BattleTech Vehicle Technical Readout
VALIDATED
Type/Model: Velites Medium Support Vehicle
Tech: Inner Sphere / 3060
Config: Wheeled Vehicle
Rules: Level 1, Standard design
Mass: 45 tons
Power Plant: 160 ConLee I.C.E.
Cruise Speed: 43.2 km/h
Maximum Speed: 64.8 km/h
Armor Type: 3/Star Slab Standard
Armament:
2 Mydron Model D Autocannon/2s
1 Holly SRM 4
1 Mydron Minigun Machine Gun
Manufacturer: Knight's Bridge Motor Works
Location: Gulkana
Communications System: JoLex Systems
Targeting & Tracking System: Garret D2j
== Overview:==
As the Succession Wars eroded the manufacturing capacity of the Inner
Sphere, the need for inexpensive combat vehicles grew. Artemis Jhonson,
an engineer at Yefters Weaponry, used this as a starting point for his idea
for a direct-fire support vehicle that depended on the Mydron autocannons he
was familiar with. The vehicle would be inexpensive to produce, and just
as importantly would be manufactured using only local equipment. He took
his ideas to his bosses at Yefters, but he was told to drop the idea as
impractical.
Instead, he went straight to Duchess Salos, who had just come to power
and presented his plans to diversify the industrial base of Gulkana with a
vehicle manufacturing plant that would also utilize Mydron autocannon to
expand the customer base for both companies. The Duchess liked his plan
and supported and bankrolled his company with herself holding the majority
the stock. She used her connections with the Davion government to acquire
the necessary manufacturing equipment to build the factory, which was quickly
built on a small portion of the Yefters proving grounds. The fact that
the new factory did not require advanced technologies required for the
manufacture of 'Mechs helped her acquire the required licenses to manufacture
the necessary electronics. Even as the new factory was being built, the
prototype of Jhonson's vehicle was being completed in one of Yefter's machine
shops. Soon after the new plant was completed, Knight's Bridge was able
to start manufacturing the Velites Support Vehicle.
== Capabilities:==
The Velites is a long-range direct-fire support vehicle based around the
Mydron Model D light autocannon. The autocannon does little damage, but
its extreme long range and accuracy enables a lance of Velites to harass a
target. The vehicle has some speed, but not enough to operate as a medium
tank and instead operates from fixed positions. Likewise, the Velites has a
decent amount of armor, enough to protect the vehicle as it moves from firing
position to firing position but not enough to protect it in a close-range slugfest.
The wheeled chassis was selected both from a cost-effectiveness standpoint as
well as in consideration of the fact that the armored vehicle is not intended as
a tank or an armored fighting vehicle. The wide-set wheeled chassis has another
benefit in that it makes a Velites an extremely stable long-range firing
platform, and the suspension has an active sensor system that can correct for
motion and ground angle to a limited degree to adjust for slope and
vibration.
The Velites mounts a Holly SRM launcher in the turret to protect it from
opponents that get too close, but the launcher was never considered a main
weapon. Instead, the SRM launcher is intended to spoil a close-range
attack while the Velites moves away. The machinegun has a similar
function, only against enemy infantry.
The targeting system shows another use for the Velites as a mobile
anti-aircraft platform. The Garret D2j system has long been in use on
other anti-air artillery platforms such as the Jaeger'Mech and some Davion
Partisan tanks, and enables a Velites to act as a long-range anti-aircraft
vehicle. Duchess Salos's influence was able to secure a license to
produce a local version of the D2j specifically for the Velites in return for
a portion of the production runs to go to the Davion military. While the
D2j was originally designed as an anti-aircraft targeting system, it has
proven to be equally at home as a long-range direct-fire targeting system as
well. The JoLex communication system enables a Velites lance to
coordinate fire on the same target, and is relatively powerful enough to buy
thorugh moderate interference.
== Variants:==
Knights Bridge has been working on a more conventional armored vehicle
based on the Velites that replaces the two light autocannon with a single
heavier autocannon and extra armor. The initial tests show promise,
though the slow speed compared to the weight of the Velites chassis would
limit the new vehicle in the field.
== Deployment==
The Velites has been a moderate success, as its inexpensive nature
compared to 'Mechs and most vehicles of a similar weight counterbalances the
low amount of damage its main weapons inflict. The Velites has found a
niche as a low-cost anti-aircraft vehicle when Partisans are in short supply
or too expensive. Velites are becoming more common in mercenary units,
where the long range and low cost makes up for the lack of firepower.
The fact that a portion of the production run was reserved for the
Davion military has meant that a number of Davion units are equipped with the
new vehicle. Most of these vehicle have been grouped into independent
support units, providing fire support and anti-aircraft fire as needed.
Some Velites have been seen integrated into Ceti Hussar units, working in
tandem with Goblin units by providing direct fire support for Goblin
advances.
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Type/Model: Velites Medium Support Vehicle
Mass: 45 tons
Equipment: Items Mass
Int. Struct.: 25 pts Standard 0 4.50
Engine: 160 I.C.E. 0 12.00
Cruise MP: 4
Flank MP: 6
Heat Sinks: 0 Single 0 .00
Cockpit & Controls: 0 2.50
Crew: 3 Members 0 .00
Turret Equipment: 0 1.50
Armor Factor: 104 pts Standard 0 6.50
Internal Armor
Structure Value
Front: 5 28
Left / Right Sides: 5 18/18
Rear: 5 12
Turret: 5 28
Weapons and Equipment Loc Heat Ammo Items Mass
--------------------------------------------------------
2 Autocannon/2s Turret 0 90 3 14.00
1 SRM 4 Turret 0 25 2 3.00
1 Machine Gun Front 0 100 2 1.00
--------------------------------------------------------
TOTALS: 0 7 45.00
Items & Tons Left: 7 .00
Calculated Factors:
Total Cost: 621,075 C-Bills
Battle Value: 247
Cost per BV: 2,514.47
Weapon Value: 146 / 146 (Ratio = .59 / .59)
Damage Factors: SRDmg = 8; MRDmg = 4; LRDmg = 2
BattleForce2: MP: 4W, Armor/Structure: 0 / 4
Damage PB/M/L: 1/1/-, Overheat: 0
Class: GM; Point Value: 2
