbit and a enemy fleet takes their place anything "large" and noticable like a flying shuttle is likely to be shot down fast anyway - at that point whatever resistance you are mounting is down to guerrila fighting anyway unless you want to get a lot of instant disruptor/phaser death from orbit). In case of deliberate jamming that is sufficient to make accurate fire from orbit not precise enough, peregine fighters could be used as close air support.

Considering the distances involved (most planets seem pretty sparsly populated) and the orbital fleet being able to destroy either any heavy enemy formations or your heavy formations depending on whose fleet is up there real armor (as currently thought of) doesn't seem all that usefull.
Battlefield mobility seems the order of the day.

[Chris OFarrell]

Starfleet Marines.

Marines are light infantry troops stationed aboard Federation Starships to defend against hostile boarders, provide heavy security for away missions and deploy in limited light infantry assaults on planetary surfaces. Drawn from the ranks of the now defunct Starfleet security forces with at least two years field experience, the trainees then undergo a rigorous one and a half year retraining in advanced ground zero-G combat. There is a 60% failure rate in this course within the first two months. Starfleet however dreams the rate acceptable to maintain very high standards.

All Marines are equipped with moderate body armour. Including complete torso protection, shin/leg protection, knee and arm padding and a tough but flexible shrapnel resistant body suit. A sealed combat helmet with integrated HUD comprising tricorder/comms functions and an integrated transporter inhibitor/enhancer package. To both prevent transporter locks and enhance them through jamming, depending on the situation called for. All standard issue marine weapons are mated to the targeting system via a fibre optic cable that extends from the helmet, through the body glove to either the left or right hand and from there, the weapon. Allowing accurate targeting with weapons without having to expose the person’s body.

The hardened armour is a layered mix of phaser/disruptor resistant materials, thermally resistant materials and hardened titanium. It is quite light and provides excellent protection. Standard phaser 'kill' blasts are incapable of penetrating the hardened armour without several shots. Single maximum power bolts have a roughly 40% chance starting an NDF effect on the person under it.

With combat gloves and boots and a closed helmet, a Marine is all but immune to any biological or chemical attack, thanks to sophisticated air filters (which also maintains an emergency 5 minute air supply, based on average reprocessing rates). The standard suit is not hardened against vacuum, although combat spacesuits exist that are comparable in technology and protection to the standard system. At clear penalties in dexterity and bulk.

Weapons wise, Starfleet has spared no expense in developing updated personal weapons for their new security forces.

TR-120 Rifle. Standard issue weapon. It is a 50 round HV projectile weapon chemically firing either AP or HEAP rounds with great accuracy to ranges of 2 kilometres. It has sophisticated electronic sights as well as backup iron sights. Ammunition is fed via fifty round magazines. The type is determined by which magazine is loaded, ammo type and counter is also noted on the HUD. The 120 can be equipped with three different underslung attachments. A grenade launcher firing Utridium explosive shells. A highly modified, compact but integrated Type II phaser with stun, kill and maximum settings. Or a titanium bayonet sheathed in a mono-molecular force field.

SR-10 SMG. Essentially a Type III-B phaser rifles guts downsized into a more close quarters weapon. Integrated into the helmet targeting systems like the TR-120. It includes single shot and fully automatic modes with a ROF of 300 RPM. It comes with a built in tactical light and underslung shotgun with a five round clip. The shotgun shoots 200 specially designed 'micro bullets' for each shell in a precise 20 degree cone pattern. Designed to help clear out hallways quickly.

FS-1 LMH. An up scaled type III-B rifle with heavier power packs and cooling systems. It comes with a pair of legs allowing it to be fired effectively as a fire support weapons as well as a pintle mount adapter. With a sustained fire rate of over 800 rounds per minute at maximum firepower (and power cells sufficient for at least 120 seconds of firing). The much heavier power cell and weapon size makes it less suited for Starship missions, except to man defensive checkpoints. It is only used on ground offensive missions for all intents and purposes.

PM-60. Long range ballistic mortar system. Advanced fire control computer and guidance systems in the launcher and shells gives a general CEP of less then one meter. The shells are typically high explosive but can contain a mixture of smoke and sensor disrupting materials or, on special issue, focused antimatter charges up to 500 kilotons in yield. With a maximum range of fifty kilometres. These are very rarely issued.

TR-116 sniper rifle. Standard issue HV rifle with exographic targeting system and microtransporter. Without transporter use, maximum accurate range holds around three thousand meters. With transporter is little different, but accuracy spikes to very high levels of confidence. At closer ranges, the rifle is effective at shooting through terrain or fortifications.

TP-03. Multi purpose surface to surface and surface to air missile launcher. Able to guide automatically on distant targets or be guided via a trackball type system on the gunners launcher, visualised on the helmet HUD.


The basic unit of Marines is the fire team, a four man unit. Comprised of three riflemen and one heavy weapons soldier. The ammunition and components for a mortar are often carried by all three riflemen. Though weapons load out may well vary as missions change.

Deployment onto starships is dependent on size.

Escort-Frigate: One Squad (two fire teams plus a commander/XO)
Destroyer - Cruiser: One Platoon (four squads plus a commander/XO)
Cruiser-Battleship: One Company (four platoons plus a command fire team)
Spacedock sized Starbase: Battalion (four companies and a commanding general)

Marines on Cruiser-Battleship sized Starships come with assault shuttles. Highly modified runabouts with the ability to carry two squads into a hot drop. Heavy armour and a tactical fighters phaser turret let it cover any extraction or landing. Its shield grid can also be extended to a diameter of 100 meters to cover an LZ, if necessary.

[Chris OFarrell]

Starfleet MACO Commando Units.

MACO's are Starfleets (and the Federations) special operations arm under command of Starfleet Intelligence, though they are frequently loaned to regular army formations or marine formations as necessary. A marine or army soldier is not even considered for membership until they have served at least three years in the field. And not then without a written recommendation from a commanding officer. It may be unfair, but the requirements are so stiff that many races in the Federation simply can not hack it, while others have a distinct advantage as the physical requirements are based around higher end human feets of athletics.

They use advanced combat armour technology that is in many ways similar, but in other ways quite a bit more advanced then standard infantry armour.

The main difference is that MACO armour is an integrated combat suit. A Sarium Krellide power cell good for two weeks at full operation provides power. A flexible body glove very similar to those used by normal marines is worn close to the skin. It is however far more advanced in every way. A network of over 50 hypospray pads sit over the body which can pump in a mixture of medical drugs and a limited supply of nanites capable of repairing moderate damage to the body. It also contains health sensors to pinpoint exact conditions of a person and provide estimates of mission effectiveness.

An exoskeleton sits over this bodysuit, covered with a complete armour plate identical to that used in standard body armour. The exoskeleton is powered by a similar muscular system to those used in Soung type Androids allowing quite significant strength, though not on the same level as one such as Data. Without power, the exoskeleton is quite unusable. Though sections of the armour can be removed to gain the standard infantry level protection, or thereabouts.

A holographic generator combined with a sensor stealth mode lets the suit become near invisible for hours on end before the generator overheats from use. Even the most sensitive military grade scanners will pick up nothing but a background energy reading at point blank range. The system cannot compensate for the energy surge of personal weapons being used however.

Special Operations troops have access to a wide range of demolitions technology, sensor systems, remote drone weapons such as phaser mines and attack drones, electronic warfare equipment and heavy weapons. The suits can also be equipped with antigravity flight packs, but are generally not due to the energy signature they show on sensors.

They also have advanced and almost undetectable datalinking abilities which lets every person share sensor and targeting data in almost undetectable subspace links at long range. Or through LOS tight beam links at closer ranges.

When used for frontal assaults rather then intelligence missions, the suits can be outfitted with very powerful integrated weapons systems including flamers, micromissiles, pulse phaser cannons and chainguns as well as deflector shields. Which make them immune to just about anything short of a dedicated anti tank weapon. However a stiff penalty is paid for this, the suit will be reduced to a mere six hour endurance before recharge is necessary. Which means this type of equipment is only issued for direct assaults supporting heavy army actions, usually for a quick hit, hold and run mission. Or to spearhead a massive attack. But MACO's are ill suited to these types of missions at any rate. But the capability for the assault suit was developed for deep strike missions where time is critical and overwhelming firepower is needed for success.

[Argosh]

Using only technology reasonably available to Starfleet design proper Starfleet infantry forces (assume some sort of armor support exists as well as armor opposition). Also design Special Forces. Special Forces gets more creativity (you can use technology less likely to be available, at least wide spread), their weapons can be technicaly less reliable (ie endurance, less ammo, etc.) as long as they provide a good mission capability for what you want.

So, does Trek have some cool modern gadgets that can be used for infantry forces?

Infantry:
Soong-type androids encased in transporter- and scanner-resistant armor (there should be enough of those materials around), armed with compression phaser rifle, photon grenades, a machete and P90 submachinegun. Squad leaders get a tricorder.

All armor includes SW clonetrooper-like helmets with active/passive comm gear.


Special Forces:
Soong-type androids with higher computing capabilities, encased in transporter- and scanner-resistant armor, wearing holoemitters to disguise themselves and armed with compression phaser rifle, photon grenades, tricorder, machete and P90 submachinegun with a silencer.

[Argosh]

Starfleet doesn't have the ability to mass produce androids. They can't stablize the positron matrix. Even so, the cost of building these androids would be prohibitive and the moral implications of making sentient beings for the sole purpose of war would not go over well in Federation politics.

Its not my problem if my designs are never implemented.

[CDiehl]

I like the idea of using androids, but I'd use them more to bolster units of organic troops. Surely the Federation can mass-produce a simple android body and install simple computers to run them. They don't have to be sentient or look like Data, just program them with what they need to be infantrymen and laborers, and to obey Starfleet personnel, and they should be fine. Android troops who lose their organic commanders will be programmed either to hold their ground until help arrives, or withdraw to a particular location.

Infantry will be equipped with as simple a set of equipment as we can make. Simple or even low-tech solutions will be used as often as possible, to minimize the chance of an enemy finding a way to screw with their equipment. All organic infantrymen will be trained in first aid and carry basic first aid gear. They will be armed with firearms; said firearms will be deisgned to fire a small, light bullets propelled by the best modern propellents using the simplest mechanism possible, so they can carry more ammo on them. Uniforms will be made of materials designed to absorb and dissipate energy, providing protection from energy and kinetic weaponry. Over this, body armor which does these even better is placed. They will also carry hand grenades using the most effective conventional explosives available (no antimatter). They also wear comm-badges built into the uniforms in order to communicate among themselves if they are separated, and to locate lost troops.

Units will carry machine guns, grenade launchers, mortars, and will travel in armored ground vehicles. If these vehicles can carry shields, they will. As much as possible, troops will sleep in the vehicle, but if they can't, they camp close to the vehicle and shields are extended to protect them. The vehicle will also have room for some extra provisions, ammo, medical gear, and protective gear for the troops. Artillery and armor will also be used, so the ground troops will have support if the fleet is otherwise engaged. Also, it's not bad to augment the fleet's firepower from the ground.

Special operations personnel will be divided between the ground army and the intelligence unit. The army specops units will comprise any specialists the army uses other than infantry, artillery and armor. In most cases, these will be populated mostly by modified androids led by specially trained organic troops. Intelligence specops will comprise units trained to operate behind the lines independently. These will have no androids whatsoever, since independence is necessary.

[NecronLord]

I'm taking some of the games as canon here:

Starfleet Shocktrooper:

A combination of the 'hazard team' and 'elite away team' concepts, this group would be composed of experienced starfleet officers and enlistees with high political loyalty to the federation, ground combat experience and aptitude, and skills relevent to off-world missions. The shocktroopers mission profile would be assassination, retrieval of information, and sabotage.

Size and deployment:

Shocktroopers would be deployed to politically sensative regions, including Earth, Bajor, The Romulan Neutral Zone, The Ferengi Border, The Cardassian Border and The Klingon Border. Minimal deployment of these special forces would aid in both keeping the concept from alien races and keeping a low profile in the predominantly anti-military Federation political and civillian mindsets.

Training:

Training will be focused on covert infiltration of alien installations, and make extensive use of holodeck recreations of likely enemy facilities, as well as requiring team members to operate inside the alien socieites they are expected to infiltrate for extended periods of time.

Weapons:

A long list of appropriate weapons, not all of which would be carried at a given time.

1. Type I phaser mounted on the favoured wrist, HUD assisted aiming, with various safety features. Stun ony setting, in a 20 degree cone.
2. Assault Phasers, 2288 model, with added trigger guards and iron sights. Sidearm.
3. Local Alien Sideams: Disruptors mostly, to be aquired black market or replicated using federation technology.
4. Type IIIa/b phaser rifles.
5. "Enhanced Compression Rifles" (STEF) a decent SMG. Seemed, IMO, to lack some of the ease of use of the older phaser rifle..
6. Slugthrower Sniper Rifles (Seen in 'Star Trek: Away Team,) this is a projectile weapon and functions with full effectiveness against disruptor equipped borg drones
7. Phaser 'Sniper Rifles' (STEF2)
8. Grenade Launcher, to be compatible with...
9. EMP grenades. (STAT) the grenade launcher is also to fire
10. Concussion Grenades (STAT) and...
11. Taser Grenades: One assumes these are non-lethal.
12. Proximity Mines (STAT)
13. Remote Mines/'Spacial Charges' - these could be integrated into the other design of mine.
14. Infinity Modulators (STEF) You never know when the borg are likely to show up.
15. TR-116 projectile rifle with microtransporter.
16. Photon-Torpedo rocket launcher (STEF) this posesses a powerful secondary mode that is worth retaining.
17. Quantum Torpedo launcher, a better, and guided version of the above, but without the secondary fire mode. (STEF2)
18. Federation 'Assault Rifle' Shotgun. (STEF2)

Defensive Measures:

Personal Shields (STEF) and some kind of armour, additionally the enemy-transporter scramblers of STEF, and the nemesis personal-transporter device (which is clearly now a proven concept). The armour could also use the weapons-holding transporter buffers of STEF and STEF2.

Auxiliary Equipment:

A list of other useful equipment... Err.. I'll post that in the morning maybe.

[NecronLord]

Starfleet Marines:

A more widely deployed 'special forces' unit, the Federation Starfleet Marines would be assigned to starfleet vessels with a high enemy encounter probability to act as an offensive unit for boarding actions and elimination of enemy strongholds

Size and Deployment: Much more widely deployed, Starfleet Marines would be deployed aboard all large vessels, especially those dedicated to warfare operations. Unlike their Shocktrooper cousins, Starfleet Marines would be a highly visible part of the UFP armed forces.

Training:

Consistant training in limited roles would be done using the holodecks, but combat and destruction would be emphasised. Unlike the Shocktroopers, Federation Marines would not be expected to infiltrate alien cultures on a routine basis.

Weapons:

All of the weapons made available to the Shocktroopers (with the exception of black market alien weapons and the enhanced TR-116) would be in Marine armouries, but while the Shocktroopers are to be expected to be proficient with all weapons, Marines need only focus on a fraction of the available weapons. Most Marines would be trained in using Enhanced Compression Rifles and 'Infinity Modulators' as main weapons, but squads should contain individuals trained in the use of grenade launchers, and the nano-torpedo (hey, the things shuttles have are called micro torpedos, and the rocket launcher weapons are the next step down!) launchers.

Defensive Measures:

NBC protection and basic armour plating would be required.

Auxiliary Equipment:

Combat suits should integrate encrypted burst communicators, transporter scramblers, and heads up displays utilising passive scanning in the EM and subspace (if possible) spectra. They should be capable of EVA and able to survive the vacuum of space for several hours.

'Argo' style dropships should be used to deploy light armoured vehicles, as well as transport marines to the surfaces of planets. A dedicated 'Combat Runabout' design should be developed from the Danube class, with a shorter duration but higher troop capacity.

Armoured vehicles should be constructed using the 'nano' quantum torpedo launcher as a primary weapon, as well as top-mounted phaser rifles. Shielding options should be considered, and each vehicle should integrate transporter-scrablers with a light ECM system.

[Junghalli]

The first thing to do would be to first form an army that is seperate from Starfleet (this is absolutely essential). After that, I'm going to keep this to technology and equipment that would require minimal changes from what the Federation already uses.

Federation GI would be issued full camouflage body armor, similar to the experimental full body armor being used by some US army units now. With the Federation's level of technology if would probably also be easy to put some kind of gas mask/rebreather on it for NBC protection. The suit should also include radio communicators, integrated night-vision goggles and other passive sensors, and a universal translator as this would help in occupation missions. He would be given a phaser pistol, either a Type II phaser or a phaser assault rifle (depending on mission and duties/abilities/training of the trooper) and a small twentieth-century style slug-thrower pistol should the phasers become inoperative for some reason.

Special forces would have more specialized equipment. Reverse-engineering Jem Hadar personal cloaks, those nifty transporter-rifles that can shoot through walls, a spacesuit-like armor suit that can survive exposure to vacuum or napalm fires as well as NBC attack, personal shields, and portable transporters such as Data used to get Picard out of the Scimitar are all technologies I would look into.

Armor support isn't in the OP, but I'd say look at twentieth/twenty-first century tanks and artillery. Produce something similar but mounting 24th century weapons. They have three mechanized World Wars to draw their inspiration from. And they already appear to have something like an anti-tank phaser: we saw it in Insurrection.

[Ender]

I can't believe no one here is equipping them with a knife.

[NecronLord]

I can't believe no one here is equipping them with a knife.

I considered it, but I figured that they might get the wrong idea and try to replicate Klingon/Jem'hadar tactics, which have after all, proven effective in ST, for races with physical advantages. Given that humans are basically weaker than all their main enemies (Borg, Klingons, Gorns, Cardassians{?}, Jem'Hadar) I felt forcing them to use pistols or type 1s would be wiser than giving them a tempting piece of metal.

My basic infantry are getting bayonets though.

[Junghalli]

I can't believe no one here is equipping them with a knife.

It didn't really occur to me to count it as combat equipment, but I'd definitely give them one.

[Sothis]

Using only technology reasonably available to Starfleet design proper Starfleet infantry forces (assume some sort of armor support exists as well as armor opposition). Also design Special Forces. Special Forces gets more creativity (you can use technology less likely to be available, at least wide spread), their weapons can be technicaly less reliable (ie endurance, less ammo, etc.) as long as they provide a good mission capability for what you want.

So, does Trek have some cool modern gadgets that can be used for infantry forces?

Mmm.... well, Starfleet has anti-grav tech (those nifty little bio-beds that we've seen being whizzed in and out of transporter rooms on more than one occasion. Starfleet has got those rocket/grenade/whatever they are launchers from Insurrection. A scaled up launcher thingy attached to a bio-bed perhaps?

But seriously, there are two items there that could form a template for some kind of mobile attack platform, like a better version of that insane dune buggy from Nemesis. You could take out the wheels, replace them with anti-gravity units, adn voila, you already have an improvement.

Next, take advantage of ablative armour and get rid of that crazy unshielded and exposed weapons mount (for that matter, make sure the armour covers as much of the thing as possible), and don't bother with shield generators- use the armour and thus ensure you have extra power for weaponry.

I don't know if ablative armour is practical for troops, but can't think of any reason why it isn't. I will leave discussion of weaponry to others.

[Junghalli]

considered it, but I figured that they might get the wrong idea and try to replicate Klingon/Jem'hadar tactics, which have after all, proven effective in ST, for races with physical advantages.

This might be a problem for the Klingons, but Federation troops do not strike me as the kind of people who would be tempted to use melee weapons if they didn't have to. Quite the opposite, they get murdered in melee because it never seems to occur to them to use a knife (ref. the Borg in FC).
Anyway, a knife is a very useful tool even if it's mostly a shit weapon in modern warfare. It would be ludicrous not to issue them as part of a soldier's standard kit.

But seriously, there are two items there that could form a template for some kind of mobile attack platform, like a better version of that insane dune buggy from Nemesis. You could take out the wheels, replace them with anti-gravity units, adn voila, you already have an improvement.

Not neccessarily. You're talking about building what basically amounts to a helicopter equivalent. You generally don't want to put too much armor on such a thing or else it becomes too heavy. Whereas a tank should be as heavily armored and strongly built as possible. I cover this a little in my own setting. The Humans use "crude" tech like guns and tanks while our antagonists; the Azvek, use UFP style fancy-technobabble tech, energy weapons, and hovering antigrav vehicles. Azvek "hovertanks" are more tactically flexible but they're ludicrously fragile: hit them and they go down HARD.
Going back on topic, if you plate heavy armor all over the Argo it might make an OK troop transport. Put a big phaser turret on it and it would be passable light armor.

and don't bother with shield generators- use the armour and thus ensure you have extra power for weaponry.

Have a "flicker and fire" system where power is transferred from the shields to the weapons when you fire, then you can keep the shields. They're pretty damn handy, I wouldn't ditch them if I could avoid it.

I don't know if ablative armour is practical for troops, but can't think of any reason why it isn't. I will leave discussion of weaponry to others.

Armor would be a very good idea for dealing with shrapnel even if phasers and disruptors go right through it.