LTV-4 Hover Tank

(Redirected from Hover Tank)
Hawk LTV-4 Hover Tank RGilClan v27.jpg
LTV-4 Hover Tank
Production information
Manufacturer Lucas Technologies
Production Year 2464[1]
Mission Combat
Type Hover
Technical specifications
Mass 50
Armor standard armor (Prototype)
Engine 115 ICE
Speed 118 km/h
Armament
BV (1.0) 452[2]
BV (2.0) 684[1]


Description[edit]

The vehicle simply known as the "Hover Tank" was originally developed by Lucas Technologies as a bid to gain a military contract for the Terran Hegemony's Armed forces. After years of development and proposals, the result their efforts would be the LTV-4 Hover Tank in 2464. The LTV series was the response as part of an effort to counter proliferation of BattleMech technologies stolen from the Hegemony. The vehicle was designed to swarm these early BattleMechs in groups and use their combined firepower to hold them until other forces could close and eliminate them. With some resistance from HAF Leadership, CEO Harrison Lucas focused his company's efforts into making a more compelling design. Results of the LTV-4's lighter, but stronger armor would ultimately herald a new age in armored combat and make Lucas a very rich man.

The LTV-4 would enter mass-production first through Lucus Technologies and later with General Mechanics. First in service with the Terran Hegemony and it would later be licensed during the Star League era to its fellow member states. The design would simply be known as "Hover Tank" over the centuries, staying in service in one form or another through the Succession Wars.[3]

Weapons and Equipment[edit]

LTV-4's main gun is its Particle Projector Cannon mounted in the turret. A single 4-tube Short Range Missile launcher is added to the turret as secondary weapon.

Powered by a 115 rated Internal Combustion Engine, the craft can achieve a respectable speed of 110 km/h. The crowning achievement of the design is its prototype Standard-Grade Armor, with 5.5 tons of the material encasing the vehicle's hull.[4]

Variants[edit]

  • LTV-2 
    Early version of the Hover Tank, this vehicle featured a single Heavy Laser. It was a speedy vehicle, however it used a primitive grade of armor which made it fragile. It only entered service in small numbers during the Age of War.[5]

Design Quirks[edit]

The vehicle features the following Design Quirks:

Notes[edit]

  • The Hovertank was first introduced without accompanying artwork. Later the image used for the LTV-4 belonged to the Scimitar Hover Tank. The LTV-4 is not related to this vehicle.
  • As of this writing, there are no stats for LTV-2 variant of the Hover Tank.
  • It was confirmed by the Line Developers that LVT-4 and Hovertank in Record Sheets vol. 5. are one and same vehicle.
The LVT-4's origins was in fact with the Hovertank in the old Record Sheets vol. 5. Just with some updating to keep in line with the current ruleset.[6]

Gallery[edit]

References[edit]

  1. 1.0 1.1 MUL entry for the LTV-4 Hover Tank
  2. BattleTech Record Sheets Volume Five: Vehicle, Hover Tank - old BV1.
  3. Experimental Technical Readout: Primitives, Volume 2, p. 11 - LTV-4 Background information.
  4. Experimental Technical Readout: Primitives, Volume 2, p. 11, 25 - LTV-4 Stats.
  5. Experimental Technical Readout: Primitives, Volume 2, p. 11 - Early LTV-2 Variant noted, with only a few details.
  6. Christoffer “Bones” Trossen, BattleTech Writer, 12 July 2013

Bibliography[edit]