Cruise Missile 50

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Cruise Missile 50
Production information
Type	Artillery (Missile)
Tech Base	Inner Sphere Experimental
Year Availability	3065
Technical specifications
Heat	50
Damage	50 (Artillery)
Minimum Range	-
Short Range	-
Medium Range	-
Long Range	50 mapsheets
Tons	55
Ammo Per Ton	1/25 (each missile weighs 25 tons)
Cost (unloaded)	900,000
Ammo Cost (per ton)	20,000/missile
BV (2.0)	601 (launcher)/75 (missile)

Description

Until the Federated Suns started researching them, the Cruise Missile had been resigned to history. Using the large nuclear warhead equipped missiles used by factions on pre-spaceflight Terra, the Cruise Missile was designed to provide artillery support to ground forces. By exchanging the nuclear warhead for a conventional explosive, the engineers assigned to the project created a large version of the Arrow IV missile. In 3065, the AFFS began testing the Cruise Missile. The Cruise Missile cannot escape a planetary atmosphere, but it can reach almost anywhere on a planet's surface. Due to their size and range, the cruise missile launch systems are most likely going to be installed in static fortifications or large mobile structures. Even if an individual combat unit could carry the launcher, the sheer size of the missile makes it difficult for the vehicle to carry additional rounds. Unlike the Arrow IV missile system, there is no "guided" or "homing" cruise missile. This relative inaccuracy offsets the tremendous damage they cause.

The Cruise Missile 50 is the smallest of the Cruise Missiles. Though it uses a launcher that weighs as much as a Griffin and fires missiles that mass as much as a Commando, the Cruise Missile 50 is the most likely to be carried by a combat vehicle or support unit. Even this is rare however, as the size of the missiles and launcher leave almost no room for armor, weaponry, or engines.

Models

As the Cruise Missile 50 is still experimental, there is no information about manufacturers or models.

Bibliography

• Tactical Operations