Metalworks Incorporated AWT-03 Automated Wheeled Carrier:

As far as vehicle designs, Metalworks is best known for their hover designs. The company also produces power armor and aircraft designs. It is suspected by many that Metalworks is closely tired to Iron Armory which specializes in tracked and wheeled designs. Still, Metalworks does produce a pair of tracked designs as well. These are an automated defense system mounted on a small tracked chassis and a slightly larger automated carrier design. There are several modified versions of the carrier which carry light weaponry. There is a hover carrier as well but there are many dislikes with the design.

Surprisingly, there was quite a bit of interest in a wheeled design to fill a similar role. There are several advantages of wheeled designs over tracked designs including that they tend to rip up the ground far less, have greater range, generally are a bit faster, and are mechanically more reliable. Eight wheeled designs even are almost as all-terrain as tracked designs. Because of the great interest in such designs, Metalworks decided to design a wheeled design as a result.

The design of the AWT-03 is surprisingly conservative in many ways. The basic chassis is a modified version of the tracked version. This enabled production to be greatly simplified. As a result of design compromises, the design is slightly taller at just under 2.5 meters in height. Otherwise, the dimensions are virtually identical. The design is not armored in any meaningful way and is not designed for heavy combat. The basic cargo carrying capacity is unchanged with a maximum cargo load of 200 kilograms.

Power plant systems are also identical although drive train is quite different. Both conventional battery powered models and fusion powered models are available. Because in both the tracked and wheeled versions, range is effectively unlimited, extended range is not much of a concern in those versions. Range in battery powered models though is 1500 miles, a fifty percent increase over the tracked design. Speed is increased over the tracked design with a top speed of sixty miles per hour on roads and forty-five miles per hour when traveling off road.

Electronic systems and software are virtually identical to the ATT-02 as well. This includes terrain following systems. Software is designed for the ability to follow troops as well as traveling from one location to another. Because of the wheeled vehicles higher speed, it is better able to keep up with some ground power armors and cyborg troops although still not near enough to keep up with fast moving units.

While there has been no armor augmentation developed for the automated transport, if one is developed for the tracked carrier then a modified version for the eight wheeled carrier as well. Fusion powered models mount a recharger for energy clips to support troops which the carrier is operating with. The standard design is unarmed although it shares with the tracked carrier a number of options as far as weaponry. Like the tracked version, the vehicle lacks any kind of fire control systems and relies on the fire control of another unit. This could be troops, power armors, robot vehicles, or some other kind of vehicle.

The three basic armed models are a short range missile platform, mini-missile platform, and mortar platform. The short range missile version is armed with a four short range box launcher. Often these will be air defense type missiles. The mini-missile launcher carries a total of twelve mini-missiles. The mortar version is a 60 mm electromagnetic mortar with an automatic loading system. This version carries a total of sixty mortar rounds. While rate of fire is slower than the mini-missile launcher, only a single round at a time, the advantage of greater payload more than balances it out for most troops.

Model Type:	M.I. AWT-03	Standard Cargo / Transport Model
	M.I. AWT-03-MM	Mini-Missile Launcher Model
	M.I. AWT-03-SRM	Short Range Missile Launcher Model
	M.I. AWT-03-EMM	Electromagnetic 60 mm Mortar Model

Vehicle Type: Automated Wheeled Transport
Crew: None

M.D.C. by Location:

	[1] Wheels (8):	20 each
	[2] Headlights (2):	10 each
	[2] Sensor Array:	20
	Cargo Compartment / Bed:	80
	Mini-Missile Launcher (Optional):	50
	Short Range Missile Launcher (Optional):	60
	60 mm Electromagnetic Mortar (Optional):	60
	[3] Main Body:	200

Notes:
[1] Up to one tire can be destroyed on each side of the vehicle without any appreciable loss in mobility but top speeds with be reduced by 10%. If two tires on a side are destroyed, the vehicle is reduced in top speed by 20% and has a -25% to piloting rolls when being operated off-road.
[2] These are small and difficult targets to strike, requiring the attacker to make “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 unsalvageable.

Speed:
Ground: Cruising speed on land is 60 mph (96.6 kph) on roads and 45 mph (72.4 kph) off road maximum.
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 30%.
Underwater: It can travel under water at 10 mph (16.1 km) along the sea floor. Ocean depth of 1 mile (1.6 km).
Maximum Range: Fusion Powered Versions: Effectively Unlimited. Battery Powered Versions: 1,500 miles (2,414.0 km) before needing to recharge.

Statistical Data:
Height: 2.45 feet (0.75 meters)
Width: 4.50 feet (1.37 meters)
Length: 6.75 feet (2.06 meters)
Weight: 780 lbs (353.80 kg) unloaded - unarmed models.
Power Source: Fusion Powered Versions: Nuclear; average life is 5 years. Battery Powered Versions: Electrical, has a small high capacity battery
Cargo Capacity: Small cargo area in rear which allows up to 440.9 lbs (200 kg) to be carried.
Market / Black Market Cost: Fusion Powered Versions: 1.2 million credits for a new, undamaged basic unit (unarmed.) Battery Powered Versions: 180,000 credits for a new, undamaged basic unit (unarmed.)
Mini-Missile Launcher: 200,000 credits. Short Range Missile Launcher: 250,000 credits. 60 mm Electromagnetic Mortar: 75,000 credits.

Weapon Systems:
None standard although specially modified versions are available with weapon systems. Only a single weapon system can be mounted.

Mini-Missile Launchers (Optional): The missile launcher system is mounted in the cargo compartment. Missile launcher lacks any form of fire control systems and vehicle uses the fire control systems to target missile systems. A total of twelve mini-missiles are carried in the mini-missile launcher.
Maximum Effective Range: Varies with mini missile types (See revised bomb and missile tables for details.)
Mega-Damage: Varies with mini missile types (See revised bomb and missile tables for details.)
Rate of Fire: Can fire missiles one at a time or in volleys of two (2), four (4), or six (6) missiles. Can be fired equal to the gunner's combined hand to hand (usually 5 or 6).
Payload: 12 Mini-Missiles.
Short Range Missile Launchers (Optional): Optionally mounted in the cargo compartment is a short range missile launcher. A total of four short range missiles are mounted with most common missile carries are special surface to air missiles. Because vehicle lacks a fire control system, targeting data must come from another source including troops, other vehicles, or power armors.
Maximum Effective Range: Varies with short range missile types (See revised bomb and missile tables for details - SAM Missiles most common.)
Mega-Damage: Varies with short range missile types (See revised bomb and missile tables for details - SAM Missiles most common.)
Rate of Fire: Can fire missiles one at a time or in volleys of two (2) or four (4) missiles. Can be fired equal to the gunner's combined hand to hand (usually 5 or 6).
Payload: 4 Short Range Missiles.
MI-EMM-60 60 mm Electromagnetic Mortar (Optional): Like missile launchers, the vehicle does not perform its own fire control but requires outside targeting. Unlike conventional mortars, the weapon uses a special system where the range is programmed in instead of propelling charging being used. While the weapon is far more expensive than a conventional mortar, it has an increased range over conventional models. An obvious advantage is that the individual projectiles are lighter but the weapon also is lighter. It is unmanned and automatic loading. Guided rounds and standard rounds can be used. Power is pulled directly from the reactor on fusion powered models and a high efficiency capacitor is used for non-fusion powered models. See Battlefield Mortars for Rifts for more details.
Maximum Effective Range: 14,000 feet (4,267.2 meters) [Minimum range of 250 feet (76.2 meters)]
Mega Damage: 1D4x10 for Fragmentation with a blast area of 20 feet (6.1 meters), 1D4x10 for High Explosive with a blast area of 5 feet (1.5 meters), 1D6x10 for Armor Piercing with a blast area of 3 feet (0.9 meters), and 2D4x10 for plasma rounds with a blast area of 15 feet (4.6 meters). The launcher can also fire smoke, illumination, and chemical rounds.
Rate of Fire: Equal to combined hand to hand attacks of gunner
Payload: 60 rounds. Fusion powered models do not need a capacitor to power weapon system but the non fusion powered model has a capacitor with enough charges for 100 firings.

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Writeup by Kitsune (E-Mail Kitsune).

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