Athena (Combat Vehicle)

Athena Combat Vehicle
Production information
Manufacturer	Niles Industriplex Alpha
Mission	Fire Support
Type	Tracked
Technical specifications
Mass	75
Armor	Compound VH30 Ferro-Fibrous
Engine	Fusion 225
Speed	54 km/h
Crew	5
Armament	2x Gauss Rifles 1x LRM-10 2x ER Medium Lasers 2x Machine Guns
BV (1.0)	1,461
BV (2.0)	???

Description

The Athena Combat Vehicle is a front-line tank produced primarily by Clan Hell's Horses. It shows its intended role as a sniper in the fact that it mounts a mere seven and a half tons of Ferro-Fibrous armor. Its fusion engine propels it 54 km/h, barely enough to keep up with most battlefield elements. Despite that, the Horses have maintained and fielded the combat vehicle since it first rolled off the production lines in the early part of the 31st century.

Armament

A large portion of the mass of the Athena is wrapped up in its pair of Type AA4 Gauss Rifles. Even an inexperienced crew can still fire them accurately at range thanks to the inclusion of a Mark-5 Series Targeting Computer. Even skilled crews can benefit from the advanced targeting system, aiming their shots at vital areas. Backing these up is a Type Xa LRM-10.

The Athena's designers hoped to make up for the tank's thin armor (relative to Inner Sphere vehicles) with defensive weaponry. While twin Series 2h ER Medium Lasers are not threatening to most units, they are also made more accurate by the Targeting Computer. Should unarmored infantry assault the tank, it can unleash its two Type AP40 Machine Guns on them. The defensive weaponry is handled by a secondary gunner, who receives the benefit of these weapons being mounted in a turret.

References

• Technical Readout: 3060, pp. 64-65