Vedette

Revision as of 07:22, 25 June 2010 by Doneve (talk | contribs) (→‎Gallery: add TRO3058U picture und missing BV)
Vedette-3026.jpg
Vedette Medium Tank
Production information
Manufacturer New Earth Trading Company
Hellespont Industrials
Pinard Protectorates Limited
Quikscell Company
United Outworlders Corporation
Vandenberg Mechanized Industries
Mission Dragoon/Cavalry
Type Tracked
Cost 725,750 C-bills
Technical specifications
Mass 50
Armor ProtecTech 6 Standard
Engine Locom-Pack 250 InterComBust ICE
Speed 86 km/h
Crew 2
Armament
BV (1.0) ???
BV (2.0) 475


Description

The yardstick against which all other tanks are judged, the Vedette Medium Tank is one of the most popular and common combat vehicles in the Inner Sphere. Carrying only one main and one secondary weapon, the selling point of the Vedette is it's speed, fast even for a medium tank. The combination of speed and it's tightly focused armament ensure the tank works best in concert with other vehicle types or as a pack hunter with other Vedettes'. It's high speed also sees it a mainstay of convoy defense and fast response operations.

Originally one of the few vehicles produced by the mammoth New Earth Trading Company, demand outstripped supply and the design was licensed to a variety of third-party manufacturers. The only notable difference between manufacturers is that NETC production runs use ComStar designed communication and targeting equipment.

Armament

Unlike many modern military vehicles, the Vedette's armament consists of a one main and one secondary weapon, a turret mounted Armstrong J11 AutoCannon, identical to the one mounted on the SHD-2H Shadow Hawk, with a Scatter Gun Light Machine Gun mounted on the bow of the tank in a mini-ball turret. Carrying only one anti-vehicle weapon does not make it a less effective vehicle than a newer tank, but does reduce its ability to deal with a wide variety of targets. The Vedette uses its speed to great effect by moving into optimum autocannon range, opening fire, and then retreating as fast as possible to another fire position.

Variants

  • AC/2 variant - A popular variant of the Vedette mounts an AC/2 in place of the AC/5, and adds a SRM-2 rack for short-range firepower. BV (1.0)= 211[1]
  • Sian Upgrade UAC - One the earliest third-party licensees of the Vedette, Hellespont Industrials of Sian was also the first to produce a version using advanced technology in 3054. A relatively simple and cost-effective upgrade, the machine gun was removed in exchange for more armor and the standard plate replaced with locally produced Hellespont Lite Ferro-Fibrous, boosting the tanks overall protection by 20%. With regards to armaments, the Armstrong J11 autocannon was swapped for an Imperator Ultra series gun. This improvement in firepower allows the crew to attack with an increased rate of fire and at greater ranges than previously possible.
  • Sian Upgrade LBX - Developed exclusively for sale to the Trinity Alliance, this variant restores the classic model's machine gun and carries an LB 5-X AC to offer some anti-aircraft capacity.
  • NETC Upgrade UAC - Following Hellespont's lead, NETC also introduced a much more mundane upgrade, also using Ferro-Fibrous armor and an Ultra AC/5, but retaining the original's machine gun, resulting in only a slight increase in overall armor protection. BV (1.0)= 297[1]
  • NETC Upgrade RAC - An advanced variant to lure sales from Hellespont, it removed the Ultra AC and machine gun for a Rotary AC/5, boasting even heavier damage capacity.
  • NETC Upgrade LGR - Another advanced variation, this version replaces all the weaponry with a Light Gauss Rifle, the increased weight of this weapon leading to a reduction in ferro-fibrous armor.

Gallery

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Combat Operations, p. 121
  2. Experimental Technical Readout: Mercs, p. 9

Bibliography