Balac
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| Balac Strike VTOL | |
| Production information | |
| Manufacturer | New York Vehicle Y2 Facility |
| Mission | Anti-Tank Support |
| Type | VTOL |
| Technical specifications | |
| Mass | 25 |
| Armor | Forging AM15 Ferro-Fibrous |
| Engine | Consolidated 135 XL |
| Speed | 184 km/h |
| Crew | 2 |
| Armament |
2 x ATM-6s |
| BV (2.0) | 1,271 [1] |
Description
Introduced after the Jihad, the Balac Strike VTOL is extremely fast and versatile Advanced Tactical Missile armed VTOL.
With Clan Diamond Shark expecting that both the Clan and Inner Sphere militaries would invest heavily to rebuild to pre-Jihad levels, the Sharks focused on quickly filling the need for a heavily armed VTOL. While sales were not everything the Sharks hoped for thanks the increasing reduced military philosophies of Devlin Stone, the Balac was a common sight within most standing militaries and was retained over other older designs that were being phased out, maintained in general use even after the collapse of the Republic of the Sphere.
Somewhat of a rarity for VTOLs due to their extreme increase in cost, a Consolidated 135 XL Fusion Engine provided the Balac with an impressive flank speed of 184 kph while allowing it to carry a heavy weapons load-out. Unfortunately like many VTOLs, the Balac carries relatively minimal armor protection, two and half tons of Forging AM15 Ferro-Fibrous plating enough to survive incidental hits at speed, but insufficient to survive a sustained salvo while pilots hovered to maximize accuracy of the ATMs. [2]
Armament
Intended for anti-vehicle support, the Balac carries a pair of Type 6 ATM-6 launchers as its primary weapons. With a four ton capacity ammo bay allowing the craft to carry any combination of ATM missile loads, the Balac boasted lengthy field endurance. In case the ATMs did run dry, a nose mounted Mk.3 ER Medium Laser provided a degree of non-ammo reliant firepower. [2]
Variants
- Spotter - The spotter variant reduced the size of the ammo bay to free up weight for an ECM Suite and Active Probe, trading the ER Medium Laser for TAG[2]. BV (2.0) = 934[3]
- LRM - A low-cost "budget" variant, both ATM's were downgraded to LRM-15s and the XL engine was swapped to a standard model. The ammo bay was reduced to compensate for the heavier engine [2]. BV (2.0) = 1,278[4]
- Dark Age - A variant sighted in the Dark Age era utilized a standard 60 rated fusion engine, reducing the Balac's top speed down to a mere 130 kph. While the ATM's were retained, the laser was swapped with single Series Heavy Machine Gun.[citation needed]
VTOL Gallery
The original Dark Age image of the Balac.
