Stuka

Stuka
Production information
Manufacturer	Lycomb IntroTechnologies, Inc.
Production Year	2530
Model	STU-K5
Class	Heavy aerospace fighter
Tech Base	Inner Sphere
Cost	6,156,000 C-bills
Technical specifications
Mass	100 tons
Structural Integrity	10
Frame	Lycomb 11
Power Plant	GM 300ATF
Armor	AeroScale Plus
Fuel	400 - 5 tons
Armament	4x Large lasers 3x Medium lasers 1x LRM-20 1x SRM-4
Communications System	O/P 9000AT
Tracking & Targeting System	O/P 2500TGFD
Heat Sinks	30 single heat sinks
BV (1.0)	1,537
BV (2.0)	1,794

Description

First designed in 2530 for the Star League Defense Force, the Stuka is meant for prolonged battle, boasting 30 single heat sinks that allow it to stay in the fight longer. Though somewhat outgunned by some medium fighters, it has 15 tons of armoring which gives it superior protection, and its Monitor 200 guidance system gives it the maneuverability of a medium fighter. Mostly used by Federated Suns forces thanks to their monopoly on its construction, the Stukas have proven a thorn in the side of House Kurita forces on many occasions.

Lycomb-Davion IntroTech originally manufactured the Stuka from their facilities on Demeter along with a number of other designs. In 2795 the Capellan Confederation destroyed the Demeter facilities in an attempt to deny the Armed Forces of the Federated Suns supplies of Stukas. While the Capellan Confederation Armed Forces strike was successful, the Confederation was unaware their overall goal wasn't met as Lycomb-Davion IntroTech were constructing a second manufacturing facility on New Avalon that was well on its way to being complete.

Because of similarities in its design, the Stuka has on occasion been mistaken for a Lightning, a mistake which has often proven deadly.

Weapons and Equipment

The STU-K5 Stuka carries a mix of weaponry, a Simpson LRM-20 rack, Holly SRM-4, and a Martell medium laser rounding out the payload in the nose. The wings mount two Exostar large lasers each, and two medium lasers face to the rear.

Variants

• STU-D6 

  A variant created by the newly created Federated Commonwealth, which introduces recovered Star League technology into the design. Based on the K5, the fighter's weaponry gets an additional two LRM-20s on each wing, with two tons of ammunition. The nose launcher is replaced by a pair of SRM-6s with four tons of ammo. The fighter's engine is replaced with an XL model and it drops 10 of its single heat sinks to upgrade the remaining ones to double strength. BV (1.0) = 1,838

• STU-D7 

  This variant introduces technology that was conceived at the FedCom Civil War. Using the D6 as base design, the two LRM-20 launchers are replaced with RAC/5s with two tons of ammunition. The large lasers are completely replaced with nine ER medium lasers, three placed in each of the wings, one mounted in the nose with the LRM-20 and two SRM-6s, and two facing aft. All of the D7's launchers have been enhanced fitted with a Artemis IV guidance systems, and ship boasts 21 double heat sinks to counter the massive heat the weapons produce. BV (2.0) = 2092

• STU-K5b 

  This variant replaces the large lasers with a pair of ER PPCs in each wing. Except for the pair of medium lasers covering the rear, the other weapons are replaced with a nose-mounted AC/20 and medium laser to deal with enemies who came in close. Three tons of autocannon ammunition kept this version in the fight for a long time before it needed to return to base to reload. To keep heat levels manageable, the single heat sinks were upgraded to double strength models. BV (2.0) = 2,190

• STU-K10 

  This variant replaced the three medium lasers with two extra single heat sinks and four Exostar small lasers, and is mostly seen in the Draconis March Militia. BV (1.0) = 1,565, BV (2.0) = 1,767

• STU-K15 

  This variant, which only saw limited production, reduced the armor by three tons and added six small lasers. BV (1.0) = 1,403, BV (2.0) = 1,683

Notes

• Author Blaine Lee Pardoe stated in a blog entry that, according to his memory which he admitted could be wrong, the Stuka was among the aerospace fighters for which he invented the name and wrote the original background as initially published in TRO:3025, after being given only its art and game stats to work with for the TRO entry. He noted there was some pushback about the name which references an infamous German warplane from the Second World War, but that it was eventually cleared.

• The sourcebook Interstellar Expeditions: Interstellar Players 3 includes Random Assignment Tables for the Escorpión Imperio which contain the 100-ton "Thunderbird Strike Fighter"; stats for this unit would supposedly be published in XTRO: Deep Periphery. However, XTRO: Deep Periphery was canceled and former BattleTech Line Developer Herbert A. Beas II stated that the "Thunderbird Strike Fighter" should be exchanged for the STU-K5 Stuka in the RAT. (See IEISP3 Notes section for further references.)

Gallery

• 

  Original STU-K5 Stuka from TRO:3025

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  STU-5K Stuka from Hardware-Handbuch 3025

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  STU-K5 Stuka from TRO:3025 Revised

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  AFFS Stuka from MechWarrior

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  Stuka from AT2r

Bibliography

• AeroTech 2 Record Sheets
• Combat Operations
• Field Report 2765: AFFS
• House Davion (The Federated Suns)
• Master Unit List: Battle Values
• Record Sheets: 3039
• Record Sheets: Operation Klondike
• Technical Readout: 3025
• Technical Readout: 3025 Revised
• Technical Readout: 3039
• Technical Readout: 3057