Ridgeback Heavy Tank
Mass: 90 tons
Movement Type: Tracked
Power Plant: Defiance 270 Hydrogen
Cruising Speed: 32.4 kph
Maximum Speed: 54 kph
Armor: Standard
Armament:
1 Machine Gun
2 SRM 2
1 Large Laser
2 AC/10
Manufacturer: Defiance Industries
Primary Factory: Hesperus II
Communication System: Unspecified
Targeting & Tracking System: Unspecified
Introduction Year: 3025
Tech Rating/Availability: E/X-D-D-D
Cost: 3,799,050 C-bills
Overview
As the technological decline of the Succession Wars finally began to reverse in the 3020's, manufacturers explored under-utilized ways to configure a new generation of combat vehicles. Building on the success of the Sturmfeur, the Ridgeback was a heavy tank that was prototyped by Defiance Industries at the same time as the Rommel and Patton. However, it did not enter production.
Capabilities
The Ridgeback was designed to directly engage Mechs at medium range. The main turret armament of twin AC/10s supported by a Large Laser could quickly obliterate most targets. In fact, the Thunderbolt A5M Large Laser is the same compact design used on the Zeus. In order to improve the Ridgeback's capability against conventional vehicles it also featured a pair of SRM-2 launchers, with one in the turret and one on the front glacis. Finally, a front-mounted 20mm minigun could be used to suppress infantry.
In something of a departure for Lyran vehicles, armor protection was limited to a rather modest 11.5 tons. Combat experience had shown diminishing returns for armor on vehicles like the Sturmfeur, where the thick plating did little to actually protect the vehicle from critical hits. Sufficient ammunition was carried to ensure acceptable combat endurance. Another important consideration was that the tank had to be able to utilize a crossing put down by a heavy bridgelayer. 90 tons was therefore considered a hard cutoff for the vehicle's weight, which also limited top speed to a somewhat-adequate 54kph.
Deployment
The Ridgeback's novel use of a Fuel Cell engine greatly increased the tank's combat potential. It also shared an automotive layout similar to that used on other Defiance Industries vehicles. Unfortunately, Inner Sphere militaries in the 3020's had long been committed to the infrastructure needed to support ICE-powered vehicles. Meanwhile, fusion-powered vehicles retained a huge advantage because while they were both much less common and much more expensive, they required virtually no fuel support at all.
For these reasons, any conventional force that adopted the Ridgeback would have had to implement a parallel logistic system to keep the tank's hydrogen fuel cell engine supplied in the field. Consequently, development was not pursued past the initial batch of seven prototypes. However, Defiance Industries still considered the Ridgeback project to be valuable for the research it produced on heavy vehicle design.
Type: Ridgeback Heavy Tank
Technology Base: Inner Sphere (Standard)
Movement Type: Tracked
Tonnage: 90
Battle Value: 1,094
Equipment Mass
Internal Structure 9
Engine 270 Fuel Cell 17.5
Cruising MP: 3
Flank MP: 5
Heat Sinks: 8 7
Control Equipment: 4.5
Power Amplifier: 0.5
Turret: 3.0
Armor Factor 184 11.5
Internal Armor
Structure Value
Front 9 45
R/L Side 9/9 36/36
Rear 9 25
Turret 9 42
Weapons
and Ammo Location Tonnage
Machine Gun Front 0.5
SRM 2 Front 1.0
Large Laser Turret 5.0
SRM 2 Turret 1.0
2 AC/10 Turret 24.0
AC/10 Ammo (40) Body 4.0
SRM 2 Ammo (50) Body 1.0
Half Machine Gun Ammo (100) Body 0.5
