I figured that the Quickscell Company would have some kind of medium tank; after all, if there's a market then Quickscell is there.
Vambrace Medium Tank
Mass: 45 tons
Movement Type: Tracked
Power Plant: InterComBust 180
Cruising Speed: 43.2 kph
Maximum Speed: 64.8 kph
Armor: ProtecTech Light
Armament:
1 20mm Gatling Gun Machine Gun
1 Deleon/5 AC/5
1 Hovertec SRM 2
1 LongFire/L LRM 5
Manufacturer: Quickscell Company
Primary Factory: Richvale
Communication System: Basix 250
Targeting & Tracking System: OptiSight 12
Introduction Year: 3025
Tech Rating/Availability: E/X-E-D-D
Cost: 737,325 C-bills
Overview
The Vambrace Medium Tank was seen as something of a
high-end tank, at least as far as the Quickscell Company was
concerned. The tank was the brainchild of the Richvale facility
in the Lyran Commonwealth and was intended to meet Lyran
needs for a general-purpose medium tank that was both flexible
and affordable. Like the smaller vehicles offered by Quickscell,
the Vambrace was intended to be sold in large numbers to make
up for its mediocre speed and armor. The tank was soon
exported to other Quickscell facilities across the Inner Sphere
due to its low cost.
Capabilities
While the Vambrace is not a flashy tank, it is designed to be
able to meet multiple mission requirements. While it does not
excel at anything, the Vambrace acts as a jack-of-all-trades, but
is by no means a master of any of them. An individual Vambrace
lacks the firepower to engage anything much heavier than itself,
though it has a number of light weapon systems with which to
engage targets at long and medium ranges.
The weapon systems of the Vambrace are a mixed bag at best.
The lightweight Deleon autocannon has long had known issues with
tracking a target within 30 meters, while the low cost of the weapon
has made correcting these problems a minimal priority. The new
LongFire/L long-range missiles have been shown to have arming
problems, needing at least 60 meters for the warhead to arm itself.
The Hovertec SRM launcher, on the other hand, is a long-proven
vehicular weapon system and is reliable at short ranges. Loaded
with Inferno rounds, the Hovertec is a threat to both light armored
vehicles as well as some 'Mechs. The 20mm Gatling Gun provides
equally reliable point-blank firepower against unarmored infantry,
but lacks any kind of anti-vehicle usefulness due to its low-velocity
round.
The relatively spacious turret of the tank has made the vehicle
easy to maintain and modify, making up somewhat for the weapon
systems. The notoriously poor quality control of the Quickscell
company, found on many of their products, also plagues the Vambrace.
The breakdown rate of the simple powerplant, along with the low
cost of a new tank, has made it almost easier for some commanders
to just dispose of a damaged or out of action Vambrace and replace
it with a new one. In turn, this has led to a market for after-market
parts and refurbished Vambraces that makes them even more
affordable to a wide variety of operators.
Deployment
Most common in the Lyran Commonwealth, the Vambrace is also
often seen in the employ of a wide variety of mercenary units,
planetary militias, second-line military units, and like its smaller
brother the Scorpion it has also been found equipping bands of
pirates and raiders. The ability of the Vambrace to meet a wide
variety of mission profiles, along with the large number of available
vehicles has made for a large after-market pool of spare parts.
This has made the Vambrace something of a widely modified platform.
Type: Vambrace Medium Tank
Technology Base: Inner Sphere (Standard)
Movement Type: Tracked
Tonnage: 45
Battle Value: 590
Equipment Mass
Internal Structure 4.5
Engine 180 ICE 14
Cruising MP: 4
Flank MP: 6
Heat Sinks: 0 0
Control Equipment: 2.5
Power Amplifier: 0.0
Turret: 1.5
Armor Factor 128 8.0
Internal Armor
Structure Value
Front 5 32
R/L Side 5/5 25/25
Rear 5 20
Turret 5 27
Weapons
and Ammo Location Tonnage
Trailer Hitch Rear 0.0
LRM 5 Front 2.0
Machine Gun Front 0.5
Half Machine Gun Ammo (100) Front 0.5
AC/5 Turret 8.0
SRM 2 Turret 1.0
LRM 5 Ammo (24) Body 1.0
AC/5 Ammo (20) Body 1.0
SRM 2 Inferno Ammo (50) Body 1.0