Cray
06/15/02 05:12 PM
12.91.126.90
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The Char Duc ("Shar Dook") is the premier Solar assault mech, mostly because it is the biggest and (by a large margin) most numerous Solar assault mech. This is because most other Solar nations rarely bother with assault class mechs. The Char Duc is generally upheld as a choice example by Inner Sphere militaries of both how Terran design philosophies (and military priorities) are different from everyone else's and how Terrans really haven't fought a sizeable war in a over a century. Reportedly, even other Solar nations are reluctant to field this giant, though their reasoning reinforces the above Inner Sphere views. Even the French, the primary users of the Char Duc, have some qualms about the mech. Naturally, their complaints about the Char Duc are from yet another perspective.
The Char Duc is definitely big and well armored. It is also faster than the majority of mechs in its class and probably fielded in larger numbers than makes sense. Its weaponry is nothing to scoff at, but its weaponry could also be fielded by a smaller mech and certainly by less expensive ones. The Char Duc is built around a pair of powerful gauss rifles with a potent secondary battery of medium lasers.
The speed is achieved with a GE 400XL engine and room is made for the weaponry by sticking to a low heat weapons array and an endosteel chassis. The 400XL is the primary reason Inner Sphere observers question Solar/Terran design philosophies. First, it makes the Char Duc unreasonably expensive for little gain. Second, it makes the Char Duc rather more vulnerable than slower Spheroid assault mech designs with standard engines. Third, a light 300XL could have made the Char Duc into another Thunderhawk or other heavily armed, Inner Sphere-style death machine.
The complaints of other Terran/Solar nations about the Char Duc is that little is gained by building such a huge mech. Clearly, the French should stick to more numerous heavy and medium mechs like everyone else (in the Solar System).
The French nodded sagely and admitted the Char Duc might not be an optimized design. They responded in a completely Terran fashion: they built more Char Ducs. They would make up with numbers what the Char Ducs lacked in quality.
The French military's jeune ecole supply domestic complaints against the Char Duc. To wit, the current model does not properly exploit the latest emergent technology. More advanced chassis and armor materials were available and could free up several tons for additional equipment. (The Char Duc's armor was little different than what had seen use in the Reunification War!) Extended range medium lasers could replace the obsolete medium lasers (a design in service for four centuries!) and the gauss rifles definitely needed upgrading to the latest in Terran high velocity gauss rifles.
Caught between a budget, a huge Char Duc force, proven reliability from existing equipment, tradition, bureaucratic inertia, the difficulty in refitting assault mechs with new endosteel chasses, overheating problems from ER lasers, and a hard place, the French armed forces have done little to upgrade the Char Duc. The only change certain to reach field units in the near future will be new high velocity gauss rifles.
The hulking French mech follows a typical Terran pattern of emphasizing a humanoid format. The muzzles of the gauss rifles are recessed behind the intimidating hand actuators, which are put to good use in both tossing light mechs around and rescuing kittens from trees in PR shoots. More than a few Inner Sphere observers have commented that the Char Duc resembles a Black Knight that lost its diet plan.
COMBAT HISTORY
After 52 years of service, the Char Duc finally saw combat on Tukayyid against Clans Smoke Jaguar and Ghost Bear. Though the OpFor assault mechs were often slower, the massive firepower of Clan Daishis stunned the French with damage beyond what they expected from the Clans' numbers. With losses compounded by rigid large-unit, large-area maneuvering doctrines, French line regiments suffered worse than they needed to.
On the other hand, the French armed forces, like most Terran militaries, knew their war machines might not be the best and compensated. Using, for example, sheer numbers and an endless supply train. At Tukayyid, mauled Char Ducs were repaired and returned to service as rapidly as omni mechs. Further, the French always had more reserves to throw against the Clans. With their numbers the French could arrange mutually supporting formations. Lightning-fast Clan light and medium mechs would race through French formations to attack leading Char Ducs from behind, only to be gunned down themselves by following Char Ducs. This would often lead to savage brawls as the outraged Clan units threw their rules of engagement out the window and lead to the excessive suffering noted above. Still, this DID negate some of the Clans' superior maneuverability and made it nearly impossible for elementals to get into the middle of French formations.
DEPLOYMENT
The core of the French mech forces are 9 Char Duc regiments, which the French use in the roles of both heavy and assault mechs. Indeed, aside from a few specialty mechs, the French have no mech designs between the Char Duc and their medium mechs. While other Solar nations regard the Char Duc askance, Bavaria and Mars have both purchased Char Ducs and modified them in different ways for close combat. To the ire of the Interstellar Policy Council (IPC), France sold two regiments of Char Ducs to Switzerland. The resulting spat of threatened punitive trade tariffs, international court action, and France's refusal to pay IPC dues lasted until someone speculated aloud ROM was probably behind all the squabbling and everyone dropped the issue. No Solar nation wants to appear manipulated by ROM.
CHAR DUC
100 tons
5 tons endosteel internal structure
26.5 tons GE 400 XL
...Walking: 4
...Running: 6
...Jumping: 0
0 tons 10 DHS
4 tons gyroscope
3 tons cockpit
18 tons armor
....Head:...3 9
....CT:......31 51/10
....RT/LT:..21 32/10
....RA/LA:..17 34
....RL/LL:...21 37
30 tons 2x Gauss Rifle (RA/LA)
6 tons 6x Medium Lasers (3 RT/LT)
1.5 tons Electronics (Guardian or Beagle; CT)
6 tons GR ammo (3 RT/LT)
0 tons "Clan" CASE (RA/LA)
Both hand actuators present
Endosteel: RA/LA, 2 RL/LL, 4 RT/LT
VARIANTS
France plans to upgrade its entire Char Duc force to use the new Terran "high velocity" Gauss Rifle, which would result in doubled ammo capacity for no change in mass of the weapon or ammo bays. The HV GR is also able to use a wider range of munitions than its low velocity, Star League-era predecessor.
The Bavarian and Martian Char Ducs are intended for the niche application of close-quarters assault. These mechs are trade their gauss rifles for Rheinmetall 90mm Rapid-Fire Class-20 Ultra Autocannons. They are deployed in company-sized units. The Martian Char Ducs show a low gravity orientation: their hulking GE 400 XLs are replaced with standard 300 GMs. The Martian Char Ducs gain a ton and a half of applique armor, relocate the electronics suite to the right torso, and mount 3 of the powerful Federated-Boeing "Olympus" class jump jets in the right, left, and center torsos. The Swiss model is quite similar to the Martian design, but retains the gauss rifles.
The numerous Char Duc has seen quite a few short-run variants in French service. Most attempt to take advantage of the huge engine to mount a lot of heat sinks and energy weapons, while others attempt to rectify the shortage of French "missile boats."
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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NathanKell
06/15/02 07:13 PM
24.44.238.62
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Getting more and more interesting:
1. Few mechs. Check.
2. Throw numbers at Clans. Check.
3. Sensible Gauss rifles. Check.
4. Core of mech forces of 1 leetle nation = 9 regiments of 1 mech. Check.
5. The French (need we say more?). Check.
I think I'm gonna like this setting! 
-NathanKell, BT Space Wars
Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason, than that of blind-folded fear.
Thomas Jefferson |