135-K Coolant Truck
Sarna News
- Bad 'Mechs - Thresher Mk II
- HEXTECH Wave 9 Review - Winding Rivers, Tall Walls, and Underground Tunnels
- Hired Steel and Making MechWarrior 5: Clans Cinematics with Constantin & Bernhard of TMC
- Your BattleTech News Round-Up For December, 2024
- Community Outreach - Caterwauling On CamoSpecs With Matt "00Dawg" Frederiksen
- Read more →
| |
| Class 135-K "Lifesaver" Coolant Truck | |
| Production information | |
| Manufacturer | Buda Imperial Vehicles[1] |
| Production Year | 2583[2] |
| Mission | Coolant Truck |
| Type | Wheeled |
| Cost | 315,675 C-bills |
| Technical specifications | |
| Mass | 30 tons |
| Armor | Star Slab/3 |
| Engine | Tamia 100 ICE |
| Speed | 64.8 km/h |
| Crew | 6 |
| Communications System | Sipher CommSys 1 |
| Targeting Tracking System | Matabushi Sentinel |
| Heat Sinks | 0 |
| Armament |
2x flamer |
| BV (1.0) | ??? |
| BV (2.0) | 321[1] |
Contents
Description[edit]
The Class 135-K "Lifesaver" Coolant Truck, built for the Draconis Combine by Buda Imperial Vehicles, is a standard example of the Coolant Trucks employed during the Succession Wars, differing only in the choice of its weaponry.[1]
Originally developed in 2588 during the Reunification War, the now ubiquitous coolant truck doubled the effective range of SLDF BattleMechs on water-poor Periphery worlds, serving a similar purpose with the depleted heat sink technology of the Succession Wars era. Coolant trucks station themselves close to the battlefield, where they can be hooked up to overheated 'Mechs for the purpose of flushing away the excess heat with super-cold liquid nitrogen and/or liquid oxygen. The liquid oxygen is also used to replenish the environmental systems onboard 'Mechs. Standard Great House combat doctrine is for a well-maintained regiment to have about six trucks, ensuring that an overheating 'Mech will almost always have access to a ready cooler.[1]
The Lifesaver has five receptacles for the long rubber/plastic hoses used for attachment to overheating 'Mechs; the first four dispense liquid nitrogen while the fifth contains liquid oxygen. Light and medium 'Mechs have hookup points for just one hose, but heavy and assault 'Mechs require two for cooling. 'Mechs are especially vulnerable when hooked up to a cooler. After the collapse of the Star League, a new battlefield etiquette evolved among both the Inner Sphere and Clans which extended a special "courtesy" to a cooler-hooked 'Mech. The enemy will usually ignore a 'Mech that is hooked to a cooler, as long as it does not shoot, becoming fair game after disconnecting and moving a few meters away.[1]
Weapons and Equipment[edit]
The most notable difference between the Lifesaver and other models of coolant trucks are the two Dragon's Breath Flamers it carries in a cab-mounted turret. Though rarely used offensively, the nearly limitless supply of liquid oxygen allows the gunner to fire at will without fear of heat buildup; there is enough ammo for 40 shots. The feature that earned the 135-K its Lifesaver nickname is the ability to quickly convert the flamers to fire liquid nitrogen, able to spray dangerously overheated 'Mechs and cool them extremely quickly. Other manufacturers have noted this ingenious dual purpose and have taken to refitting their coolant trucks in such a manner.[1]
The Lifesaver has two insulated cargo compartments, one storing 5.655 tons of liquid nitrogen, the other 2.175 tons of liquid oxygen.[1]
Variants[edit]
Many types of coolant trucks exist. Some are hovercraft and others are tracked vehicles. Most carry the two super-cold liquids, though some may carry only liquid nitrogen and leave it to other coolers to bring the liquid oxygen. Coolant trucks are usually armed, sometimes with a combination of weapons. Others have no weaponry. Every house is currently studying the installation of dual-purpose flamers that the Lifesaver uses so effectively.[1]
Notable Crewmembers[edit]
Gallery[edit]
Original Class 135-K Coolant Truck from TRO:3025
