Someone mentioned that a 55-ton tank was too big for some of the armor-deploying DropShips, so I thought this might be a better fit.
Steinmetz Medium Tank
Mass: 50 tons
Tech Base: Inner Sphere
Motive Type: Tracked
Rules Level: Advanced Rules
Era: Clan Invasion
Tech Rating/Era Availability: E/X-X-D-A
Production Year: 0
Cost: 2,360,500 C-Bills
Battle Value: 886
Power Plant: Locom CellPack 200 Fuel Cell Engine
Cruise Speed: 43.2 km/h
Flanking Speed: 64.8 km/h
Armor: ProtecTech 10 Ferro-Fibrous
Armament:
1 Defiance Disintegrator LB 10-X AC
2 Hovertec Streak Streak SRM-2s
2 Maxim M240 Light Machine Guns
1 TharHes AGEWS Guardian ECM Suite
Manufacturer: Forbach Engineering
Primary Factory: Tharkad
Communications System: TharHes Gravelotte
Targeting and Tracking System: TharHes Ares-8x
Overview:
When it was originally designed in 2030, the Steinmetz was intended to be a
simple supplement to the popular but expensive fusion-powered heavy tanks then
currently in production. With the recovery of advanced technologies just
before the Fourth Succession War, though, the advancing state of technological
advancement kept the team at Forbach returning to the drawing board to
incorporate the latest technology into their design. By the time company
executives finally put a stop to the continued modifications to the design, the
tank was severely behind scedule and over-budget. In a rush to avoid the
project being cancelled and the company fined, the team started from scratch
and finally produced a protoype for the tank in 3044.
Capabilities:
The Steinmetz as it went into production is a decent medium tank, designed
around the uncommon but powerful Locom CellPack 200 fuel cell. This
powerplant was used because it addressed the issues with the cost and
complexity of more advanced fusion powerplants while being almost as light in
comparison. The CellPack runs on filtered water but can make use of water
from other sources for a limited span of time before impurities start to
accumulate in the electrolysis system and preventing the vehicle from
processing the water. Using the filtered water, though, a Steinmetz has a
similar range to more conventional fossil-fueled combat vehicles.
With almost 10 tons of ferro-fibrous armor, the Steinmetz medium tank is
well-protected against other medium tanks. While it lacks the protection to
engage heavier tanks, it does allow the vehicle to operate in support of
heavier armored units. The Steinmetz can both target other mored vehicles
while having an impact against lighter units. The armor protection for the
vehicle is further enhanced by the new TharHes AGEWS advanced ECM/ECCM/EW
system. The suite can both jam electronic targeting systems as well as act as
an electronic warfare system by jamming opposing communications systems at the
same time.
The firepower of the Steinmetz is more conventional, based around a single
heavy weapon and a couple of smaller support weapons. The main weapon for the
tank is the Defiance Disintegrator LB 10-X autocannon. The autocannon is
given a supply of both cluster ammunition as well as slug ammunition. This
flexibility of ammunition allows the tank to operate against a wide variety of
targets. Supporting the autocannon are a pair of Hovertec Streak SRM-2
launchers for anti-vehicle use. Highly accurate and a lethal punch, the two
launchers are tied together to allow them to engage the same target as if a
single launcher. At the bow under the control of the driver is a pair of
Maxim M240 4mm machine guns. Small and lightweight, the two machine guns are
optimized for anti-infantry role but lack a punch against all but the most
lightly-armored targets.
Deployment:
The Steinmetz would have been a very good medium tank if it had been
introduced on time. However, the length of time it took to get the design
finalized and into production has rendered the vehicle less of an impactful
vehicle than originally intended. The slow gestation period for the design
has meant, though, that the design missed the start of the FedCom Civil War and
so was not introduced to Davion units until they had to face it on the
battlefield. The vehicle was ready to fill the gaps in the LCAF armored
cavalry forces wrought by the devastation of the Civil War, and so it has found
a limited calling as a stopgap design pending more advanced vehicles in the
future. The tank has found a kind of after-market popularity with smaller
mercenary units thanks to its relatively low-cost nature. This has kept the
tank in production for longer than most would have predected thanks to its
long-delayed intooduction.
Variants:
There have been only two variants of the Steinmetz observed. The first was
not as numerous when it was introduced thanks to its more complicated and
temperamental nature. In an effort to put an energy weapon on the tank,
Forbach engineers went back to one of their older designs and modified the
turret to carry a single Donal Technologies PPC in place of the autocannon.
The space taken up by the ammunition as well as the ECM suite and one of
the machine guns was replaced with a set of heat sinks as well as the power
amplifier system linked to the fuel cell powerplant to energize the PPC. The
increased range and duration of the weapon could not offset the temperamental
nature of the system when in the field. In the end, the PPC-armed version
was not quite as popular as the base version and production numbers never
matched those of the base design.
The second was more of a stopgap measure when it looked like there was a
delay in the availability of the Stream missile systems. Replacing them was
an older but larger TharHes Maxi SRM-6 with a ton of ammunition, usually loaded
with inferno rounds. To make room for the larger SRM, the ECM system was also
replaced with a SureFire 444 point-defense system in an small housing atop the
main turret and a ton of ammunition. The engineers were also able to add an
extra half ton of armor to the design in the process. While the increased
firepower was welcomed by some, the loss of the highly accurate Streak
launchers was not so welcomed by others.
================================================================================
Equipment Type Rating Mass
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Internal Structure: Standard 25 points 5.00
Engine: Fuel-Cell Engine 200 10.50
Cruise MP: 4
Flank MP: 6
Heat Sinks: Single Heat Sink 1 0.00
Control Equipment: 2.50
Lift Equipment: 0.00
Turret: 2.00
Armor: Ferro-Fibrous AV - 170 9.50
Armor
Factor
Front 41
Left/Right 34/34
Turret 34
Rear 27
================================================================================
Equipment Location Heat Spaces Mass
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2 Light Machine Guns FR 0 2 1.00
LB 10-X AC T 2 1 11.00
2 Streak SRM-2s T 4 2 3.00
Guardian ECM Suite T 0 1 1.50
@LB 10-X (Cluster) (10) BD - 0 1.00
@LB 10-X (Slug) (10) BD - 0 1.00
@LMG (200) BD - 0 1.00
@Streak SRM-2 (50) BD - 0 1.00
BattleForce Statistics
MV S (+0) M (+2) L (+4) E (+6) Wt. Ov Armor: 6 Points: 9
4t 2 2 1 0 2 0 Structure: 3
Special Abilities: ECM, EE, TUR(2/2/1), FLK 1/1/1
