Padilla Heavy Artillery Tank
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- This article is about the Star League-era tank. For other uses, see Padilla.
| |
| Padilla Heavy Artillery Tank | |
| Production information | |
| Manufacturer | Leopard Armor |
| Production Year | 2620[1] |
| Mission | Fire Support, Artillery |
| Type | Tracked |
| Cost | 14,820,749 C-bills |
| Technical specifications | |
| Mass | 75 tons |
| Armor | StarSlab/1 |
| Engine | Ragusson 375 XL Fusion Engine |
| Speed | 86 km/h |
| Crew | 5 |
| Communications System | Teldon 19 |
| Targeting Tracking System | Scope 30 RDNST w/TAG |
| Heat Sinks | 10 single |
| Armament |
|
| BV (1.0) | 621 |
| BV (2.0) | 1,135[2] |
Contents
Description[edit]
Introduced in 2620 by Leopard Armor of Terra for the Star League Defense Force and named in honor of Colonel Alfred Padilla, the Padilla Heavy Artillery Tank was created as companion to the Chaparral. Stationed well back from the front lines, the Padilla was usually paired with light, fast BattleMechs equipped with Target Acquisition Gear to make better use of their missile artillery. If caught in a firefight, the Padilla relied on its speed and maneuverability for protection, as it was built with only five and a half tons of armoring.[3]
Most of the Padillas produced were destroyed during General Aleksandr Kerensky's Operation LIBERATION, the battle to free Terra from Stefan Amaris and end the Amaris Civil War. By the time of the First Succession War only twenty of the tanks could be found in active service, all with the Capellan Confederation, but they were soon stripped of their weapons systems when the Capellans' stock of Arrow IV missiles ran out. By the thirty-first century, only fifteen Padillas still remained within the Inner Sphere, deployed with Com Guard units operating within the Free Rasalhague Republic, with some sold to the Second Star League's SLDF in a symbolic gesture.
More recently, the Word of Blake has resumed production of the Padilla, once again produced by Leopard Armor on Terra. Leopard Armor is also building the Red Shift battlemech, designed to serve as a fast artillery spotter for the tank.[4]
Weapons and Equipment[edit]
The vehicle's primary weapon is its forward-mounted Katyusha Arrow IV Missile Launcher, stocked with six tons of ammunition. The vehicle's self-defense weaponry comprises a pair of Martell Medium Pulse Lasers. To protect the vehicle from missile fire, it was armed with a forward-mounted Burrow anti-missile system, with two tons of ammunition. The Burrow system proved to be susceptible to electronic jamming, however, and while the Quartermaster Command ordered their replacement with improved McArthur systems, most never had the chance to refit. The vehicle was also equipped with its own TAG to provide for guided missile fire.[3]
Variants[edit]
- LRM
- This First Succession War era variant resulted from House Liao's inability to produce more Arrow IV missiles. Their surviving vehicles were refitted with a pair of FireFire LSR-Launcher XX LRM-20s with two tons ammunition. BV (1.0) = 855, BV (2.0) = 1,113[5]
Notable Crewmembers[edit]
Related Vehicles[edit]
- Padilla Tube Artillery Tank - The Republic of the Sphere version of the tank.
Gallery[edit]
Original Padilla from Rhonda's Irregulars (scenario pack)
Padilla from TRO:3058
Notes[edit]
- The original vehicle uses Inner Sphere Advanced Rules.[6]
References[edit]
- ↑ MUL online date for the Padilla Heavy Artillery Tank
- ↑ Record Sheets: 3058 Unabridged (Clan & Star League), p. 219
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Rhonda's Irregulars, p. 32
- ↑ Technical Readout: 3067
- ↑ Record Sheets: 3058 Unabridged (Clan & Star League), p. 210
- ↑ Record Sheets: 3058 Upgrade, p. 131: "Padilla heavy artillery tank"