Cray
04/28/03 01:47 PM
147.160.125.185
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(Please, feel free to check my numbers on this design. I'm after a peer review. Yes, I know underwater maneuvering units are technically Clan-only, but I figure if underwater hardsuits with thrusters are available today [1], then even the Inner Sphere can manage them.)
Nereid Battle Armor
The Clan Invasion prompted desperate efforts by the Inner Sphere governments to match the Clans' overwhelming technology. Trillions of credits were fire hosed at defense industries in hopes something, anything would enable the IS to match the Clans' advantages. Naturally, business owners couldn't help but notice that flood of cash and tried to think of someway, anyway they could sell their companies' products as anti-Clan. Just a little sip from all that gubmint funding would secure solid profit margins for years.
Mason Oceanic Engineering ("Big MOE" to its clients and employees) was an engineering firm with better angle on defense spending funds than most non-military firms. Big MOE was a centuries-old corporation headquarted in the Federated Suns. It specialized in oceanic resource extraction: drilling and mining platforms, civilian submarines, underwater robots, and hard-shelled diving suits. Though its fortunes had contracted sharply during the early Succession Wars (when its international assets had been nationalized by the other Houses), but it had experienced steady growth within the Federated Suns throughout the Third Succession War even as technology generally declined. Big MOE's specialty did not require Star League, or even Terran Alliance, levels of technology to be profitable. The Federated Commonwealth Alliance had been good to Big MOE. The Lyrans were hungry for the Suns' resources, and on-site resource extraction firms received a flood of Lyran investment. The Star League Memory Core helped, too. Big MOE could do the same jobs as before faster, cheaper, and more productively with advanced technology.
Which returns to the subject of how Big MOE sought to enter the military market in 3051. When credible reports of the Clans' battle armors began reaching civilians, Big MOE realized it had a leg up on the competition to producing battle armors. Its more advanced hardshelled diving suits were already myomer-enhanced. Could it be much of a stretch to turn them into battle armor? (Big MOE, and the Federated Commonwealth, were unaware of the origins of Clan battle armor.)
Big MOE ran into a couple of problems with its diving suit-to-battle armor conversion plans. First, the bulky suits had complicated rotary joints suitable for large pressure differences between the environment and interior (as found in deep sea dives or, quite the opposite, in space), but the joints were not suited for rapid movement on land. Second, the battle armor market was locked up by traditional military firms. Big MOE continued to develop its battle armor with in-house funds while it sought a military market. It found one right under its nose: Davion (now FC) underwater C3 centers.
The Federated Suns had started hiding its planetary command, control, and communications centers underwater in the late Third Succession War. This was because traditional C3 centers were among the first targets of a planetary attack and had short lives. But the lack of dedicated aquatic warfare equipment meant few attackers could easily reach Davion's underwater C3 centers (some of which Big MOE was contracted to build). The Federated Suns had introduced its Neptune combat submarines, which had a considerable edge over most hostile systems (i.e., battlemechs) to protect these centers. The practice of using submerged C3 centers had spread to Lyran space with the creation of the Federated Commonwealth, and now those C3 centers were endangered by the Clans. Clan omnimechs could be rapidly configured for underwater combat, especially by utilizing the incredible Clan energy weapons. The range advantage of the Neptune's long range torpedos was minimal in the face Clan ER Large Lasers and some Clan light mechs could actually move more quickly than the Neptune underwater. Clan battle armors were another headache: numerous, submersible foes.
The AFFC saw Big MOE's point on this issue. Its C3 centers were having problems from the Clans. Big MOE's proposed underwater battle armor ("Nereid") could be produced in quantity from existing hardsuit assembly lines, used largely available technologies (the armor shell being exception) that (bonus) Big MOE largely had in-house, and used a potent weapons mix: twin LRM-1 torpedo launchers and a small laser. The LRM-1 torpedo launchers were hardly a significant anti-armor threat, but they exploited an observed statistic of underwater combat: about 1 out of every 12 weapon hits on a target caused catastrophic flooding. For compartmentalized battlemechs, this meant the loss of function of the flooded section, which could effectively destroy a mech if the torso was hit. For vehicles, this usually meant prompt sinking of the vehicle. For boarding operations, the Nereids were equipped with an anti-personnel weapons mount.
The Nereid is considered misnamed by its troopers: it is not a nimble sea nymph. It is able to pace cruising Neptunes, but waddles (at best) on land at 10kph. On the other hand, it reflects centuries of continuous refinement of underwater hardsuit designs. It is very comfortable for the wearer and the ergonomic controls have been copied in some later Inner Sphere battle armors. It provides all necessary "facilities" for extended underwater operations, another feature copied in some later IS battle armors. (The Big MOE waste relief facilities were well-designed and not at all prone to inflicting "wet foot syndrome" on its wearers, unlike many early IS Battle Armors.) There is enough room in the arms of the Nereid for the wearer to pull her arms into the torso to operate some controls there.
COMBAT HISTORY
Despite a narrow specialization, the Nereid has seen quite a bit of battle. It was introduced in 3055 and promptly saw combat against Clan forces who, naturally, were interested in destroying AFFC C3 centers. Platoons of Nereids represented an immediate threat to Clan omni-mechs sent after underwater C3 centers. A squad launching a short-range torpedo volley against an omni-mech represented almost certain flooding of some location. In early battles, Clan omni-mechs were rarely equipped for anti-battle armor operations, especially underwater, and suffered heavy losses. The introduction of Clan Undine battle armors did not tip the balance, either. Many Nereid operators had experience fighting standard Elementals and had trained against other Nereid units - they had anti-underwater battle armor tactics ready.
Despite training against each other, Nereid units are not known to have fought against each other during the FC Civil War. Nereid units tend to be clannish, an extension of the age old "us against the landlubbers" syndrome. They operate unique machines in a rare, hostile environment in the water-poor Inner Sphere, and did not succumb to the political nonsense of the FCCW.
If the Nereid has a problem, it is its light armor. The Nereid does not have the self-sealing hargel mechanisms of Clan battle armor and is prone to taking heavy losses once hostile fire is directed against it. However, as an ambush unit, it excels.
NEREID BATTLE ARMOR
Heavy Chassis: 300kg
Movement Systems: 480kg
....Ground: 1 MP
....Water: 3 MP
Armor: 6 points standard (300kg)
Basic Manipulators: 2 (0kg)
LRM-1 Torpedo + 3 shots, 85kg, 3 slots, torso
LRM-1 Torpedo + 3 shots, 85kg, 3 slots, torso
Support (Small) Laser, 200kg, 1 slot, RA
Extended Life Support, 25kg, 1 slot, LA
AP Weapons Mount, 5kg, 1 slot, LA
1480kg
VARIANTS
Big MOE used research into the Nereid to produce a lighter, much more nimble model of "battle" armor for the civilian market. This improved hardsuit has sold well in the Federated Suns and abroad. Mason Oceanic Engineering reportedly offers a model with reduced life support endurance and an LRM-1 torpedo launcher.
And, of course, Big MOE has made a more massive model of underwater battle armor with more firepower. Other than that this model moves the torpedo launchers to the arms and that it must be slower than the Nereid, little is known of it.
[1]
www.diveweb.com/commdive/features/marapr2001.01.htm
www.nuytco.com/exosuit.html
www.divingheritage.com/jimkern.htm
www.divingheritage.com/atmospherickern.htm
Mike Miller, Materials Engineer
Disclaimer: Anything stated in this post is unofficial and non-canon unless directly quoted from a published book. Random internet musings of a BattleTech writer are not canon.
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Karagin
08/25/09 11:52 PM
72.178.75.99
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Mind if I borrow this for my universe?
Karagin
Given time and plenty of paper, a philosopher can prove anything.
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