Zaku
05/22/23 05:26 AM
86.19.82.164
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Light Combat IFV (Standard)
Mass: 25 tons
Movement Type: Tracked
Power Plant: 125 ICE
Cruising Speed: 54 kph
Maximum Speed: 86.4 kph
Armor: Standard
Armament:
1 Light AC/5
1 Machine Gun
Manufacturer: Unknown
Primary Factory: Unknown
Communication System: Unknown
Targeting & Tracking System: Unknown
Introduction Year: 3070
Tech Rating/Availability: E/X-X-F-E
Cost: 378,229 C-bills
Lore:
The concept of a Infantry Fighting Vehicle has been a long ingrained concept within the minds of military commanders since the late decades of the 20th century. Yet as technology marched on the concept fell to the wayside in the wake of the heavily mobile or defensive wars of the 35th century onwards. While vehicles often termed as IFV's existed, they very rarely stuck to the main mission profile of a IFV: that being to support and augment a squad of soldiers in completing its mission profile. Indeed the increase of weight of weapons and reduction in the importance of infantry as the prevalence of armoured warfare slowly grew larger and larger throughout the 25th century and onwards saw the need for such vehicles largely replaced by the far older concept of APCs in their role of the battle taxi.
However with the development of light auto cannon models, various companies around the Inner Sphere began redevelopment of the concept in the late 3060s, with the first models of IFVs rolling off the production line in time for the Jihad. Designed purposely to deploy a single squad of infantry into a combat zone and support them in close to medium range engagements against fellow infantry: and then extracting them when they meet stiff armoured resistance. The Light Combat IFV is armed with a forward mounted machine gun and a Light AC/5, normally equipped with Flechette ammo to allow squads of enemy infantry to be softened up at range, before closing in with its infantry squads and machine gun.
Still as it stands the Light Combat IFV is cheap, ubiquitous and able to support a single squad of infantry.
Variants
Light Combat IFV (Upgrade)
- Cost: 484,479 C-Bills
- BV: 355
Developed in tandem with the standard Light Combat IFV, the upgraded version was developed by namely companies in the Federated Suns and Free Worlds League to improve unit and squad survivability. Armoured with 4 tons of ferro-fibrious armour, it removes only one point of armour from the turret and uses the half a ton saved to install CASE to allow any ammo explosions to be deflected to the rear of the vehicle. A major upgrade as it massively improves the unit and its troops survivability: yet due to the expense of CASE in equipping such a cheap vehicle many nations like the Lyrans and Draconis Combaine often forgo the upgraded variant.
Light Combat IFV (Battle Armour Mk I)
- Cost: 601,667 C-bills
- BV: 355
Standing at almost twice the cost of the base model, the Battle Armour Variant exchanges the weapons ICE engine for a Fuel Cell and uses the weight saving to increase its infantry Cargo Bay from 1 ton to 4 tons. Now able to carry a squad of Battle Armour, the unit acts as a effective light battle taxi for units, and with Ferro-Fibrious armour it is also able to install CASE to help improve units survivability.
Light Combat IFV (Battle Armour Mk II)
- Cost: 503,542 C-bills
- BV: 325
A later model developed during the Republic Era, the Light Combat IFV is a logistically streamlined model of the standard Battle Armour Variant. First developed by the Arc Royal Defence Cordon. Meant to help assist Inner Sphere Battle Armour units engage clan forces, the Mk II foregoes the Light AC/5 for a turret mounted Medium Pulse Laser for better tracking and targeting enemy Battle armour at range, while also replacing its Machine Gun for a flame thrower to help deal with enemy battle armour more effectively.
Light Combat IFV (Amphibious)
- Cost: 483,958 C-bills
- BV: 350
The preferred model of the Capellen Confederation and other members of the Trinity Alliance. The Amphibious Light Combat IFV downgrades the ICE from a 125 rated engine to a standard 100 ICE used in traditional Heavy APCs. logistically this makes supply and supporting the units altogether easier, and allows for the instillation of a Limited Amphibious upgrade. Also equipped with 4 tons of ferro, with CASE, the Unit also features two additional machine guns on its Left and Right side to allow the Amphibious model to strafe the shoreline and better engage with entrenched partisans while moving through cities. This however has a notable impact on its half a ton of Machine Gun ammo, leading to severe performance issues in prolonged Urban engagements.
Light Combat IFV (Clan)
- Cost: 583,167 C-bills
- BV: 350
- Advanced
Developed in 3095 by Clan Diamond Shark; in the wake of the Jihad and Blake Coalition the Clans became more familiar with Inner Sphere needs and combat doctrines. Clan Diamond Shark took this information to better market products to the Great House armies, notably with their own Light Combat IFV. Made with a 125 Fuel Cell Engine, a clan heavy machine gun in the front, and a Protomech AC/4 in the turret and made with 4 tons of clan ferro, the unit is better armoured in the turret, being now able to take a short from a AC/20. Though the units main gun is somewhat weaker than its inner Sphere counterpart the vehicle is now able to support a Clan Star of battle armour with a 5 ton troop bay: protected by the weightless Clan CASE. The Diamond Sharks saw moderate sucess with the Clan IFV in marketing it to Inner Sphere houses, as well as to Solama Clusters, who often used it to help move Solama battle armour units using the new Surat (Gray Death) battle armour, that was imported to other clans.
Type: Tracked Combat IFV III (Custom)
Technology Base: Inner Sphere (Standard)
Movement Type: Tracked
Tonnage: 25
Battle Value: 357
Equipment Mass
Internal Structure 2.5
Engine 125 ICE 8
Cruising MP: 5
Flank MP: 8
Heat Sinks: 0 0
Control Equipment: 1.5
Power Amplifier: 0.0
Turret: 0.5
Armor Factor 72 4.5
Internal Armor
Structure Value
Front 3 20
R/L Side 3/3 13/13
Rear 3 10
Turret 3 16
Weapons
and Ammo Location Tonnage
Trailer Hitch Rear 0.0
Machine Gun Front 0.5
Light AC/5 Turret 5.0
Half Machine Gun Ammo (100) Body 0.5
Flechette LAC/5 Ammo (20) Body 1.0
Infantry Body 1.0
Edited by Zaku (05/22/23 05:53 AM)
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Cray
05/23/23 07:25 PM
71.47.208.18
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Ooo, a good use for LAC5.
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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