Author Topic: Project 3000 (Phase III) (Read 320 times)

master arminas · « **on:** 28 November 2020, 23:50:10 »

With the successful introduction of the Phase I Light-weight BattleMechs, the Concordat decided to move forward simultaneously with Phase II (Medium-weight BattleMechs) and Phase III (Tracked Combat Vehicles).

These new vehicle designs would offer the TDF (and various mercenary units and external factions) a variety of new and highly capable designs. These designs would share a number of components with the Phase I and Phase II BattleMechs, including the Wintershaven IVIS Mk IX communications system, the Bell & Sun Phalanx Silver tracking and targeting system, Renault Composites armor plating, and either the Nissan 200 fusion engine or the Pitban 240 fusion engine.

Critics voiced their concerns that Phase III concentrated solely on tracked vehicles, ignoring hovercraft and VTOLs in their approach. However, the difficulties of attempting to fit existing fusion engines being produced for Phase I and Phase II in hovercraft and VTOLs made it far simpler for the Concordat to concentrate on reliable, rugged, and (relatively) inexpensive tracked combat vehicles.

By 3027, prototypes of five separate designs (each with a number of variants) had been tested in the field and approved for production. These vehicles are in production at a number of facilities across the Concordat and are expected to rapidly replace existing tracked vehicles throughout the TDF and the Noble's Regiments.

While few mercenary units utilize vehicles in great numbers, there has been some interest from that quarter . . . including Wolf's Dragoons who ordered two of each and every variant for evaluation. The Free Worlds League and Capellan Confederation, however, have expressed considerable interest (as has the Magistracy of Canopus), while the Lyran Commonwealth has obtained a few of their own for independent testing.

Despite the massive interest of the Federated Suns in combat vehicles, the Concordat still refuses to export any war materials to House Davion . . . making the only Phase III combat vehicles in AFFS service those acquired second-hand from House Steiner or captured from House Liao.

Only the Draconis Combine has shown no interest in the project at all . . . although intelligence experts believe that they are secretly acquiring a few Phase III vehicles from House Marik to reverse engineer and possibly produce for themselves.

master arminas · « **Reply #1 on:** 29 November 2020, 00:10:19 »

The first new combat vehicle of Phase III was the Armored Cavalry Attack Vehicle (ACAV) Rattlesnake.

Massing 40 tons, this design uses a Pitban 240 fusion engine that provides for a cruise speed of 64.8 kilometers per hour and a flank speed of 97.2 kph. Five and a half tons of Renault Composites 88 armor plating have been installed on the exterior of the vehicle, giving enough protection to resist a Class 20 autocannon strike on the front and turret, as well as two Large Laser hits on the sides and rear. While considered light by some critics, this allowed for the installation of a one-ton turret with ten tons of space available for weapons and ammunition. Crew consists of three personnel: a driver in the central forward hull just ahead of the turret, a gunner in the turret, and a vehicle commander in the turret.

Contrary to contemporary practice, the Concordat designers of the Rattlesnake concentrated all available weapon systems in the turret. While this does (somewhat) limit the design, it also makes it (relatively) simple to convert one variant into another by simply replacing the turret! Although simple in theory, in practice it rarely occurs in the field as removing and then replacing the turret requires nearly twelve hours by a team of Techs and Astechs to ensure that all systems are functional. Still, this ability does offer the TDF the possibility to rearm and reconfigure their Rattlesnakes should the need arise.

The ACAV-101 is the base-line model most often encountered. This variant is armed with a High Energy Systems Corona PPC and an Aurora Missiliers Privet LRM-5 launcher (with a ton of ammunition for 24 missile salvos). Built to engage opponents at range, the ACAV-101 does that job quite well and on a highly mobile (for a tracked vehicle) chassis.