Field Engineer

The Field Engineer is a class of soldier trained by XCOM.

Overview
A tactical fighter, field engineers use brains over brawn and are relied on by the rest of the team for in-field repairs and other technical expertise. Field engineers provide a strong advantage to their team but are still capable of holding their own.

During 2015 Field Engineers were not part of XCOM's operations, mostly due to the fact that combat and salvage was prioritised over technical support, instead relying on advice from Drs Shen and Valhen. However, following numerous operations with EXALT and new alien technologies, it was felt that a stronger technical presence on the field would be beneficial. Following XCOM's reactivation under Project Rebirth, the field engineer position was brought into standard squad composition, basing their loadout and combat maneuvers on the Support class.

Weapons
As engineers do not have a strongly defined combat role they can be fairly flexible in weapon loadouts. That said, field engineers are best deployed in a support role, providing covering fire for friendly forces.

Equipment
Field engineers usually carry a number of computer gear and tools, giving them a large range of roles during missions, reducing the workload placed on specialists at HQ. This can range from disassembling alien technology on-site or breaking into enemy computer systems. They are also trained in repairing allied equipment and weapons.