Alamo Armory T-113-MOR Self-Propelled 120 mm Mortar:


"Every Mercenary Company needs fire support but missiles are just so expensive. Heavy gun artillery is large and cumbersome. A simple solution is the heavy mortar vehicle. Compact and having virtually the same potential effects as larger howitzers."


"Yes, several other companies produce heavy mortar vehicles but most cost around one and a half million credits. Previously, your only real choice was to by refitted pre rifts vehicles. Most are maintenance nightmares and are virtually worn out."


Alamo Armory has the solution, the T-113-MOR Self Propelled 120 mm Mortar. At less than half a million credits fully equipped, it can do everything that the higher priced mortar vehicles can. It uses the same chassis as out standard Armored Personnel Carrier for easy support."


"When your troops need fire support, call Alamo Armory. Quality at an affordable price."


- Sales Pitch by Lausanne Rose - Company Executive



Alamo Armory is an unusual company in that it specializes in the use of just one basic chassis, engines, and many of the same components for their combat vehicle designs. That chassis is an updated version of the M-113 Armored Personnel Carrier first introduced into the United States military in the Nineteen-Fifties. It is a simple yet highly functional design which lends itself to being adapted to many different roles. Their designs include an Armored Personnel Carrier, an Infantry Fighting Vehicle, a Self-Propelled Mortar, and a pair of missile platforms. While of reasonable quality, the vehicles often cost only a fraction of what other companies charge for their designs. In many cases, a whole army of these vehicles can be fielded for the cost of a single robot vehicle.


As might be expected by the name, Alamo Armory facility is in what was the American Empire state of Texas. It uses a restored pre-rifts automobile factory for their manufacturing. The company is small and demand far outstripped demand for these vehicles. Due to the low cost of their products, they are much in demand by various mercenary companies. The fact that all of the vehicles use the same chassis makes logistics extremely easy compared to designs which all use different chassis and similar capabilities also means that tactically they are easy to employ together.


The company only started after the collapse of Iron Heart Armament and several engineers who helped to found the company are originally from that company. Several others are from Golden Age Weaponsmiths originally. There has been some speculation that the company is really owned by Golden Age but the leadership of both companies denies the claim. The reason for the speculation appears to be the similarly between the Godlen Age upgraded M-113 design and Alamo Armory's designs.


The T-113M shares the same basic frame and chassis of the standard Armored Personnel Carrier although the vehicle is reinforced to better withstand the force of the 120 mm mortar firing. When buttoned up, the vehicle looks like a standard T-113 even. The design is far better armored than the various mortar vehicles refitted by Golden Age Weaponsmiths but not as heavily armored as the Iron Armory Centurion Mortar vehicle.


The vehicle does not have full life support systems although there is basic NBC protection. In most cases, the crew will be wearing full environmental body armor so they do not really even need that as far as protection. The vehicle has only basic optics including infra-red optics and basic radio systems. There is no radar system mounted in the vehicle and little in the way of advanced electronics which many companies fit in their designs.


The power plant is also identical to the standard model and retains the amphibious capacity of the original design. The vehicle has a top speed of approximately forty-five miles per hour and has a range of around six hundred miles on a full tank of fuel. The engine is an extremely efficient diesel and electric hybrid engine. With the poor quality control of fuels in many areas after the coming of the Rifts, it was also important that the design would be able to run different qualities of fuel including bio-organic fuels. Alamo Armory does not manufacture any pure electric, nuclear, or fuel cell powered designs. They would all raise the price to the point that their designs would no longer.


Alamo Armory does not make the weaponry mounted on their products but instead buys a variety of weapon systems and mounts then on their designs. Most of their weapon systems come from Wellington Industries but a few come from other companies. The vehicle has a 120 mm mortar with total of sixty-nine rounds. The rounds are hand loaded by a crew of four. Mostly unguided projectiles are used although guided projectiles are available as well. A pair of hatches open in the top for the firing of the mortar and the mortar has a 360 degree rotation. As a measure of self defense, the vehicle mounts an automatic grenade launcher with eight hundred rounds of ammunition as well as a pair of smoke grenade launchers. No firing ports are in the design and there are no mini-missile launchers. The fitting of them would interfere with the free operation of the mortar. For defense against attacking troops, it can be fitted with up to six claymore type mines. When it looks like they are about to be overrun, one of the crew simply triggers one of the mines.


Model Type: Alamo Armory T-113-MOR
Vehicle Type: Self Propelled Mortar
Crew: Six (Driver, Automatic Grenade Launcher Gunner, and Four Mortar Crew)


M. D. C. by Location:

[1] Tractor Treads (2):50 each
WI-GL21 Automatic Grenade Launcher:40
WI-M120 120 mm Heavy Mortar (When Compartment Open):60
WI-CL3 “Super Claymore” Mine - Optional (6, sides and front):20 each
[2] Smoke / Gas Dispensers (2):20 each
[2] Headlights (2):10 each
Rear Hatch:80
Upper Hatches (2):60 each
Reinforced Crew Compartment:80
Reinforced Mortar Bay:80
[3] Main Body:280


Notes:
[1] Depleting the M.D.C. of a tread will immobilize the platform until it is replaced. Replacing a tread will take 1D6x10 minutes by a trained crew (2 replacements are carried on board) or three times as long by the inexperienced. Changing the tread is only advisable when the vehicle is not under attack.
[2] These are small and difficult targets to strike, requiring the attacker to make a “called shot,” but even then the attacker is -4 to strike.
[3] If all the M.D.C. of the main body is depleted, the vehicle is completely shut down and is unsalvageable.


Speed:
Ground: Maximum speed on land is 45 mph (72.4 kph.) The vehicle is designed to traverse virtually all terrain and can climb at up to a 60% grade although at a much slower speed (About 10% of maximum road speed). It can also climb barriers and ford trenches. The vehicle can also handle side slopes of up to 40%.
Water Capabilities: The T-113-MOR Self Propelled Mortar is designed to be amphibious and can cross small bodies of water. It is not designed for deep water use. The T-113-MOR can travel in this manner at 4.0 mph (6.4 kph/3.5 knots).
Maximum Range: 620 miles (997.8 km)


Statistical Data:
Height: 6.06 feet (1.85 meters) to hull top and 8.27 feet (2.52 meters) overall
Width: 8.81 feet (2.866 meter)
Length: 15.95 feet (4.863 meters)
Weight: 22,487.2 pounds (10,200 kg) empty, 24,691.8 pound pounds (11,200 kg) combat loaded, and 27,557.8 pounds (12,500 kg) maximum load.
Power Source: Conventional, Diesel / Electric Hybrid developing 300 hp
Cargo Capacity: Minimal, enough for equipment with crew (basic weapons)
Black Market Cost: 430,000 Credits for standard model. Super Claymore Mines cost 30,000 Credits (for six).


Weapon Systems:

  1. WI-M120 120 mm Heavy Mortar: This mortar is mounted near the rear of the vehicle with two hatches which open so the mortar can be fired. Smooth bore and barrel loaded, It is operated by a crew of four and is hand loaded. It is extremely useful in the short range indirect fire roll. Range is less that true artillery but is still extremely effective in indirect fire rolls. There are special guided rounds available although rare. See Battlefield Mortars for Rifts for more details.
    Maximum Effective Range: 3,280 feet (1,000 meters) to 23,620 feet (7,200 meters) depending on number of charges used. Minimum range is 660 feet (200 meters) to 5,250 feet (1,600 meters) depending on charges used.
    Mega-Damage: By mortar round type (See Battlefield Mortar table for details: Fragmentation 2D6x10 (50 feet/15.2 meters), High Explosive 3D6x10 (30 feet/9.1 meters), Armor Piercing 3D6x10 (20 feet/6.1 meters), Plasma 4D6x10 (40 feet/12.2 meters), and has a vast number of other type of rounds as well).
    Rate of Fire: 12 to 16 rounds per minute depending on number of charges (3 to 4 per melee) for one minute, 4 rounds per minute after one minute of fire depending on number of charges (one per melee.)
    Payload: 69 rounds total
  2. WI-GL21 Automatic Grenade Launcher: Replaces the .50 Machine Gun in the original M-113. It is mounted in a pintle mound which has a 360 degree rotation and can angle up to 60 degrees. Mostly designed for anti-personnel, the weapon is extremely powerful and can damage other armored vehicles as well. As a result, many crews use the armor piercing round even with a smaller blast radius. The gunner is outside the vehicle when he uses the weapon mount.
    Maximum Effective Range: 3,000 feet (914 meters)
    Mega-Damage: 4D6 for Fragmentation with a blast area of 12 feet (3.6 meters) and 1D4x10 for Armor Piercing with a blast area of 3 feet (0.9 meter), burst of 10 rounds does 2D6x10 for Fragmentation with a blast area of 40 feet (12 meters) and 3D6x10 for Armor Piercing with a blast area of 8 feet (2.4 meters.)
    Rate of Fire: Equal to combined hand to hand attacks of gunner.
    Payload: 800 Rounds.
  3. Six (6) WI-CL3 “Super Claymore” Mine (Optional): Two are positioned on either side with two in front. None are in the rear of the vehicle. Mounted on armored plates which prevent the mines from doing damage to the vehicle itself. Derived from the pre-Rifts claymore mine, this weapon is extremely effective. It is slightly larger than the original Claymore mine and has 1000 super dense alloy spheres instead of steel balls and is backed by two pounds (0.9 kg) of powerful advanced explosive instead of the original C4 plastic explosive. The “Super Claymore” operates in a similar fashion to the original mine and creates a fan of projectiles for a 328 foot (100 meter) cone with a 60 degree arc of danger. Generally the Super Claymore is activated by the crew when it looks like the vehicle will be overrun.
    Maximum Effective Range: 820 feet (250 meters)
    Mega Damage: Front 60-degree horizontal Cone of Mine: 2D6x10 MD for a 164 foot (50 meter) range, 1D4x10 MD for a 328 foot (100 meter) range, and 2D6 MD for a 820 foot (250 meter) range. Sides of Mine: 4D6 MD for a 66 foot (20 meter) range and 2D6 MD for a 328 foot (100 meter) range.
    Rate of Fire: Each mine single use only.
    Payload: Six Mines.
  4. Smoke Dispenser (2): Mounted on either side of the tank and launches smoke grenades. While other types of grenades can be used, they have been rarely carried. Recently, there has been consideration for the use of prismatic aerosol and decoy grenades to help protect the vehicle against lasers and other weaponry.
    Effect: Creates a cloud of smoke 40 ft (12 m) in diameter. Other special effects per grenade type
    Rate of Fire: Two per melee
    Range: 1,200 feet (365 m)
    Payload: Carries 12 smoke grenades per launcher.


Sensory Equipment:



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Writeup by Kitsune (E-Mail Kitsune).


Copyright © 2008, Kitsune. All rights reserved.


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