|
M-160 Assault Rifle System Added to the Marine Shipboard Action lists in 2037, the M-160 Assault Rifle System had been fielded for testing by Litton/Gerber. Research by Litton/Gerber market analysts showed that Marines disliked laser weapons, and looked at the sleek and slick designs of most weaponry as "wussified" and not something a real Marine would carry into combat. With that in mind, the M-160 was designed to replicate the look of the old M-4/16 series of assault rifles, as well as being made of rougher and tougher materials and a bayonet lug added. The USMC loved the weapon, it's brutal look, its devastating effect, and its sturdiness. The M-160 is manufactured in many different areas scattered throughout NAA, some estimates put it at over 25 different factories were producing components for the weapon. The weapons were assembled in Greensborough, SC; Peshington Ontario; and Meztixa Mexico. However, the NEMA command demanded that 15 "micro-fabricators" be built in 2082, and just like the micro-fabricators for the M-2011, when they were delivered to NEMA and the US Government in 2085, they vanished completely. No footage of the slightly green tint that these micro-fabricators would produce was ever seen. Two investigators hired by Litton/Gerber to discover where the micro-fabricators went disappeared, and the third was found the victim of a tragic auto-erotic asphyxiation accident. Gerber/Litton dropped the line of inquiry. The grip is hard plastic overlaid with soft plastic handgrips that deform slightly to allow use by personnel wearing body armor, or when the naked hand is slick due to blood, water, oil, or other environmental hazards. The body itself is made up of synthetic plastics and neo-tungsten, and flash-colored a dark gray color. The forward sighting post is black, while the rear sighting post has 2 white dots that can be made luminous by rubbing them with a thumb. The body has picatinny rails to allow the addition of modifications to the weapon. There is also a sidecar bayonet lug, to allow the attachment of bayonets (In 2092 the vibro-bayonet was added to the USMC TO&E) for use in close combat. The M-160 fires a packet of positively charged ions by stripping electrons from air molecules injected into the chamber and using a magnetic directional pulse to "fire" the packet of ions toward a target. The impact of this ion "bolt" would cause the electrons in the outer shells of the targeted materials to violently strip away as the ions within the charge tried to balance their electron valence bands. This caused the struck material to slough off with a loud, explosive noise as the molecular stabilization failed. This proved particularly useful against molecularly bonded armor as the molecular bonds failed when the atomic structure became unstable. The rifle's chamber is fed by four small air injectors, which pressurize the chamber with air in order to give the ionization circuitry something to ionize without resulting in a 2-magazine system. The air injectors are easily replaced or cleaned when fouled, and a trained operator can swap out an injector (singular) in less than 15 seconds even under combat. In addition the scope will alert the operator not only when one of the injectors begins to suffer degradation, but also which one.
Behind the "pad" on the stock of the weapon is a small storage area used to store: Tools to open up the weapon and replace the injectors, 12 spare injectors, a barrel brush to clear the barrel of debris as well as the chamber, a sighting post/bracket adjustment tool, and a folding/collapsible bipod. The primarily reported problem with the weapon is during up close fighting, a buttstroke can cause the weapon to snap off across the thinner part of the stock. In 2045 the weapon returned to the thicker stock. In 2062 a fully automatic variants was delivered to the USMC, but after problems, the weapon returned to burst fire in 2071. In 2084 the SOCOM edition was put out, with a shorter barrel length and stock, allowing the weapon to be used more easily in tight areas. In 2097 the weapon was upgraded to have a retractable vibroblade, the housing on the right side of the weapon under the handgrips. This weapon, including all of its variants, saw heavy action during the Cataclysm, and was often one of the first weapons retrieved from a battlefield and reissued. During the Second Dark ages this weapon was handed down and guarded jealously. The injectors proved easy to reproduce, and even the air compressor seals were easy to make with something as simple as a piece of flexible plastic and a pair of scissors. There are several small, isolated communities in the Rocky Mountains and on the West Coast that are entirely armed with this rifle. However, recently, a Native American Tribe in western Washington State has begun using a green tinged version of this weapon. On Rifts Earth, this is a highly coveted weapon by the officers and NCO's of the CS, particularly if it still has the old USMC logo visible. They will bargain for it, in one case a UAR-1 was traded to a mercenary for the weapon (which was then confiscated by the post commander and the officer who traded for it hung). This is another legacy weapon that the CS doesn't worry much about. Weight: 8.1 lbs Length: 31 in (24 inches for the SOCOM version) Caliber: 2.75cm Maximum Range: 1200m (3600 ft) Maximum Effective Range: 400m (1200 ft) Typical Combat Range: 150m (450 ft) Magazine Capacity: 30 shots for a small e-clip, 55 shots with an extended clip, 175 shots with a beltpack.
|
#
¿
Sep 28, 2014 05:58
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ May 16, 2024 12:08 |
|
|
LAWS-3 Missile System, Rapid Fire The USMC are shock troops, trained to break enemy strongholds and crush the enemy on the battlefield. With the arrival of hardened body armor, robotic vehicles, and power armor, the USMC wanted to upgrade the old missile systems to something lightweight and easy for Marines to carry into battle to give them an edge over their opponents. The LAWS system (66m Magazine Fed Light Anti-Armor Weapon System) had been a shelved project during the late 20th Century as too bulky and fragile to see combat use, and the USMC contacted Madson-Lenski Missile Armament LLC and asked them to reverse engineer the system, bring it up to modern standards, and make it into a feasible weapon in 2024. In 2026 the LAWS system was unveiled and the USMC and US Army ordered thousands of them. The entire weapon system was manufactured at the Black Hills Munitions Center in South Dakota, with the missiles being manufactured at the Denton OH facility. When told by the US Department of Defense that the grant for the weapon was contingent on Madson-Lenski producing not only eight micro-fabricators for the weapon itself, but twenty missile fabrication units, Madson-Lenski (Who had produced weaponry and equipment for the US Military since the Civil War) provided them without any concern. The LAWS fires a 66mm rocket, capable of terminal guidance, top down attack profile, anti-armor capability, and the ability to be used against hardened enemy structures. The missiles are highly complex weapons with both flight and terminal guidance performance, internal inertial mapping hardware, visual profile recognition, and usually programmed for top-down attacks (making this weapon very effective against foes with a head, as the missile detonates above the head and fires an explosively forged penetrator straight through the top of the skull), and able to be controlled by the launcher for minimal flight adjustments. The missile contains a new, multi-effect warhead which can penetrate 1,000mm Explosive Reactive Armour or Rolled Homogeneous Armour, up to 75mm of neo-tungsten carbide polyceramic hyper-alloy, or more than 3m of reinforced ferrocrete. A direct attack mode has been added as well as improved anti-jamming capability. The LAWS possessed excellent ECCM, as well as offering the user the ability to control the missile via "optical sighting tracking" offered by the scope, or being able to lock onto the target with the laser designator. The weapon could also access the battlefield data network and utilize another launcher's laser designator to home in on the target with. This enabled a firer even out of sight of the target to be able to take part in the assault on a critical armor unit or structure. In 2033 the weapon was upgraded to the LAWS-I system. This enhancement contained better ECCM hardware, lightened the weapon by 2.5 lbs, gave it increased structural capability, and fixed the problem with the original series of magazines failing to lock into the weapon if the weapon had fired more than 8 missiles in a row by adding in additional heat shielding. In 2065 the weapon was upgraded to the LAWS-II system. This enhanced the scope, as well as the endurance of the rocket (extended range), as well as making the missiles an order of magnitude smaller and lighter. (From 66mm to 52mm, 1 lb each to .75 lbs each) however the smaller missiles proved not to have desired penetration or terminal guidance performance, as well as missing the intertial mapping system, and so the LAWS-IIA upgrade moved the missiles back up to 66mm in 2067. In addition the detachable "spider-scope" was added to the weapon as well as a battlefield tactical net interface was added. (This is not shown in the illustration) The spider scope was a small, robotized scope with 6 legs that the user could guide with the BaTNI (Battlefield Tactical Network Interface) to the disired position and watch for or search out targets. The spider-scope (M-81 mobile scope) had a range of 900m, possessed a VIR laser designator, thermographic, IR, VIR, and UV sighting, as well as up to 5X magnification. The BaTNI screen/keyboard system contained an internal firmware smarthframe allowing the weapon to be set up and fire autonomously at pre-identified targets or targets painted by the spider scope or a designated lazing beam (Marines would often set the weapon up and use the laser designator on their rifle to guide in the missiles from a distance) and the "fire" control activated. Additionally, it can be used to set up the battlefield network, remote view through different weapons or detachable sights, as well as download satellite maps, area maps, or used to designate targets to the missiles inertial mapping software for precision strikes at a distance. In 2084 the LAWS-III was unvieled. This system was much the same as the LAWS-IIA system, however the user could patch into the system via his armor's datacord, the weight was reduced by another half pound, and the problem with the power contacts for both the spider scope and the BaTNI were fixed. The spider scope and the missile launcher had both recieved stealth materials in their construction, the launcher possessed a powerful ECM system to spoof enemy targeting computers, and the spider possessed not only light ECM systems, but was able to jump and attack unarmored soldiers, chase vehicles, and it's range was extended to 14 hours/5 miles. The spider was able to tear a normal man apart in less than 3 seconds, or tear through a non-hardened vehicle in under a minute to get at the occupants. However, the spider's size remained that of a golf-ball when curled up. (The spider-scope has two vibro-scaples for it's front legs, allowing it to cut through jungle, wire, light structures, which probed totally devestating to an unarmored enemy. It also posseses only a single lens. It is, in effect, a remote controlled micro-bot and cannot operate on its own) In 2087 the LAWS-IIIA upgrade was put into effect, which put another spider charging bay on the side of the weapon, as well as 4 additional spiders attached to the length of the barrel. The BaTNI was hardened against enemy EMP bursts, as well as advances in encryption and directional burst communication included. In 2091 the burst fire feature was added, although it soon became apparent that it had been initially built into the LAWS and never activated. Bringing the legacy versions up to burst fire mode capability required about 20 minutes of work. In every upgrade, Madson-Lenski provided the required micro-fabricators to the DoD, and although they were curious as to where the fabricators went, they chose (wisely) not to investigate it. During the Cataclysm the spider scopes were primarily used up, but this weapon helped carry the day more than once. However there weren't very many of them out there for NEMA forces to use. During the Second Dark Ages, most of the bells and whistles were forgotten or discarded when they were no longer useful. The BaTNI was the first to go, since there was no battlefield network to link into, and most of the spider-scopes were long gone. Eventually these systems appeared much like the illustration. During Rifts Earth, these weapons are extremely rare. However, the USMC logo causes this to be a acknowledged artifact, and are usually just confiscated from those in burbs. Travellers are usually allowed to keep it, but it must remain unloaded. However, a fully functional one of these, with all the bells and whistles, will have every CS officer and soldier trying to bargain for it. In 75 PA an explorer group found 30 of these launchers, with holographic image projection above the BaNTI for total 3D battlefield planning, along with several thousand missiles. However, the Native Americans whose land it was took a dim view of the explorer's testing the weapon by firing at a herd of mustangs, killed all the explorers, and left the weapons sitting there. In 99 PA a group of explorers sold the CS military a damaged missile micro-fabricator for the paltry price of 25,000 credits, unaware of what they really possessed. CS survey teams found that the underground facility that the micro-fabrication unit was in was totally flooded/destroyed, and the other micro-fabrication unit was complete junk. Weight: 9 lbs Length: 41" Caliber: 66mm Maximum Range: 2000m (6000 ft) Beyond this range, the missile crashes into the ground, as its fuel is depleted. Maximum Effective Range: 1500m (4500 ft) Beyond this range, the weapon has no terminal or in flight guidance Typical Combat Range: 1000m (3000 ft) Magazine Capacity: 6. Many soldiers remove the e-clip that is built into the bottom of the magazine to power the clip and recharge the spider-scope, rather than risk enemy insurgents doing the same thing. After that, the magazine is usually stomped on to break it. Only during large scale engagements is the magazine left intact, however a lot of soldiers stomp on it out of habit.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 28, 2014 06:00
|
|
|
(Unlike the above, none of this post is in the Rifts or the Pre-Rifts books) Gyro-stabilization Rigs, Enhanced Tripods, Smartframes NEMA and the old NAA militaries possessed support equipment that is rarely seen on Rifts North America, and because of this, this equipment must be addressed. Gyro-stabilization Rig Heavy weapons can make all the difference in a fight, and the US Military had prided itself on its ability to manuever and fire for decades. In order to allow soldiers to easily use heavy weapons, the gyro-stabilization rig was designed in order to allow soldiers to carry these heavy weapons, as well as fire them without the heavy recoil throwing them off target. A gyro-stabilization harness provides not only massive increase in the maximum weight of the weapon able to be carried by soldiers, but the gyroscopic stabilization allowed a soldier to control the weapon much more easily. In addition the stabilization harness was often equipped with a BaTNI system, ECM system to prevent missile lock on, and ECCM systems to overcome the enemies defense. In 2092 the "Gyro-Stabalized Individual Heavy Weapons System" was fitting with a charging cradle for spider scopes and a dozen spider scopes. A soldier wearing a servo rig can carry and use weapons up to twice their body weight when in the rig. The weapon is either extended out from either the right or left hip, so that the wielder fires from the hip, or the weapon is laid across the shoulder and the wielder controls the weapon via the forward grip. The gyro-system negates most of the effects of recoil by counteracting the motion generated by the weapon. In addition, extra ammunition drums are often carried on the rig. One thing users must note is the inherent problem in the gyro-stabilization process is this. The harness attempts to negate ALL movement. That means it takes a precious few seconds to begin moving forward from a standstill, and jinking to the right or left is automatically negated. This prompted the 2062 change that allowed the operator to shut off the gyro-stabilization system at will. Weight: 10 lbs Smartframes Smartframes are simply dog-brained AI's that are only capable of responding to certain inputs with certain outputs. Military smartframes are usually displayed on the screen as a box with two halves. The right is the input, the left is the action taken. The soldier uses a drop down context menu to place such things as "enemy vehicle" or "structure with this outline" or "enemy soldier" or "enemy IFF" and then uses the opposite drop down menu to tell the smartframe what to do. While smartframes aren't as versatile as a soldier, or capable of decision making processes, they can be used to set up automatic ambushes or cause the weapon to orient on and fire at an enemy when they first appear much faster than a human can. In addition, smartframes allow one soldier to control many weapons from a BaTNI, which has led to the appearance of several dozen manned weapons points, when in reality it is a single soldier in a bunker or foxhole behind the line of weapons who is directing them via smartframes. The smartframe system proved its worth during the Congo/Sudanese Peacekeeping operation by allowing a few soldiers to control the weapons on the entire perimeter, lower casualties and acting as a massive force multiplier for the peacekeepers. (Sensor systems, computer use skills must be possessed to use smartframes) Enhanced Tripods A normal tripod is just a heavy metal gunmount with three stabilization arms that keep the weapon's recoil within manageable levels and enable the gunner to rapidly pivot the weapon in order to engage targets. However, with the introduction of the Digital Battlefield Initiative in the early 21st Century, smartframes, and gyro-stabilization, tripods got their first upgrade in over two centuries. An enhanced tripod has a small energy cylinder capable of powering the weapon (treat as 5 belt-packs), three (and four sometimes, even though it is still called a tripod out of habit) legs, a BaNTI, gyroscopic recoil compensation, a weapon mount, and some contain a miniaturized version of the Chromium Guardsmen pylon system. In 2085 the "Remote Adjustable Firing Position" became available to NEMA. Formerly in use by the US Army, this allowed the tripod to scuttle along under its own power to change position. NEMA only fielded a few of these, as they required direct supervision since smartframes usually became confused and ran into things, off ledges, or ran in circles firing the weapon wildly. The US Army and USCM used "Tripod Battle Shielding", a foldable screen made of hardened polyceramic material that was see-through. Many of the high end enhanced tripods had a micro-drone launcher by 2097, which used a separate piece to launch a ninth-generation Predator Drone and allowed the user of the weapon to control it on the BaNTI. These drones were made of memory plastic, used high powered electrical turbines entirely made out of plastic that were nearly silent, and a "top-down" camera in addition to the nose camera. This was only fielded by large military units, usually at the Regiment or Battalion level, for battlefield control and surveillance. Most of the stuff above was entirely consumed in the fighting after the Cataclysm, and by the Cataclysm itself. However the odd tripod has been found, as well as servo rig. However, most explorers simply tear the attachments off of the tripods and servo-rigs and use the bare-bone systems, unaware that they are forgoing advanced combat systems. By 20 PA, there are no enhanced tripods in use or being manufactured, servo rigs are rare, and smartframes are a thing of the past. However, in 102 PA the NRG brought back smartframes again on thier newest Glitter Boy variant.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 28, 2014 06:01
|
|
|
(Yay, time for Coalition Stuff!!!) C-18 Laser Pistol Produced by the Coalition States before it was even a unified country, the C-18 laser pistol is one of the most common military grade energy pistols available and found on the North American continent. The C-18 pistol has been around for so long that the CS Patrols of the disputed areas or wilderness don't even bother confiscating the weapon. Manufactured in Iron Heart, Free Quebec, Chi-Town, and even Lone Star, this weapon is produced by the thousands annually and all of them look the same to the naked eye. However, there are two specific differences in the pistol which are not noticeable to the naked eye: C-18 Laser Pistols manufactured by Lone Star and Free Quebec weigh only 2.6 lbs and are more accurate than their Iron Heart or Chi-Town counterparts. Pistols manufactured in Lone Star contain the three round burst option, pistols manufactured in Free Quebec carry the standard payload of the old PLP-20, officially labeling these two variants C-18A and C-18B respectively. Although "common" knowledge has it that the Chi-Town developed these weapons and shared the technology with Iron Heart, Free Quebec, and Lone Star, these weapons are products of the Golden Age. Some officers and long time military families still possess their original NEMA issued pistols, which are visually indistinguishable from the C-18. The Coalition States claims that the weapon was developed by reverse engineering the old weapons of the Golden Age. The weapon is made of heavier, inferior grades of polyceramic, as well as having inferior laser focusing matrixes compared to the old PLP-20, making it heavier and pack less of a punch. The power conduit leads are more ineffecient and the less advanced lazing matrix makes the weapon consume more power than the old model. Freelance weaponsmiths have been known to replace the lazing matrix, power conduits, and focusing arrays with better material, bringing the pistol up to PLP-20 damage and power consumption, reducing the weight, and improving the balance and accuracy. However these modifications alone can cost more than triple the price of the original C-18. During the time span of 38 PA and 52 PA, the CS, under the leadership of Joseph Prosek I, sold literally thousands of these pistols on the open market. The standard model does not accept attachments, but many CS soldiers mount a scope on it, Burbs officers usually mount a scope on top, and illumination device on the bottom, and a laser targeter on the side, making the weapon somewhat barrel heavy, but highly useful in the urban warzone known as the Burbs. Many Burbs officers, Dog Pack officers, and power armor soldiers or special forces have the weapon modified to provide the burst fire mode, although this unauthorized modification is technically illegal. Typical Cost: 1,200 Cr
Weight: 4 lbs Length: 9" Caliber: 1.25 cm Maximum Range: 600m (1800 feet) Maximum Effective Range: 300m (900 ft) Typical Combat Range: <50m (<100 ft) Magazine Capacity: 10 shots from a standard e-clip, 15 from an extended e-clip, 100 from a hip pack. Manufacturer Cost: 2,200 Cr Wholesale Cost: 7,000 Cr Manufacturer's Recommended Price: 12,000 Cr Black Market Price: 15,000 Cr Wilderness Price: 500 Cr Note: OK, a little explanation: The Manufacturer Cost is how much it costs, including plant employee wages, overhead costs, and raw material, to produce one of the items. Wholesale Price is how much they sell the product for to the end supplier. Manufacturer's Recommended Price is how much they estimate the weapon should cost for resale. Black Market Price is the cost for one in someplace like Fort El Dorado, NOT the Chi-Town Burbs. The Wilderness price is how much the PC's can sell one of these items for out in the badlands. The MOST they will ever get for the weapon is the Wholesale cost when they try to sell to the Black Market.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 28, 2014 06:03
|
|
|
C-10 Laser Rifle The C-10 Laser Rifle is an older laser rifle, one of the first fielded by the CS Army, even back during the Second Dark Ages when the CS consisted of the fledgling Chi-Town. Currently no C-10 Laser Rifles are being manufactured in the Coalition States (as of 101 PA), nor are there plans to remanufacture the weapon. Till 12 PA this weapon was only manufactured in Chi-Town, with Iron Heart producing the weapon in 25 PA, Free Quebec in 43 PA, and Lone Star in 72 PA. However, Free Quebec and Iron Heart still manufacture spare parts and the civilian versions of this weapon. Built off of the old LS-250 design specifications, the CS was not able to put into production an exact copy of the weapon due to material limitations. Design problems plagued the C-10 from its inception to when it was eventually pulled from the infantry and military and issued to ISS troops and Dog Pack recon teams. However, most Dog Pack and ISS soldiers will get rid of this weapon as soon as possible, often confiscating a more reliable weapon from an "undesirable" and tossing the C-10 in an alley and reporting it stolen. To be honest, nobody really cared if the C-10 was stolen, had vanished into thin air, or was captured by D-bees, since the weapon was considered the worst boondoggle of CS R&D. The C-10's initial run in -25 PA suffered from corrosion problems on the power leads that mated with the eclips, resulting in sporadic firing and eventually failure as the corrosion ate into the internal power leads. However, the C-10A fixed this problem in 9 PA, and another problem surfaced. The C-10A versions of the rifle had a problem with alignment and the scope was often off target, resulting in a 3 micron error in the scope, which made it useless at ranges over 600m. Despite this problem being corrected in 19 PA, the maximum effective range of 600m was erroneously left in the doctrine even to this day. In 4 PA the C-10B made its appearance. The energy canister was removed, as was the power conduit allowing an external power pack to be used with the weapon, despite the protest of troops in the field. (Many unit level armorers replace the power conduit feeds, as could Black Market armorers. Typical Cost: 2,000 Cr) The C-10B suffered from serious production flaws in the crystal lazing matrix, resulting in the crystal shattering after less than 2000 shots fired, and frequently as early as 100 shots. This problem was found to be inherent in the focusing device, not the matrix as thought, in 32 PA. However, the weapon would often discharge at random times, even if unloaded. Capacitance gel saturation was blamed for this, but many soldiers believed the C-10 series was cursed. 28 PA saw the introduction of the C-10C, which had no built in scope, no picatinny rail systems, and a solid buttstock, along with a bayonet lug, which made no apparent sense as vibro-blades were a thing of legend, and no standard material could penetrate supernatural skin or military grade armor. The weapon's weight increased to 16 pounds without any noticeable change in the weapons performance. 42 PA saw the C-10D arrive. This weapon was lighter than the C-10C, had a built in scope, a collapsible buttstock, a built in illumination light, a laser targeter, and the ability to use energy canisters. However, in the next 2 years, over 200 soldiers were injured when the weapon would mysteriously detonate, sometimes while in the storage racks. 43 PA saw the introduction of the C-10E, which no longer blew up, but no longer contained the illumination light, the laser sight, or the energy canister. However, the range was extended to a remarkable 4000m (12000 feet), but the payload dropped by half and did not increase in damage. To top it off, occasionally a freshly inserted eclip would discharge all of it's energy into the weapon at once, slagging the electronics. 45 PA saw the introduction of the C-10F, which had decent range, decent payload, good damage, a built in targeting system, and had the return of the solid stock. However, the built in targeting system was prone to failure under combat condition (some are reported as failing during shipping to the receiving unit) and occasionally exploded when given power. 59 PA was when the C-10G was introduced, and is considered the standard C-10 Light Assault Laser Rifle. It featured a standard passive nightvision scope with 1X/2X/3X/5X/10X magnification, and everything else left the same. Most of the old weapons were sold to trusted corporations, given to authorized mercenaries, and in the case of the C-10D, destroyed enmasse before they killed everyone in sight. In 73 PA the decision to phase out the C-10 series of light laser rifles was made, citing too many problems with the design, as well as the dislike of the series by troops familiar with the problems. With the introduction of the C-12 laser rifle, the CS military couldn't get rid of the C-10's fast enough, often stacking all of the C-10's available on post in a pit and firing missiles into the pit while everyone stood around cheering. In 73 PA, when the C-12 was made available, terrorist bombings on CS armories rose by an astounding 1250%, forcing the CS to replace the C-10 Laser Rifles quickly. Even with all the problems, analysis of the weapon's schematic, or even of a faulty weapon itself revealed no problem. According to the paperwork and diagnostics and design specifications, the weapon should have worked, and worked wonderfully. But it didn't, leading some people muttering that the design itself was cursed. Between -14 PA and 45 PA this weapon was often sold on the open market to licensed civilians, however the multitude of unexplained detonations and the ensuing lawsuits pulled this weapon off the shelves. The damage had been done to the weapons reputation, and when it was reoffered to the civilian market in 65 PA, less than 1000 were sold in 5 years. Most Black Market and civilian armorers absolutely refuse to work on the weapon what so ever, often threatening the owner with lethal force if they don't "get that hunk of crap out of here." Even if caught with it in the Burb's, many ISS officers leave with a chuckle, letting the confused visitor carrying the weapon. Weight: 5 Lbs Length: 39.6" Caliber: 2.25 cm Maximum Range: 2000m (6000 ft) Maximum Effective Range: 700m (2100 ft) Typical Combat Range: 350m (1050 ft) Magazine Capacity: 20 shots from a standard eclip, 30 for a long clip; 150 from a hip-pack Manufacturer's Cost: 4,200 Cr Wholesale Cost: 9,000 Cr. Manufacturer's Recommended Price: 16,000 Cr Black Market Price: Will try to get 20,000, but will sometimes give it away with other purchases and mark the purchaser as a sucker. Wilderness Price: "Get that thing away from me before it blows up me house!"
|
|
#
¿
Sep 28, 2014 06:04
|
|
|
C-12 Laser Rifle In 72 PA Emperor Karl Prosek was traveling from Chi-Town to Lone Star, when a weapons malfunction damaged the interior of the Death Head Transport he was riding in and forced it to land in hostile territory. During an assault on the grounded forces by bandits, the Emperor witnessed first hand just how dangerous the C-10 laser rifle was, and he barely managed to avoid getting killed when one of the C-10's carried by the rescuing forces detonated in the soldier's hands less than 15 feet from the Emperor, killing the soldiers and damaging the emperor's body armor. For the Emperor, that was the last straw. When he arrived at Lone Star, he ordered Doctor Desmond Bradford, PhD, MD, to put a team working on building a new laser rifle, that he was sick of the bad reputation of the C-10, the damage it did to troop moral, and what it did to the Coalition State's image. He gave them six month to do it, or promised dire consequences. In fall of 72 the C-12 Laser Rifle was put into test production and when the fiscal year 99 budget was approved, it contained a multi-million credit rider to ensure mass production of the C-12 Laser Rifle. While the C-12 was based on the old LSR-250 and the system was rebuilt from the ground up and completely redesigned. The look had to be changed to move it away from the old C-10 laser rifle, so the designers returned to the original LSR-250 body design and completely reworked the inside. This rifle is manufactured in Free Quebec, Chi-Town, Lone Star, and Iron Heart. The original C-10 factories were destroyed and parks built over them, and completely new factories were designed to build the C-12. Karl Prosek came up with the plan to completely revamp the weapon's image by destroying the old C-10 image. Those in the know realize this was also some kind of petty vengeance against the C-10 series, as Karl was nearly killed by a misfiring C-10 and had developed an instant hatred for the weapon. The lasing matrix is built off of an artificially grown 6 sided quartz crystal that had impurities removed with laser cleaning. The crystal is capable of several thousand shots, and can be removed and replaced in less than 30 seconds by a trained operator. The circuitry is heavier and more durable than the C-10, hardened to survive EMP pulses, and protected by multiple shock dampening systems. In addition the circuitry is of a modular design and the weapon can be rapidly repaired by a trained armorer with the correct spare parts. (Less than 2 minutes for even heavy damage) The addition of the e-clip canister from the old NEMA schematics and the C-10D. Unlike the C-10D, which had the canister forward of the magazine feed, the designers of the C-12 moved it back behind the pistol grip. In addition they added a port on either side of the weapon to allow the weapon to be plugged into an outside power source. Special attention was paid not only to the materials used in the power leads, but where the power leads were situated inside the weapon. For additional durability the canister, e-clip, and outside power source energy leads had two redundant systems to ensure that damage to the primary power leads would not cause the weapon to stop functioning. The laser targeting system mounted on the right side of the weapon uses what the designers called "flicker laser targeting" which had the beam switch between over two dozen frequencies rapidly, and use an infra-red beam the moved up into the edge of the ultra-violet range. Completely unaware that they'd simply replicated the old NEMA VIR system, they linked the laser targeting system into the scope, making it so only the operator of the weapon, looking through the scope, could see the beam. The scope itself is a sturdy device, wrapped in additional shock dampeners in order to protect it. The scope is capable of passive nightvision, and infra-red, as well as 2X/5X magnification. The weapon's frame was designed in such a way that the carrying handle itself was used to protect the scope. Just above the trigger guard is the illumination light, which can be used in the normal visible light range, or in infra-red mode (which allows the user to use illumination that cannot be seen by others), and provides a fairly decent cone of lighting out to 50 meters. (1.5m wide at 5m, 2m wide at 10m, 2.25m wide at 15m, 2.5m at 20m, 2.6m at 25m, 3m at 30m, 3.3m at 35m, 3.5m at 40m 3.6m at 45m, 3.75m at 50m) This illuminator has proved endlessly valuable to ISS soldiers as well as special forces troops. Dog Boys often wear IR goggles to allow them to see the human officer's illumination beam. The stock contains a small storage compartment that contains two spare lasing matrix crystals, tools needed to replace it, a bore cleaning brush, a bipod, and a small hand-held weapon diagnostic tool (the size of a matchbook) to allow an operator to know whether or not it can be fixed in the field, or must be returned to the unit armorer. At the front of the weapon is a small vehicle weapon's mount mating stud, just at the end of the forward handgrip. Just forward of that, on the end of the lower tubular section (a heat venting tube), is a bipod mounting slot, allowing the weapon to be used with a bipod for greater stability. The fire selector switch is usable from either side, making it easier for both right and left handed people to use the weapon. The weapon has light, medium, and heavy settings, in addition to safety. The trigger guard can be removed completely in order to allow power armor soldiers to use the weapon easily. In addition the trigger, when pressure is applied, activates the laser targeting beam, and there is a definite "hang" at that pound that requires 3 lbs of pressure to pull the trigger back, rather than the 1.5 lbs of pressure that it takes to activate the laser targeting system. The C-12S is the sniper version of the weapon, which has greater laser focusing capabilities, doubling the range of the C-12, but reducing the shots available by 1/4. In 74 PA, the CS was able to have every C-10 laser rifle in it's armories replaced by the C-12 rifle. Weight: 7 lbs Length: 41" Caliber: 2.5 cm Maximum Range: 1,000m (3000 ft) Maximum Effective Range: 672m (2025 ft) Typical Combat Range: 250m (750 ft) Magazine Capacity: 20 standard shots from per eclip, 30 shots from an extended eclip, 30 from the canister, and 65 from a belt power pack. Manufacturer's Cost: 3,500 Cr (The factories are still being paid off) Wholesale Cost: 7,000 Cr Manufacturer's Recommended Price: 20,000 Cr Black Market Price: 25,000 Cr Wilderness Price: Not Available, but 8,000 Cr if made available.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 28, 2014 06:05
|
|
|
C-14 Fire Breather The team that designed the C-12 Laser Rifle decided that since they had the additional funding and time, they should start work on a weapon to increase the force multiplier of individual squads. Research into old US Army doctrine showed that grenade launchers were often issued to soldiers in order to give a squad more punch. As modular systems were nearly unheard of, and the research and development team felt it would needlessly complicate the system, the first built a man-portable grenade launcher and then wrapped the rifle system around it. The rifle was initially manufactured in Lone Star, but assembly lines and manufacturing sights are being prepped in Chi-Town, Iron Heart, and Free Quebec, which will go online in 100 PA, 102 PA, and 101 PA respectfully. The grenade launcher is a simple 20mm chemical launcher, pump action, with the magazine built into the weapon on the right hand side. (See illustration for the grenade magazine, which is just forward the trigger guard) with decent range and packing a good enough punch to damage hardened military vehicles and body armor. The launcher is fed from a feed port on the right side of the weapon, just above the magazine. Grenades can be set for timed explosion, impact, airburst, or proximity by the simple touch of the stud right in front of the magazine. Airburst mode requires the firer to bracket the target with the scope's targeting system, the raise the weapon to a point above the target and selecting the altitude. The weapon will then display the correct firing arc, and the 20mm grenade will detonate at the preset altitude. The laser assembly is somewhat crammed into the weapon, using a synthetic eight sided crystal matrix to provide focus. The lasing equipment itself is not only more powerful than the emitter in the C-12, but is also made more studier and shock dampened to prevent damage when the weapon is dropped or struck. The scope is normally a passive nightvision scope with 2X/5X magnification, but the one shown in the illustration also contains rangefinder circuitry, and provides the user with a firing arc computer. The heavy duty cover behind the scope contains the unit's diagnostic hardware. Removing the cover reveals digital monitors on the weapons heat status, number of grenades, lasing matrix status in percentage, laser emitter status, energy conduit status, and power connect efficiency. Most soldiers never open the panel outside of training, but unit armorers use it to diagnose problems with the weapon. The stock does not contain a butt-kit in the C-14 version, but in 99 PA the C-14A series was released, with an upgrade kit to move to a C-12 style stock. The C-14A series contains a two replacement laser crystals, tools to replace the crystals, tools to remove a jammed grenade, as well as a conduit cord that allows the user to patch their helmet HUD directly into the scope, allowing the soldier to "see" around corners, and over and under obstacles without exposing themselves to fire. The C-14A1 version, available only in limited quantities in 101 PA (less than 10% of the units possess it) has an energy canister receptor built into the butt of the weapon, just behind the pistol group. However there have been reports of the capacitance gel in the canister becoming ionized if the canister is quick-charged. Directly behind the grenade magazine and in front of the trigger guard is a release system (shown pulled outward so that it can be twisted. The lever is normally inset to the mechanism and lies flush against the grenade magazine) that allows an armorer to completely detach the grenade launcher for both repair and replacement. At the base of the pistol grip is a power conduit adapter (shown in the deployed position) that allows the weapon to be attached to an outside power source. The trigger guard can either be removed, or slid forward to nestle up against the grenade launcher removal point, to allow power armor soldiers to use the weapon in case of emergency or based on mission need. At the forward is a drop-down bipod stud (shown deployed, rather than in the upright position flush against the launcher bracket) that also acts as a retaining screw for the forward grenade launcher housing. This screw must be removed to remove the grenade launcher from the barrel. The stud also allows a bipod to be locked to it to increase accuracy. The C-14 ALGL System is being rapidly disseminated to the infantry units under the CS Army, usually on a 4 per platoon or 1 per squad ratio. In combat this weapon has shown excellent endurance and fortitude, being highly resistant to damage and withstanding abuse under grueling combat condition. The scope is the most easily damaged part of the weapon, and CS soldiers often take the scope off unless they are setting up an ambush, or they quickly attach it when coming under attack at a distance. In August of 100PA, a light infantry squad armed with two C-14A ALGL systems came under attack by enemy forces that had possession of a Titan Combat Robot (see file footage) and the weapon's grenade launcher's airburst mode allowed them to intercept and destroy all missiles launched at the squad. This procedure is rapidly becoming the M-12 ALGL gunner's secondary mission. Weight: 10 lbs Length: 42" Caliber: 2.5 cm/20mm Maximum Range: 800m (2400 ft)/1000m (3000 ft) Maximum Effective Range: 675m (2025 ft)/800m (2400 ft) Minimum Arming Distance: NA/25m (75 ft) Typical Combat Range: 250m/100m (750 ft/300 ft) Magazine Capacity: 12 grenades, 20 shots from standard e-clips, 30 shots from an extended e-clip, 45 from the canister or hip-pack. Manufacturer's Cost: 6,000 Cr Wholesale Cost: 18,000 Cr Manufacturer's Recommended Price: 30,000 Cr Black Market Price: 45,000 Cr Wilderness Price: Not Available, however the weapon will garner sellers 8,000 Cr.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 28, 2014 06:06
|
|
|
C-27 Heavy Plasma Cannon After the Federation of Magic War, the CS knew it needed a heavy support weapon, since too many times the mages of the Federation of Magic had outgunned CS troops armed with only C-18 pistols, C-10 Laser Rifles, and hand grenades. The researchers at Chi-Town knew that the NEMA forces had possessed heavy weapons, they had plenty of battlefield data showing two separate plasma cannons in action, but only had the schematics for one of them. Much of the minaturization involved in the NEMA plasma weapons proved far beyond the limited capabilities of the Chi-Town manufacturing facilities that remained after the Second Dark Ages and the Federation of Magic terrorist attack, meaning the researchers had to start basically from scratch in order to recreate the weapon with the materials and technology available. After nearly 15 years of research, development, and testing, the C-27 Heavy Plasma Cannon was unveiled and added to the CS military's heavy weapons equipment. Initially the C-27 was manufactured only in Chi-Town, however after the acquisition of Iron Heart, another factory there was opened up. Not to be outdone, Free Quebec began producing the C-27A1 in order to show how superior their manufacturing techniques were to Iron Heart. By 101 PA, Chi-Town, Iron Heart, and Free Quebec manufacture the C-27. Lone Star has never manufactured the weapon. The plasma cannon functions by ionizing the air within the chamber, and then magnetically compressing the ionized gas (ie: plasma) until compression massively heats up the ionized gas, usually to temperatures in excess of 4000 degrees Fahrenheit. Once the gas is ionized, heated, and compressed, electrons are added to the gas, positively charging the atoms, which are already in a state of flux, and making the plasma more effectively effected by magnetic fluxes. Once that occurs, the magnetic bottle "ruptures" and the plasma is jettisoned in the direction of the "rupture". Once the ball of superheated ionized charged matter (commonly referred to as plasma) strikes an object, the massive transfer of heat and electrons results in most solid matter turning to liquid, liquids vaporizing, and gas being torn into its component atoms. The CR-27 has a sturdy frame made out of advanced polymers and alloys that can resist heat transfer from the plasma creation process, as well as not be effected by magnetics. The frame has a built in bipod system at the bottom front of the weapon that allows the firer to lay prone, have the bipod deployed, and be able to fire the weapon accurately and precisely, with the soldier able to absorb the recoil easily while keeping the target sighted in. The scope on the C-27 provides passive nightvision, IR, and UV, as well as a laser rangefinder. It also provides 1X/3X/5X magnification, as well as flare compensation to keep the firer from being blinded by the plasma round firing or liberating its energy upon a target. The largest problem with the C-27 Heavy Plasma Rifle is the fact that plasma packets have been known to detonate early on tree branches, bushes, and other light cover. Although the plasma round usually destroys the inadvertent target, it still consumes ammunition. Another set of problems was the fact that the e-clip canister suffered from ionization if the weapon was quick-charged, there was no e-clip port to provide emergency power, the weapon was short-ranged (100m/300 f t with a standoff distance of 10m/30 ft) and consumed the entire canister after 5 shots. The C-27A was unveiled in 54 PA, and the weapon featured extended range due to the magnetic bottle pressurization system being reworked and significantly advanced. The weapon was able to directly affect targets up to 300m (900 ft) away. However the weight increased from 15 lbs to 17 lbs. However, the e-canister still suffered some problems and while the circuitry for an e-clip magazine well was in place, a factory oversight did not place a magazine well on the frame. For the most part this was corrected at unit armories, but some commanders refused to allow the "unauthorized modification" to the weapon that would allow 2 shots from a standard e-clip or 3 shots from an extended magazine. In 72 PA the C-27A1 was unveiled, with better ranging (350m/1050 ft), a 100% increase in damage capability, extended range, and an emergency e-clip magazine well built into the weapon's grip. However, the C-27A1 suffered from 2 problems: The ionization problem had still not been corrected, and a hard impact could rupture the e-canister, causing it to leak capacitance gel. In 74 PA new canisters were issued and the problem fixed with the leaking, but there was a greater chance of ionization even if the weapon was trickle-charged. In 85 PA the C-27A2 was released, which featured much improved targeting and range, as well as the ecanister finally fixed. The e-clip port was moved from the handgrip to the left side of the weapon above the e-canister. In addition the weapon featured a power conduit adapter on both the right and left sides just above the trigger. However, the bipod system proved faulty, as after roughly 100 shots, the bipod locking nut (where the bipod is affixed to the frame) suffered heat fatigue and the bolt failed, causing the bipod to break off. In 86 PA a fix was sent out, allowing armorers to fix the weapon. However, due to a framework mistake, a forward iron sight was added to the weapon, which left a 5 degree blind spot in the center of the scopes window of sight. Another problem cropped up with the fact that the power conduit socket suffered corrosion and had to be constantly maintained, or it would result in intermittent energy transfer. In 98 PA, the C-27A3 forward sight was removed, the power conduit socket was refurbished, and an additional power conduit was added to the ecanister, allowing the canister to be charged by an outside source. 10 minutes for a quick-charge, 3 hours for a trickle charge. (The picture in the manual shows the wrong version, or a field repaired cannon, as the forward barrel heat shroud sports an iron sight, but the canister has a power conduit adapter on it) In addition, the cannon's range was significantly improved, although it was erroneously listed as 488 kilometers, rather than 500 meters. Soldiers assigned the weapon were also relieved to see that the weapon had been lightened significantly, making it easy to carry. However, the years of combat use had shown that the barrel was prone to heat exhaustion and the accuracy of the weapon could degrade over time. The barrel shroud was difficult to remove, usually done at an unit level. In 100PA an upgrade kit was delivered to all units for the C-27 series of plasma cannons that allowed the ecanister to be removed and swapped out in the field, resulting in an assistant gunner being assigned to the C-27 gunner, whose job was to carry extra barrels, as well as extra energy canisters, and the toolkit to remove it. (A trained operator can swap out the ecanister in less than 5 seconds) In addition the forward heat shroud was redesigned, simplifying its removal and allowing the gunner or assistance gunner to swap out an overheated or degraded barrel. A trained operator can swap out the barrel in under 10 seconds. Weight: 12 lbs Length: 50" Caliber: 4.25cm Maximum Range: 650m (1950 feet) Maximum Effective Range: 600m (1800 ft) Typical Combat Range: 200m (600 ft) Magazine Capacity: 10 shots for the canister. 4 shots from a standard e-clip, 6 shots from an extended clip, 14 shots from a hip pack. Manufacturer's Cost: 3,400 Cr Wholesale Cost: 9.000 Cr Manufacturer's Recommended Price: 32,000 Cr Black Market Price: 45,000 Cr Wilderness Price: 5,000 Cr
|
|
#
¿
Sep 28, 2014 06:07
|
|
|
CR-1 84mm Rocket Launcher During the Federation of Magic Invasion of 12 PA General Thaddeus Talbot broke his shattered lines into teams of hunter killer teams armed with missile launchers and sent them out to wage guerrilla warfare. Post-Battle analysis showed that Talbot's H&K teams wreaked havoc on the invading FoM forces, despite the fact that Talbot and his headquarters company fought to the death. The original launcher was little more than a throwaway launcher with a fire and forget rocket. This required the Hunter Killer squads to carry up to 5 of the 14 pound rocket launchers for a total of 90 pounds, rather than a single launcher and multiple rockets. The launcher itself is built in Chi-Town, Iron Heart, and Free Quebec. However, the scope itself is only built in Chi-Town and Lone Star. The launcher and scope are shipped to and assembled in Chi-Town. In 18 PA the Coalition States unveiled the CR-1 Rocket Launcher, which was simply a reloadable bare bones launching system with open air iron sights. The rocket was loaded from the rear as the weapon was tilted forward. The rocket would slide in and lock into place with a click that would push the trigger, which was mounted on the top, into the firing position. After extensive combat use, the CR-1A was released in 32 PA, which now featured an unpowered plastic "scope" that was only a piece of clear plastic with distance estimators built onto it. However, the caliber was upgraded to 84mm, and the missiles had fin stabilization added. When the missile was fired, the thick plastic "storage" ring would be ejected from the rear, so that the fins could deploy when the weapon left the launcher. In 54 PA the system was entirely overhauled, based on soldier recommendations, resulting in the CR-1A1. The system was now front loading, with an electronic sight that was powered from an internal power cell that was good for up to 4 hours. However, the system produced serious backblast, was front heavy, and the scope only provided 1X/3X magnification. In 65 PA the CR-1A2 was released. This version added a counter-weight and backblast baffle onto the rear of the launcher, added thermographic sight to scope, reduced launcher weight from 21 lbs to 16 pounds, and added a shoulder pad and forward pistol grip, although it was still launched by a top mounted press down trigger. The scope included, however, suffered from severe overloading when the missile was fired, ruining the scope 42% of the time, and overloading the scope for 10-16 seconds. In 82 PA the CR-1A3 was released. This version moved the trigger from the top to a pistol grip in the center of the weapon, moved the scope backwards (the illustration shows a cross between a CR-1A1 for the scope position and the a CR-1A3 launcher) for ease of use, and added flare compensation into the scope. However, roughly 15% of the missiles would not properly and lock into the firing position. In 98 PA the CR-1A4 upgrade came out, which reduced the weight, changed the scope to 1X/3X/5X/10X/15X/20X magnification, passive nightvision, infrared, removed the problematic thermographic system, added in a laser rangerfinger, and a laser targeting system. The laser targeting system was in hopes that a laser guided mini-missile would be developed. In addition the locking threads were modified, dropping the missile lock failure rate from 15% to 1.3%. However, the system was heavy, the scope expensive, and the doctrine insisted that any CR-1A4 system had to be brought back, regardless is the firer had ran out of ammunition or not. Although most commanders were just satisfied if the soldier brought back the 5,000 Cr scope. Weight: 14 lbs Length: 44" Caliber: 84mm Muzzle Velocity: 950 fps Minimum Range: 25m (75 ft) Maximum Range: 2500m (7500 ft) Maximum Effective Range: 1760 (5280 ft) Typical Combat Range: 500m (1500 ft) Magazine Capacity: 1 Manufacturer's Cost: 450 Cr for launcher, 1,800 for the scope Wholesale Cost: 600 Cr for launcher, 5,000 Cr Scope (5500 Cr for both) Manufacturer's Recommended Price: 18,000 Cr (5,000 Cr launcher, 13,000 Scope) Black Market Price: 24,000 Cr (2,000 Cr launcher, 22,000 Scope) Wilderness Price: 150 launcher, 3,000 scope Note: The heavy, impact shielded and shock dampened scope weighs 6 lbs by itself. However, the internal components are often used to fix/upgrade vehicle and robot power armor and power armor sensor systems)
|
|
#
¿
Sep 28, 2014 06:08
|
|
|
Wilk's 420 Laser Pistol In 25 PA a company named "Wilk's Laser Industries" applied to the CS for manufacturing license, and was granted permission to create an office building and a manufacturing in the Chi-Town Burbs, close to the city itself. To make room for the four factories, two office buildings, a secure living facility, and a set of showrooms, the CS Army in conjunction with the ISS bulldozed over 500 "shanty-villages" as well as stores and other buildings in order to make room for Wilk's Laser Industries. How Wilk's acquired this kind of pull with the CS is unknown, but somehow they did. In 27 PA the construction of the manufacturing buildings, designated WFF-1 through WFF-4, the two office buildings, the secure living facility, and the six showrooms were finished. These were massive buildings, using advanced materials in their construction. In 28 PA the Wilk's 320 Laser Pistol was released by Wilk's as part of their initial offering of laser weapons. The weapon was made from advanced materials, had impressive miniaturization, were well balanced, and had an appreciable payload. However, the downside of the weapon was that the body did not accept any add-ons, and forced the user to rely on the open air sights. A C-18 laser pistol caused more damage to a target, nearly 100% more, but the Wilk's 320 had such a "cool" look, and an aggressive advertising campaign, that the pistol soon became more popular the C-18 laser pistols. In 33 PA the "Unification Collector's Edition" of the Wilk's 320 pistol was placed on the market, a limited run available for purchase, and one pistol provided for a mere 5,000 credits (payable in installments!) to every member of the military and government, but civilians paid 25,000 per pistol, and non-citizens were charged 50,000 credits per pistol. The pistol had the date of the "official" recognition that the Coalition States was a reality on one side of the barrel, "Loyalty & Duty" on the other side of the barrel, and a serial number. Only 25,000 of these pistols were produced, and came with a lockable case that had the newly established flag of the CS on the top. They were all sold out within 3 weeks, and despite public requests, no more were manufactured. In 41 PA, the "Iron Heart" model was released. This one had a casing that looked to be made of solid brushed stainless steel, but was otherwise the same as the regular pistol. However, these were numbered, with the date of Iron Heart's acceptance into the CS stamped on the barrel. Only 45,000 of these were produced, they cost 25,000 credits each, and were sold out in 2 weeks. In 48 PA, for the anniversary of the weapon, the Wilks-320A was released. This weapon featured a chrome look, almost appearing to be chromium armor, as well as a scope. The weapon was highly accurate, the scope laser enhanced passive nightvision with the capability for 1X/3X/5X magnification, and most interesting, the pistol was capable of burst fire mode. Wilk's only produced 1500 of these pistols, with serial numbers. These weapons were bought up almost exclusively by Coalition State officers who wanted a "signature piece" that would be as highly respected as those officers carrying an old NEMA or US military pistol. Less than 100 were bought by civilians. In 51 PA the "Free Quebec" pistol was released. The frame was covered with a thin layer of glitter boy chromium, with a glitter boy profile on the right handgrip and the CS Free Quebec symbol on the other. The words "Victory Through Strength" were written in French on the left side of the barrel, and the words "Humanity Shall Triumph" were written on the right side, also in French. The words were engraved and "colored" with the addition of silver. Only 25,000 of these pistols were produced, and they were all bought up within 2 month. In addition a special "Pilot's Edition" was sold, only to Glitter Boy Pilots, was heavier than the other edition, because the entire case was made of chromium armor. These cost 4,500 credits, and were payable installments. In 53 PA the Wilk's-320B was released, which merely added a molded set of picatinny rails on the top, bottom, and right side of the pistol's frame. These rails were not removable, being actually part of the injection mold frame. Wilk's offered a laser targeting system, an IR illumination lamp, and a high end scope capable of laser enhanced passive nightvision, IR, and UV. However, only 10,000 of these weapons were produced, the bulk of them bought up by CS SOCOM for issue to special forces officers. In 68 PA the "Lone Star" version was released. This looked more like a 6-shooter, with the "cylinder" in front of the trigger guard. The "cylinder" had no real function, but did rotate every time the trigger was pulled, and the weapon produced a loud explosive noise. On the handgrip was an outline of the state of Texas on the right side, and the date of Lone Star's statehood on the other. 50,000 of these were made, and all of them sold within 3 months. In 70 PA, following the death of Chairman Joseph Prosek, the "Chairman Prosek Memorial Edition" was released. This featured a jet black frame, with full color roses engraved and precious gem inlaid (Wilk's coated the engraving with ruby and emerald dust, then laser fused it into a smooth single gem bonded to the lightweight plastic), and had the date of Chairman Prosek's birth and death on one side of the handgrip with his picture above it, and "Unity Through Strength" on the other side with the date of his election to Chairman of the Coalition States. Only 100,000 of these were produced, and they were all purchased via pre-order 2 months before it was released. Karl Prosek was given one, with the serial number 000-001. Rather than "Unity Through Strength", this pistol had "In Memorandum" written on the grip, and was the 320B variant. In 71 PA, following the election of Karl Prosek to the position of Chairman, a commemorative pistol was again produced. This one had the face of Karl Prosek on the right handgrip, with the date of his election underneath, and the lightning bolt skull on the left side. Once again these were serial numbered, but Wilks only produced 2000 of these weapons. In 78 PA Wilk's once again released a commemorative version of the 320, called the "Emperor's Edition", this one featuring a "blue steel" frame finish, picatinny rails, burst fire mode, and was more accurate without sacrificing range or power. Included with the weapon was a compact but impressive scope that provided laser enhanced passive and active nightvision, IR, UV, 1X/3X/5X/10X magnification, flare compensation, and thermographic imaging. Also sold was an illuminator that projected UV or IR in a cone out to 50m, where it was 10m wide. The weapon also came with a "green" laser targeter, that only worked with the scope provided, that rapidly flickered across the spectrum. This prevented enemies from using the laser targeting beam from backtracking and locating the pistol's wielder. The most "amazing" thing was that the buyer of the pistol could have a name or phrase etched into the barrel on both sides, for no additional cost, and the "registered user" had his palms "chipped" with an ID chip. Without the proper chip, the pistol would not function. They produced 15,000 of these pistols, and all were sold within a month. Karl Prosek was given one with the date on right hand handgrip, and the serial number: 00-001, on the other. In 102 PA, the "Lady Prosek Memorial Edition" is released. This one is identical to the "Chariman Prosek Memorial Edition" version, with the face of Lady Prosek replacing Joseph Prosek's and her birthdate replacing his. The right handgrip had "Remember Beauty" on one side, and the date of her "death" on the other. Functionally, the pistol has remained unchanged since its first release, and the "Limited Editions" seem to spur a renewed interest in the already popular pistol. The pistol uses an advanced miniaturized emitter, a narrow lasing matrix, and advanced polymers to create the body of the pistol. While it doesn't cause as much damage as the C-18 Laser Pistol, the sleek black look and the limited editions have caused this weapon to be wildly popular. For its appearance, the weapon is incredibly durable, it is lightweight, and well balanced. The trigger guard can be slid forward to allow the weapon to be fired by troops in power armor or environmental armor. Weight: 2 lbs Length: 7" Caliber: 1.5 cm Maximum Range: 500m (1500 ft) Maximum Effective Range: 334m (1000 ft) Typical Combat Range: <25m (75 ft) Magazine Capacity: 20 shots from a standard e-clip, 35 from an extended eclip. This weapon comes with a special "adapter clip" that allows a belt power pack to be plugged into the fake clip that then transfers the energy to the pistol as if it was normal magazine. The belt-pack supplies 165 shots. Manufacturer's Cost: 2,500 Cr Wholesale Cost: 6,500 Cr Manufacturer's Recommended Price: 11,000 Cr Black Market Price: 13,000 Cr Wilderness Price: 4,200 Cr
|
|
#
¿
Sep 28, 2014 06:10
|
|
|
Wilk's 447 Laser Rifle The Wilk's 447 has a case made out of advanced synthetic neo-plastics, a non-reflective flat black color, is incredibly durable, and highly accurate. It is a precision weapon, often sought after by sharpshooters, as it has an impressive range. The weapon possesses advanced shock dampening systems, as well as highly durable microtronics, an efficient laser emitter, and a tubular crystal lazing matrix that lasts for literally hundreds of thousands of shots. While the weapon normally comes with only open air sights, there are holes in the case (filled by countersunk hex-driver screws) that allows a picatinny rail to be added to the top to mount a scope on. The weapon is precisely balanced, and is durable enough to use in close combat as a bludgeoning weapon without damaging the rifle. The case is easily openable for repair, and the buttkit contains 2 extra lazing crystals, an extra emitter lens, tools for opening the casing and to replace damaged equipment, and a matchbook sized diagnostic tool that can help realign the crystal and restore accuracy. Initially offered in 33 PA, the first 1,000 of these weapons were serial number listed. Since then, no other serial numbered editions have been made. However, third parties often copy whatever new "Limited Edition Pistol" is available onto a rifle, add their own serial numbers, and sell them, but none of them were "authorized" editions produced by Wilks, and do not sell anywhere near what the pistols sell for. Many snipers increase the power supplied to the emitter, focus the emitter properly, and align the crystals after having them laser-cleaned to remove residual impurities. This extends to the Wilk's 447 laser rifle's range to near unheard of level, and many armorer's think that Wilk's themselves could have done that, but for some reason chose not to. While an extended clip normally refuses to lock, 20 minutes of work with the tools contained in the buttkit allow extended magazines to lock (mainly removing the retaining pin that keeps the extended magazine locking rockers from engaging). Until the release of the Wilk's 457 rifle, the design of the rifle remained unchanged. Weight: 5 lbs Length: 38" Caliber: 2.0 cm Maximum Range: 800m (2,400 ft) for normal. However, work with the daignostic scanner, zeroing shots, and the adjustment tools can extend the range to 2500m (7,500 ft) by snipers. Maximum Effective Range: 700m (2100 ft), or 2000m (6000 ft) if the weapon is properly calibrated. (This process takes about 4 hours, and requires multiple "test shots" to ensure the weapon is properly focused and aligned. Typical Combat Range: 250m (750 ft) Magazine Capacity: 20 shots from an normal clip, 30 shots for an extended clip. The Wilk's 320 laser pistol "adapter magazine" can be used in the Wilk's 447 to allow the use of a belt pack, which will allow 120 shots. If the weapon has been configured for sniper work, the weapon's payload is reduced to 18, 25, 98, respectively. Manufacturer's Cost: 3,750 Cr Wholesale Cost: 12,000 Cr Manufacturer's Recommended Price: 18,000 Cr Black Market Price: 22,000 Cr for unmodified, 25,000 Cr for a sniper modified version, and +3,000 if the locking pins have been enabled. Wilderness Price: 5,750 Cr.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 28, 2014 06:12
|
|
|
NG-57 Ion Blaster Built by Northern Gun Weapons Consortium of Michigan, the NG-57 is a heavy pistol that has sold literally hundreds of thousands of units. This pistol can be found from the Colorado Baronies to the Shermarrian Kingdom, and has even been found in the hands of vampires. The frame is made of sturdy hyper-alloy and features a magazine well within the pistol grip, fire selectors on both sides, and a removable trigger guard. While the pistol has no picatinny rail systems, an adapter can be used to mount a scope or illuminator on the top of the weapon. The weapon fires a packet of positively charged ions by stripping electrons from air molecules injected into the chamber and using magnetic chamber pressure to "fire" the packet of ions toward a target. The impact of this ion "bolt" would cause the electrons in the outer shells of the targeted materials to violently strip away as the ions within the charge tried to balance their electron valence bands. This caused the struck material to slough off with a loud, explosive noise as the molecular stabilization failed. This proved particularly useful against molecularly bonded armor as the molecular bonds failed when the atomic structure became unstable. Used against a soft target, this ion "bolt" has devastating effects as the energy transfer from the target to the ions in the bolt resulted in superheating of cells, causing them to explode. This effect was often called "disruption" when used on soft targets, and the damage profile was easily recognizable. The pistol's chamber is fed by a small air injectors, which pressurizes the chamber with air in order to give the ionization circuitry something to ionize without resulting in a 2-magazine system. Early versions of the weapon used a combination energy/ammunition clip, with copper molecules suspended in a plastic matrix, as copper easily gave up its electrons in the outer valence bands, but this was replaced by the air injection system in 58 PA. The grip is hard plastic overlaid with soft plastic handgrips that deform slightly to allow use by personnel wearing body armor, or when the naked hand is slick due to blood, water, oil, or other environmental hazards. The pistol itself is a grayish/blue color, although many models are sold with chrome plating on it. The handgrips are black, and are fitted on the pistol grip like a sleeve, which must be removed in order to disassemble the pistol. The ion pistol is incredibly rugged, and the weight is often seen as a tradeoff for a weapon that can survive a lack of maintenance, being submerged, being battered around, or whatever combat might throw at it. Northern Gun has three factories that produce these weapons. One in Michigan, one at Fort El Dorado, AK, and one in the Colorado Barony of Harmony. When the pistol was unveiled in 19 PA, there was talk of making it the standard issue pistol of the Coalition States, however the company refused to move the factory to the Burbs of Chi-Town (for "protection") and the deal eventually fell through. The 19 PA version of the pistol has only a right handed fire selector switch and uses the two magazine insertion system, with the ammunition for the pistol costing 2,500 for 25 shots. However, the magazines were prone to heat expansion if the pistol had fired more than 2 dozen shots, which made them difficult at best to remove, or heat welded the clips to the magazine well in worst case. In 31 PA the heat problem was beaten and the NG-57A was released. At this time "extended" magazines capable of 40 shots were released. The ionization circuitry was prone to failure after a few years of heavy release. In 58 PA the weapon dropped the extra clip and moved to an air injection system. The initial run of injector system pistols had the problem of the injector misalignment and allowing a slight seepage of pressured air. If not repaired and realigned, the pistol would leak ionized gas and the shots fired from the weapon would be reduced in power. Fixing or repairing the injector took up to 20 minutes for trained personnel with the correct equipment, and could not be done otherwise. The weapon's payload dropped to 8 shots. In 81 PA the pistol's injector failure problem was beaten, the payload raised to 10 shots, and the weapon was made easier to disassemble in the field. additionally a section below the front of the barrel was designed to hold the tools needed to recalibrate the air injector, 4 extra injectors, and a micro-diagnostic tool (the size of a thumbnail) that can be used to diagnose whether or not the air injector was properly aligned. Users found that the weapon's reliability had been increased by a massive factor. The biggest problem with the weapons was still weight, as the weapon is front heavy. In 92 PA Northern Gun released the "Ladies Fifty-Seven", which is a stripped down NG-57, made with lighter alloys, with half the range and damage, but carefully balanced with an experimental recoil compensator system. Unfortunately, this weapon didn't sell at all. The weapon cannot accept standard extended eclips as built, but reputable gunsmiths can add in locking pins so that the pistol can accept one (2,300 Cr/ 2 hours, +1 oz) as well as add in a conduit for hip-packs. (5,600 Cr/8 hours, +4 oz) Weight: 5 lbs Length: 8" Caliber: 2.4 cm Maximum Range: 250m (750 ft) Maximum Effective Range: 175m (525 ft) Typical Combat Range: <10m (<30 ft) Magazine Capacity: 10 shots from a standard e-clip, 15 shots from an extended magazine, 122 shots from a belt pack. Manufacturer's Cost: 3,300 Wholesale Cost: 6,200 Cr Manufacturer's Recommended Price: 8,000 Cr Black Market Price: 7,500 used, 9,000 Cr new Wilderness Price: 5,500
|
|
#
¿
Sep 28, 2014 06:13
|
|
|
NG-Super Northern Gun released the "NG-Super" combination laser pistol/microgrenade launcher in 82 PA in hopes of increasing their market-share among juicers, crazies, and cyborgs. Triax had been slowly edging out their market share since their arrival in 67 PA, and the fact that Northern Gun no longer had a monopoly on weaponry had finally sunk in 73 PA after Triax took more than 500 million credits of the market, and Northern Gun profits dropped by the same amount. The NG-57 had been a hot seller, and still sold well, so the researchers at Northern Gun abandoned the program to make their weapons have the sleek "futuristic" look that seemed to be the main selling point of Wilk's and Triax weapon, and the designers were told to "go brutal and menacing" according to an inter-company memo by the board of directors. Looking for something to pack a serious punch, the researchers checked the databases for anything that could be of any help and discovered a discontinued "micro-grenade" program that had developed marble-sized grenades. The program had been abandoned after the grenades proved too small and lightweight for distance throwing, which put the user in danger. However, these munitions promised to be the solution to the problem. A weapon frame was built out of hyper-alloys and polyceramics, with the grenade launcher magazine at the rear of the weapon and the eclip inserted into the pistol grip. To extend the range of the grenades a pair of magnetic rings were used to cause the barrel to act as a coil gun (or Gauss Gun), to improve muzzle velocity. The laser section of the pistol was added after the grenade launcher section was perfected, and a laser targeter/rangefinder was added into the front top carrying handle. The laser featured a high powered emitter and artificially grown hexagonal quartz crystals as a focusing matrix. The fire selector to switch between laser and pistol is located on the left side of the weapon above the trigger, but is too far up to be easily switched by the thumb. The weapon has no safety or fire selector, but it is often added in by third party after manufacturer armorers (500 Cr). The grenade magazine connector (shown on the illustration) is prone to snapping off as substandard plastics were used for it. Without the connector, the grenade magazine cannot lock into place. Replacing it is fairly cheap (50 Cr, can be done by firer) and is often done at the gunshop were the pistol is purchased, or by the seller. (If it's done by the seller, increase price by 500 Cr) While the forward sight contains a ranger-finder, it was never connected to any type of display, a strange oversight, as the range-finder is actually advertised. However, sellers usually use a small LED system to display the numbers, attaching it to the back of the carrying handle. (Add 1,500 Cr to price; or can be done with 15 Cr worth the parts and 45 minutes) Occasionally the recoil of the grenade launcher will cause the energy clip to eject, another problem easily fixed by increasing the strength of the rocker pins. (500 Cr if done by seller, 250 Cr. by a 3rd party, 25 Cr worth the parts and 1 hour if done by user) The grenade launcher is reloaded by shotgun pumping the front handgrip, as this not only moves a grenade from the magazine to the firing chamber, but the action charges the capacitors that power the two coils and the magnetic chamber pressure system via dual magnetic rails that generate a significant amount of energy. However, this makes it so either the person must possess significant strength or the weapon will have to draw from the power pack. In addition, this magnetic rail generation system often fails after several months, and requires the entire pistol to be disassembled and the parts replaced. (450 Cr in parts and 2 hours OR 1,500 Cr for a professional 3rd party) Most used pistols have defunct rail systems, and many people don't even know the pump energizing action exists. If the "energizing rails" are not functioning, the weapon's coil-gun feature as well as the magnetic chamber pressure can be disengaged by opening the case and flipping a pair of micro-switches (10 minutes of work or 125 credits) or the weapon consumes a single shot from the energy clip. In a fully functional system, the grenades are fired from the chamber by a combination magnetic chamber pressure and the grenade's chemical charge, and then accelerated even further by a pair of coils wrapped around the barrel. Without this system the grenade launcher range drops to 50m (150 ft). Without the "charging rails" the system uses a single shot from the eclip to launch the grenades. The laser, while fairly sturdy and one of the more high powered lasers on the market, is still obviously added as an afterthought. The power-conduits to the laser emitter are occasionally magnetized, resulting in intermittent firing, the entire weapon has to be disassembled to repair or service the weapon's laser equipment. In addition the laser emitter often is pulled out of tune by the charging rails, requiring the weapon to be opened and the laser emitter re-tuned. To top it off, there is no storage compartment containing tools, and the tools are sold separately to open the weapon's casing, run diagnostics, and repair the system. (1,200 credits for the tools and diagnostic computer, usually added by more high end sellers for +2,000 Cr to the price) The weapon is not built for an extended e-clip, but the proper locking pins can be added for an additional 1,250 Cr (+2,000 if added by seller) or a belt-pack. Belt pack conduit cable mating plugs can be added for 3,500 Cr (+5,000 Cr for one modified before sale) Another problem with the pistol involves the internal magazine. A sharp blow can cause the grenades to move out of alignment, either jamming inside the internal magazine or when loaded into the chamber. (Loading the internal magazine requires the removal of the magazine and hand loading them into the pistol through that port), the only way to unjam them is to open the casing (a 5 minute job) and remove the grenades. Another problem is with the grenades stored in the internal magazine becoming magnetized and suffering a 50% degradation in the range. An after factory modification of magnetic "grounding" circuitry to protect the magazine can be made for 1,500 Cr (if done by seller, increase price by 2,000 Cr), as well as the addition of a removable plate on the frame to allow quicker and easier access to the grenade storage area. (3,500 Cr by after-factory armorers, 4,000 Cr by seller, or 5 hours of work and 25 Cr worth the parts) Weight: 13 lbs Length: 11 inches unloaded, 14 inches with grenade magazine added Caliber: 2 cm/15mm (grenades) Maximum Range: 400m (1200 ft) for the laser, 350m (950 ft) for the grenade launcher with magnetics engaged, 150m (450 ft) for uncharged grenades Maximum Effective Range: 300m (900 ft) for the laser, 300m (900 ft) for grenade launcher with magnetics engaged, 50m (150 ft) for uncharged grenades Typical Combat Range: 100m (300 ft) for both Magazine Capacity: 20 laser shots for standard eclip, 35 for extended clips, 110 for belt pack, 6 grenades inside internal magazine and an additional 8 grenades within the clip. Firing a grenade with the magnetic charge if the charging rails are inoperative requires the equivalent energy of a laser shot. Manufacturer's Cost: 5,750 Cr Wholesale Cost: 15,000 Cr Manufacturer's Recommended Price: 21,000 Cr Black Market Price: 23,000 Cr Wilderness Price: 7,500 Cr
|
|
#
¿
Sep 28, 2014 06:15
|
|
|
NG-33 Laser Pistol One of the first weapons manufactured by Northern Gun, this weapon first made its appearance roughly -125 PA, selling primarily to settlements to arm their militias. Initially the weapon was sold with 5 standard e-clips, and a batch of 100 of the pistols would come with an eclip charger. The Northern Gun armed caravans sold tens of thousands of these weapons over the years, often trading them to settlements in return for mined metals, scavenged materials, and items of high technology. In -53 PA Northern Gun opened up a laser weapon manufacturing plant in the Colorado Baronies to provide Northern Gun laser weaponry cheaply and easily to the Colorado Baronies and several Native American tribes. While this weapon isn't as powerful as the standard Coalition sidearm, its durability, endurance, and long life makes this one of the more coveted weapons out in the frontier areas and badlands. While a Wilk's laser pistol looks good, the NG-33 looks tough. In -65 PA the weapon had the picatinny rail system removed, although the mounting screws did not vanish until 57 PA. In 15 PA the weapons price nearly tripled, due to Northern Gun running out of pre-existing part stocks and the agreements with several of the larger mining settlements ending. The weapon is made from molecularly bonded neo-tungsten, has a grip safety in addition to the fire selector lever. In 43 PA the fire selector lever was adjusted to be present on both sides of the weapon, allowing ease of firing for both left and right handed firers. The laser emitter is a larger, rougher, and more forgiving emitter than commonly on pistols. The emitter is normally mounted inside a laser rifle, but in the NG-33 pistol, the emitter is simply fed less power by the power regulatory circuitry. Some buyers modify the power regulation circuitry to use the emitter at full power, making the pistol do 50% more damage than the standard Coalition States sidearm. While some have tried programming the molycircs to allow a burst fire, the emitter simply is not designed correctly and stutters more than fires a burst. The lasing crystal is a hexagonal quartz crystal, laser purified, and cut to precision. It is 50% again the diameter of other laser weapons, but is good for decades of service before needing to be replaced. Contained in the forward storage compartment is an extra emitter and the tools to open the case, service the pistol, and a diagnostic scanner the size of a thumbnail. The only problem this weapon really shows is when the laser emitter power is increased. Cracks and flaws begin showing up in the lasing matrix within a few months, resulting in the crystal having to be replaced every three month or so. In addition, the weapon needs additional locking rockers added to it to allow the use of an extended eclip. (150 Cr, 25 Cr in parts and 1 hour) There is space inside the casing for power conduit hardware and circuitry to hook up a hip pack. (1,250 Cr or +2,000 Cr for pre-selling modification, or 350 Cr/45 minutes for modification) The conduit circuitry was removed in 13 PA, and the space just left open. In 88 PA the "King's Memorial Edition" was released, much to the displeasure of the Coalition States. This version had a brushed steel look, a scope mounted (laser enhanced nightvision, 1X/3X/5X magnification, IR and UV) on the top, and an illuminator on the bottom. On the barrel was engraved "King Gravander Henchu" on the right side and "Tolkeen Mourns-88 PA" on the other. On the right side of the handgrip was a picture of King Henchu with his birth and death date underneath, and on the other was Tolkeen's coat of arms. In 89 PA the "King Creed Edition" was released, which had "Long Live King Creed!" on the left side, and "Vigilance and Strength!" on the right side of the barrel. The handgrip had a picture of King Creed and his coronation date on the right side of the handgrip and the Tolkeen coat of arms on the other side. Possession of the Tolkeen limited editions of this weapon usually marks the wielder for abuse, detainment, or even execution by CS forces. Weight: 4 lbs Length: 7.5" Caliber: 2.5 cm Maximum Range: 400m (1200 ft) Maximum Effective Range: 280m (840 ft) Typical Combat Range: <10m (<30 ft) Magazine Capacity: 20 shots from a standard eclip, 35 shots from an extended clip, 135 shots from a hippack Manufacturer's Cost: 1,250 Cr Wholesale Cost: 4,000 Cr Manufacturer's Recommended Price: 6,500 Cr Black Market Price: 7,500 Cr Wilderness Price: 3,500 Cr
|
|
#
¿
Sep 28, 2014 06:15
|
|
|
NG-L5 Laser Rifle Another one of Northern Gun's more venerable weapons, this rifle was first offered for mass sale about -112 PA, selling very cheaply and offered in massive quantities by the Northern Gun armed convoys that plied the Mid-West. Often sold in lots of 100, they were usually sold to militias who also purchased the NG-33 laser pistol. Not only was an eclip charger offered as part of the deal for 100 rifles, but a "settlement perimeter weapons power system" was offered if 250 or more rifles were purchased. (See notes at bottom) The weapon is fairly large and bulky, somewhat unwieldy, and is is short ranged compared to other laser rifles. However, the weapon is built almost entirely out of molecularly bonded hyper-alloys for the frame, contains redundant molycircs, has a shock dampened laser emitter and heavy duty shock dampening on the crystal focusing matrix. The weapon features multiple picatinny rails (1 on top, 1 per side, and 1 underneath), as well as power conduit power leads to allow connection to a hip-pack. The weapon easily fits a 40mm M-203 grenade launcher, a fairly easy weapon to find. Northern Gun also sells it as an accessory (+1,500 Cr) for the purchaser to add on easily. The trigger guard can be moved forward to allow the weapon to be used by those in environmental armor or power armor, or completely removed. It has an additional grip safety built into the pistol grip, and the fire selector is easily adjustable by both right and left handed firers. The eclip ejection port is spring loaded, which makes it a favorite among juicers, as it cuts down reloading time by half. If the weapon is not well maintained, the clip may "hang" or refuse to eject all the way, but this is a minor problem overall. The weapon is never sold with a scope or anything else, add-ons are entirely up to the purchaser. The biggest problem the weapon faces is that it has an inferior range to most weapons, something that many purchasers fix by having the crystal focusing matrix re-lased to remove impurities, giving the weapon a 50% increase in range. In the buttkit are 2 focusing crystals, 4 emitters, tools, a bore brush, a crystal polishing cloth, a diagnostic scanner the size of a matchbook, a bipod, and a cleaning kit for the magazine well and power conduit plug. These weapons are manufactured in Minnesota, the Colorado Baronies, Fort El Dorado, and Texas, and sold at literally every weapons shop outside of Coalition States territory. Though the weapon has been manufactured for over 200 years, it is still exactly the same rifle as was first offered. Weight: 14 lbs Length: 41" Caliber: 2.5 cm Maximum Range: 600m (1800 ft) Maximum Effective Range: 550m (1650 ft) Typical Combat Range: 250m (750 ft) Magazine Capacity: 10 shots with a standard eclip, 20 shots with an extended eclip, 110 shots with a power pack. Manufacturer's Cost: 3,500 Cr Wholesale Cost: 9,000 Cr Manufacturer's Recommended Price: 16,000 Cr Black Market Price: 17,500 Cr Wilderness Price: 6,500 Cr Note: The "Settlement Perimeter Weapon Power System" is a 2,500 foot heavy cable that fits into a nuclear generator. Every 10 feet is a thick knot that a weapon power conduit cable can be plugged into. In addition to the connector joint is a group of shielded capacitors that allow the equivalent of 2 hip-packs worth the energy to be stored. These capacitors are quick-charge, requiring only 10 minutes to fully charge, and charge roughly the equivalent of an extended eclip to charge per minute. However, the system best works when hooked up to it's own reactor.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 28, 2014 06:16
|
|
|
NG-P7 Particle Beam Rifle Another weapon offered by Northern Gun as far back as -62 PA. This weapon was sold as a fixed emplacement weapon or a squad heavy weapons add on to increase a squad's firepower by a large magnitude normally only found in rail guns. The weapon is often called a "Lightning Bolt Thrower" or even a "Thor's Hammer" by some settlements, sellers, and mercenaries/adventurers. The weapon literally fires a man-made lightning bolt, pushing literally gigawatts of power through the target. The weapon uses a linear accelerator and a hot cathode system to create a negative charge of massed electrons, and the aiming tube acts as a Faraday cage to keep the electrons or magnetics from affecting anything before the charge leaves the barrel. The negative charge binds to the positive spot placed onto the target by the laser scope, and the 4.5 GW charge causes armor or tissue damage by the massive transfer of electricity that overcomes the target's natural resistance and channels hundreds of amps into the target. Many armors shatter under the sudden influx of heat and the atomic and molecular disruption. Living tissue is heated up massively, and the cells themselves often explosively rupture as the liquid within the cell walls turns to superheated steam. The NG-P7 is very sturdy weapon, sacrificing light weight for endurance and physical toughness. The frame is made of neo-tungsten and monocularly bonded polyceramics. Rather than use a standard stainless steel barrel for the linear accellerator, density collapsed neo-tungsten was used until 5 PA, when suddenly Northern Gun switched to ion bonded neo-tungsten. The weapon appears to be a bulky, over-sized laser rifle, very crude looking, with two forward prongs in place of a laser, ion, or kinetic round aperture. It has a built in scope on the top, a laser designator built in right above the prongs, a heavy duty stock capable of absorbing the recoil of the massive bolt of electrons, a power conduit port, a removable energy canister (45 shots), a bipod, and a servo-rig stud. However, in 22 PA the canister port, the servo rig interface, and the power conduit port were removed from the weapon. This lightened the weapon by 5 pounds total. The weapons manufactured between 22 and 41 PA suffered from faulty bipods, which had difficulty remaining the lock-down mode, often causing the weapon to suddenly list to one side or the other, or completely drop down as both bipod legs suddenly collapsed into storage mode. The versions from 52 PA to 79 PA suffered from bad Faraday Barrel manufacture, resulting in less firepower and less range than previous models. However, Northern Gun sold a replacement barrel for 1,500 Cr, despite accusations that the barrel was deliberately mis-manufactured. Several thousand of a "mismanufactured" version were sold in 86 PA that had "US ARMY" stamped on them, as well as "XM-429" above the handgrip. This has led to much speculation on the true origin of the weapon. The 2,500 of these weapons were primarily sold in New Mexico, Texas, Arizona and Colorado. Northern Gun traded for these weapons by offering a Samson power armor and a year free repairs and ammunition in return for the weapon, and Northern Gun managed to reacquire 2,400 of the 2,500 weapons. (The US Army weapons featured double the normal range, double the damage capability, twice as many shots per energy canister, advanced scope optics, a dataplug for integration of the scope into the HUD, and a Battlefield Tactical Network Interface, in addition to advanced recoil compensation. However, these weapons are EXTREMELY rare, have no spare parts, and Northern Gun will definitely try to reacquire it.) Weight: 21 lbs Length: 44" Caliber: 4.1 GW Maximum Range: 500m (1,500 ft) Maximum Effective Range: 400m (1,200 ft) Typical Combat Range: 200m (600 ft) Magazine Capacity: 8 shots from a standard eclip, 12 shots from a long eclip, 25 shots from a canister, 52 shots from a belt pack Manufacturer's Cost: 5,000 Cr Wholesale Cost: 16,000 Cr Manufacturer's Recommended Price: 22,000 Cr Black Market Price: 25,000 Cr Wilderness Price: 7,500 Cr
|
|
#
¿
Sep 28, 2014 06:17
|
|
|
L-20 Pulse Rifle This laser weapon made its debut in 37 PA, mainly being found with Black Marketeers or Bandito Arms (Most people have no idea that the Black Market and Bandito Arms are one and the same. The Black Market sells everything from fake ID's, to meat, vegetables, and liquor without asking for a ration card, while Bandito Arms just sells weaponry and armor.) The weapon quickly became popular, as the Black Market would take payment in fruit, vegetables, meat, livestock, etc, for the weapon. Some local Black Market dealers would even allow payments, with interest (up to 400%) for the weapon. The weapon is well built and known for its battlefield endurance and sturdy mechanisms. The frame is made of light polyceramics and lightweight hyperalloys, primarily neo-tungsten. The casing itself is made out of polyceramic and third generation synthetic plastics. It uses a 6 sided laser cut and purified synthetically "grown" ruby for the lasing matrix. It contains a 2.25 cm firing aperture, a vibro-bayonet lug, picatinny rails on the top and sides and beneath the barrel, as well as a rail in the center of the top for a scope. The laser emitter is well built, and has a long use life. The average life of a laser emitter is well over 30 years, and only cost 1,200 Cr to replace a damaged or degraded one. In addition, it rarely needs recalibration. The forward lasing matrix, made entirely out of synthetic ruby, rarely needs replaced, and produces a laser beam in the visible red range. The ruby suffers less ablation than other materials, allowing the 3-round burst setting to avoid the "ablation fog" that affects other pulse weapons. The crystal needs replacing roughly once every 25 years. The fire selector can be set to safe, semi, and burst, and is easily accessed by both right and left handed firers. The clip ejection button is placed on both sides of the frame, and allows right and left handed firers to easily eject the energy clip. In addition, there is a "grip safety" built into the pistol grip. Some models, designed for cyborgs, juicers, and crazies, have forward handgrips, stock, and pistol grips made out of heavier than normal material, replacing the plastics with neo-tungsten, so that super-strength users don't have to be as careful with the weapon as they might otherwise have to be. The forward handgrips are easily removable, giving quick and easy access to the barrel and the lasing matrix. The top and bottom of the weapon are easily separated, again allowing ease of maintenance, by simply pressing two metal inwards and then pulling them out to the maintenance position. The stock contains a buttkit, which contains a bipod, 1 extra lasing matrix ruby, tools to open and maintain the weapon, including calibration of the laser emitter and lasing matrix, and a matchbook sized calibration and diagnostics scanner. An old Pre-Rifts M-203 40mm grenade launcher is often added to the underside of the weapon, as is a laser designator or a heavy duty illuminator. Occasionally a vibro-bayonet will also be added to one side or the other, with a laser targeting emitter on the other side. The top usually has a scope added to it. With the picatinny rail system, virtually any accessory that can have a matching rail added to it can be added to this rifle, and picatinny rails usually cost 10 Cr each. The most well documented problem with the weapon is the fact that some crystals seem to sympathetic to glitter boy boom gun detonations, and the laser develops significant cracks and microfractures after extensive use due to the sonic boom of the boom gun. Another problem that rarely crops up is bent magazine locking rockers, however, this can be easily fixed by the user, taking only 10 minutes and just flattening the rocking rockers back out. Lastly, the weapon is such a compact design that a power conduit interface and connector can't be added into the weapon. Weight: 7 lbs Length: 31" Caliber: 2.5 cm Maximum Range: 700m (2100 ft) Maximum Effective Range: 550m (1650 ft) Typical Combat Range: 250m (750 ft) Magazine Capacity: 40 shots with a standard e-clip, 50 shots with an extended magazine. Manufacturer's Cost: 3,500 Cr Wholesale Cost: 15,000 Cr Manufacturer's Recommended Price: 25,000 Cr Black Market Price: 25,000 Cr Wilderness Price: 8,000 Cr
|
|
#
¿
Sep 28, 2014 06:18
|
|
|
JA-9 Variable Laser Rifle Called the "Juicer Assassin Rifle" by many, the weapon is reputably a German design, although how a specialized German weapon came to be found on the North American continent when there had been no real trade between Germany and the North American continent until 62 PA. Video footage of the Cataclysm has shown this rifle in the hands of NEMA soldiers in fairly decent numbers. In 2075 it became apparent that more and more nations were attempting to replicate the chromium armor used in the famed Chromium Guardsman AKA "Glitter Boy", as well as develop countermeasures for its famed laser resistant armor. In 2075 Congolese soldiers, armed with JA-9 rifles and having gone through the Juicer Process, attacked a UN Peacekeeping force, in hopes of drawing out the NEMA GB's attached for heavy support. At the end of the long battle, the Congolese forces, which were part of the Congo Democratic People's Army, had been completely routed and devastated, but the damage to the GB's reputation of invulnerability was done. Five hundred Juicers and three hundred "Crazies" had attacked twelve hundred UN peacekeepers, fifty Chromium Guardsmen, and 25 Silver Eagles. When the rubble finally settled, most of the city of Bunia was leveled, 850,000 civilians had been killed, over a million had been dispossessed and/or wounded, the UN Peacekeepers had only two hundred thirty-seven men left, 11 Chromium Guardsmen had been destroyed and the rest damaged, 17 Silver Eagles were destroyed and the rest heavily damaged. Then, to add insult to injury, a force of "Republic of Congo" insurgents, armed with Ugandan Hyena power armor, moved across the border and attacked what was left of the UN Peacekeeping force. Despite being outnumbered 3 to one, the UN/NEMA force managed to destroy the Ugandan power armor, mostly thanks to massed boom gun fire. Uganda itself saved the day by attacking the "Republic of Congo" insurgents from behind with a larger force of Hyena and Rhino power armor and robot vehicles. In the end, UN investigators went over the scene, tracking exactly how the battle had gone, and examining the equipment and corpses left behind. The first discovery is that the Juicers and Crazies were all recent subjects, despite the UN Mandate #5463 that outlawed those man-amplification process. In addition, the armor worn by the terrorists were manufactured in Poland, and the weapons they were carrying had been specifically designed to overcome laser resistant armor and act as sniping weapons. Luckily, the terrorists had charged the UN lines rather than disable the power armor at long range. The Hyena armor in the hands of the "insurgents" turned out to actually be of Romanian manufacture. Of particular interest to NEMA forces was the weapon identified as the J-9, which had been used to great effect against the Chromium Guardsmen. Rather than having superior energy qualities, the weapon cycled through the exact frequencies that the armors could be vulnerable to. As two of the frequencies had not been used, that meant that the weapon wasn't designed based on battlefield salvage and observation, but instead had been designed based on leaked specifications. As the NAA kept the Chromium Guardsmen frequencies a matter of National Security for all three countries, this meant that spies had been at work. To the UN and NEMA, this meant that someone out there was producing rifles to deliberately strike at NEMA itself, and the UN forces that NEMA often joined. To quote one investigator: "This bodes ill." The captured JA-9's showed no manufacturer's markings, and the electronics inside the weapon had been bought from a multitude of corporations, usually shipped to fake address or hijacked in transit. In 2086 the biotech firm of "Extendalife", which focused on increasing lifespans and genetically modified crops, came under attack by terrorists, which quickly seized one of the facilities and began executing the scientists working there. When police intervention went to retake the compound, SWAT remote camera footage showed the officers being slaughtered by Juicers, and NEMA was called in. The local NEMA commander believed that the "Congo Incident" had been overblown by the media and brought in Chromium Guardsmen and Silver Eagles to cow the terrorists. As soon as the armors arrived, they came under highly accurate fire at extended range, and all three of the Silver Eagles were disabled before they could close on the factory complex, four of the five Chromium Guardsmen were disabled, and one severely damaged. The local NEMA commander called in cyborgs for the assault, and when it was over, 12 NEMA combat cyborgs and 7 Juicers were dead. Once again, the JA-9 was found in possession of the juicers. The JA-9 is a sleek weapon, well balanced, made out of advanced polymers and polyceramics. The weapon contains no metallic components outside the scope, which is easily removed. In addition the weapon can be easily broken down and put back together. (A trained operator can break the weapon down into the size of suitcase compartment in less than a minute, and can reassemble it in under 30 seconds, a Juicer can reassemble the weapon in less than ten seconds with practice) The weapon has a built in bipod, as well as laser targeting, allowing the user to sight in on targets as far as three thousand meters away with the ability to engage them. The scope itself contains no metallic parts, entirely built out of polymers and polyceramics, and is connected to the weapons innovative fire control computer. The weilder of the weapon can adjust the frequency of the laser beam through ten preset frequencies in order to overcome chromium armor. The laser emitter is somewhat larger than normal, allowing the frequency shift via small lenses inside the housing. It is well built, and has one of the most comprehensive shock dampening housings built. In addition it can be quickly and easily replaced by a trained user. (15 seconds for a trained user, 3 seconds for a trained Juicer) The crystal lasing matrix contains multiple ruby crystals. These crystals can shift to replicate frequencies, becoming ion bonded once the shifting has occurred and the electrically induced ion bonding being released when the weapon goes to shift frequencies. The frame itself is lightweight, sleek, and bears no manufacturer's marks. (Rifts "data" says it is from Germany, but that was never proven) It can be broken down into several parts (forward barrel, lasing matrix, laser emitter, lower reciever, upper reciever, stock, recoil padding, bipod, pistol grip) for ease of storage. The scope contains passive and laser assisted nightvision, UV, IR, VIR, thermographic, and 1X/3X/5X/10X/15X/20X magnification. When used with conjunction with the laser targeter, the weapon actually analyzes what frequency will have the best air penetration, allowing for amazing distances. The targeting laser serves three purposes: One: It can be used to guide missiles in. As the laser targeter is a "variable" system, it can be locked into by missiles when nobody else can see it. Two: Used properly, the laser targeter can actually be used to "figure out" the frequency to best use against a Glitter Boy without actually firing. (15 seconds per frequency. There are only 10 frequencies, so sooner or later, the firer will get the correct one) Three: Atmospheric adjustment. The combat computer built into the rifle, by using the laser targeter, can adjust for the water and fine particle count of the atmosphere. This allows the computer to select the best frequency to get the most range out of. The weapon is designed to be used with standard or extended capacity eclips, as well as having a power conduit feed for use with a belt-pack. During the Cataclysm, many of these weapons were removed from evidence rooms and contraband lockers, as well as seemingly to pop up everywhere in the hands of people on the NEMA watchlists. However, this weapon helped carry the day more than once against creatures that seemed to be resistant to energy. In 67 PA a group of explorers checking out the Dallas/Fort Worth ruins, paying particular attention to the basements, discovered a micro-fabrication unit to produce the JA-9. How it got there, along with two as of yet unidentified power armors is a mystery. Weight: 6 lbs Length: 38" Caliber: 3cm Maximum Range: 4000m (12,000 ft) Maximum Effective Range: 3500m (10,500 ft), normally used at 1200m (3600 ft) as most users don't know how to use the "atmospheric attenuation compensation" system Typical Combat Range: 1000m (3000 ft) Magazine Capacity: 10 shots with a standard eclip, 30 shots with a long eclip, 105 shots with a belt pack. Manufacturer's Cost: 3,500 Cr Wholesale Cost: 11,000 Cr Manufacturer's Recommended Price: 20,000 Cr Black Market Price: 25,000 Cr Wilderness Price: 10,000 Cr
|
|
#
¿
Sep 28, 2014 06:21
|
|
|
JA-11 Sniper/Energy Rifle Commonly known as the "Juicer Assassin Energy Rifle" Post-Rifts, this weapon has a convoluted and murky history. While most on Rifts North America insist that this weapon is indeed of German manufacture (Triax claims that they built the weapon to increase market share and sales, when in reality, they simply reverse engineered the weapon, which had been handed to Triax by NEMA in 2089 for examination) More than anything, the JA series of rifles was definite evidence that despite the fact that NEMA was arguably "peacekeepers" and often fell under UN jurisdiction and usage in other nations, NEMA was painted as the big bad guy and the NAA as the architect of everyone's woes. In 2089 a force armed with JA-11 rifles began harassing NEMA and UN troops stationed in Sudan. At first the UN commander thought there were four different, standard, weapons in the enemy arsenal. An ion blaster, a laser rifle, a 7.62mm sniper rifle, and possibly another laser rifle, as there were two separate frequencies of laser rifles in use. However, recon patrols had found nothing, despite the cooperation of the Sudanese military. In the early morning of the 5th of January, 2090, forces made an assault on the NEMA/UN compound on the Sudan/Congo border, highly accurate sniper fire seeking out crew served weaponry, sensor turrets, an vulnerable military personnel. This was immediately followed by a massed rush on the NEMA/UN compound by lightly armed personnel wearing knock-off light body armor normally worn by low-threat area security personnel. The brutal fight lasted a little over 18 hours, as the first wave was followed by eight more in succession. Literally tens of thousands of people were killed during the rushes. The whole time, the snipers kept plying their trade. When the dust settled, only the NEMA armors and the heavily fortified command post remained, and the body count of the enemy was later determined to be 34,839 dead. The UN Peacekeeping force has suffered a little under three thousand dead, nineteen Chromium Guardsmen destroyed, 45 disabled and no longer combat effective, 28 Silver Eagles destroyed, 62 no longer flight capable, and 41 disabled and no longer combat effective. UN Counter-Snipers had engaged and defeated over five hundred snipers, usually making 1 to 1 kill ratios, while the enemy snipers had made in the area of 8 to 1 kill ratios. In addition the snipers were the only forces who had disabled or destroyed any of the power armors, with the exception of a single Silver Eagle which had been hit by a missile and fell nearly 800 feet to the ground, only to be mobbed by the incoming wave attack. The UN investigators found something new on the bodies of the snipers. The JA-9 was found, as was half expected, but also found was something new, something more than a little disturbing. A new multi-function rifle, made entirely of synthetic plastic polymers and polyceramics, with no metal content beyond the bullets that the weapon was capable of firing. The weapon appeared to be based on the old Soviet SVD sniper rifle upgraded by a quad-magnetic rail system. Added to the weapon was a multi-frequency laser rifle and a short range ion blaster. All three were wrapped in a nasty single package, easily disassembled or reassembled. The weapon easily fit in the bottom of a standard sized suitcase when disassembled, and was completely undetectable by metal detectors. In addition, the weapon could be assembled in such a way that it resembled a large laptop computer, with the datascreen of the scope used as the laptop's primary screen. The weapon is entirely made out of plastics and ceramics, with a scope, laser targeter, Battlefield Tactical Network Interface system, and integral bipod. The weapon is undeniably a sniper weapon designed for anti-power armor work. Conventional wisdom stated that chemically fired rounds could not penetrate advanced armor, but someone had altered the weapon with innovative plastic "rails" that became magnetic when an electrical charge was added. Four of these rails were put at 90 degree angles to one another, and were used to accelerate a depleted uranium discarding sabot cartridge, the steel sabot acting as the only metal part of the caseless round. In addition, the weapon could also fire cased rounds, and the weapon was configured to use the old 7.62 Soviet round, rather than the NATO 7.62mm round. The scope contains passive and laser assisted nightvision, UV, IR, VIR, thermographic, and 1X/3X/5X/10X/15X/20X magnification. The scope can be hooked into the Battlefield Tactical Network by itself, or use a tactical interface screen which is usually set beside the weapon. The weapon switches between modes via a hand operated lever on the side of the weapon, which moves the parts inside around the weapon, so that the same barrel and trigger mechanism is used for the entire weapon. This strange and innovative process marked the weapon as currently under development, with the JA-9 perhaps being an early run of an anti-armor rifle being made by an unknown government and/or corporation. The laser emitter is somewhat larger than normal, allowing the frequency shift between light and heavy use via small lenses inside the housing, giving the light and heavy settings two different laser frequencies (both of which are on the frequencies that Chromium Guardsmen are vulnerable to). There are a total of 10 different emitter sets, each one designed to fire on a frequency the Chromium Guardsman is vulnerable to. The emitter is well built, and has one of the most comprehensive shock dampening housings built. In addition it can be quickly and easily replaced by a trained user. (15 seconds for a trained user, 3 seconds for a trained Juicer) The weapon uses an eight sided synthetic ruby lasing matrix, which can be quickly changed out by an operator. The ion system uses air injection, like most modern ion weapons, however it also uses the barrel of the weapon as a linear accelerator to further enhance the ion packet. This results in a devestating ion beam, normally considered low range, able to be used at extended ranges normally thought impossible. The 7.62mm part of the rifle was the strangest. It has to be hand loaded, one shell at a time. It wasn't until a former Canadian Armed Forces sniper pointed out that a lot of snipers were trained to load the rifle one bullet at a time that it made any sense to UN or NEMA forces. The plastic magnetic rails was a system unfamiliar to nearly everyone, and the plastic was immediately given to "safe" contractors to reverse engineer. The plastic was a highly advanced polymer of unknown make and unknown manufacture. It appeared to have variable magnetic qualities, depending on the sine wave of the electricity applied, and needed far less energy for the "rail gun" effect than metal rails. The weapon also featured a canister energy source, which could not be detached, but could be recharged via standard means, or motion charging, or even if the weapon was set out in the sun, where the whole body of the weapon acted as a solar charging cell. In addition to the canister's charging port, the port could be changed with a simple twist to a power conduit input jack. The JA-11 was proof that someone out there had it in for NEMA and the UN. As the majority of the nations had membership in the UN, this made it a very small pool of possibilities, and of those nations who were not members of the UN, either they were on good terms with the multi-national body, or they did not possess the technical knowledge to produce such a rifle. The scope was one high tech piece, built in such a way that a juicer would not have to watch the rastering of the electronic screen, as the refresh rate was set high enough to comfortable to a juicer. During the Coming of the Rifts and the subsequent Cataclysm, a few of these rifles popped up in strange places and in stranger hands. The first thing to be lost was the BaTNI, the rails were the second thing to go. During the Second Dark Ages, this weapon mostly disappeared. The enhanced system of the plastic rails virtually vanished, as nobody could replicate the plastic rails, and after awhile, nobody even knew what they did. Nobody even cared about the BaTNI, so it too vanished. However, in 54 PA, a micro-fabrication unit to produce JA-11's showed up in the hands of an adventuring group who had returned from the Utah Desert. It was quickly sold to the Black Market, and the JA-11 made its appearance on the scene again. However, the plastic acceleration rails and the BaTNI are not currently in production. Triax has long claimed that they built the JA series of rifles, but in reality they reverse engineered both weapon for use by their own snipers. This biggest piece of evidence is the fact that the Triax versions of the weapon lack the plastic acceleration rails. Weight: 6.5 lbs Length: 39" Caliber: 7.62mm Maximum Range:
Manufacturer's Cost: 6,500 Cr Wholesale Cost: 32,000 Cr Manufacturer's Recommended Price: 40,000 Cr Black Market Price: 45,000+ Cr Wilderness Price: 15,000 Cr
|
|
#
¿
Sep 28, 2014 06:24
|
|
|
M-31/C-40R 15mm Rail Gun Commonly known as the SAMAS C-40R rail gun, the SAMAS rail gun has seen use all over the North American continent, as well as a myriad of other places. While the CS claims to have invented them, Bandito Arms and the Black Market know the truth, as does Triax, some adventuring groups, and even Erin Tarn once glimpsed the truth. Originally designed in 2036 as the hand weapon of the Silver Eagle, the 15mm Rail Gun has proven to far exceed the original designers expectations. Tested by the US military at Groom Lake, the weapon went through many different configurations until finally the 15mm caliber was chosen. This caliber was light, easy to carry and manufacture, and provided excellent "armor ablative capability" when used against hardened structures. In 2032 Colt Industries received the contract to make the next generation Squad Automatic Weapon, as well as the primary weapon of the (then) prototype SAMAS (Strategic Armored Military Assault Suit) to be fully field tested at the Groom Lake/Dreamland facility. A long time partner of the US Military and its paranoid associates, Colt Firearms did not even blink an eye when the military demanded not only the weapon, but when testing was finished, 14 micro-fabrication units had to be produced. In 2045 the SAMAS rail gun was complete, having passed field trials at Groom Lake, and at Fort Hood Texas, as part of the Objective Force Land Warrior Project. The weapon was discussed and accepted as an acceptable replacement for the aging M2A2 General Purpose Heavy Machinegun, that had been mostly unchanged since the early days of 20th Century warfare. The weapon, code-named Project Book of David, and listed as the XM-31, is made of advanced hyperalloys and polyceramics, with a sturdy frame designed to hold up during the rigors of combat, during high-G SAMAS maneuvers, be unaffected by the sonic shock of a firing "boom gun", light enough to be mounted on a vehicle or carried by heavy infantry cyborgs or a three man SAW team. While many proponents of rail guns stated that the XM-31 should fire a single round, like the Boom Gun, Colt Firearms went with the ablative effect, using multiple round impacts to "sand" the armor, as well as cause micro-fractures in ion or molecularly bonded armor that were capitalized on by successive strikes by follow up rounds in the same burst. This usually caused shards of armor to be blown free of the armor plating struck by a burst from this weapon. Comparison studies between ablative bursts and single, traditional, armor defeating rounds showed that for the smaller calibers, the burst of light rounds did more damage faster, with less resources (including rail power) than traditional rounds. However, with higher caliber weapons, the traditional armor defeating methods still won out. The forward heat shroud is made of heat transfer resistant non-magnetic alloy, with an internal Faraday Cage to restrict "rail bleed", as well as shielding the weapon from attracting metallic ferrous debris. In addition power armor pilots and cyborgs could use the front heat shroud as an addition handgrip, much like a regular soldier would use the forward handgrips on an assault rifle. The barrel had an unheard of 8 rails surrounding it (The CS would later drop this to 4) that accelerated the light 15mm rounds to a muzzle velocity of 4525m/s (Mach 14) which was still well short of the 11.2 km/s that a light round would require to break free of Earth orbit, thus eliminating the chance that the weapon could be used to destroy orbital infrastructure. The Chromium Guardsman weapon nicknamed the "Boom Gun" could be used to shoot down orbital structures, providing an "enhanced range" package was used. (Some accused NEMA of the elimination of the certain Brazilian satellites during the Brazilian invasion of Suriname, a claim that NEMA never disproved or acknowledged) The chamber and feeding assembly were built of light hyperalloy, with the internal mechanisms tested for heat expansion, wear difficulties, light damage, and battlefield electromagnetic conditions. After a nuclear detonation simulation performed at Groom Lake/Dreamland the weapon was discovered to be "EM Saturated" resulting in the chamber no longer functioning correctly to "inject" the rounds into the barrel. This resulted in additional circuitry being added to create an "EM Reset" manual switch on the side of the weapon. Pushing the button discharged power into the weapons internal systems to reset them in case of EM saturation. The chamber itself uses magnetic pressure to inject a round into the barrel, propelling it at over 100m/s into the rail accelerators, which then fling the round forward. Innovations by Colt Firearms resulted in a lowered power usage for firing. Chamber pressure could be "fixed" for the first rounds once the chamber's magnetic systems were activated, resulting in each successive round taking slightly less power until the last 10 rounds used only 23% of the energy that the first round took to inject them into the barrel. Second the magnetic pressure would be increased for a single shot, resulting in faster barrel speeds 5763 m/s for a single round. Other advances came in magnetic shielding and superconductor linings created an environment where the only thing touched by the round itself was the feeder port and the rails. This drastically reduced wear on barrel and firing mechanism parts, extending battlefield endurance and weapon part life. The trigger assembly sported four modes. The safety mode also depended on a pistol grip safety, single shot selection, which enabled the weapon to be used to sniping against soft targets, the standard attack mode, as well as fully automatic, allowing the weapon to be used as a point defense system, anti-vehicle mode, and against massed troops. Sticking with a long tradition, Colt eschewed an electronic trigger assembly, choosing to stick with a mechanical trigger assembly that activated the various electronics. The mechanical trigger assembly proved highly effective and accurate in testing. The stock was molded into the weapon, part of the weapon's lower receiver, and used hydraulic recoil compensation, rather than the traditional recoil spring systems in use by other companies. The hydraulic master cylinder and the hoses and additional cylinders were carefully built and shock dampened. User weapon maintenance trained to "eyeball" the hydraulics for leaking or "sweating" components, as well as having a digital pressure readout on the side of the hydraulic master cylinder. The feed mechanism was carefully crafted by Colt Firearms, and during Groom Lake/Dreamland testing, the railgun's feeding mechanism was rebuilt nine times, and three times during Fort Hood OFLW Project. The final product was a dual loading system unlike anything originally designed. The shells were packed in a case 40, which was attached to the belt via magnetic linkage (it required 340 psi force to break the magnetic valence bonding) that gave the belt flexibility and integrity. When the "case" was loaded into the weapon, it deposited the 40 rounds into the "pre-flight" area, which held up to 100 rounds within the upper receiver of the weapon. The casing then was ejected from the other side in two pieces. Once the rounds were deposited in the pre-flight area magnetic "bands" contained in the rounds themselves lined up the rounds in four rows of five deep and two high. Should laser/electrical inspection by the weapon's onboard computer detect a problem, the sides of the preflight chamber were magnetized, pulling the rounds apart, and then demagnetized, dropping the rounds back into the pre-flight chamber. Once the round were arranged in the "pre-flight" chamber, they were loaded into the ready chamber. The entire process, from intake of "clip" to powering up of the chamber itself, including four "rearrangements" in the pre-flight section, took less than 0.31 seconds. Misifiring of the weapon was extremely rare, and usually a case of shoddy maintenance or sabotage. The built in scope was primarily intended for tripod/vehicle mounted weapons, but was also tied into the primary data cable to allow pilots to have a "weapon's view" window on their HUD. This allowed a SAMAS pilot to keep the crosshairs on an enemy while performing high-G maneuvers, look around corners or over/under/around obstacles without exposing themselves to fire, as well as use the weapon's scope for additional "triangulation of aiming points" that brought up a pilot's accuracy by up to 5%. The scope possesses passive and active nightvision, IR, UV, VIR, and 1X/3X/5X/10X magnification. In addition the scope's sight picture could be integrated into the BaTNI in its raw data form. Originally Colt Firearms wanted to put a hot-fusion "micropile" into the butt of the weapon, but this was cancelled after computer simulations showed that a hard impact to the stock would cause a catastrophic 236 kt explosion. Dual power conduits were built into the weapon, requiring the weapon to use an outside power source, but an emergency "energy magazine" system was built into the right side of the stock. By removing a plate on the stock, a closely pack 10 eclip wells were uncovered, in a 2x5 row, allowing the weapon user to slot standard energy weapon clips into the weapon to power it in case of emergency. Each clip was good for 5 shots. The weapon was usually mounted on an advanced tripod system, and the M2A2 was phased out of US military arms rooms within two months. Standard doctrine called for it to be added to vehicle ringmounts, increasing the firepower of a moving convoy by nearly 150X previous estimates. Every unit outside of a medical unit had at least 1 per platoon, and infantry companies routinely carried 3-5 per platoon. Standard doctrine called for a 4 man gunner team. One to carry the M-31 itself, one to carry the power pack and leads, a third to carry the tripod, and a fourth to carry the ammunition. Once the weapon was set up, the gunner and assistant gunner would operate the weapon while the other two provided additional fire. Most teams added two under-barrel grenade launchers for the additional fireteam members, and some infantry companies went as far as to add a missile launcher to the team, giving them heavy firepower usable in nearly all situations. During the Cataclysm this weapon was used in nearly every role, from a squad operated weapon, to a vehicle weapon mount, to being carried by cyborgs, Mastiff's, and Silver Eagles. During the Second Dark Ages, this weapon began being stripped down of "extra parts", usually with the BaTNI system going first, followed by the additional rails, then the "emergency energy system", and finally the "pre-flight bay". In 32 PA, the CS began work on the SAMAS and its weapon system. The CS version got rid of the BaTNI system, the emergency energy system, and removed 4 of the 8 rails. In addition they bypassed the "pre-flight" loading system, moving directly to "tubular" internal magazine that was rear loaded by the belt system. The CS also reduced the power to the magnetic barrel pressure system. The result was a stripped down version of the original M-31 that was still combat capable and had high battlefield endurance. The CS version is 25 lbs heavier (and is the one listed for weight) and has only 2/3rds of the range, and does less damage than the old M-31 system. However, the CS suffered a lack of orbital and lunar mining facilities, as well as high-tech manufacturing abilities that were present during the late 21st Century. The Apache Nation found one of the micro-fabricators, and have turned out the M-31's, BaTNI and all. The Black Market only ran off a few hundred of the M-31's until they could replace the M-31 schematics with the schematics of a C-40R. In addition ARCHIE-III still turns out M-31 versions when he so desires. Weight: 98 lbs [73 lbs] Length: 58" [55"] Caliber: 15mm Muzzle Velocity: 3525m/s [4525 m/s] Maximum Range: 2000m (6000 ft) [3000m (9000 ft)] Maximum Effective Range: 1400m (4200 ft) [2500m (7500 ft)] Typical Combat Range: 500m (450 ft) [1250 m (3650 ft)] Magazine Capacity: Belt Fed (Pre-flight chamber holds up to 100, usually 80 rounds, for 2 bursts and 20 single shots) Manufacturer's Cost: 35,000 Cr [15,000 Cr] Wholesale Cost: 70,000 Cr [50,000 Cr) Manufacturer's Recommended Price: 110,000 Cr [Not for resale] Black Market Price: 150,000 Cr Wilderness Price: 25,000 Cr
|
|
#
¿
Sep 28, 2014 06:28
|
|
|
NG 101 Rail Gun Northern Gun has long been secretive over where they acquired their advanced manufacturing facilities. As a company they began producing "modern" weaponry during the Second Dark Ages, and the Northern Gun armed convoys and the deals that the convoy masters made ensured that more than one settlement made it through the horrific years. The NG-101 was offered as far back as -33 PA to settlements. The weapon was heavy compared to the old M-31 Rail Gun Systems, but sold for cheaper, and often a caravan master would allow the trade of one M-31 rail guns for 2 NG-101 systems. Many believe that Northern Gun has a huge stockpile of old US M-31 railguns somewhere, but if they do, no trace of them has been seen. Made of first generation hyper-alloys, the NG-101 is bulky, heavy, and has a blocky, unfinished look. However, the weapon, while not as effective as the M-31/C-40R, is less ammunition and energy intensive. The barrel uses a single pair of magnetic accelerator rails, however, the NG-101 does not use the standard magnetic barrel pressure injection system, but rather uses a magnetic bolt system to thrust the rounds in. This leads to a shuddering roar when the weapon is fired, with heavy recoil, but as the weapon is designed to be used as a fixed weapon, or carried by a borg or power armor pilot, this drawback is largely ignored. The barrel shroud is made of non-magnetic hyper-alloy, usually neo-aluminum/vanadium mix, with a built in Faraday Cage to keep down EM leakage. In addition the end of the barrel has a "flash deflector" that disperses the ionized gases in the barrel, rendered to near plasma heat by the passage of the rail gun rounds, in order to cut down on muzzle flare caused by the weapon. The weapon does not use the M-31/C-40R cased round feed system, but rather a standard machinegun belt of individual rounds with "breakable links" that fly off the round as the round is pushed from between the belt links by the magnetic piston. This results in a hail of belt links showering from the left side of the weapon out of the ejection port. The weapon fires 20mm shells in 30 round bursts. The weapon has a single safety/semi/auto selector on the right hand side of the weapon that is more a lever than a selector switch. This occasionally jams in the auto mode after extended use. Heat transfer is a problem, with the barrel shroud reaching temperatures of 180 degrees Fahrenheit after a few minutes of fully automatic firing. If the weapon is fired for longer than 10 minutes, the barrel is usually swapped out by the assistant gunner and laid aside to cool. (A trained operator can swap out the barrels in 15 seconds, and it takes 4 minutes for the barrel to cool) Third party weaponsmiths often add in heat venting into the forward shroud to extend the barrel's endurance by more than 300%. The stock is made of armor-plast, with the standard recoil spring system, which does show signs of mechanical failure after several years of use, and which has to be replaced roughly every five years. However, like most parts for the NG-101, the parts can be manufactured locally and easily, and are not too expensive if bought from Northern Gun. The NG-101 has low muzzle velocity compared to other rail guns, only 2860 m/s, almost half that of the M-31/C-40R, but the ablative armor defeating method works quite well, as the NG-101 shows superior burst grouping than most railguns its size and weight. The weapon has three power conduit systems, allowing a secondary or tertiary powerpack to be added to the system. Unlike a lot of Black Market or independent weapons manufacturers, there has never been a problem with degradation of the power conduit leads or sockets. The NG-101 has remained exactly the same since it was first offered, with only wear on the weapon's mechanical systems showing the age of the weapon. It was not until 45 PA that Northern Gun actually started stamping serial numbers on the weapon. The weapon is a favorite of borgs and power armor soldiers, as the weapon can be directly plugged into their internal reactors. While heavy, the weapon is intimidating looking and highly effective. In 62 PA Northern Gun released several hundred of these weapons with Russian alphabet characters on the frame, but these were quickly recalled, with a 2 for 1 offer made to those who had "mistakenly" bought a series of weapons meant for use by "D-Bee's in South Texas." The weapon is virtually identical except for the Cyrillic lettering. The NG-101 does not come with a scope, relying on open sights, however it does have picatinny rails on the sides and top of the barrel, and on top of the upper receiver, allowing a user to add their own additional equipment to the weapon as they desire. Many sellers offer picatinny mating rails for free in hopes of making sales on expensive (and often useless) add ons. The NG-101 has a pintle mounting post on the bottom of the weapon, to allow it to be used with a tripod or on a vehicle ringmount, and many users alter the system by replacing the trigger assembly with more modern parts. Rumor has it that in 102 PA, Northern Gun plans on discontinuing all sales of the NG-101, although they will still sell parts for it. Weight: 128 lbs Length: 58" Caliber: 20mm Muzzle Velocity: 2860 m/s Maximum Range: 2000m (6000 ft) Maximum Effective Range: 1350m (2050 ft) Typical Combat Range: 500m (1500 ft) Magazine Capacity: Belt Fed Manufacturer's Cost: 14,000 Cr Wholesale Cost: 45,000 Cr Manufacturer's Recommended Price: 70,000 Cr Black Market Price: 80,000 Cr Wilderness Price: 22,000 Cr
|
|
#
¿
Sep 28, 2014 06:30
|
|
|
NG-202 Rail Gun Another old weapon, this rail gun is often found on the walls of settlements, on vehicle ring mounts, in the hands of borgs, and being wielded by power armor troops. When this weapon was initially offered in 5 PA, many thought that Northern Gun would be pulling the NG-101 off of the market. The NG-202 followed the same structural appearance of the NG-101, as well as used the same 20mm ammunition. The weapon appeared to be simply the NG-101 on a larger scale, but avid weaponeers noted that there were some subtle differences that could not easily be explained. First of all, the NG-202, like the NG-101, used a 440V system, once again it used a magnetically fired "bolt" to insert the rounds into the rail system at a speed of roughly 250 m/s, the belt used frangible links, the 20mm round was heavier than most rail guns, there was some circuitry inside the upper receiver, where it looked as if it should plug into a scope or other top mounted equipment, that showed the status of the weapon, including power consumption, barrel heat, chamber heat, and cyclic rate of fire, but the circuitry was connected to nothing. Finally, the weapon used first generation hyper-alloys, rather than the rather advanced alloys and polyceramics that the C-40R/M-31 used. Despite these discrepancies, the weapon sold like wildfire through the wilderness, often being mounted on the protective walls or towers or within the bunkers of the settlements perimeter defenses. When people brought up the differences, they were largely ignored. The weapon's barrel shroud and heat deflectors are more efficient than those on the NG-101, with the weapon able to be fired for more than 1 hour before the heat buildup requires the barrel to be swapped out. (15 seconds for a trained operator, 3 minutes of cooldown) The weapon uses a dual rail system, with the rails showing some wear after several million rounds having been fired through the weapon. (Most adventurers never have to replace the rails, and settlements in high threat areas might have to replace the rails every 10 years or so, as the rails are roughly twice the thickness of comparative rails) The firing mechanism consists of a mechanical system that feeds one round into the chamber, and electromagnetics are used the thrust the bolt forward to slam the 20mm round in between the rails. The mechanical firing system is prone to heat transfer problems after extended sustained firing (roughly 3 hours before misfires, including runaway gun syndrome, begin to affect the weapon) in combat situations. The mechanical feeding system also is prone to wear, needing replacement every 2-5 years, as heat stress and constant movement wears on the parts. The stock uses mechanical spring recoil absorption, and many purchasers acquire new springs made of higher tensile materials, as the springs failure rate after 6 months is an amazing 80%. Many third party distributors replace the spring before sale. (1200 Cr for the spring, +5,000 Cr if the mod is done by the seller) The weapon possesses safe, single, and full auto. Single shot tends to jam on occasion, requiring the operator to manually eject the round, as the round lands in the chamber at a slight angle and cannot be thrust in between the rails. The fire selector is the right side of the weapon only. Despite this weapon being used heavily by the Federation of Magic during their invasion of Chi-Town, Northern Gun was able to prove, through the serial numbers, that none of these weapons were purchased by Federation of Magic agents, but rather were stolen from their purchasers, often after the purchaser was murdered. This weapon is found all over the western territories, outside of CS territory, and is even found in small towns and settlements within CS territory. One reason that the CS allows this weapon in such heavy circulation is because rounds fired by the weapon leave a magnetic "pattern" on the rounds fired from the weapon due to magnetic bolt and magnetic round field intermix. These patterns are individual and never replicated by other weapons, allowing the CS the ability to prove whether or not a certian weapon was used in a crime or not. Weight: 198 lbs Length: 63" Caliber: 20mm Muzzle Velocity: 3284 m/s Maximum Range: 3000m (9,000 ft) Maximum Effective Range: 2000m (6,000 ft) Typical Combat Range: 1000m (3000 ft) Magazine Capacity: Belt Fed Manufacturer's Cost: 14,000 Cr Wholesale Cost: 45,000 Cr Manufacturer's Recommended Price: 70,000 Cr Black Market Price: 90,000 Cr Wilderness Price: 25,000 Cr
|
|
#
¿
Sep 28, 2014 06:32
|
|
|
Wilk's 457 Laser Pulse Rifle By 102 PA Wilk's Laser Industries was a household name. Every nation on North America and every mercenary group and even outlying farmers knew who Wilk's was. Nobody had really bothered to look just how much of the laser industry they really held. Most manufacturing companies looked at weapons sales, not the areas where Wilk's was making the majority of its money. Surgical, construction, and manufacturing, laser guidance systems, electronic suites, if it had optics or technical molycircs, there was an 80% chance that you'd find Wilks components in it. In 102 PA Wilk's Laser Industries released the 457 Laser Pulse Rifle, setting a new standard for state of the art weaponry. Many people considered the weapon the pinnacle of modern laser technology, and pointed at the Wilks 457 as proof that the post apocalyptic world had finally passed the Golden Age of man in the field of weaponry. The casing of the weapon is a flat black, with no picatinny rail systems or additions. Only the mounting screws for a standard scope mar the slick black casing. The weapon is extremely lightwieght, even for a Wilk's product, and is balanced perfectly. The lasing aperture is surrounded by six sets of two posts, and these posts remove the ionization from the lens to prevent particle saturation of the lens in prolonged combat. The lasing matrix is synthetic ruby cut in a hexagonal shape and has had all of the impurities and flaws removed via high energy manufacturing laser. The lasing matrix is wrapped in a aluminum/mylar sleeve to prevent any energy escape, and the matrix has been grown in such a way that the internal crystal structure "flows" from one end to the other. The pulse function adds a split second between high powered shots in order for the crystal matrix to clear and the ionized air around the barrel to lose its reflective status without collapsing back in on itself, as well as using the previous bolts along the flightpath to reduce particle debris in the air that normally attenuates a laser bolt. The internal molycircs are shock dampened, protected from emp pulse, and the lasing matrix is hardened against sonic shock and vibrations. From the ground up, this weapon has been designed for the Rifts Earth battlefield. However, detractors of the weapon point at the quantum leap in molycirc development, the intensive crystal manufacturing process, and the fact that there is file footage of Cataclysm Era troops using laser pulse weaponry, but most of these people are considered conspiracy theorists who insist that the Xiticix Killer is a product of Lone Star Labs. These theorists also point at the short length of the weapon, comparing it the M-4 Carbine, which is a chemical burner, or the M-160 rifle, of which only a few are found nowadays. The stock contains tools to open the case, to align or replace the laser emitter or crystal, 2 spare crystals, 1 spare emitter, one fire control unit, and a diagnostic scanner the size of a matchbook. The magazine well contains locking rockers for both standard and extended energy clips, however there is no feed port for an energy conduit, although one can be added at any reputable weaponsmith for the meager price of 2,500 Cr. Any addon's to the front of the weapon, ie: grenade launcher, illuminator, laser targeter, etc; will ruin the weapon's balance and make it less accurate. If the scope does not use the pre-drilled mounting holes, or is not properly balanced onto the weapon, it can ruin the weapon's balance also. Rumor has it that both Tolkeen and the Coalition States were offered this rifle to arm their militaries, with guarantees of sole purchasing rights, but both sides of the upcoming conflict turned it down. Weight: 6 lbs Length: 33" Caliber: 2.5 cm Maximum Range: 1000m (3000 ft) Maximum Effective Range: 700m (2100 ft) Typical Combat Range: 300m (900 ft) Magazine Capacity: 20 shots from a standard energy magazine, 40 shots from an extended magazine. A belt-pack will power it for 167 shots. Manufacturer's Cost: 12,500 Cr Wholesale Cost: 30,000 Cr Manufacturer's Recommended Price: 40,000 Cr Black Market Price: 45,000+ Cr Wilderness Price: 20,000 Cr
|
|
#
¿
Sep 28, 2014 06:33
|
|
|
NG-E4 Northern Gun Plasma Ejector First debuting in -20 PA, the NG-E Plasma Ejector was sold all around the scattered settlements. From the fledgling Chi-Town to the shores of the Dinosaur Swamp, this weapon was peddled everywhere a Northern Gun trading caravan went. The initial plasma weapon sold was a bare bones systems, heavily unbalanced and quickly draining an energy clip of power. The frame was made of first generation hyper-alloys, with the only plastic part being the pistol grip and trigger guard. The frame was built for punishment, able to handle the rigors of supernatural and enhanced combat without being damaged in the fray. The NG-E series functions by ionizing the air within the chamber, and then magnetically compressing the ionized gas (ie: plasma) until compression massively heats up the ionized gas, usually to temperatures in excess of 4000 degrees Fahrenheit. Once the gas is ionized, heated, and compressed, electrons are added to the gas, positively charging the atoms, which are already in a state of flux, and making the plasma more effectively affected by magnetic fluxes. Once that occurs, the weapon uses a shortened set of rail gun rails as a linear accelerator to fire the ball of semi-solid gas at the target. Once the ball of superheated ionized charged matter (commonly referred to as plasma) strikes an object, the massive transfer of heat and electrons results in most solid matter turning to liquid, liquids vaporizing, and gas being torn into its component atoms. The original NG-E did not contain a scope, nor a forward heat shroud, and the weapon featured a 14" stock to help with recoil when the linear accelerator "fired" the plasma. The weapon was known to have heat issues, and an internal clip kept the firing rate down to one plasma round every 3 seconds to avoid overheating. However, a few moments with the case open an a micro-pick to adjust the dip-switches, and the weapon had an unlimited firing mode. Still, the weapon easily overheated, and if the audible alarm was ignored, there was a chance the weapon would explode in the user's hands. 22 PA saw the emergence of the NG-E1, which featured better thermal systems, allowing the weapon to be fired up to once per second without overheating problems. It also replaced the stock with the shortened version seen in the illustration. However, there were problems with the linear accelerator that often caused the plasma round to be affected by gravity and crash into the ground as little as 100m from the firer. A set of new rails could be purchased and installed (200 Cr for the rails, 500 Cr for the installation, 1000 Cr for both) that would fix the problem. In 54 PA the NG-E2 was released, which had removed the magazine well and offered only power conduit feed. This version is popular with borgs and power armor troops, and is still offered today, despite its lack of a scope or forward heat shroud. In 83 PA the NG-E3 was released, which was essentially the same weapon as the NG-E1, but the linear accelerator problem had been beaten, and a forward heat shroud was added and upgraded in order to allow the weapon to cool faster. Complaints of the weapon actually melting polyceramic armor and then getting stuck when the armor cooled around the barrel had finally been addressed after nearly a century. In 102 PA the NG-E4 was released, which added a standard optical scope to the weapon. However, the scope features no additional features besides 2X magnification, and is often replaced by more high-tech scopes by mercenaries and security agents. Weight: 20 lbs Length: 25" Caliber: 18mm Minimum Safe Distance: 10m Maximum Range: 700m (2100 ft) Maximum Effective Range: 600m (1800 ft) Typical Combat Range: 200m (600 ft) Magazine Capacity: 10 shots from a standard energy clip, 20 shots from an extended clip. Manufacturer's Cost: 4,500 Cr Wholesale Cost: 16,000 Cr Manufacturer's Recommended Price: 30,000 Cr Black Market Price: 35,000+ Cr Wilderness Price: 8,000 Cr
|
|
#
¿
Sep 28, 2014 06:34
|
|
|
CV-212/CV-213 Laser Rifle When comparing weapons from the Golden Age of Man to modern times, many point at the Coalition States CV-212 variable frequency laser rifle as proof that technology has advanced beyond what the Ancients were capable of fielding. The CV-21X series is a 1.5cm laser in the red visible range, with short range and burst setting. However, the real technological innovation is often said to be the molycircs that allow the weapon to analyze the refraction of the previous laser beams off of laser reflective armor in order to overcome the laser resistant properties of said armor by finding a vulnerable frequency. However, students of military weaponry will recognize not only the ability, but the molycirc pattern as having been adapted from the JA-9 laser rifle, modified, and then rebuilt in order to remove any easily spotted trace. However, the circuitry pattern of chips AE-B3 as well as the linear molycapicators at the F9 position is a dead giveaway, but is only visible when examining molecular circuitry module M3E9 of both weapon's. However, rather than relying on a trained operator to manually adjust the frequency, the CV-21X system uses a microchip and computer program to do the adjusting for the operator, an obvious evolution of the JA-9's abilities. Some believe that the CV-21X system is actually the long missing JA-10, rebuilt from the legendary cache of pre-Rifts technology that the Coalition States possess, but most of these people believe that Northern Gun is hoarding pre-Rifts weaponry themselves. The casing is made out of neo-tungsten hyperalloy mated with the traditional, and now signature, black macroplast of the Coalition States. The CV-212 contains a scope, while the CV-213 merely possesses a front analyser lens. The CV-212 scope has passive nightvision and laser targeting capability (provided by a built in underslung laser targeting system), while the CV-213 has neither. The casing is post-production darkened via flash-bonding macroplast powder onto the weaponry. The system uses an octogonal synthetic quartz crystal for the lasing matrix, which needs replaced roughly every 100,000 shots. A small indicator LED will light up in the upper right corner of the scope's sight picture when the crystal begins to show degredation that can affect fire. While the majority of the system contains the standard shock dampening mechanisms common in weaponry, the circuitry connecting the computer to the forward analyzer lens is easily knocked from its housing to rattle around the compartment, often causing the laser to warble through frequencies. Most unit level armorers fix this with a small retaining pin, and third party armorers can apply the same fix for the weapon for a meager fee of 250 Cr. The CV-213 has no stock, instead the weapon stops right after the lasing mechanism and the handgrip, and this version is considered the version given to the new Coalition States robotic sentries. The CV-212 has a standard stock, complete with buttkit containing tools to clean the barrel, open the casing, run diagnostics on the system, replace the crystal lasing array, or the emitter. The CV-21X system has not seen much combat, but already the famous Ross Underhill has ordered his infantry divisions to turn in their C-12 laser rifles and be issued CV-212, fueling rumors that General Underhill may be leading the upcoming assault on Tolkeen. (Editor's Note: Well, we all know that didn't happen, didn't we?) Strangely enough, in roughly 0.13% of the time, a robotic sentry armed with a CV-213 will go on a rampage shooting the robots around him and then putting the barrel of the rifle under his own chin and blowing his head off. Never with any other weapon, just the CV-213. Coalition authorities deny this happens, but video was captured in 4 separate instances. We are currently offering a reward of 150,000 Cr for the weapon used in any of these instances, along with documentation proving that the weapon was in fact the one used in one of these cases. Weight: 8 lbs Length: 39"/22" Caliber: 1.5cm Maximum Range: 1000m (3000 ft) Maximum Effective Range: 700m (2100 ft) Typical Combat Range: 250m (750m) Magazine Capacity: 20 shots from a standard magazine, 30 shots from an extended magazine, 30 shots from a canister. Manufacturer's Cost: 2,500 Cr Wholesale Cost: 15,000 Cr Manufacturer's Recommended Price: 50,000 Cr Black Market Price: 50,000+ Cr Wilderness Price: 5,000 Cr
|
|
#
¿
Sep 28, 2014 06:35
|
|
|
TX-500 Rail Gun As recently as 57 PA weapons from the industrial giant Triax began appearing in the North American eastern seaboard and around the Great Lakes area. A German company that supposedly survived the fall of Man and the Great Cataclysm, Triax weaponry is considered to be superior to most "local" weapons, regardless of their real abilities, and Triax capitalizes on this viewpoint. Unknown to most of the population of North America, Triax is locked in war with an empire of supernatural creatures, and so uses the Great Lakes area and North America in general as a "field testing" ground for weaponry, so that any problems in the design show up in the field testing rather than when one of their soldier's has a demon bearing down on him. Additionally, the North American market allows Triax to get rid of a lot of the stored and out of date weaponry that no longer sells in Europe. Introduced in 99 PA, the TX-500 rail gun is actually a departure from the traditional railgun. Normally two or more magnetic rails run the length of the barrel, but for the Triax-500, the rails are roughly 1/3 of the barrel length, and magnetic "pressure" is used to fire the round. The weapon's case is of brushed durasteel, with the stock made of macroplast, rather than the more common duraplast. The weapon is well machined, with the tolerance being less than 1000th of a micron in variance in over 100 weapons randomly selected for examination. At the same time, the weapon can handle up to 1.5 microns variance in parts, allowing for extended field wear on moving parts or parts subject to friction. The two magnetic rails are 50% thicker than normal, and covered with magnetic plastic that passes magnetic and electrical currents quite easily, and has almost no friction despite intense heat generated within the the barrel of the weapon. Both rails can be quickly and easily pulled from the weapon and replaced in under 10 seconds by a trained operator while under fire. The forward handgrip is made of deformable plastics, to allow a solid grip by even armored fingers covered with liquid, prevented field slippage or loose grip aiming errors under rapid fire. The top mounted scope is not built in, but rather is fit to a low picatinny rail system, allowing the scope to be swapped out for one that the end buyer prefers. Some more unscrupulous weapons dealers remove the scope and sell the railgun without it, selling the scope separately for up to 1000 Cr. The power conduit receptor is located underneath the weapon, several inches forward of the trigger guard, and has a locking ring to accept locking cables, or the Triax TX-500PU micro-fusion reactor, which provides over 300KW steadily, and is easily able to last up to 5 years before needing refueling. (5,000 Credits, needs 500 Cr worth the fuel. Most dealers swap the micro-reactors out with a 2,500 Cr exchange cost and just refuel it later, or trade it to Triax, who takes old reactors for 1,000 Cr toward a new reactor (which they charge 1,500 Cr for) regularly.) The reactor is far smaller than anything found on the North American continent, and more than a few traders have made a living off of selling the 400KW fusion generators to settlements, and only offering the rifle with a reactor conduit cable. Beneath the standard firing barrel is a gas vent tube, allowing compressed gasses pushed forward by the accelerating rounds to be bled off into the tube in order to prevent muzzle velocity loss due to air compression in the barrel. However, the weapon is still effective if the tube is cracked, broken off, or dented, just with 25% less range and slightly less damage. The trigger assembly differs from most North American rail gun systems as it is designed for the whole hand, rather than the index finger. The grip is built in such a way that it can accommodate cyborg hands, power armor gloves, or environmental body armor gloves. The trigger requires a 15 lb pull to fire the weapon, making accidental discharges less likely. However, after a year or two of steady use, the trigger begins to lose about 1 lb per 3-6 months, until it only requires a 5 lbs pull, or like many borgs say: "It's as smooth as butter." The rounds are fed into the chamber on a frangible link belt, where the separated sections of the belt are thrown from the left side. Once the round hits the chamber, magnetic chamber pressure of a much higher rate than other weapons, pushes the round into the rails at over 2,570 m/s, nearly reaching the speeds other weapons have for muzzle velocity. The weapon also has extensive shock dampening, recoil compensation, and magnetic saturation protection elements, preventing over saturation of the chamber with magnetic fields from lowering the weapon's cyclic firing speed, or from reducing barrel pressure. In addition, the belt feed port has a locking mechanism to allow special magazines, sold virtually everywhere Triax equipment is sold, to be used in case a belt is damaged or runs out. Many cyborgs prefer the magazines, sold in sizes up to 5 bursts, to the belts, which foes like Juicers and Crazies target in order to deprive the operator of the weapon ammunition. The solid stock contains a buttkit, within are tools to take apart the weapon, a wrench to remove stuck cables or power packs, tools to remove a jammed shell, a demagnetizer/deguasser for use on the rails or the chamber, a diagnostic scanner the size of a thumbnail, and a small instruction booklet on the proper maintenance of the weapon and proper use of the tools and scanner. Weight: 80 lbs Length: 48" Caliber: 18mm Muzzle Velocity: 6,432 m/s Maximum Range: 2000m (6000 ft) Maximum Effective Range: 1500m (4500 ft) Typical Combat Range: 700m (2100 ft) Magazine Capacity: Belt Fed, however mini-clips are available in 90 round ,120 round, and 150 round sizes Manufacturer's Cost: 22,000 Cr Wholesale Cost: 55,000 Cr Manufacturer's Recommended Price: 85,000 Cr Black Market Price: 125,000+ Cr Wilderness Price: 35,000 Cr
|
|
#
¿
Sep 28, 2014 06:36
|
|
|
TX-30 Ion Pulse Rifle This weapon made its debut in winter of 101 PA, the TX-30 has rapidly gained popularity. Appearing on the market just a scant few months before the Wilk's 457 pulse laser rifle, many people lined up to get their hands on an ion blaster that had the damage capability of a modern rail gun. High energy profiling has show conclusively that the TX-30 and the TX-500 rail gun have same energy release upon impact with armor plating, although the rail gun shows superior penetration against soft cover, which does not effect kinetic hits but can often prematurely detonate laser, ion, plasma, and particle beams. The TX-30 actually is of use in a battlefield with heavy undergrowth or airborne debris, as the first packet of ravening ions actually clears the path for the second and third packets, which only degrades the performance by 1/3 (33.34%) in situations where the way is cleared by the first ion pulse. Using an advanced injection system the TX-30 is able to fire a packet of positively charged ions by stripping electrons from air molecules as they are being injected into the chamber using positively charged plastics in the injection feed, and using magnetic barrel pressure to "fire" the packet of ions toward a target. The impact of this ion "bolt" would cause the electrons in the outer shells of the targeted materials to violently strip away as the ions within the charge tried to balance their electron valence bands. This caused the struck material to slough off with a loud, explosive noise as the molecular stabilization failed. This proved particularly useful against molecularly bonded armor as the molecular bonds failed when the atomic structure became unstable. With the injected gas already being partially ionized, the rifle can fire an ion packet at a maximum cyclic rate of 950 packets a minute if the weapon has been modified for fully automatic fire. (This causes the rifle to fail completely within 5 minutes, and is not recommended, and most weapon smiths will not modify the weapon for fully automatic fire.) The rifle's chamber is fed by six small injectors, which pressurize the chamber with ionized gas. The air injectors are not easily replaced or cleaned when fouled, due to their small location, fragile design, and the addition of electron permeable duraplast "air injection tubes" wrapped with superconductor to allow the passage of electrons from the superconductor through the plastic, and to charge the passing air. It takes roughly five minutes and specialized tools to open the case, and even a trained operator cannot swap out the injectors in less than 90 seconds. The weapon's chassis is made of non-magnetic duraplast and molecularly bonded alloys that are electron valence stable, making the addition of stray electrons taken from the weapon's frame more unlikely, and giving the alloy a longer combat life. The weapon uses a forward sliding energy magazine, which is merely the magazine well being turned against the pistol grip and trigger guard, and running conduits up to the molycircs. Hailed as an "innovation" this is little more than creative wiring, and the specialized magazines required for the weapon are an innovative marketing tool and little else. The weapon lacks a standard stock, merely a rear pistol grip, cutting down on the weapon's accuracy and stability, as the weapon cannot be "socketed" into the firer's shoulder. In addition the weapon features open air sights and no mounting screws or picatinny rails for a scope to be mounted, nor can a stock be added without serious modification to the frame. (The addition of the stock makes the weapon far more accurate, allows the use of a scope, and costs roughly 2,500 credits if done by a weaponsmith, or 250 Cr worth the parts, proper tools, and about 8 hours of work by a qualified weaponsmith) The injection system allows for longer battlefield endurance, increasing the amount of shots available from the Triax propiatary energy magazines, nearly double the amount than most competitors. However, the specialized forward sliding magazines are sold only by Triax, and for approximately 20% more than standard North American energy magazines. Investigation has shown that standard North American energy magazines can be modified to the fit the weapon by the addition of a "mating clip" that is becoming more and more widely available from most arms dealers. The mating clip slips over standard North American magazines on the forward side, and allows the magazine to be used in an FSEM weapon. In addition, many armorers are offering conversions to the magazine well to allow NASEM use. (North American Stadard Energy Magazine) Despite claims by Triax and the weapon's fans, the TX-30 ion pulse rifle is innovative only in the air injection system, which still suffers failure at an alarming rate after 6 months of work due to ionized gas acting as a corrosive on the injector system. The frame is well built, but ill-designed, and the weapon suffers from being fairly ineffective in ranged/accurate combat. Weight: 7 lbs Length: 33" Caliber: 3cm Maximum Range: 800m (2400 ft) Maximum Effective Range: 700m (2100 ft) Typical Combat Range: 200m (600 ft) Magazine Capacity: 40 shots from a standard "Forward sliding energy magazine" and 50 shots from an extended FSEM. Manufacturer's Cost: 4,500 Cr Wholesale Cost: 11,000 Cr Manufacturer's Recommended Price: 25,000 Cr Black Market Price: 45,000+ Cr Wilderness Price: 15,000 Cr
|
|
#
¿
Sep 28, 2014 06:37
|
|
|
TX-11 Laser Sniper Rifle Triax has long claimed to be the originator of the JA series of rifles, and the announcement of the release of a laser sniper rifle by the same company that produced the astounding JA series of rifles was looked forward to by most weapons enthusiasts. When the weapon was released in early 102 PA, every weapon's developer and enthusiast ran right out to get their hands on several to examine the inner workings. The weapon's casing is made of molecularly bonded duraluminum with gray powder coating flash bonded to the metal. The forward handgrip located halfway down the barrel is made of deformable black plastic to allow ease of use by armored firers. The pistol grip is made entirely of black duraplast with a durafoam grip to allow the operator to easily mold the grip to their individual grip style. The bstock is a single, foldable minimal wire stock made from duraplast rather than the more durable and reliable macroplast. The magazine well is loaded within the pistol grip, and the weapon was designed to handle standard NASEM or extended magazines. The mounted scope is a standard passive infrared scope with 1X/3X/5X/10X magnification. The weapon's lasing matrix uses a narrow focus lasing aperture, and an artificially grown tubular quartz crystal lazing matrix. The weapon uses a barrel length tubular crystal, with an artificially grown forward lattice to allow the laser beam to travel easily forward. The lasing aperture can be removed by unscrewing the rear housing and withdrawing it from the weapon. However, despite the weapon's hype and aggressive advertising campaign, the weapon is an inferior snipers weapon, and suffers from some serious flaws. The trigger is a simple pushbutton trigger, engaging at less than a 1/2 ounce of pressure. In addition, the trigger guard is too small to easily fit environmental body armored fingers, much less cyborg or power armored fingers. The stock breaks under field use, with the simple screw hinge connecting it to the body of the weapon often failing after the stock is deployed a few dozen times, requiring the replacement of the entire stock. In more than 70% of field tests, an augmented human would shatter the stock when pulling the weapon tight to their shoulders. The scope is often misaligned, and requires serious work by a dedicated shootist to realign, often over 2 hours of firing and sighting. In addition, the scope uses inferior electronic magnification molycircs, resulting in a grainy picture at the 5X setting, and the 10X setting to be little more than a blur. Finally, the passive infrared is standard red-shift sight picture and has no flash compensation circuitry, allowing the infrared scope to be overloaded by something as simple as the target lighting an infrared signal flare. In one instance, the scope was permanently blinded when someone activated an infrared chem-light in order to give the test operator infrared light to get the weapon ready. The infrared chemlight was slightly behind (0.25m) and to the right (1.2m) of the scope at the time. The crystal lasing matrix uses old age technology of tubular smoothed crystals, and has shorter range than cheaper Wilk's and Northern Gun laser weapons, and even standard Coalition C-12 laser rifles show longer range and higher accuracy. The lazing aperture and matrix are substandard parts at best, and offer suffer from misalignment should the weapon be treated roughly. A sharp knock on the rear withdrawal screw has shattered the aperture lenses and the crystal matrix in over 60% of tests. In addition, the quartz crystal has no shock dampening mechanisms surrounding it, resulting in the crystal shattering 40% of the time if dropped from waist height onto a concrete floor, and 55% of the time when dropped from shoulder height to a concrete floor, and 100% of the time if thrown against a wall at a 3m distance by an unaugmented human. Laser output is extremely short ranged for a "sniper" rifle, and does slightly less damage in both laboratory and field tests than the Wilk's 457 Pulse Rifle on single round setting, and is comparable in damage to the NG-L5 Laser Rifle, which has better range and is much studier. Most professionals avoid the TX-11 Laser "Sniper" Rifle, preferring Wilk', Northern Gun, or even stolen Coalition equipment to this obviously substandard weapon. Many consider it the sign of an easily conned "wannabe" if a person is carrying it. None of the innovations shown in the JA series of rifles, in modern or Golden Age sniper weapons, are present in the TX-11. This fact alone has shown that if Triax did invent the JA series of rifles, they seem to have forgotten how to build sniper rifles, or at least are not exporting any sniper weapons of note to the North American continent. Weight: 3 lbs Length: 28", 32" with stock deployed Caliber: 2.25cm Maximum Range: 650m (1950 ft) Maximum Effective Range: 550m (1650 ft) Typical Combat Range: 250m (750 ft) Magazine Capacity: 10 shots from a NASEM, or 20 shots from an extended magazine Manufacturer's Cost: 1,250 Cr Wholesale Cost: 15,000 Cr Manufacturer's Recommended Price: 20,000 Cr Black Market Price: Will try for 25,000 Cr, but will settle for 16,000 Cr Wilderness Price: 3,000-9,000 Cr, depending on if the buyer believes the hype of the advertising campaign.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 28, 2014 06:38
|
|
|
TX-16 Pump Rifle In July of 101 PA the Triax Pump rifle was started to be offered in the Great Lakes area, and by March of 102 PA it was available from the Pecos Badlands to the Dakotas to the Dinosaur Swamp, and all places in between. Ammunition availability has been excellent, with the ammunition costing either 650 Cr per round, with 100 Credits for an empty speed loader strip or 2000 Cr for a speed loader strip with 8 of the rounds attached to it. The weapon is marked as being made in Bonn and Neurenburg Germany, and the molycircs are hardened against EMP. The weapon is usually brought by ship to the Great Lakes ports and offered there, with Triax authorized subsidiaries taking it from there and offering it in other places. The frame is made of advanced non-magnetic hyperalloys and molecularly bonded macroplast. The weapon's frame breaks down into several parts. The upper receiver, which is the barrel and the internal magazine, the lower section is the cocking mechanism and the pump-activated energy rails, the handgrip, and the forward handguard. The trigger is button activated, requiring 3 lbs of pressure to activate it, and the trigger well is large enough to fit most cyborg fingers, power armor gloves, and environmental armor gloves. The forward handgrip is lightly pebbled to provide excellent grip even under damp conditions, and the pistol grip has malleable plastic grips that deform to the operator's hand to allow a tight grip. The forward handguard is made of duraluminum, with the rotating screw housing remaining in excellent shape even after the handguard has beeen rotated several thousand time. The handguard can stand up to more punishment than expected, as it has been used more than once to punch an opponent without damage to the handguard, and some operators have taken to mounting spikes on the handguard after locking the handguard into place and adding on another wire stock. Many enhanced warriors distrust the fragile appearing dualuminum handguard/wire stock, choosing to replace it with a thicker foldable stock. The weapon uses open sights, with the front sight post being mounted on the forward part of the barrel. The handgrip on the top of the weapon has a sight that operates in an unconventional manner. The sight uses a laser distancer that allows the user to know the range to the target, as well as passive nightvision systems. However, rather relying solely on a targeting pip, the sight lines up with the forward aiming post on the end of the barrel, allowing for greater accuracy. The internally mounted scope can be used with either passive nightvision, or unenhanced sight. The scope does not have telescopic ability, although some users have the sight modified to allow telescopic sighting, after having the front post removed. The grenades are stored in an internal magazine, and are loaded one at a time through the port located on the right side of the weapon, and moved back to the rotating storage magazine by pumping the forward slide. The rounds are fired via magnetic chamber pressure, which propels the round through a rifled barrel to impart a spin on the round. Once the round leaves the barrel small micro-fins deploy to impart even further stabilization on the round. The shotgun shell appearance is to contain the micro-HEAP round. The round operates by the forward edge of the round striking a solid object, detonating the explosive at the rear of the shotgun appearing round. The detonation of the micro-explosive causes the copper convex plate to invert into a small lance of molten copper surrounded by plasma. The pinpoint lance penetrates armor, liquifying the armor it contacts. If the the explosively forged penetrator does not penetrate the armor, the heat transfer and infiltration of the liquid copper causes a "divot" to pop free, leaving a weakened part of the armor behind. To the inexperienced eye, however, the round appears to be a micro-grenade that does not have a normal damage radius. The damage radius is not from the grenade itself, but from armor fragments that are blasted from the armor by heat transfer shock. The weapon packs a devastating punch, holds up well under combat, and has a well thought out design, with the internal magazine being heavily shock dampened, and easy for the operator to get to in case on internal jam. A trained operator can open the weapon in less that 10 seconds, access the internal clip in another 15 seconds, clear the jam in roughly 5 second, and reassemble the weapon in another 10 seconds. The weapon generates the needed energy by high powered generators located at the end of the pump bar. When the weapon is pumped, the dragging of the grip down the bar activates the generators, generating electricity that is stored in a built in capacitance gel storage cell. The energy lasts for several days if not immediately used by firing the weapon. The energy is used to create the magnetic barrel pressure that fires the round. Despite the misnomer by the public that this weapon is a grenade launcher (Triax has made no such claims) this weapon is actually a high powered shotgun that uses innovative and highly advanced shells. The primary evidence, that should be obvious to everyone, is that this weapon is not an indirect fire weapon, but rather a point to point weapon with a fairly flat ballistic arc. While the weapon is forward heavy, a stock is available from Triax and other weapons dealers that make the weapon excellently balanced, as well as carrying a buttkit that includes tools as well as a diagnostic scanner. Weight: 21 lbs Length: 28" Caliber: 15mm Muzzle Velocity: 935 m/s Minimum Range: 10m (30 ft) Maximum Range: 650m (1950 ft) Maximum Effective Range: 550m (1650 ft) Typical Combat Range: 250m (750 ft) Magazine Capacity: 16 Manufacturer's Cost: 4,500 Cr Wholesale Cost: 23,000 Cr Manufacturer's Recommended Price: 37,000 Cr Black Market Price: 14,000 Cr Wilderness Price: 9,000 Cr
|
|
#
¿
Sep 28, 2014 06:40
|
|
|
TX-5 Pump Pistol Debuting at the same time as the TX-11 Pump Rifle, this weapon has proved highly popular with the "Old West" style of gunman found out in the western territories as a hold out weapon usually tucked into a boot or carried in an ankle holster. Purchasers are usually offered shoulder holsters, lower back hide-out holsters, and ankle holsters by Triax distributors. The pistol fires the same micro-HEAP munitions as the TX-11 Pump Rifle, the ammunition working in either weapon. The power generation is the same, created through the pump action system and stored in a small capacitance gel energy cell inside the handgrip. The frame is made of density enhanced endosteel, with molecularly bonded macroplast used for the pistol grip and the pump action grip. Both grips also are coated with deformable pebbled plastic that deforms to the user's hands to allow a tighter grip on the weapon or the action. The action moves the pump action grip forward of the weapon, extending two inches past the barrel of the weapon. Due to the shortness of the generation rail, it requires both the forward and back action to energize the weapon well enough to create the magnetic barrel pressure needed to fire the shell down the rifled barrel. The weapon has a four round internal magazine, with one kept in the chamber, for a total of five rounds, and a trained operator can reload the weapon in less than 5 seconds from loose shells, and just under three seconds from a box. The trigger guard is not removable, but is wide enough to allow power armor and environmental armor gloved fingers, as well as cyborg fingers. The trigger only has a half pound of pressure before it fires the weapon. The weapon uses open air iron sights, and no scope mounting is available. The addition of a scope is often performed by users. Weight: 5 lbs Length: 9" Caliber: 15mm Muzzle Velocity: 650 m/s Minimum Range: 5m (15 ft) Maximum Range: 350m (950 ft) Maximum Effective Range: 275m (825 ft) Typical Combat Range: 15m (45 ft) Magazine Capacity: 4, with one in the chamber Manufacturer's Cost: 1,350 Cr Wholesale Cost: 7,000 Cr Manufacturer's Recommended Price: 13,000 Cr Black Market Price: 15,000 Cr (As high as 30,000 Cr in the Western Territories) Wilderness Price: 5,000 Cr
|
|
#
¿
Sep 28, 2014 06:40
|
|
|
EBA-130 Body Armor The origin of modern body armor lies in the space race. With orbital facilities becoming a reality in 2033, the Mars landing of 2019, and the advanced space projects going on by various mega-corporations and the governments of a multitude of nations, the standard "soft" spacesuit was showing a larger and larger percentage of failure under the harsh conditions of space and the dangerous rigors of extraplanetary work. In 2026 Virgin Spaceways unveiled their new "harsh environmental protective armor" which provided protection from typical hazards, and could actually resist conventional, 20th Century weaponry. It could even protect the wearer from single shots of the M-31 Rail Gun! This suit was quickly labeled "Space Armor" by the press, and Virgin found itself besieged by requests for the suits for use in the orbital workyards and by security firms from around the world. The race between armor systems and armor defeating munitions was back with a vengeance, with improvements in munitions outpacing armor which then outpaced the munitions, and so on. In 2095 the NEMA Future Warfighter Program held armor trials for personnel environmental body armor, with the advances in hyperalloys and synthetic plastics of the last decade promising to make lighter, more mobile, and stronger suits of environmental body armor available to NEMA troops. At the end of the 2095 trails, the Dragonhide Armor LLC was chosen, not only for its superior protection values, but for its internal systems, which consistently outperformed the competition. The armor was manufactured in their Dayton OH plant, with the electronics being provided by Litton/Intel computer manufacturing, and many other parts being subcontracted to a whole slew of companies. The armor was assembled in Detroit Michigan, Butte South Dakota, and 50 miles northwest of Reno Nevada. In addition, Dragonhide Armor LLC provided NEMA with 8 micro-fabrication units that promptly vanished. Dragonhide Armor LLC offered a revolutionary flexi-plate system that protected the abdomen and offered full abdominal mobility without sacrificing armor protection, finally solving the problem of the abdomen being the most vulnerable part of environmental body armor. It had long been known that the sniper sweet spot was no longer the nape of the neck, or the armpit, but rather the center line of the body armor, where there was nearly no armor protection. As NEMA and UN forces often came under sniper attack during peace-keeper missions, the Dragonhide "Soldier Mobility System" promised to reduce fatalities and injuries even further. The underarm, neck, back of the knee, elbow, ankle, and wrist were protected by a modification of the SMS, making shots to those areas ineffective, protecting the soldier from sniper attacks even further. This was a major concern with the appearance of the mysterious JA-9 and JA-11 rifles. The armor itself featured light polyceramic plating, molecularly bonded to resist high energy particles. The plating could easily handle kinetic impacts up to 5000 foot pounds of energy without damage (For comparison, the venerable .50 Cal M2A2 GPHMG has 3000 fp) or even surface marring. In addition to armor plating, the suit had tiny solar power collectors no bigger than the head of a pin scattered through the suit to absorb power for the armor from the sun. In the event of an energy weapon hit, the micro-fuses blew to keep the energy imparted to the armor from effecting the suits power storage systems. Total armor thickness, including all sub-layers and internal system layers is a remarkably thin 1.75 inches. Beneath the plating is a layer of molecular circuitry that kept track of the integrity of the armor and was tied into the suit's computer, as well as a layer of piezo-electric crystals that generated energy for the suit via the wearer's movement, including breathing. The next layer was a nanofluidic gel that helped disperse the kinetic energy from heavy duty strikes, namely the new GR-65 14.1mm rail gun released on the market by the Ugandan weapon manufacturers, and the 15mm rail gun released by Iranian weapon manufacturers. This gel was manufactured in the Virgin Orbital Industries zero-G "exotic materials" manufacturing plant, and shipped back to Dragonhide LLC. The next layer was another layer of armor, only half the thickness of the primary armor layer, designed to protect the wearer if the first armor layer was breached. This layer was also molecularly bonded and engineered to resist radiation. The layer beneath that was an armor lattice that allowed components to be added to the armor to enhance its combat effectiveness. The next layer contained neoprene padding, to keep the armor from chafing the user. The neoprene transferred liquid in only one direction, away from the wearer, collected it, and used the pressure of the wearer walking to operate manual pumps to force the sweat through a water purifier. The now-purified sweat was placed in an emergency container for secondary, emergency, drinking water. There was also a food paste dispenser, with the storage area located just above the right collarbone of the wearer. The wearer could pull nutrient paste through the tube and into their mouth by sucking on the tube, so that a wearer could eat while wearing the suit in a hostile environment. The paste is nasty tasting, thick, and coats the mouth with a greasy, foul aftertaste, but it is nutritious and will keep the wearer fed with the necessary vitamins, nutrients, calories, and carbohydrates to fulfill the battlefield requirements of nutrition for up to 72 hours. The wearer attached the waste removal system to their body upon donning the waist section, allowing the user to wear the body armor for up to 72 hours if necessary. Waste collection discs can be removed and replaced by the wearer without breaching the suit's environmental seal. It will take the wearer approximately five minutes to swap out the waste collection discs, but a second person can do it in less than a minute, due to the angle. The back of the armor had six modular rails, to allow the attachment of mission specific equipment, standard load carrying devices, or the addition of up to six air supply tanks to the back of the armor. (Each tank weighs 10 lbs and contains 5 hours of air) The US military had plenty of modular combat equipment that could be added to the back of the armor, from high powered battlefield communication/network hubs, to 66mm mortars, to heavy weapon energy packs, making this an important part of the armor. The communications antenna array is built into the armor along the biceps and shoulders of the armor, meshed into the molycirc layer and having "external receptors" the size of a pinhead replacing every other solar collector. This antenna array is tied into the helmet surface antenna and the armor's communication system. Integration of the communications broadcast/reception array with the armor itself kept the communications system from being targeted by snipers, and ensuring that a minor mishap would not put a wearer out of communication. (The crash of the Hopi Hovercarrier in Oman during the 2054 Oman/Yemen War, where a NEMA Omni-Team was put out of communication due to their communication arrays being damaged was a painful lesson to learn) An 80 decibel loudspeaker system is built into the upper right shoulder, and is normally kept within the armor to avoid damage. However, the loudspeaker can be deployed in less than 10 seconds via internal systems, and does not significantly lower the armor's protection. The speaker can either be used by the wearer, or used to broadcast verbal input from the radio communications. The upper left shoulder has a built in optical link the size of a small box of matches. (Note: Research into cameras have shown they can be as small as a quarter with excellent detail) The camera is shock dampened and contains passive and active nightvision molycircs. The camera burst feeds the information gathered every 5-20 seconds, the compressed burst containing the video footage of the entire time. This usually returns to a mobile command post, for overview by gathered officers, mission commanders, and allows instant advice, mission objective alterations, or commands to be fed to the troops in the field. However, since signal triangulation is a big part of the digital battlefield (some missiles can home in on continuous radio signals) the feature can be disabled, and the information be gathered afterwards from the built in Battle-ROM storage WORM (Write Once-Read Many) crystal storage array. In addition, the wearer of the armor can use the feed from the camera, displayed on the HUD instead of the view through the visor, if the visor has been coated by an impenetrable material. The visor contains embedded active and passive nightvision circuitry, the suits internal battle computer can clear dust, snow, ash and other airborne debris from the wearer's vision. In addition, it can outline threats, show video feeds from other devices in small windows at the top of the HUD. The internal environmental charge is showed as a percentage in the upper right, the armor's intergrity is shown in the lower left as an overlay with color coding. The information data window is on the left side of the screen, and is often used to show the Rules of Engagement, the local customs, local laws, ID profiles of targets or important people. The BaTN map is often shown in a window on the right side of the visor. The internal headset can translate Spanish, English, Russian, German, Vietnamese, Chinese, Korean, French, Portugease, Swahili, Afrikaan, Farsi, and Finnish with 80% accuracy to any of the other listed languages, allowing the NEMA soldier to communicate with local authorities and population. With cybernetics becoming safer and more common, NEMA plans on having cybernetic data-jacks become standard issue to all personnel in 2099, to allow data to be directly downloaded to wearers, as well as improve battlefield operations. Currently, datajacks are only pre-required by power armor pilots, but the benefits are too great to be ignored, and limited field tests have shown that datajack equipped troops are less likely to develop information overload, or psychological issues based on the desire to have a multitude of information available from developing. The wearer can operate on filtered air indefinitely, or upon internal environmental systems for up to five hours. The internal environment is controlled by the armor's computer system, which engages the internal systems automatically if the surrounding atmosphere contains non-filterable hazards or if the armor's filters have suffered 60% or more degredation. The computer monitors the wearer's biometric data, and increases available oxygen to the wearer in order to ensure that the wearer has enough oxygen even during high exertion. Air pressure within the suit is increased during high activity to help prevent the psychological feeling of suffocation that environmental systems can bring. The armor normally brings in fresh air to help ease the wearer psychologically, and state of the art NBCR (Nuclear/Biological/Chemical/Radiation) detectors will automatically seal the suit and switch over to full environmental protection. However, the filters can handle most of the more common chemical weapons, as well as fallout and most of the larger biological agents, including weaponized smallpox, anthrax spores, and the like, meaning the suit just uses its filtering system and alerts the wearer to the biological or chemical hazard. The suit is insulated and temperature controlled, allowing the wearer to ignore such environmental hazards as fire, smoke, and freezing temperatures. The computer system can humidify the air in dry climates to provide comfort for the wearer. When the suit is fully assembled and the wearer activates it, the neoprene lining inflates slightly to ensure the armor is a perfect fit and that the wearer is able to be cushioned from impacts by the armor's systems. Built into the right chest is an IRMMS kit to provide emergency medical care for wearer's who sustain injury due to fall, massive kinetic energy hit, or other serious injury. Despite the suits many features, it cannot protect the wearer from extensive falls farther than 50 feet, and a 200 foot fall is almost always lethal. The computer system of the armor is tied into the Battlefield Tactical Network, allowing the wearer to make updates, access new information, and send/receive orders over the tactical net. The left index finger contains a laser target designator/laser communications emitter, to allow the wearer to either laze in guided munitions or use the laser communications device to make it more difficult for the enemy to locate and triangulate on radio emissions or listen in to the battlenet. With the constant advances of the digital battlefield, the suit also has to have a low thermal/energy profile, and be able to provide EC(C)M systems to the wearer. The ECM package allows the wearer to spoof most sensor systems and targeting systems, and the ECCM package enables the radio to break through enemy radio ECM. In case of emergency, the wearer can open the air system filters and shut down all energy systems on the armor in order to move "full stealth" and have zero energy and almost no thermal signature. The Battlefield Tactical Network Interface is built into the helmet, and into the left forearm (or right forearm if the wearer is left handed) of the armor. In addition, many of the suits have a helmet dataplug allowing wearers fitted with a cybernetic datalink to use the systems "hands-free" during wear. The biceps of both arms contain three "dataplugs" allowing weapons or modular armor components to be integrated into the suit's combat computer system. The suits IFF beacon is a queriable beacon, responding only when it receives the correct ID heading on the query signal, to avoid enemy forces from homing in on a constantly broadcasting beacon. The beacon has its own power supply, kept constantly charged, that is good for up to 14 days before it will lack the power to broadcast at least one return signal. During the Cataclysm, this armor saw extensive combat use. Some users fought at least twice every 72 hours for over 15 years. The armor's ability to have the plates replaced individually instead of the entire armor having to be replaced made it an invaluable asset on the Cataclysm theater. By year five the nanofluidic gel was out, and the armor's wearer got banged around a bit more than usual, but the armor held up. The fact that the nanofluidic gel could not be manufactured in a gravity well prevented more from being manufactured during the Cataclysm Years. During the Second Dark Ages, these suits were literally used till destruction, until not a single piece of it was left. Even so, every now and then scavengers and prospectors would find the odd suit cached in the ruins or in the middle of nowhere. Rifts-Earth time this armor is considered a legacy item. The few suits that remain are either in museums, held by families who use it as proof of their family lineage, or keep it as a showpiece. Those armors are never repaired, the damage they've taken left as a mute testament to the wearer's brutal struggle for survival. General Ross Underhill has a suit in his personal collection that has iridescent patterning on it from energy strikes fusing the coating of volcanic ash to the armor plating. The breastplate and across the back reads "UNDERHILL, F." and the armor has NEMA Major rank on it and in the onboard IFF beacon. Recently, someone dumped almost three hundred of these armors, in pristine condition, on the Black Market. The CS is intensely interested in who might have found that much armor and weaponry from NEMA times. Weight: 12 lbs Available Sizes: 5' to 6' 4" Mobility: Good Availability: Exclusive to NEMA Manufacturer's Cost: 22,000 Cr Wholesale Cost: 50,000 Cr Manufacturer's Recommended Price: Not for Sale Black Market Price: 75,000+ Cr Wilderness Price: 20,000 Cr
|
|
#
¿
Sep 28, 2014 06:42
|
|
|
Plastic Man Body Armor By 2026 multiple orbital yards were in place around Earth. Everything from exotic material manufacturing to shipbuilding yards for the Mars race, to satellite repair yards to massive orbital stations all sat in zero gravity with hundreds of personnel living and working at the facilities. In 2025 alone, over 40 people were killed, despite armored suits, when micro-meteorites, orbiting dust, or even small screws and nuts dropped by other crews, holed the suits. In every case, massive lawsuits emerged, often costing the parent company more than the facility itself would in the long run. Space was rapidly becoming unprofitable to companies, who found themselves with dozens of lawsuits every year concerning things they could not prevent or influence. In 2026 Virgin Spaceways unveiled the Harsh Environmental Protective Armor for use by their orbital and lunar work crews. This armor could withstand micrometeorites, debris impacts, cosmic radiation, had life support for 6 hours without additional environmental packs added, and could withstand hits from misfired construction equipment. The armor consisted of lightweight, molecularly bonded synthetic neoplastics. The molecular bonded helped interlock the atomic valence bands, increased the density of the plastic without adversely affecting weight through advanced processes, which prevented radiation from penetrating the thin armor. The next layer is thin layer of molycircs that monitors the armor's integrity, as well as radiation levels so that it can warn the wearer of an increase of radiation that might herald an incoming solar flare radiation surge. Next is close fitting neoprene that slightly inflates to keep the person inside comfortably snug within the armor. The first run of this armor suffered from perspiration pooling, with the feet having as much as 4 liters of water in the feet and lower legs. This was solved with uni-directional water transfer where the water was collected, purified, and returned to the drinking water reservoir. The bodily functions equipment are attached when the wearer dons the waist pieces, and bodily waste is stored in a small compartment on the right hip. This waste collection system can be changed out in a vacuum without danger to the wearer, and each collection cube can store up to 8 hours of waste. In addition, each segment could "auto-tourniquet" to prevent a hole in the hand from completely depressurizing the suit. A hit to the inner thigh would result in hip tourniquet, preventing loss of life even though the leg was exposed to vacuum. The tourniquet prevented blood loss through "vacuum boiling" and kept a wearer alive. In one case, a worker lost his leg from the knee down, and was still able to keep his thigh and his life. The helmet has a wide area of vision, a video feed on the left side, an illumination lamp on the right side, and is capable of passive or active nightvision as well as displaying the time left on environmental, the integrity of the armor, and the status of the electromagnetic tie. The communications system is built into the helmet and is a 150 channel capable system with a broadcast range of 1 miles in space or 5 miles in atmosphere. (Radiation in space degrades the radio signal significantly) with the communications array antenna deployable from behind the right shoulder. The internal environmental system is computer controlled, and keeps the wearer cooled despite the close fitting neoprene sleeve. The oversize hip sections also contain cooling fins that bleeds off the heat from the environmental tubing running through the neoprene, to keep the armor from overheating in space when the wearer has to work directly exposed to the suns rays. In addition, the hips contain the heater units to keep the tubing running through the neoprene sleeve warm when the wearer is working in the shade. An electromagnetic tie can be plugged into the suit on the abdominal section, in order to keep a worker safely tethered. The right forearm plate contains programming controls to allow effective use of CAD controlled manufacturing equipment, as well as programming a thruster pack. A popup joystick can be used to perform careful maneuvers or instructions to CAD equipment or a thruster pack. In 2045 Virgin Spaceways upgraded the armor to provide nearly double the protection of the first suit, as well as upgrading glove articulation to allow for careful work under harsh conditions. The radiation shielding was increased to further protect the wearer, as well as keeping the suit from becoming radioactive itself. In 2047 the nation of Russia purchased several hundred of these suits in order to allow workers to enter the Chernobyl site to clean up the area, clear away radioactive debris, and tear apart the reactor safely so that the area could be reclaimed. Out of over 500 workers, not a single one was ever exposed to more than normal background radiation, despite working in the core itself for a brief time to remove the fuel elements. In 2055, when North America started refitting the aging Interstates, highways, and freeways, Virgin Spaceways sold thousands of these suits to the NAA Department of Transportation. These suits had the heating/cooling fins removed, as well as lowered radiation shielding. The suits prevented lost man hours from injuries, as well as saving the NAA taxpayer millions in disability payments and pensions. In several cases, when bridges being repaired collapsed, workers were uninjured despite tons on concrete collapsing on them. Workers assigned to bridges over water, dams, or other work sites where submersion was a danger, a mechanical gill system was applied to the armor to prevent drowning. The NAA Department of Transportation version had orange paint on the chest and back, as well as better gripping soles on the soles of the boots. The sight of this armor on road construction sights became common, and by 2060 nobody even really made the connection between DoT protective gear (Department of Transportation Individual Protective Equipment) and military body armor being fielded by UN and NEMA peacekeepers. In 2078 when the NAA civil defense programs were reactivated, Virgin Spaceways produced over one hundred microfabricators for the armor, which promptly disappeared. Civil defense planning called for survivors of a massive disaster, housed in one of the large underground facilities, to have access to this armor for exploration of the world after a massive disaster. During the Cataclysm, the armor was handed out as often as possible to important civilians, including non-military trained politicians. This armor saved people's lives more than once. However, the volcanic ash often overloaded the suit's filters, forcing the wearer to go helmetless. During the Second Dark Ages, many of the microfabricators were found, and this armor was briefly produced by short lived companies that ran the microfabricators until they were out of materials, sold all the armors, and folded. Despite the low protection offered by this armor, most settlements decided it was better than nothing. In Rifts-Earth, the armor is considered the bare minimum of protection for militia or explorers, but is most popular in hot climates, as the armor has superior heat dissipation. Some arctic condition settlements consider the plastic man to be superior to armors that provide more armor protection, as the suit can handle sub-zero temperatures without armor degradation or the wearer becoming uncomfortable. Weight:13 lbs Available Sizes: Child to adult (2' to 7') Mobility: Fair Availability: Excellent Manufacturer's Cost: Often free or 3,400 Cr Wholesale Cost: 9,000 Cr Manufacturer's Recommended Price: 18,000 Cr Black Market Price: 15,000 Cr Wilderness Price: 10,000 C
|
|
#
¿
Sep 28, 2014 06:44
|
|
|
Huntsman Armor This lightweight and fairly popular armor is manufactured by several small armor companies around the Great Lakes area, as well as a company in Southern Texas, a company in North Dakota, a plant in central Mexico, and another small plant in Ohio. The armor is considered minimal protection by most mercenaries and settlement militia, but the armor is priced right for those settlements suffering from a poor economy, and repair costs are very low. The Huntsman series of armor was initially an early version of SWAT armor, invented prior to the North American Alliance Pact of 2035, produced mainly for New York, Los Angles, Dallas/Fort Worth, Chicago, and other large metroplexes. Due to the rising prices of fossil fuels at the time, it was actually cheaper for Huntsman Inc to build factories in the industrial districts of the cities central to the locations purchasing the armors than to truck in the materials and supplies, manufacture the equipment, and then ship it to the end consumer. By 2035 the rising price of fossil fuels had more and more groups predicting a total collapse of western civilization, and Huntsman Inc found themselves selling thousands of their body armors a month to civilians, militias, and paramilitary groups. In 2039, Dow/Exxon produced the first synthetic gasoline, including fuel that could be used in high performance aircraft. This gasoline had actually more energy potential than normal gasoline, allowing more efficiency per gallon. Exxon used the fuel to leverage the other gasoline and oil companies out of business, with its parent company Dow Chemicals sucking up the loss in order to allow the executives of Exxon to wreak vengeance upon the other corporations which had bankrupted it and facilitated a hostile takeover of Exxon by Dow Chemicals. Once the synthetic fuel was out, produced cheaper and sold cheaper than regular fossil fuels (Fossil Fuel Gasoline, 87 Octane sold for $26.93/gallon in North America, while Exxon NuFuel at 87 Octane sold at $0.78/gallon) it once again became cheaper to move materials around and have a zero-inventory supply system than it was to warehouse materials and have everything built in one place. This also calmed the "End is Coming!" factions, and Huntsman Inc began suffering serious sales issues, with declining profit margins and unhappy stockholders. When the great "Miami Shootout" of 2041 took place, with the gunmen wearing Huntsman armor, it spelled the end for the armor company. Thousands of people had been injured in the six hour running gunfight, and every one of them leveled a multimillion credit lawsuit on Huntsman Inc, claiming that their lack of background checks or concern over who they were selling the body armor too directly led to the deaths and injuries. When the dust settled, Huntsman Inc was totally bankrupt. They no longer owned the factories that produced the armor, and the ordered liquidation of the factories by the court never proceeded, as more than 2,000 of the litigants filed motions to have the factories turned over to those who won the lawsuit that were willing to pay part of their settlement for it. By the time the Cataclysm rolled around, the factories were still there, gathering dust, stockpiled with production materials. Most of the factories survived the coming of the Cataclysm, and sat forgotten for decades until one after another they were discovered by explorers. Now, the factories often serve as the center of a small settlement. The armor itself is a lightweight molecularly bonded kevlar/polyceramic layered ablative armor. Lightweight and somewhat flexible, the armor uses articulated joints like those found on ancient platemail. The armor is resistant to electricity and laser weapons, as well as absorbing kinetic shocks quite well. However, some versions of the Huntsman armor have a tendency to catch fire when hit by plasma, as the plasma melted armor plating vaporizes into a flammable gas that fuels the fire, which in turn melts more armor, in a cyclic action that eventually consumes the armor plating. Armor with this problem is identifiable by the "North Dakota Freemen" logo on the right forearm. In addition, the armor has "hard plate" inserts beneath it of molecularly bonded neoaluminum, to help resist the kinetic damage from rail guns, autocannons, etc. The plate is easy to replace, should it be shattered or penetrated, or damaged too badly to use. Simply open the side, remove the hard plate, and reinsert another one. However, the leg and arm portions are made up of thick duraplast laminates, and must be replaced in their entirety should they be damaged. Beneath the armor is a neoprene sleeve with environmental tubing running through it. This tubing keeps the wearer warm or cool, depending on the outside temperature, but the suit does not possess any power generating circuitry, forcing the wearer who wishes to activate the heating and cooling system to slot a NASEM into a port on the right thigh. The energy magazine will last approximately 2 weeks, however. When powered, this suit merely has a computer that decides if the wearer's body temperature is high or low, if it is hot outside or cold outside, and either heats the liquid in the tubing or cools it to try to bring the wearer to a comfortable temperature. Most of the time, this chip has to be removed and one with better environmental control is installed, as the built in chip is rather stupid. The armor is not environmentally sealed, does not possess a helmet, and is not radiation shielded. However, a few version are fully radiation shielded, and possess a helmet (not pictured) that has a detachable locking collar to protect the neck, a polarizing face shield, and a detachable lower face gas mask/respirator. One thing that does make this armor excellent is its non-existent EM profile, lack of thermal signature, and total absence of energy readings, allowing the armor to be overlooked by most sensor systems. For this reason, the armor has seen a resurgence in popularity by Crazies and Juicers now that the digital battlefield looks as if it will make a reappearance on Rifts Earth. During the Cataclysm, many militia groups clad in this body armor tried valiantly to defend local citizens, but its inferior protection and out of date armor materials in the end came to no avail, and the groups were wiped out. During the Second Dark Ages, many factories were found and either restarted, or were broken down and rebuilt in areas that were more habitable. Thousands of these suits were churned out with the intent of protecting the citizens of settlements, or to provide settlement militias with at least a small measure of protection. On Rifts Earth, hundreds of these suits are sold a year, not counting the replacement hardplates and arm/leg pieces. Their often worn by light recon forces, police with a beat in a dangerous but urban area where heavy weapons are unlikely, and money strapped explorers/adventurers. The Coalition States views this armor as a life-preserving necessity, and rarely makes an issue of it. Weight: 16 lbs Available Sizes: small, medium, and large (4' to 7') Mobility: Fair Availability: Excellent Manufacturer's Cost: Free to 3,500 Cr Wholesale Cost: 10,000-15,000 Cr Manufacturer's Recommended Price: 15,000 Cr to 20,000 Cr Black Market Price: 18,000 Cr Wilderness Price: 7,500 Cr
|
|
#
¿
Sep 28, 2014 06:47
|
|
|
Juicer Assassins Plate With the appearance of the JA-9 Assassin's Rifle, additional equipment was found on the scene, including an advanced helmet mounted HUD and cybernetics that took advantage of the Juicer's ability to process large amounts of data at computer speeds. The Juicer Assassins Plate armor was worn by nearly every assailant armed with a JA-9 and possessing the Mark I Juicer Conversion. The 2075 incident in Africa led to literally dozens of these suits of armor being available for NEMA and NAAP think tanks to examine. The armor consisted of lightweight polyceramic plates, coated with advanced stealth shielding, making the wearer virtually invisible to scanning systems of the day. In fact, the stealth shielding was so effective, that power armor pilots discovered that they'd have to reaquire their target roughly every 10-15 seconds, more if for some reason the wearer of the armor managed to hide for a few split seconds. The armor contained absolutely no electronics, no ECM or ECCM systems, not even the common "spoofing" electronics that most combat environmental body armor contained. The suit's plates were designed to be radar defeating, be "slippery" to sensor systems, and allow the wearer full mobility under combat operations. The plating was highly advanced, but did not use any materials that normally were seen in military grade body armors. Technical analysis of the armor showed that the plating could be made by a small fabrication facility, easily concealed, that would not be the energy intensive manufacturing facilities currently in use by most civilized nations. One analyst team determined, and proved by replication, that the armor could be produced in an underground facility fitted with commonly available equipment. Tracing of the type of equipment that would be needed to produce Juicer's Assassin Plate proved to be impossible, as most of the equipment was freely available, and often shipped to emerging nations for use in modern construction. The 2085 version of the Juicer Assassin's Plate, captured in large numbers, show structural evidence of being designed for use exclusively by soldiers who had undergone the Juicer Enhancement Process (MK I and MK II). Certain irregularities between JAP and normal environmental body armors were as follows:
All of this led the analyst teams to conclude that the armor was built with those receiving the Juicer Enhancement System (MK I or MK II) in mind. While the polyceramic plating provided limited protection from military grade weaponry, a wearer could survive a solid hit from the SAMAS system rail gun, or a glancing blow from a Chromium Guardsman main weapon. This would allow the enhanced soldiers to get within range of the armors. There were no manufacturing labels on any of the armors recovered from various terrorist incidents and insurgent attacks between 2085 and 2090. Advanced forensics on the plating itself was inconclusive, as it appears that the armors were made in many different areas, including Canada, Mexico, Russia, China, the United States, the European Union, Great Britain, South Africa, South America, and several island nations. The advanced optics helmets were of little to no help either. Despite possessing advanced appearing systems, all of the systems were built with mass manufactured, readily available molycircs. Many molycirc blocks were actually taken from the PlayStation IX VR system, with coding available on VirtuaNet, and gave the analyst teams no clue as to the helmet's origins. The original 2085 helmet possessed the following:
Many intelligence organizations began suspecting something was brewing, but there were no leads. Those terrorist organizations that remained after the early 21st Century anti-terrorist wars were few and far between, and none had the infrastructure needed to create the Juicer Assassin Equipment. After the 2090 Sudan "Engagement" more suits were captured. All of them showed improvements, some suits even showing design enhancements theorized by several of the analysts groups. These 2090 suits were marked as the JAP Series II suits. These suits possessed advanced ECM/ECCM/Stealth systems, sensory spoofing electronics, and a highly innovative "body suit" that was worn under the armor. The electronic warfare suites could all be disengaged, and were frequency agile, allowing the wearer to change their electronic profile. The plating had taken advantage of recent breakthroughs in hyper-alloys and polyceramic technologies, and featured a stealth coating that was currently in testing by the United States Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. The polycarbonate plating was under research and development by the Russian Advanced Synthetics Laboratory, for use in cyborg chassis, and the molycirc designs had been recently pioneered by Japanese electronics consortiums. This amalgamation of technologies showed penetration by an unknown agency or agencies at the highest levels of multiple government research operations. Once again the plating could easily be manufactured anywhere. One analyst group built the plating fabrication unit inside of a 2 story German home. The fabrication unit proved undetectable via satallite or mobile scanning equipment using conventional means. Only visual surveillance inside the converted dwelling showed any fabrication going on. The electronics, while highly advanced, were freely available. The Japanese molycirc design had been put in many holoviewers, video game systems, and even biomedical equipment. What conclusively proved a leak from the consortium's research and development division was the fact that the armor used molycirc designs that had been further refined before release to the public, meaning that someone had used the first generation of the design, rather than later generations, in over 10% of the suits. The armor featured the shock dampening and protection for the juicer injection system, as well as additional shielding of the juicer's implanted cybernetics and electronics. The body suit provided advanced cooling, thermal signature adaptation and diffusion, body excretion (sweat, breath) diffusion and camoflauge, as well as chimeric polyfibers that would adapt to the surrounding colors. The shoulder pads contained the advanced ECM/ECCM/Stealth packages. Fully engaged, the system was able to reduce sensor system accuracy by an astonishing 72% in field engagements. Guided missile systems usually lost lock on the Juicers, robot targeting systems often had trouble not only acquiring a target lock, but merely seeing the Juicer. In 2092 EU INTERPOL discovered not only a Juicer Enhancement facility, but an armor production facility in a section of the Bonn slums. The facility had obviously been abandoned for months, and produced the old style of armor, as well as the Juicer Mk I process. In 2094, a JAP manufacturing facility was found in the abandoned industrial section of Chicago. After a six hour firefight, during which NEMA High Threat Response Teams had to be mobilized, law enforcement agencies stormed the lab and managed to kill the combatants before they could demolish the laboratory and the manufacturing facilities. This facility was moved to the Fort Sam Houston Army Medical Center for examination. Between 2094 and 2098 more than thirty juicer processing facilities, armor production facilities, and juicer combat package fabrication facilities were discovered. Most nations moved these captured facilities into secure locations, unwilling to allow this technology to fall into the hands of nations that were rapidly beginning to be viewed as non-allied, if not outright hostile. Several times the Juicer Enhancement Process appeared in various areas of the VirtuaNet, complete diagnostic patterns, implantation procedures, and even "home conversion kits" kept appearing. As Juicer Enhancement is not that invasive, and could be done with existing consumer electronics, many Juicers appeared that were "Chop Shopped" in most areas suffering urban decay. The sheer amount of Juicer Assassin's Plate available on the black market, on VirtuaNet, and from arms dealers meant that tracking who had been modified by whatever organization was out there developing this stuff, and stuff that had been locally made or chop shopped, proved impossible for global law enforcement agencies. During the Cataclysm, many Juicers seemed to come out of the woodwork, assisting NEMA forces, and the forces of whatever nation they were residing in. Interviews with the Juicers never shed a light on why they were modified, or what plans they had been enacting before the Cataclysm. Many NEMA commanders believed that the Cataclysm interrupted what was going to be a global insurrection mere months or even days before it was set to begin. Many of the juicer research analyst teams turned to producing juicers from volunteers (some teams produced juicers from non-volunteers, using cortex bombs to ensure loyalty, but these operations often fell) in order to protect the research teams and the civilians. During the Second Dark Ages, many of the researched Juicer Production Facilities, including the six of them at the Fort Sam Houston Army Medical Center, were brought on line, and were resposible for the survival of those who took shelter in the area. In Rifts-Earth, Juicer technology is fairly simple, one of the simplest of the enhancement processes. Juicers are a fairly common sight, and not regarded as terrorists or insurgents as they were in the past. The juicer has moved from villain to hero, and the sight of the Juicer Assassin Plate armor has become a fairly standard occurrence. Weight: 18 lbs Available Sizes: Small to Extra-Large Mobility: Good to Superior Availability: Very Common Manufacturer's Cost: 2,000 Cr Wholesale Cost: 5,000 Cr Manufacturer's Recommended Price: 28,000 Cr Black Market Price: 30,000 Cr Wilderness Price: 3,500 Cr
|
|
#
¿
Sep 28, 2014 06:51
|
|
|
Urban Warrior Armor In 86 PA Titan Manufacturing released the Urban Warrior environmental body armor, and also sold the plans for the armor to Northern Gun and Bandito Arms. Both of these manufacturing concerns quickly released an identical version of the para-military armor, finding it cheap and easy to produce, as well as looking sharp and performing well in the field. The armor is made with standard polyceramic plates for kinetic and energy resistance, advanced polymers for shock absorption and kinetic diffusion, and articulated joints to allow full protection to joint. The armor is lightweight, providing adequate protection The internal layer contains nano-fluidic gel bladders designed to quickly disperse energy, both high energy particle transfer and kinetic energy transfers, which sits between two thin layers designed to act as self sealing bladders. Next is the environmental tubing systems designed to maintain the internal temperatures. Once again standard nano-fluidic coolant of the same type as used to keep SAMAS thrusters cool, as well as keep the high velocity fans from supercooling. This keeps the wearer cool in temperatures as high as 800 degrees Fahrenheit, far superior to most armors. and appears to be a redesign and modernization of the Plastic Man armor series internal environmental control system. The system can also keep the wearer comfortable in temperatures as low as -115 degrees Fahrenheit, although this had to be tested in controlled laboratory conditions. In addition, this suit contains an environmental umbilical port, allowing the wearer to plug into outside environmental systems to extend the endurance of the armor. Below that is a thin layer of armor designed to provide advanced protection against radiation threats. In laboratory designs, wearers were kept safe for over 72 hours in high radiation environments, including reactor maintenance, nuclear reactor fuel exchange, simulated cosmic radiation fields, and other high energy environments. In addition, this layer of armor also contains a nano-fluidic layer designed to seal the radiation proofing and act as emergency measures to keep the environmental system intact in case of suit breach. The internal self-sealing layer can keep environmental seal when armor integrity has been reduced to below 83%, making it one of the most environmentally sound armors out there. Below that is the electronic systems of the armor, including the environmental control system, internal HUD management, radio, and several features not found in modern armors. The internal electronic systems provides the following:
The armor's advanced electronic suites, all using existing technologies at the time, in merely innovative ways, led to the suits being purchased by mercenary companies, police forces, and explorers. The CS purchased thousands of these suits for the Iron Heart Defense League, and copied the system as well as enhanced it, for the 99 PA Dead Boy series. The armor's waste collection system is highly effective, and contain ports to attach the suit to an outside system, such as those found in the better robotic power armors and power armor suits. A wearer can go for over six days before the waste disks need removed, and waste disks can be cleaned in the field if necessary. The internal air supply extracts oxygen, hydrogen, and carbon dioxide from exhalation, as well as from outside, in order to provide a safe air mixture. The air supply consists of four circular tanks, and can last up to 32 hours. The system can also filter most chemical weapons, larger biological hazards, as well as contaminated air, in order to provide fresh air for the occupant. In addition, for a small additional fee of 2,500 Credits, mechanical gills can be purchased, that are built into the armor and provide air for submerged wearers. The suit can handle an astounding depth of 1,750 feet, as well as keep the wearer self in vacuum. Additionally, unlike many armors, the Urban Warrior has high altitude environmental controls, providing additional air intake to allow the wearer to operate with ease and comfort in a low pressure/oxygen environment. The helmet's visor will automatically polarize if the wearer is exposed to excess levels of light, and it does provide limited flare compensation, although it can be upgraded to provide full flare compensation, an option often purchased by Juicers and M.O.M. enhanced warriors. The armor is manufactured in over 22 locations, including a major factory located in the Chi-Town Burbs operated by the same company that produces late model Dead Boy armor for Coalition States soldiers and ISS troops. Northern Gun caravans are known to carry extensive supplies of this armor. Weight: 11 lbs Available Sizes: extra small to extra extra extra large. Specially ordered suits are available from Bandito Arms, Northern Gun, and American Armors (located in Fort El Dorado) Mobility: Good Availability: Excellent Manufacturer's Cost: 12,000 Cr Wholesale Cost: 24,500 Cr Manufacturer's Recommended Price: 35,000 Cr Black Market Price: 30,000-45,000 Cr Wilderness Price: 15,000 Cr Note: Early versions, or versions with the stealth and ECM/ECCM systems are offered by Bandito Arms, but run in the 40,000 Cr range.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 28, 2014 06:53
|
|
|
The Crusader In 69 PA Northern Gun Industries released the Crusader fully environmental body armor for sale on it's trade convoys. The suit, tailored to resemble the suits of armor of knights of old, proved to be a hot seller, and the design was quickly copied by Bandito Arms and several smaller armor manufacturing companies. The fact that the armor design was copied and put on the market by 74 PA led to the little known "Corporate War" of 81 PA that took place mostly off the radar of most people, when Bandito Arms and Northern Gun mobilized military assets, covert operations assets, and hired mercenaries for corporate espionage. Several smaller companies were absorbed or destroyed in the 2 year long shadow war, but neither Bandito Arms nor Northern Gun were able to gain the upper hand. The armor is the standard modern multi-layer composite laminate, with additional protection provided by a neo-Kevlar polymeric fiber skirt protecting the groin and thighs of the wearer. The suit also possesses electronic suites, environmental capability, is highly mobile, and provides enough protection to enable the wearer to survive a point blank shot with a SAMAS rail gun. The outer armor is a simple chain-mail looking affair, sitting on top of a ballistic gel impregnated kinetic dispersion layer. While the armor appears to be standard chainmail, there are no gaps in the environmental sealing provided by the chain-mail appearing covering. The armor is stable at high temperatures, and provides some limited protection from thermite plasma detonations. The environmental system protects the wearer from high temperatures, however the fiber laminate of the armor has proved to become brittle at extremely low temperatures, normally only replicatable in laboratory conditions. The system is computer controlled, and can be overridden via manual instruction from the wearer from the wrist console. The suit possesses two high-pressure oxygen canisters, designed to provide a sealed environment in hostile conditions for up to six hours. The life support systems provide air circulation within the suit, as well as uses coolant tubing inside the inner armor layers. The suit can also self-purge is the presence of airborne contaminates or fumes are detected within the armor itself, flushing out the internal air system. However, the system is high pressure, despite the fact it can take up to 4.9 seconds to flush the suit, and some wearer's have gotten nosebleeds, ear-aches, or suffered headaches from the pressure of the environmental flush. In addition, the radiation shielding is adequate to allow the wearer to explore areas with moderate radioactivity. However, it cannot stand up to high radiation areas without the armor itself becoming contaminated. The radiation shielding is minimal at best, and does degrade over time, becoming nearly worthless after roughly three years. The radio within the suit is single frequency tunable, with a decent range in the FM bands, directional or omnidirectional use, and the antenna is placed within the high "guards" of the medieval appearing helmet. The radio is well shielded, preventing energy weapons discharges from interfering with broadcasts, allowing excellent battlefield communication. The radio can also store up to 25 minutes worth the incoming radio messages, providing the message has a preprogrammed header code. The header code is easy to program in with a standard armor diagnostic tool, as well as easy to apply to outgoing messages. The helmet does not contain a full HUD, although small LED's are embedded around the auto-tinting visor. One set tracks armor status, with blue (100-90%), green (90-75%), yellow(75%-50%), orange (25%-50%), and red (25%-0%) to report armor integrity status. A blue LED blinks for incoming transmission, and a blue/red LED to state whether or not the armor is on internal life support or not. One place this armor excels is in providing wearer mobility. The extremely flexible design allows covert operations troops and para-military forces nearly full mobility, and is often worn by Juicers, M.O.M. enhanced, or otherwise "super-human" warriors. The armor's "shield" is based off of old high threat reaction law enforcement riot shields, and provides slightly more protection that a the breastplate of the Juicer Assassin's Plate. The shield weighs 11 pounds, and enhanced warriors have been recorded parrying railgun bursts, energy weapon strikes, and even bolts of mystical energy. Another advantage this suit possesses is the ability to be repaired in the field. The fibers are easily cut away if the suit is soaked in the proper chemicals for 2 hours, and can have patches rebonded within 20 minutes. The suit is then soaked for another hour, and the patch is "set" by allowing it to dry for 3 hours. All told, a suit can be repaired, in the field, within six hours, even if the suit was nearly breached. Northern Gun sells the proper equipment for repairing the armor for a paltry 5,000 Cr for single packs (allowing the armor to be completely repaired from scratch three times), or 250,000 Cr for a 100 kit pack, allowing small settlement militia's the ability to repair the armor for several months, or even years. Most repair shops repair Crusader body armor for less than 25% of normal armor repair costs, making this armor a good choice for cash strapped para-military or militia forces. One strange thing noticed about the armor, is that vibro-weapons do significantly reduced damage to the armor, and laboratory tests have shown that it has something to do with the energy dispersal patterns of the chain-mail style covering. A person can remove the armor completely in less than 15 seconds, thanks to emergency extraction links, as well as dress in the armor in less than a minute. The suit's ion-lithium battery can be recharged quickly and easily via power conduit, which can be hooked into any standard power source. The battery can be charged within an hour on fast charge, or six hours on trickle charge, and possesses enough energy storage to allow the armor to run at full capacity for up to 480 hours before the internal electronics can no longer be powered. An adapter to allow the armor's battery pack to be recharged by power armor nuclear packs costs a meager 75 Credits from Northern Gun. Weight: 11 lbs Available Sizes: extra small through extra extra extra large Mobility: Full Availability: Average Manufacturer's Cost: 11,000 Cr Wholesale Cost: 29,000 Cr Manufacturer's Recommended Price: 40,000 Cr Black Market Price: 42,000 Cr Wilderness Price: 25,000 Cr
|
|
#
¿
Sep 28, 2014 06:54
|
|
|
Bushman Body Armor In 2054, UN Peacekeepers, backed by a NEMA quick reaction force, came under attack by terrorists at the recently refurbished Panama Canal. The terrorist front, arguably an ecological terrorist organization with heavy funding, possessed two Ugandan Hyena class power armors, smuggled in on a cargo ship passing through the canal locks. The power armors were supported by an infantry platoon possessing anti-aircraft rockets and anti-tank rockets, as well as Congolese Mkuki railguns (A knockoff of the M-31 SAMAS rail gun). SAMAS armors possessed by the NEMA QRF took heavy casualties from the anti-aircraft missiles, which were all shoulder fired. After a four hour fire fight, during which the UN Peacekeepers took heavy casualties, the Hyenas were destroyed, as were the Earth Warriors terrorists, and the post battlefield analysis was performed. The UN Peacekeepers had been devastated by heavy, long range fire, which shredded their body armor, as well as sniper fire from chemical explosive weapons, which were used to target exposed body parts. The UN badly needed an upgrade, and NEMA was asked to hold an armor test in Crete in the summer of 2055. A Spanish military production company produced a highly effected armor called Cáscara Tortuga (Later nicknamed White Turtle) that performed with excellent effectiveness, and in 2056 the armor began being mass produced at the company's facilities in Spain, Angola, Mali, Lithuania, Canada, the United States, Great Britian, Peru, Bolivia, and Mexico. For the less industrialized nations, Sistemas Integrados De la Armadura (Integrated Armor Systems LLC) received grants and low interest loans to build factories in those nations to further improve the nation's economy. In 2057 the Bushman armor series (Then known as the White Turtle, or the BAS-21) was delivered to UN armories, and UN Peacekeepers were issued this armor. The armored performed with excellence for nearly 30 years before IAS went under after a major scandal, and the UN switched to a different armor. The armor is hard shelled, designed to prevent foliage and debris from catching on the armor and hindering the wearer, as well as providing superior protection from rail gun rounds, APDS munitions, and AP rockets. The armor has slight mobility issues, making it somewhat awkward to bend at the waist, but the joints are well built, allowing excellent protection at normally weak joints. However, between 2065 and 2068 there was a problem with the elbow joints leaking the nanofluidic ballistic gel, reducing the protection to the elbows, which would definitely degrade and cause the joint polymers to become brittle after a few months in storage. The hard shell is designed to be laser ablative, providing protection from the massive energy transfer by allowing small sections and thin layers of the armor to shatter away when struck by energy weapons, as well as deflect kinetic energy strikes. The armor's outer layer is impregnated with tiny solar power collectors no bigger than the head of a pin scattered through the suit to absorb power for the armor from the sun. In the event of an energy weapon hit, the micro-fuses blew to keep the energy imparted to the armor from effecting the suits power storage systems. Beneath the hard polyceramic shell lies a nano-fluidic ballistic gel, designed to absorb and redirect kinetic energy that penetrates the ballistic shell. The nano-fluidic layer is held beneath a flexible mesh-impregnated soft plastic, which makes up the joint protection system. Below the nanofluidic layer is another hard laminate plate system, a shock dampening layer, the environmental layer, an electronics layer sandwiched between a pair of anti-kinetic transfer nano-fluidic layer, then the internal pressure sleeve. The armor's internal environmental systems regulate the internal oxygen content by monitoring the wearer's blood O2 saturation, as well as other biometric measurements. Unlike many armors of the time, the Bushman/Turtle armor always kept a sealed environment, only permitting filtered air-flow to the occupant, in order to maximize protection of the wearer from environmental hazards. The internal environmental systems (produced by KLS on subcontract to IAS) will immediately flush the armor if any NBCR danger is detected, and the detection system is extremely sensitive. In some cases, heavy synthetic fuel fumes will cause the armor to alert the wearer that a chemical attack is underway and seal the suit. The suit uses multiple high pressure canisters to store 14 hours of air within the suit, and the filtration system is able to filter out most chemical weapons (with the exception of the caustic anti-filtration agents), as well as most biological hazards. The waste collection disks last up to 5 days, 3 days if the wearer is suffering from intestinal disorders such as dysentery, and the disks can be cleaned in the field by trained personnel. In addition, the filtering system filters can be replaced quickly and easily by a trained operator. Emergency filter replacement can be accomplished by twisting and removing the two helmet filters, and can be accomplished in less than 25 seconds by a trained operator, allowing the wearer to conduct extended operations in an chemical or biological hazard area. The suit is rated for extreme arctic conditions, as well as desert operations, showing little to no degradation in system performance or protection in temperatures between -75 F and 450 F (-60C to 232 C), showing only nanofluidic temperature degradation for roughly 25 degrees either way above those limits. Additionally the suits are equipped with mechanical gills, as well as underwater maneuvering systems, allowing the armor to dive to a depth of 1,150 feet safely (some tests showed as high as 1,750 feet, but wearer survival is somewhat unreliable) and operate for up to 72 hours underwater without degradation of armor systems. Additionally the armor's HUD automatically compensates for underwater operations, heat distortion, or up to severe weather conditions, thanks to advanced visual spectrum enhancement algorithms. The boots have excellent grip, as well as built in, retractable, ice/climbing treads, allowing the wearer to climb up poles, trees, and keep their footing on normally treacherous surfaces. The gloves have retractable climbing spikes (less than 0.25" long) to further enable the wearer to climb quickly and easily. The suit possesses both active and passive electronic battlefield defense systems. The polyceramic plating is design to deflect and scatter radar pulses, and even overcome millimetric phased radar array signals. While a radar operator may know something is out there, they will be unable to lock in on the wearer. The armor's environmental system mixes waste gases with ambient local gasses in order to prevent chemical signature targeting, and in addition the system produces no chemical signature when under full internal environmental lockdown. Additionally the white surfacing used by UN Peacekeepers was a flat color, rather than glossy, preventing glare reflection. Active systems consist of ECM systems designed to disrupt target system sensor, missile locks, and radar jamming, with an effective ECCM suite built by the Korean electronics manufacturer Futuretek, that was often able to overcome inferior enemy ECM. The environmental tubing was double walled, providing self-sealing ability to the internal heating cooling systems. The internal neoprene sleeve is designed to protect the wearer from high G shocks, as well as weapon impacts, and to keep the suit snug around the wearer, and prevent chafing, as well as "wicking" away of skin excretions (read: sweat), so that the could be filtered and put into the internal water supply. The suit also possesses umbilical connectors to allow the suit to be attached to outside environmental/waste processing equipment, as well data-jack ports to allow VR control on advanced combat vehicles. The internal water supply, which also gathers the moisture from the surrounding air as well as purifying liquid waste, can last for up to 14 days without external moisture collection, and near-unlimited water in average humidity areas. Additionally, the suit contains nutrient paste for the wearer to eat, as well as vitamin injections, allowing the wearer to survive up to 45 days inside the suit using only the nutrient paste and vitamin injections without suffering from malnutrition or gastro-intestinal atrophy. Across the abdomen is the bio-medical system, providing emergency battlefield medical aid to the wearer. The computer monitors the wearer's biometric data, and there are two IRMMS kits within the system, as well as an RMK and an advanced medical computer. The computer can diagnose broken bones, burns, bruising, internal injuries, and the like, immediately overseeing RMK and nanite medical attention. Should the wearer suffer a spinal injury, the suit will automatically go into "traction mode" which extends the arms and legs into a rough X, that flattens the spine and protects it. In addition to standard medical procedures, restricted codes can be typed into the forearm data plate in order to inject the wearer with drugs such as painkillers, amphetamines, and the like. However, these codes were only possessed by covert operations forces or medical personnel. Finally, trained medical personnel could interface with the nantire and microbot medical systems in order to perform operations beyond the scope of the medical computer without removing the wearer from the armor. The nanite cradle can be "recharged" by application of new nanites by medical personnel. Across the shoulders are the tactical battlefield network system electronics, the advanced environmental systems, and the EC(C)M system. This allows the soldier to "tag" friendly, neutral, civilian, and enemy units on their HUD map, as well as transmit data across the BaTN, accept incoming data, and utilize interlocking EC(C)M data between multiple suits, often allowing several suits to overcome enemy ECM/ECCM systems that were stronger signal than the suits. Along the forearms and biceps are two picatinny rails, allowing mission essential equipment to be attached to the armor's arms, and there are 8 rails across the back to allow the addition of electronic combat suites, backpack weapon systems, etc. On the outer thighs is another set of rails, allowing for further equipment attachment. This rail system allows the wearer to be issued mission oriented equipment, and allows the armor to be modified for covert operations or heavy infantry roles. The forearms also have data-ports, allowing weapon data-systems to be interlinked with the suits internal combat computer. The system has standard small arms dataplugs as well as vehicle and robot combat data links ports. A 75 decibel loudspeaker system is built into the upper right shoulder pad, and is normally kept within the armor to avoid damage. However, the loudspeaker can be deployed in less than 15 seconds via internal systems, and does not significantly lower the armor's protection. The speaker can either be used by the wearer, or used to broadcast verbal input from the radio communications. The upper left shoulder has a built in optical link the size of a small box of matches that is normally recessed into the shoulder. It can be deployed in approximately 20 seconds to allow the armor's wearer to look behind them, to the side, ect. The camera is shock dampened and contains passive and active nightvision molycircs. The camera burst feeds the information gathered every 5-20 seconds, the compressed burst containing the video footage of the entire time. This usually returns to a mobile command post, for overview by gathered officers, mission commanders, and allows instant advice, mission objective alterations, or commands to be fed to the troops in the field. However, since signal triangulation is a big part of the digital battlefield (some missiles can home in on continuous radio signals) the feature can be disabled, and the information be gathered afterwards from the built in Battle-ROM storage WORM (Write Once-Read Many) crystal storage array located in the left rear shoulder area of the back. The crystal storage matrix can be pulled from armor in less than a minute, allowing retrieval of battlefield data. However inputting incorrect codes into the armor's secruity system results in the data in the crystal matrix being scrambled and partially erased, making data recovery difficult. In addition, the wearer of the armor can use the feed from the camera, displayed on the HUD instead of the view through the helmet's camera systems, if the external camera systems have been disabled somehow. The visual images are gathered by the two helmet cameras, which use thermographic, IR, UV, VIR, standard visual range, passive and active nightvision systems. This information can be shown on the HUD in a singular mode, or as a multiple mode composite image. If the wearer possess an ultrasonic or magnetic anomaly detection system or advanced radar system mounted onto the armor's equipment rails, data from these systems can be displayed or integrated to the composite image. The HUD provides the wearer with the following information:
The communications antenna array is built into the armor along the biceps and shoulders of the armor, meshed into the molycirc layer and having "external receptors" the size of a pinhead replacing every other solar collector. This antenna array is tied into the helmet surface antenna and the armor's communication system. Integration of the communications broadcast/reception array with the armor itself kept the communications system from being targeted by snipers, and ensuring that a minor mishap would not put a wearer out of communication. The internal headset can translate Spanish, English, Russian, German, Vietnamese, Chinese, Korean, French, Portuguese, Swahili, Afrikaan, Farsi, and Finnish with 80% accuracy to any of the other listed languages, allowing the UN Peacekeeper to communicate with local authorities and population. On the inside of the left forearm is the battlefield tactical network interface, as well as the armor systems interface. This allows the wearer to control the armor's internal systems (advanced users can override internal systems standard operating systems) as well as collect, recieve and transmit data to the battlefield tactical network. The suit's IFF is a queriable transmitter, meaning it can be changed from constant transmission to "stealth" mode which allows the wearer to avoid broadcasting unless a specific coded transmission is detected, after which the IFF will broadcast a quick directional pulse to the transmitter. During the Cataclysm, all NATO/UN troops who could be issued this armor were, meaning that the armor saw extensive use during the early, deadly days of the Cataclysm. However, the production facilities were lost in the disasters. During the Second Dark Ages, the factory located in Kansas was discovered by a Northern Gun trading caravan. While the facility had been severely damaged, and the majority of the advanced fabrication facilities were destroyed, the Bushman production line was almost intact, and the computers containing the manufacturing schematics and instructions were intact and recoverable. While it appeared that only data was recoverable, and that the armor production facility was destroyed, Northern Gun attempted to recover as much as possible. While most figured only the computers, data-cores, and schematics were recoverable due to the thick ash deposits and weathering, the Northern Gun "Artifact Recovery Team" was able to move the Bushman production facility to Northern Gun's primary fabrication area. This suit was sold to high-end clients by Northern Gun, as well as used by the company's guards and military forces. In 15 PA most of the battlefield tactical network systems, many of which relied on satellite communication ability, were stripped out, as well as the ECM/ECCM systems, as ECM was a lost art. In 22 PA a disgruntled employee from Northern Gun sold the manufacturing and design specifications to the armor to the highest bidders, selling it to Northern Gun's competitors, as well as the Coalition States, Lazlo, and Tolkeen. Tolkeen began locally producing the suits in 34 PA, and Bandito Arms began producing the armors in 54 PA. In 79 PA, the suit was offered in two different styles: Stripped down, which removes a lot of the advanced features, and the full suit, which has all of the advanced features found in the pre- Cataclysm suits. On Rifts Earth, the suit is highly popular, with both versions selling well. However, only Northern Gun and Wilk's Armor subsidiaries offer the advanced sets of armor. Weight: 11 lbs (9 lbs for the stripped down version) Available Sizes: Small to Extra Large Mobility: Good Availability: Excellent (Special Order for the advanced version) Manufacturer's Cost: 8,500 Cr. (19,000 Cr for advanced) Wholesale Cost: 22,000 Cr. (32,500 Cr for advanced) Manufacturer's Recommended Price: 32,000 Cr (58,000+ Cr for advanced) Black Market Price: 35,000 Cr (70,000+ Cr for advanced) Wilderness Price: 20,000 Cr (30,000-40,000 Cr for advanced)
|
|
#
¿
Sep 28, 2014 06:56
|
|
|
The Explorer In 55 PA Wilk's Industries moved into the armor production field with the unveiling of the Explorer Heavy Body Armor. Based off of several years of study of available armors, the Explorer was developed from the ground up for the hostile environment of Rifts Earth. The armor is a hardshell polyceramic laminate, with underlying nanofluidic carbon molylattice gel, neo-Kevlar layering, with a neoprene undersuit. The suit's designers did away with "extraneous" systems that were considered legacy components of golden age armors. The armor relies on passive protection systems, mainly heavy shock dampening systems, expensive and advanced ballistic gel layering, and high tensile ablative polyceramic armor plating. The ballistic gel, upon receiving a heavy kinetic shock, causes the manufactured carbon molecules to form a "lattice" that forces the kinetic energy to shatter the instantly created lattice to transfer kinetic energy, resulting a serious upgrading of ballistic gel layering. It had taken Wilk's Industries over a decade to replicate the nano-engineering feat involving the carbon "dumbells" that formed the lattice, but they'd finally done it without the advantage of zero-G environment. Gelpack replacement is needed every six months, or after sustained combat use. Gel replacement costs 2,500 Credits, and can be performed at most armor maintenance facilities. The environmental system keeps the operator cool and dry in temperatures between -50 F to 350 F, with a five hour internal oxygen supply. The suit can detect Rifts Earth common biological and chemical hazards, switching to internal environment and purging the internal air. The waste disks only hold 14 hours of waste, and cannot be reused or cleaned. The armor's helmet possesses a short antenna array, with an FM, VHF, and UHF radio. The radio is only single channel broadcast/receivable, without encryption software or ability. It only has a 1 mile range, and is omnidirectional. It contains no IFF beacon. It has a built in Wilk's Universal Translator that is able to translate Elven, Dragonese, Gobbledy, American, Spanish, Wolfen, and can be programmed with an additional 10 other languages. (150 Credits per language) The internal powerpack is e-clip run, although an eclip will last over 45 days for a standard eclip and 75 days for an extended eclip. It cannot be tied onto an external power supply or an ecanister/beltpack. The suit can be operated even if the internal power supply is depleted, as a hard shell armor with no additional support (including environmental) by simply opening the vents located in the forward part of the helmet under the mouthguard. This ability has made the armor popular with those who have difficulty charging environmental armor's energy supplies in order to use "useless features" out in the wilderness. The armor features no stealth systems, no ECM/ECCM, nor any advanced combat systems. The HUD merely shows estimated armor integrity levels, amount of O2 left for internal environment, and an internal compass. The suit has a biohazard, chemical, or radiation hazard icon, but uses the same icon for all three. The suit has a 50 decibel loudspeaker, the visor possesses no nightvision or other type of vision enhancement, although the visor will reflectively darken when exposed to bright light. The radiation shielding is admittedly minor, requiring a 5,000 Cr upgrade for sufficient shielding to allow a wearer to be fully protected when refueling a power armor reactor. The shielding is mainly involved for exploring old ruins, which may or may not have taken nuclear hits, or a nuclear powerplant having melted down. Reducing the internal systems allowed Wilks to add additional armor without making the suit more bulky. However, the armor is known to be fairly heavy for the protection offered. The addition of two equipment rails on the back of the armor allows the mounting of a jetpack or backpack mortar system. The suit suffers from joint stiffness, as rapid movements have a tendency to cause the ballistic gel to form lattice strings that break easily. Early runs of the armor had a problem of joint stiffening over time, until the joint was locked in place. Roughly 0.035% of the time, a direct railgun hit will cause what is known as a cascading reverberation effect, where the entire nano-fluidic gel forms a full body lattice, paralyzing the wearer inside a suddenly stiffened suit. This effect can last from 15 seconds to nearly an hour. In 97PA the armor came with an optional ECM package, allowing the armor to attempt to avoid missile guidance systems and armor targeting systems. However, the ECM wavelength proved to attract Xiticix warriors as well as driving them into a frenzy. This had led to a massive sales slump in the Xiticix hive borderlands. In 99 PA, a new ECM package was offered that ran on a different frequency and jamming algorithm. While the suit initially sold for roughly 18,000 Credits, steadily increasing popularity over the years has caused the price to rise quite a bit over the years. The suit primarily sells due to the Wilk's brand name, and that often a discount is given to purchasers of laser weaponry when purchasing this armor. Coalition troops do not view this armor as a military suit, but rather a practical item suitable for civilian use. As it lacks military grade optics, electronic or stealth systems, the suit has been classified by the ISS as allowable civilian protective gear. Weight: 20 lbs Available Sizes: small to extra-large Mobility: Fair Availability: Common Manufacturer's Cost: 2,500 Cr Wholesale Cost: 30,000 Cr Manufacturer's Recommended Price: 45,000 Cr Black Market Price: 22,000 Cr Wilderness Price: 7,500 Cr
|
|
#
¿
Sep 28, 2014 06:57
|
|
|
Coalition States Light Infantry Armor The Coalition States, whether people like it or not, are the inheritors of NEMA and the old United States of America. During the Great Cataclysm, the forces of NEMA and remnants of the US military moved to the ancient American city of Chicago in order to conduct relief operations. With NORAD I and NORAD II offline, NEMA forces had to create a central command location. Some historians insist that the sheer amount of ley lines and nexuses within Chicago itself is what forced the military and civilians to relocate to what eventually became Chi-Town, but others insist that patrols from the Chicago Emergency Command Center had located something desperately needed by the beleaguered forces. These historians insist that the NEMA, the US military, and the civilians relocated to something called the "Mid-West Emergency Command Center", which was part of the almost mythical Continuity of Government Program, and was the primary base of USNORCOM, whatever that may have been. While history does not explain why MW-ECC was not activated until NEMA forces moved in in the early years of the Cataclysm, theories suggest an alien virus killed everyone, or an accident killed them all, or that they were rifted somewhere else. Other historians claim that something called the "Four Demon Plagues" ultimately destroyed the NEMA forces, and the relocation to the Chi-Town area was by refugees fleeing the slaughter of NEMA forces by the 'Demon Plagues' who got lucky and found a megacorporate Archology for Turner/Icherio Industries, and discovered the armor manufacturing facilities below the Arcology. The Final theory, barring the outlandish, is that the Arcology sat undisturbed for decades, having never truly been brought online, until it was discovered by refugees fleeing demonic forces in the late Dark Ages. The huge arcology, designed to house thousands of workers and centralize Turner Communications/Icherio Heavy Industrial Manufacturing manufacturing facilities, was a turnkey operation that required little more than the refugees firing up the factories and watching as material rolled off the robotic assembly lines. Despite requests from this body, the Coalition States has refused to allow this body to investigate the lower levels of Chi-Town to determine the truth of the origin of the mighty Chi-Town. However, for this work, the commonly accepted Coalition States 'historical facts' will be used, whether or not the truth is something different. EBA-130 was built by more than just Chi-Town, however, as the scattered remnants of the NEMA forces and the North American government were moved to Continuity of Government shelters that could be located and reached, many of these facilities had small, short lived assembly lines for the armor, and the ability to manufacture them made these locations critical. However, raw materials and preprocessed materials soon began running low. No matter what the truth is, through the Cataclysm, the forces of the Chi-Town Defense Force, and the Canadian East Coast Command Forces, fielded EBA-130 Body Armor. The two nations, Chi-Town and Free Quebec, produced these armors by the thousands, as the Dark Ages wore on, and both cities came under constant attack by extra-dimensional forces. By Year Five after the Great Cataclysm, the EBA-130 lost it's advanced nano-fluidic layer, as they no longer had access to zero-G manufacturing. The nano-fluidic layer that was fielded relied on compression dispersion. Chi-Town and Free Quebec could not produce kinetic dampening nano-fluid until Free Quebec managed to make a breakthrough in the middle of the Dark Ages, manufacturing a nano-fluid which worked by the compression of a kinetic energy hit causing the fluid to become thicker, which required more energy to thicken it further, and so on, until the kinetic force was overcome, at which time the gel would thin back out. However, this method had the disadvantage of causing gel crystallization, which depleted the protection that the nano-fluidic layer provided. Still, having the nano-fluidic layer return to the armor meant that the wearer would not suffer shock damage from explosives. Sometime during the Dark Ages, the EBA-130 lost its ECM/ECCM package, as the forces of Chi-Town and Free Quebec rarely encountered forces capable of engaging in electronic warfare. However, the suits still retained the ability to have the ECM/ECCM module reinstalled. Those suits not equipped with the electronic warfare module usually had the space normally containing the module just contain packing material. Due to manufacturing limitations, the modular plating sections of the EBA-130 had to be replaced by hard shell plate-mail like sections. This reduced maneuverability, slightly increased the weight, and made it necessary to replace an entire section rather than just a plate. However, with the scarcity of resources during the Dark Ages, this move was very necessary for the two besieged nations. As old weapons wore out, were destroyed, or were lost, the ability to plug into weapon systems via the data-plugs became somewhat unnecessary, as the weapon integration system consumed resources that Free Quebec and Chi-Town desperately needed. By -25 PA, the armor had been recolored black, and the modular rails on the armor had been removed. The production of mission oriented modular equipment had fallen by the wayside during the two nations brutal struggle for survival. The Bloody Campaign caused the loss of the majority of the legacy armors from the days of the Cataclysm. While the Federation could not have known it, the war cost the CS an important asset, the hundreds of suits of legacy armor they possessed, as well as a bombing on the primary production facility in Chi-Town itself by saboteurs resulted in the armor production facilities having to be rebuilt. This seriously set back the Chi-Town Defense Force in military terms, as they had to rely on armor purchased from the nation of Iron Heart. To further complicate things, Free Quebec's manufacturing facilities suffered a massive blow when a containment failure caused the nuclear power plant production facility and the EBA-130 production facility to be contaminated beyond recovery. This was a brutal blow to Free Quebec, who could still produce Chromium Guardsmen and their variants, but could no longer manufacture the high energy output reactors that these armor's required, nor could they produce the standard body armor issued to their infantry troops. Free Quebec was also forced to turn to Iron Heart for infantry body armor, vastly enriching the small independent nation and allowing it to grow rapidly in terms of wealth and power. Iron Heart requested, and was granted, the design specifications for the EBA-130, and soon realized that with the loss of those two critical manufacturing facilities, there was no way they could possibly replicate the ancient armor. Nowhere on Rifts Earth was there the facilities to create the molycircs, the nanofluidic gel, or the hyperalloys. To create a temporary stopgap, Iron Heart armored the Chi-Town Defense Force and the Free Quebec Infantry Divisions with armor produced from the Bushman Body Armor production line, modified to look differently. In 31 PA, when the Coalition States was proposed, and representative from Chi-Town brought Chairman Prosek's vision for the appearance of the Coalition States armor to the Iron Heart manufacturing companies. The skull-like helmet was designed to provide a psychological edge to the proposed Coalition forces. During the next two years, the nation of Iron Heart designed the initial Dead Boy armors, delivering thousands of them to Chi-Town, Missouri, Iowa, and the Illinois Contingent. The unveiling of the new look of the "Coalition" military coincided with Chairman Prosek of Chi-Town being inaugurated as the Chairman of the Coalition States. Marshall Cabot and Lucius Underhill, as well as Joseph Prosek, had all designed the armor, based on their years of combat experience. Marshall Cabot was a master of strategy and tactics, Lucius Underhill had served for over 15 years in the Chi-Town Defense Force military intelligence division, and knew how critical the electronic battlefield had been to their narrow victory over the Federation of Magic, and Jospeh Prosek possessed years of experience as a commanding officer, both in combat and in peace time. Jospeh Prosek had a grasp of logistics and supply, that when combined with his two friends, made the three of them one of the most effective teams in the Coalition States military. They had designed the specifications of the suit, telling the technicians at Iron Heart what they wanted, what they expected, and then stepping out of the way and letting the Iron Heart technicians do their work. As a show of faith in Iron Heart, Chairman Prosek allowed Iron Heart scientists access to the Chi-Town Library Data-cores. (Later known as the Chi-Town Library of the Ages) The designers of the armor incorporated Underhill, Cabot, and Prosek's design desires, focusing on allowing the wearer of the armor the ability to fully utilize the digital battlefield. The CA-1 Body Armor was revolutionary in design, in some ways surpassing the EBA-130 armor. Chi-Town poured tens of millions of credits into the research and manufacturing of the armor, and it showed. The CA-1 consisted of an interlocking series of plates, modeled after the EBA-130, but thicker and laced with carbon nano-tubes to increase the strength of the plates. The plates were designed to be ablative to both energy weapons and kinetic weapons, shattering to disperse energy transferred to the plates. The carbon nanotubes would shatter on the affected layer, but would help the next layers keep their shape. The joints were protected by armor based off the old plate mail of medieval Europe, preventing sniper attacks from having the full effect that they had during the Bloody Campaign. The next layer consisted of a polymer fiber "suit" that helped absorb kinetic energy transfer, as well as allowed the environmental tubing to be woven into the suit. Additionally, strength enhancing artificial muscle fibers were interwoven into the polymer fibers, allowing the wearer to carry and lift three times their normal weight limit. Instead of a layer of molecular circuitry, critical circuitry was embedded in the polymer fiber suit, with the superconductor filaments connecting the suits electronics encased in carbon nano-tube to protect the filaments from damage. Rather than depend on an internal sleeve, and a gas atmosphere in the suit, the CA-1 used the liquid oxygen system found in deep pressure suits and the more advanced power armors. The design for the liquid oxygen system was found in the SAMAS power armor design (See SAMAS Power Armor for more information), and integrated into the system. This system not only protected the wearer from shock damage from a massive kinetic hit, but also fully protected the wearer from biological or chemical hazards. While this system took some getting used to, as for the first few seconds the wearer felt as if they were drowning, it proved much more effective than standard circulating atmosphere systems. The waste system was redesigned, making it easier to use, and not as humiliating. Rather than use catheters through the uretha and into the rectum, the system used a collection cup that would adhere to between the buttocks, or onto the genitals. This improved wearer comfort, and reduced the amount of hesitation toward the armor and lessened the amount of time it took for a wearer to fully get into the armor. While the Chi-Town Defense Force and the Free Quebec forces had once abandoned the ECM/ECCM systems found in the EBA-130, Marshall Cabot insisted that ECM/ECCM be returned, as the Federation of Magic hunter killer teams, armed with guided missiles, had ambushed and killed a lot of soldiers. The ECM/ECCM systems were designed, not to avoid the highly sensitive recon equipment fielded by the ancients, but rather power armor, robot combat vehicle, and opposing environmental combat armor sensor system. In the center of the lower back was located an IRMMS kit, which injected the nanites into the liquid atmosphere, allowing them quick and easy access to the wearer. The suit retained its traction mode, and a sedative robotic unit was built into the neck of the suit to put badly injured soldiers to sleep if they were badly injured, or a trained medical personnel keyed it into the data-unit on the left forearm. The Battlefield Tactical Network Interface was improved, with the ability to display leylines and nexuses, as well as estimations of supernatural creatures capabilities. This required an almost complete reprogramming of the Battlefield Tactical software, but Lucius Underhill felt it would be well worth it. The helmet for the infantry contained a combat computer capable of determining indirect fire angles, tracking targets, weapon interlink status, tracking battlefield data, and and identifying friendly and enemy equipment, including known weaknesses and vulnerabilities. The HUD displayed the status of the liquid atmosphere, armor integrity, weapon status, voice to text display of incoming messages or data, target tagging, identification and tracking on the mini-map of friendly, enemy, and neutral units. The radio for the standard infantry helmet is pre-set frequency agile (on the algorithm determined by officers or intelligence specialists), broadcasting only on the tactical frequency, the BATNI frequency, the emergency channel and able to receive the command frequencies. The range on the infantry radio is only 500 meters (1500 feet), unless the wearer is using the emergency channel, which has a range of 3 miles. The eye-pieces are video cameras that can receive normal visual spectrum, passive or active nightvision, UV, IR, or VIR spectrum. Platoon Leader helmets contain additional hardware for data analysis, as well as an enhanced radio system. The data analysis hardware displays information received from the Platoon Leaders soldiers, allowing him to view whatever the individual soldier sees in a window, as well speak to each soldier individually. The radio has a range of 5 miles, gives the platoon leader the ability to broadcast on the lower command channels, individual troop channels, the emergency channel, and the command tactical channel. Additionally, the platoon leader can upload sections of the battlefield tactical data to individual soldiers, or superior officers. The officer helmet contains additional radio power, as well as ECCM circuitry to allow the officer to compensate for ECM when broadcasting a message. Additionally, the officer can upload ECCM algorithms to other soldiers to allow them to breach enemy ECM without taking out the ECM generator. Robot Pilot helmets contain integration software, allowing the robot pilot crewmembers to act with better effectiveness at their stations. Additionally, the helmet possesses the ability to activate a powerful "pulse" beacon for when they are ejected from their robot vehicle. This pulse is able to be picked up to 20 miles away by grunts and platoon leaders. Psi-Stalker helmets denote what is a separate suit of armor. Rather than having a liquid atmosphere, which psi-stalkers cannot stand, the Psi-Stalker armor uses a gas environment like normal armors, which is capable of providing the psi-stalker with up to 5 hours of air for fully contained environmental. Additionally, the helmet does not posses a HUD, but rather a few icons at the edge of the eyes, to display armor status, incoming radio messages, and weapon status. The eyes of the psi-stalker helmet are clear macroplast, rather than cameras, giving the psi-stalker a better view, as psi-stalkers tend to avoid cameras. Sky cycle pilot helmets are designed for areodymanics, as well as has a cybernetic datalink to allow the sky cycle pilot to be cybernetically linked to the sky cycle. Additionally, the wearer has access to inter-squad radio channels, and in the case of platoon leaders, access to command channels.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 28, 2014 07:05
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ May 16, 2024 12:08 |
|
|
CA-1 Light Infantry Armor The CS Light "Dead Boy" Armor made its debut in 33 PA, the design specifications laid down and followed to the best of Iron Heart's ability. The armor required several weeks of training to be used effectively, as the liquid atmosphere caused the wearer to panic the first few moments for those unaccustomed to the system. Use of the liquid oxygen system was touted as an effective and acceptable way to deal with the high pressure impact of kinetic weaponry. Without the liquid atmosphere system or an advanced pressure sleeve, the kinetic shock of being struck could kill a wearer through kinetic energy transfer. In 42 PA, the Military Oversight Committee, which was staffed mainly by elected officials and industry leaders, decided that the current Dead Boy Light Armor was too expensive to manufacture. With each suit costing 150,000 Credits to produce, the MOC decided that the time had come to look toward making the armor more "budgetary effective." The inclusion of Iron Heart into the Coalition States had not reduced the cost of the infantry armor, as the Military Board of Procurement had hoped, and this fact was touted as the reasoning that the EBA system had to be overhauled. Research by this body suggests that the MOC may be operating with an outside influence, as if a group with knowledge of advanced materials was deliberately trying to downgrade the Coalition States technology edge. (GM Note: The MOC board, the 15 members, can be heavily infiltrated by the Republics from Sourcebook One Revised, and maybe even a Naurani human agent or two. Undoubtedly the Kittani/Atlantis have at least one mole near the MOC.) After a 3 year examination, during which the Battle of Red Wing was showcased repeatedly, it was decided by "independent experts" (Many of whom had never seen combat, and were more concerned about the bottom line of their companies, and the kickbacks they could gain) that the money and resource intensive protective systems built into the CA-1 had to be "retrofitted for the modern battlefield." The CA-1A was released in the summer of 46 PA, and no longer possessed the liquid atmosphere system. The removal of this system would save untold credits according to the Military Board of Procurement and the Military Oversight Committee. The reasons cited were as follows: Removing the liquid atmosphere would reduce soldier hesitation regarding "suiting up", reduce the amount of training that a soldier must go through before he is armor rated, liquid atmosphere would allow a thinning of supply lines, preventing the enemy from contaminating a liquid atmosphere supply and killing thousands of troops, and other reasons. The new environmental system moved away from the comfortable vacuum attachments, and back to the invasive catheter design of other armors, with pair of catheters inserted into the urethra and rectum, an unpopular move among the troops. The system moved to air circulation within the helmet and a pressurized sleeve. The environmental system went back to the tubing design, and the armor's temperature rating dropped from 500 C (932 F) down to 204 C (400 F), with a low end of -45 C (-50 F) with the armor temperature changing 1 degree from it's 73 F baseline for every 3 degrees the outside temperature changed. (If the temperature the armor is subjected to is -80 F, the internal suit temperature would be 63 F. The environment system recognized most Rifts Earth biological and chemical hazards, as well as radiation threats, and sealed the suit to run off its internal system. This internal system could provide completely enclosed atmosphere for up to 6 hours. Despite the urging of many analysts, atmospheric scrubbers, which could have given the suit a much extended endurance, were not used in the armor. The waste disks were moved to a dual disk system, one for liquids, one for solids, and could only handle 36 hours of waste. In addition, while the disks were able to be field cleaned, cleaning tools were not included, and it took nearly 20 minutes per disk to clean them. In the spring of 47 PA, the armor was again redesigned, this time removing the interlocking plate system, and the carbon nano-filament systems, and instead went back to hard shell sections, much like high tech platemail. The reasons cited was cost, as carbon nano-tubing was expensive to create and process. This reduced the protection provided by the suit by a startling 50%, and soon afterwards problems began showing up in the microcircuitry layer. As the superconductor filaments were no longer protected by carbon nanotubing, but rather a shielded cabling much like the venerable coaxial cable, they because subject to failure due to "vibration stress and fatigue", resulting in electronic components going offline during combat, or during extended wear. The most commonly affected equipment was the environmental system and the radio communications systems. The environmental internal sensors would often malfunction, making the armor uncomfortable to wear, while the radio would become static filled, and often go offline completely. The new armor was heavier by 3 pounds, provided less freedom of movement, and the new armor plating did not feature passive stealth systems, and the thermal baffling proved to be problematic. While reports from the field insisted that the CA-1B's thermal baffling actually increased a wearer's thermal signature, the company producing the system proved in "laboratory tests simulating proper conditions" that the system was reliable, and it had to be misuse in the field. Another system that was removed, was the strength enhancement system, along with the piezo-electric "motion generators" that powered the suit. Instead, the suit possessed a capacitance gel storage system good for 48 hours of use, that could be charged by an outside source, or by e-clips in an emergency. A fully depleted suit could be recharged by four standard e-clips or three extended. In 51 PA, when Free Quebec joined the Coalition States, the state of Iron Heart was eagerly awaiting the contracts to produce the official body armor for the newest state. However, behind their backs, the system had been redesigned again, and a fabrication facility built in Free Quebec produced the armor for the newest state locally. Additionally, Chi-Town itself began producing the armor, using a new fabrication facility that had been built without Iron Heart's knowledge. This lead to the three states producing their own armor. The CA-1C featured "improvements" over the old system. The ECM/ECCM system was removed, despite Lucius Underhill and Marshall Cabot's protests. The Military Oversight Committee proved that ECM was only encountered in less than 10% of military operations, and ECM from the Coalition side would be wasted, as most of the opponents were low tech, relying on supernatural abilities or civilian grade systems. The passive stealth systems were removed, again over the objections of the Chiefs of Staff, as being too expensive and of questionable value. The Federation of Magic attacked again in 65 PA, this time a massive hacker attacker was integrated into the attacks, which successfully scrambled the battlefield tactical network. While many military analysts insisted that the flaw in the BaTN lay, not in the system itself, but rather in the fact that the algorithms had not been changed in over a decade, and the security surrounding the system had grown lax. Regardless of what the true fault was, in 66 PA, the Battlefield Tactical Network Interface was removed from the armor, and soldier's were no longer trained in the system. Additionally, the internal battlefield mini-map was removed from enlisted, lower NCO HUD systems, and officers and platoon leaders were only allowed to view the map, not make changes or updates to it. This reduced the weight of the helmet by 11 ounces. The officer helmet also had the broadcast range reduced to a mere 3 miles, with the frequency agile ability of all the radios disabled and eventually removed. When Lone Star was discovered, the debate on whether or not to return to the old armor systems raged for nearly six months. The vast manufacturing and research facility had the facilities to simulate zero-G environment to produce nano-fluid. It was agreed to rebuild the armor, but politics and corporate representation shifted what was supposed to be improvements in the armor to an even further reduction of the armor's capabilities. Despite the Military Oversight Committees demand, Doctor Desmond Bradford, undisputed overload of the Lone Star Facility, refused to allow the armor manufacturing lines at Lone Star to be disassembled, instead building manufacturing lines on a mostly empty section of one of the levels. Lucius Underhill resisted many of the changes proposed by so called experts, setting back the new armor design over and over again, as he went over the head of the the Military Oversight Committee time and time again, directly to his old friend and comrade Joseph Prosek. When Lucius Underhill died of natural causes in 69 PA, the Oversight Committee ordered the armor to be returned to the drawing board, hoping that they would be able to redesign the armor to their vision, rather than the vision of a "trio of dinosaurs" In 70 PA, Chairman Prosek is assassinated, and Marshall Cabot is placed as interm head of the Coalition States. At the same time, the new armor is released to field troops. The CA-1D barely resembles the innovative and high tech armor first designed over 50 years ago. The plating had been reduced from a highly advanced passive and active stealth system, to just protective plating. The piezoelectric generation system had been replaced by a capacitance gel storage system that had to be recharged every 12 hours, and could not accept e-clips for in the field charging. The environmental system had gone from a revolutionary system to standard environmental systems found in most environmental armor. The CA-1D no longer possessed the internal medical systems, the removal of the RMK and IRMMS systems reduced the price of the armor even further. Additionally, the composite view, allowing the wearer to mesh together IR, UV, visual light, and nightvision in whatever combination they chose, was removed, along with computer enhancement. The helmets went to striaght passive nightvision and normal visual spectrum. Additionally the camera was removed from the shoulder, and the traction mode was removed from the armor. In 72 PA, Karl Prosek was convinced, despite his doubts, that the removal of the targeting system would not only save money, but reduce reliance on technology which could be tricked and fooled by supernatural elements. However, the targeting system was not the only part removed, but the entire weapon integration system was removed from the armor. This reduced training time, as well as the armor having to be synched to individual users, but reduced the accuracy of the individual troops weapon's fire. The CA-1E no longer featured advanced targeting and combat system, relying instead on the users individual skills. 83 PA saw the release of the the CA-1Fa, the CA-1Fb, and the CA-2 series. The CA-1 was designated light body armor, and the CA-2 series was listed as the heavy armor. The CA-1Fa was designed for standard infantry, while the CA-1Fb was designed for officers and military specialists. The two armors, while identical in basic nomenclature, were different enough to practically be two different sets of armor. While initial tests were of solid plates, Emperor Prosek stepped in, on the insistence of Marshal Cabot, and forced the designers to listen to the venerable old general. The Military Oversight Committee, which had gotten used to decades of bribes, kickbacks, and favors, at first thought that Marshal Cabot would be easy to handle and fool, and that the Committee itself outranked him. However, Cabot was armed with his new appointment of Military Counsel to the Emperor, which put him at the top of the military chain of command, second only to the Emperor himself. Cabot pulled experienced line troops, consulted with the Emperor repeatedly about his vision for not only the military, but regarding education of soldiers and civilians alike. He also consulted Doctor Desmond Bradford, examining the Pre-Rifts manufacturing lines for what could be replicated, and what would be too costly, too difficult, or flat out impossible. Marshal Cabot came up with many new designs, working with a hand picked staff, and while he had to settle for a lesser design, the original plans he developed for armor were never completely tossed. In the end, Cabot's "State Advanced Research Project" team came up with the CS-1Fa, the CS-1Fb, and the CS-1Fc, in addition to creating new uniforms, starting new weapon research projects, and overhauling military doctrine. Despite the protests of the Military Oversight Committee, a wholly civilian body, SARP was never deactivated, and did not answer to anyone but Marshall Cabot or the Emperor. The CA-1Fa featured a completely new look. (The standard look that is so well known) The CA-1Fa was redesigned from the ground up for infantry enlisted and NCO use, simplified so that increasingly illiterate and ignorant troop could use it without training in "dangerous" fields of study. The armor was designed to by psychologically intimidating, as well as battlefield effective. Knuckle spikes were added to give a soldier's punches more damage capability, and a backhand from a soldier clad in CA-1Fa could very well tear part of the face off of the victim. The left shoulder was spiked, and hand to hand combat taught the soldier to drop his left shoulder and crash into an opponent, using the brutal spikes to further brutalize an opponent. The knee spikes were added to provide even more punishment in a hand to hand fight. Special Forces suits (CA-1FaSF) saw the return of the "vibro-fingers" to allow climbing, but also the circuitry was incorporated into the spikes, to allow a special forces soldier to do damage to military grade armor or supernatural foes with those very spikes. The initial plating was jet black ablative plating, featuring the return of the carbon nano-tube reenforcement mesh. The plating is made up of interlocking plates that allow almost complete freedom of mobility. The CA-1FaSF has full mobility, but lacks the armor extension over the right shoulder, as well as the joints being slightly less armored. The armor features radar scattering covering that also acts as a solar receptor to recharge the armor's internal energy storage. A mere 3 hours of normal sunlight, or 30 minutes of high intensity UV exposure, will recharge the entire suit. Additionally, the suit can be recharged by power armor conduit, robotic combat vehicle conduit, and other such outside power sources. The armor can be recharged with e-clips, or, in the case of emergency, the wearer can do situps for several minutes, allowing the piezo-electric crystals to charge the armor enough for systems to come back online. The next layer was nano-fluidic kinetic diffusion, the nano-fluid being manufactured at Lone Star alone. Rather than use the nano-lattice current in use, the CS nano-fluidic design relied on stiff carbon filaments suspended in the gel. The carbon filaments bend easily at low pressures, but the higher the pressure, the more pressure is required to bend the tubes. Once the energy is used to bend the tubing, the tubing relaxes. This allows the wearer to retain mobility, but be protected from high-energy kinetic impacts. However, a natural fall will injure a wearer at 50 feet, and a 200 foot fall is almost invariably lethal. Another thin layer of plating provides almost total radiation resistance, and is an adaptation of the Plastic Man radiation shielding. Despite the fact that nuclear weapons had not been used since the Great Cataclysm, the possibility of a nuclear battlefield was still a reality, so radiation shielding to allow the soldier to fight on the nuclear battlefield was included. Beneath that layer is a thin layer of molycirc, providing completely automated control of the suit's systems. Emperor Prosek insisted on the suit being able to do the majority of the work, citing the lower education of the Coalition States compared the Pre-Cataclysm America. The suit automatically engages the environmental system upon orders across the command channel, when an environmental threat is detected, or if the wearer verbally requests it. Additionally, the onboard computer systems keeps track of the armor and nanofluid integrity, merely displaying a human body outline with colors for the condition of an armor section. Blue for undamaged, green for light damage, yellow for moderate damage, red for serious damage, and black for comprimization. The final layer is a snug pressure sleeve. Soldier's wearing the CA-1Fa usually wear a set of digital camoflauge uniform, based off of the old Pre-Cataclysm uniform. The DCU's have no buttons that might injure a soldier exposed to serious kinetic shock. The pressure sleeve also monitors the soldiers biometric data, as well as wicks away sweat. The waste system moved back to the vacuum "cup" systems, to the relief of field soldiers. The waste system could contain up to 72 hours of waste, and the three disk system consisted not only of water reclamation and solid waste compression systems, but had the cleaning tools embedded in the system. Water is refined and purified, flavored slightly with artificial lemon, and returned to the drinking water supply. A vibro-knife sheathe was placed on the outside of the calf, with the soldier being able to choose which calf the knife is located on. The sheathes automatically charge the vibro-knives, as well as using the motion of the wearer's legs to charge the weapon. The CA-1FaSF has sheathes on both calves. On the right shoulder of the CA-1Fa is an additional armor plating, designed to allow the wearer to take a chop from a bladed weapon or a supernatural claw on the shoulder-plate, which is quickly and easily replaceable. The environmental system was reworked, with the liquid atmosphere being only available to the CA-1FaSF version. The system was rated at 300 C (572 F) to -75 C (-103 F) with only a 1 degree per 5 degree creep for exceeding temperatures. The suit could flush the internal environment totally within 3 second, and before going to internal environment, the system auto-flushes. Additionally, an order for an internal flush can come across the command channel, allowing commanders to have their troops move to internal environment with a single order. The internal environmental system can provide up to 12 hours of internal air supply, as well as filter the majority of the chemical and biological hazards. Most soldiers are issued a humidity extractor (pictured on the CS Grunt Main Book illustration as the black canister on the waist belt with the tubing running behind the soldier) that extracts water from the ambient humidity to provide the soldier with additional water supply. Tubing runs from the rear emergency oxygen supplies to the back of the helmet, and an additional drinking tube runs to the back of the armor in case the initial water supply is depleted. The standard grunt helmet possesses an internal squad communication radio with a range of 500 meters, that allows squad members to speak with one another. The encryption was moved from 32 bit to 128 bit encryption, along with security protocols to ensure a code wasn't used too long. Additionally, the grunt has access to the command channel, in order to make reports to superiors, as well as the emergency channel, and several other channels. The radio is frequency agile, with multi-frequency broadcasting and burst transmission. These systems are always on, and most soldiers think that the slight lag for burst compression and decompression is part of the radio system. The helmet also provides thermographic, passive nightvision, ambient light, IR, and UV composites, with nightvision being used in low light areas, and ambient light being used in daylight. The HUD possesses icons for whether or not the suit is on internal systems, an icon for the status on the waste disks, icon for whether or not the suit is being painted by laser or scanned by radar. When radar takes place, the suit automatically engages the ECM systems. Another icon will appear if the suit is under ECM attack, and the ECCM system automatically engages. Officers helmets saw the return of the battlefield mini-map, and officers became able to designate positions and personnel/equipment in the field as friendly, neutral, and hostile. Additionally, the system auto-designates any neutral who displays weapons fire at friendly units as hostile, and updates the platoon maps for the grunts. Officers can also designate way-points on the battlemap, and the icon will appear in the platoon's HUD on the compass bar. The officer can also switch ECM/ECCM algorithms if the ones in use are proving ineffective. Psi-Stalker helmets have the majority of the mini-battle-map software removed, usually replaced by an internal mapping system allowing 'Burbs psi-stalkers the ability to use maps of the 'Burbs to coordinate their psi-hound troops. The Psi-Stalkers have only normal visual, and passive nightvision built into their helmets, along with a built in compass. The CA-1Fb is designed for officers and military specialists, as well as the designated armor for robot elite soldiers to wear outside of their robot armor. (The suit shown in the Military Specialist illustration is heavy dead boy) The CA-1Fb has enhanced data-analysis software, as well as a built in loudspeaker capable of up to 120 decibels. Additionally, the CA-1Fb can allow the wearer to enter a VR-Tank, that shows the wearer the battlefield or other designated area, allowing the officer to better coordinate their forces. The CA-1Fc is designed for robot vehicle pilots, and features umbilicals to allow the wearer to plug into the robot instrumentation as well as the robot vehicle's life support system. In addition, the robot pilot's helmet contains only the emergency channel, and has a more powerful queriable rescue beacon. CA-1Fc also possesses more advanced passive stealth systems to allow the pilots to evade capture more easily, as well as strength augmentation to allow them to manually reload the robot's ammunition bays if necessary. (A wearer can lift up to 1,500 lbs, and carry up to 1,000 lbs, but the system sucks down immense amounts of energy, making it only useful if the wearer is plugged into the robot's power supply) In 85 PA General Cabot, involved heavily in plans for the expansion of the Texas and Arkansaw terroritories, lost a fight with the Military Oversight Committee, and the armor had the liquid environmental system removed yet again. Again, the savings in training time and expense was cited repeatedly, and the system moved to pressurized helmet atmosphere. The new environmental systems contained less biological, chemical, and radiation scrubbers, reducing the total protection for the individual soldier who may be engage on the NBC field of battle. However, the suit did move to a positive pressure system, which even worked when the suit had been breached in multiple areas. This allows the suit to remain somewhat environmentally sealed, as the suit had a higher internal air pressure than the outside environment, making it nearly impossible for gas transfer to occur into the suit. However, the internal oxygen supply, no longer able to use advanced oxygen replenishers and carbon dioxide scrubbers that went hand in hand with a liquid environmental system, was only good for 6 hours of internal life support. The MOC delivered "studies" that "proved" that the average combat time was less than an hour (they handily ignored the Battle of Red Wing, which they had so heavily leaned on in the past) and thus any field soldier could expect to be evacuated from the "mythical" NBC battlefield. In 89 PA much of the radiation shielding was removed, making it so the soldier was vulnerable to massive bursts of gamma and alpha radiation, but the MOC insisted that the levels of radiation required to breach the shielding could only be found in tactical nuclear weapons, and as of yet, very few enemies of the State could field nuclear weapons. In 93 PA a bitter fight occurred, that required the intervention of the Emperor himself, as the MOC attempted to remove the electronics suites and ECM/ECCM systems, and replace them with drastically less effective electronics. Cabot himself was struck at by assassins no less than five times, and his long time friend General March Peterson was killed in one of the attacks. Over 15 members of the Military Oversight Committee were assassinated, nine were arrested for high treason, and another 20 vanished completely during the brutal struggle. The Emperor decreed that the electronics would remain, but the ECM/ECCM systems would be removed, and the suit would rely on passive stealth systems only. The Military Oversight Committee was nearly dissolved, but several of the high ranking members knew where the bodies were buried and the secrets were held, and so the MOC remained, and would remain, shaping military policy, until the middle of the Tolkeen War, when they would be removed. (But that's another story) In 98 PA terrorists bombed the Iron Heart production facility that produced the advanced radio systems, completely destroying it. In addition, the bomb had been wrapped with an enriched strontium jacket, making the area highly radioactive and dangerous. A hacker attack coincided with the physical attack, destroying much of the data on the radio and communication systems. In 99 PA, the Coalition States was forced to go to single channel broadcast, omnidirectional, non-agile radios for the armors, saving the more advanced radios for the officer corps. These radios had a 5 mile range, but were only capable of receiving on 3 channels, and broadcasting on a single channel. Additionally, battlefield communication net confusion was common, as the radios were limited to a mere 30 channels, which meant that communications often overlapped. Despite the armor's de-evolution, Marshall Cabot put his best men, the SARP team, and trusted researchers, to work at a crash program, located in a secure facility 50 miles outside of Chi-Town, to produce the next generation of armor. This armor would appear in 105 PA, featured an entirely new look, new materials, new systems, and will be covered later. Weight:14 lbs Available Sizes: Extra-Extra-small (for K9 troops) to XXX Large (For full conversion military cyborgs) Mobility: Excellent (5% penalty) Availability: Excellent Manufacturer's Cost: 9.500 Cr Wholesale Cost: 16,000 Cr Manufacturer's Recommended Price: 25,000 Cr Black Market Price: Depending on the model, and how many systems have been removed, between 12,000 for a stripped suit to as much as 54,000 Cr for a fully intact CS-1 original 33 PA version. Wilderness Price: 17,500 Cr and up
|
|
#
¿
Sep 28, 2014 07:08
|
|