Jagdhund Armored Car Steiner/FedCom

[KaiserDunk]

          BattleTech Vehicle Technical Readout
                      VALIDATED

Type/Model:    Jagdhund Armored Car
Tech:          Inner Sphere / 3050
Config:        Wheeled Vehicle
Rules:         Level 1, Standard design

Mass:          15 tons
Power Plant:   100 Hermes Fusion
Cruise Speed:  86.4 km/h
Maximum Speed: 129.6 km/h
Armor Type:    ProtecTech 6 Standard
Armament:     
  3 OMI HighBurn Medium Lasers
Manufacturer:  New Earth Trading Company
  Location:    New Earth
Communications System:  Garret T-10B
Targeting & Tracking System:  O/P 2000 JSA

==Overview:==
   The Jagdhund Armored Car started off as a joint venture between one of the larger vehicle manufacturers in the Lyran Alliance, New Earth Trading Company and one of the larger 'Mech manufacturers, Kallon Industries, in the wake of the Fourth Succession War.   Kallon wanted to expand into the light 'Mech market but lacked the production capacity or political power to match companies like TharHes Industries or Defiance Industries.   On the other hand, New Earth Trading Company had the political pull for vehicles but lacked the expertise of working with small fusion powerplants.
   NETC took the first step by approaching Kallon with a request to license their Hermes powerplant for a light armored car they were working on.   The intention was to build a vehicle that compete with lower-end light 'Mechs but at a significantly lower price.   Once Kallon executives saw what New Earth was offering, they agreed with a stipulation of a rather impressive royalty to be paid.   NETC already had interest in this kind of a vehicle and decided that the the liscensing fee and royalty payments would still be signifantly cheaper than designing a powerplant from scratch.   While Kallon didn't get the light 'Mech they had originally intended, the influsion of finds from the deal allowed them to upgrade their existing designs with newer technologies.

==Capabilities:==
   The Jagdhund has been called a 'budget Locust' because it can perform much like the light 'Mech operating as a scout unit.   The core of this capability  lies with the Hermes 100 fusion powerplant.   While extravagant for a small armored car, the use of it allows for the high speed of the vehicle in addition to its relatively high firepower.and thick armor.   The Hermes powerplant is set in a semi-modular compartment centered over the back sets of wheels that allows for it to be decoupled from the transmission, pulled, and replaced in less than three hours with only basic field equipment needed to process the change.
   The firepower of the little armored car allows it to punch significatly above its weight.   The three OMI HighBurn medium lasers are based on the samle laser used on other NETC vehicles, allowing for a quicker design process.   With the lasers mounted in a turret above and between the driver and the power plant, the lasers are easy to maintain or replace and do not need an extensive ammunition supply train while on missions.   The three medium lasers also make the little armored car a significant threat to larger light vehicles and even some light 'Mechs.
   With four and a half tons of light armor, a Jagdhund is well protected for such a light vehicle, carrying as much as some vehicles 10 or 15 tons heavier.   When combined with the agility of the 6 steerable-wheeled chassis, the little vehicle is a tough target to track, let alone get a lock on.
   Another benefit of the cooperation between NETC and Kallon was the electronics.   Kallon was able to work with Mendham Electronics to get the advanced Garrett T-10B communications system modified for vehicle work and shipped to New Earth.   The Garrett system is more powerful than comparable vehicle systems yet not much more expensive.
   

==Variants:==
   For such a small vehicle, the Jagdhund already has a couple of variants.   The first is the simplest, and swaps out the middle laser for a Mk 45 TAG and the ProtecTech armor for StarGuard CIV ferro-fibous armor shipped in from Talon.   The  more complex variant replaces a medium laser and a ton of armor with a Coventry Five-Tube LRM launcher and a ton of ammunition.   Again, the armor is upgraded to ferro-fibrous.

==Deployment==
   The Jagdhund is being seen in armored units in both the Lyran and Davion sides of the Federated Commonwealth, though the little armored car is most commonly found in Lyran units.  It is most commonly assigned to armored cavalry units in the Lyran, Donegal, and Arcturan Guards, where the vehicle can often get where the larger 'Mechs have problems getting to quickly and finding appropriate targets for the Steiner 'armored fists'.

--------------------------------------------------------
Type/Model:    Jagdhund Armored Car
Mass:          15 tons

Equipment:                                                            Items  Mass
Int. Struct.:  10 pts Standard                                     0       1.50
Engine:        100 Fusion                                             0      3.00
Shielding & Transmission Equipment:                          0      1.50
    Cruise MP:   8
     Flank MP:  12
Heat Sinks:     10 Single                                           0         .00
Cockpit & Controls:                                                   0       1.00
Crew: 1 Members                                                     0         .00
Turret Equipment:                                                    0         .50
Armor Factor:   72 pts Standard                                0       4.50

                                 Internal    Armor
                                Structure   Value
   Front:                          2           17
   Left / Right Sides:        2         14/14
   Rear:                          2            10
   Turret:                        2            17

Weapons and Equipment    Loc     Heat    Ammo     Items    Mass
--------------------------------------------------------
3 Medium Lasers             Turret      9                       3        3.00
--------------------------------------------------------
TOTALS:                                       9                       3       15.00
Items & Tons Left:                                                 5           .00

Calculated Factors:
Total Cost:        314,438 C-Bills
Battle Value:      336
Cost per BV:       935.83
Weapon Value:      194 / 194 (Ratio = .58 / .58)
Damage Factors:    SRDmg = 11;  MRDmg = 2;  LRDmg = 0
BattleForce2:      MP: 8W,  Armor/Structure: 0 / 3
                   Damage PB/M/L: 2/2/-,  Overheat: 0
                   Class: GL;  Point Value: 3

[AldanFerrox]

Looks like a heavier version of the Kruger Combat Car from TRO 3150 (the original version, not the Dark Age version with ER Lasers and Heavy Ferro armor).

[KaiserDunk]

Same basic idea, only in the 3050-3055 era between the Fourth Succession War and the FedCom Civil War.   Give a light wheeled vehicle the speed and firepower to compete with a light 'Mech in a scouting role but at a much lighter cost.

[maxcarrion]

I'm not sure I'd choose this design often.  It lacks the flexibility I'd want for most investments like this.

For a scout vehicle or ultralight tank I'd want better terrain options, even at the cost of speed - I'd take 7/11 tracked over 8/12 wheeled on all but the most savannah/desert like areas (where I'd probably hover in many cases) - superior for forest and harder to immobilise from the side I think the speed loss would be worth it for urban and anywhere with even the slightest woodlands.

For a patrol vehicle I'd want an anti infantry weapon of some kind, and maybe a small infantry bay as something to stand in for say a modern bulldog (not a BT bulldog) or heavy hummer as that will greatly increase its variety of mission profiles

[KaiserDunk]

Interesting ideas.   The easiest would be to remove a medium laser and replace it with an infantry bay for a platoon.   As for the speed, that's the whole reason for the Jagdhund chassis; a compromise between the speed of the hovercraft and the durability of a tracked chassis.   Combine the two, and the armored car becomes something of a half-pint Bulldog.   Besides, a tracked chassis needs a heavier armor, and at weights below 25 or 30 tons a tracked chassis does not seem to be able to support that kind of protection.

[Chaeronea]

Removing a medium laser would only free up 1 ton, which would make room for a squad of infantry rather than a platoon. And if you want an anti-personnel weapon swap out a medium laser for a flamer - it's also useful for setting terrain afire.

[KaiserDunk]

I stand corrected, then; room for a squad of infantry.   The two medium lasers, I think, provide decent general-purpose firepower in support of the infantry, while the infantry are the best defense against opposing infantry.

[Daryk]

I don't know... I think I'd go for one Medium Laser and one Flamer.  The 4d6 anti-infantry damage is hard to match at the squad level.

[maxcarrion]

Yeah, I'd quite happily go for either of those on a wheeled chassis as the mission profiles, I think, align better - they get even better when ERMLs become available as they have heatsinks to spare. 

2 ML (ERML when available) and a 1 ton infantry bay as a squad support platform
Or
2 ML (ERML when available) and an anti infantry weapon (personally I'd go with an LMG for range and for less collateral damage (where that matters), but it does lack the brute damage of a flamer) as a patrol vehicle

A higher tech model could fit 3.5T of HFF for almost the same armour protection and could squeeze in the infantry bay and the LMG alongside 2 ERML.  A little more pricey though and not available in 3050.

[Daryk]

If you're reaching for advanced tech, ER Flamers are pretty sweet...

[KaiserDunk]

After getting a chance to work a bit with SAW, I decided to see how my Jagdhund Armored Car came out.

Jagdhund Armored Car

Mass: 15 tons
Tech Base: Inner Sphere
Motive Type: Wheeled
Rules Level: Tournament Legal
Era: Succession Wars
Tech Rating/Era Availability: D/X-D-D-A
Production Year: 0
Cost: 335,938 C-Bills
Battle Value: 406

Power Plant: Hermes 100 Fusion Engine
Cruise Speed: 86.4 km/h
Flanking Speed: 129.6 km/h
Armor: ProtecTech 6 Standard Armor
Armament:
    2 OMI HighBurn Medium Lasers
    1  Infantry Bay (1.0 tons)
Manufacturer: New Earth Trading Company
    Primary Factory: New Earth
Communications System: Garrett T-10B
Targeting and Tracking System: O/P 2000 JSA

Overview:
   The Jagdhund Armored Car started off as a joint venture between one of the
larger vehicloe manufacturers in the Lyran Alliance, New Earth Trading Company
and one of the larger 'Mech manufacturers, Kallon Industries, in the wake of
the Fouth Succession War.   Kallon wanted to expand into the light 'Mech market
but lacked the production capacity or political power to match companies like
TharHes Induntiies or Defiance Industries.   On the other hand, New Earth
Trading Company had the political pull for vehicles but lacked the expertise of
working with small fusion powerplants.

   NETC took the first step by approaching Kallon with a request to license
their Hermes powerplant for a light armored car they were working on.   The
intention was to build a vehicle that could compete with lower-end light 'Mechs
but at a significantly lower price.   Once Kallon executives saw what New Earth
was offering, they agreed with a stipulation of a rather impressive royalty to
be paid.   NETC already had interest in this kind of a vehicle and decided that
the the liscensing fee and royalty payments would still be signifantly cheaper
than designing a powerplant from scratch.   While Kallon didn't get the light
'Mech they had originally intended, the influsion of finds from the deal
allowed them to upgrade their existing designs with newer technologies.


Capabilities:
   The Jagdhund has been called a 'budget Locust' because it can perform much
like a Locust in operating as a scout unit, with the addition of an infantry
squad in relative comfort for longer-duration LRRP missions.   The core of the
capabilities lies with the Hermes 100 fusion powerplant.   While extravagant
for a small armored car, the use of one allows for the high speed for the
vehicle in addition to its relatively high firepower.and thick armor.   The
Hermes powerplant is set in a semi-modular compartment that allows for it to be
decoupled from the transmission, pulled, and replaced in less than three hours
with only basic field equipment needed to process the change.

   The firepower of the little armored car allows it to punch significatly
above its weight.   The two OMI HighBurn medium lasers are based on the samle
laser used on other NETC vehicles, allowing for a quicker design process.   
With the lasers mounted in a turret above and between the driver, the infantry
compartment,  and the power plant, the lasers are easy to maintain or replace
and do not need an extensive ammunition supply train while on missions.   The
two  medium lasers also make the little armored car a significant threat to
larger light vehicles and even some light 'Mechs.

   With four and a half tons of light armor, a Jagdhund is well protected for
such a light vehicle, carrying as much as some vehicles 10 or 15 tons heavier. 
 When combined with the agility of the 6 steerable-wheeled chassis, the little
vehicle is a tough target to track, let alone get a lock on.

   Another benefit of the cooperation between NETC and Kallon was the
electronics.   Kallon was able to work with Mendham Electronics to get the
advanced Garrett T-10B communications system modified for vehicle work and
shipped to New Earth.   The Garrett system is more powerful than comparable
vehicle systems yet not much more expensive.

   


Deployment:
   The Jagdhund was soon being seen in armored units in both the Lyran and
Davion sides of the Federated Commonwealth.   The little armored car is most
commonly found in Lyran units, especially in Lyran and Acturan Guards armored
units, where the vehicle can often get where the larger 'Mechs have problems
getting to quickly.


Variants:
   For such a small vehicle, the Jagdhund already has a couple of planned
upgrades.   The simplest upgrade involves swapping out the ProtecTech 6 armor
for StarGUard CIV ferro-fibrous armor shipped in from Talon.The more radical
upgrade involves upgrading the power plant to an Aur 100 XLV and adding a Mk45
TAG to enable the vehicle to spot targets for heavy artillery units in support
of the infantry.   The medium lasers are upgraded to OMI LongBurn ER versions
to better provide fire support.


================================================================================
Equipment           Type                         Rating                   Mass 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Internal Structure: Standard                  10 points                1.50
Engine:             Fusion Engine                100                       4.50
    Cruise MP:  8
    Flank MP:   12
Heat Sinks:         Single Heat Sink           10                        0.00
Control Equipment:                                                            1.00
Lift Equipment:                                                                  0.00
Turret:                                                                              0.50
Armor:              Standard Armor               AV -  72              4.50

                                                      Armor     
                                                      Factor     
                                               Front     18       
                                          Left/Right   13/13       
                                              Turret     16       
                                                Rear     12       

================================================================================
Equipment                                 Location    Heat     Spaces     Mass 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2 Medium Lasers                              T           6          2         2.00
Infantry Bay (1.0 tons)                    BD          0         1         1.00

BattleForce Statistics
MV      S (+0)  M (+2)  L (+4)  E (+6)   Wt.   Ov   Armor:      2    Points: 4
8w         1       1       0       0      1     0   Structure:  1
Special Abilities: ENE, TUR(1/1/0)

[Daryk]

So how do you like SAW?  It's my favorite (along with SSW, despite the lack of some equipment)...

[KaiserDunk]

Much more options than HM; I liked the intuitive ease of use for the HM series but that serious lack of updates was getting too much, especially after finding this board and getting feedback on my designs.

[Daryk]

I do hope SSW and SAW get revisited someday.  I really like their user interface.  I'll retire in about six more years, and will have time to learn Java then, if no one else takes a stab before then.