Polar Star Manufacturing Badger Light Tank:


Polar Star Manufacturing is an enigma, a company which only appeared a couple of years ago. Most suggest that the company facilities are somewhere in the Northwest, perhaps in where was once Canada. Rumors abound that some of the founding members of the company escaped from the Coalition attacks against the manufacturing facilities of Iron Heart Industries. Some argue that the designs are quite different than Iron Heart designs but others argue that the company is doing that to stay out of the Coalition’s radar. Many also argue that it is likely a group of adventurers found some extensive intact Pre-Rifts manufacturing facilities.


So far, the company only produces a few designs, nothing like Northern Gun for example, although they do produce more than just ground vehicles unlike some smaller companies. The company does not yet produce any robot vehicle designs or power armors. In comparison, tracked ground vehicles are generally far less expensive. In general as well, their mobility is actually superior to robot vehicles as well and have the advantage of being able to conceal themselves as well.


In general, their designs seem to be largely based on Pre-Rifts designs. Many suggest that this allows for a vast amount of reduction in development time. The Badger is no exception to this. It is based on the Marten design which in turn appears to be based on a Pre-Rifts design called the CV-90. The Badger however is a light tank design which eliminates all embarked troops. Some customers prefer a light tank design over a medium tank design. As well, some consider that it better integrates with Marten armored vehicle forces.


Biggest modification is the mounting of the same Wellington 120 mm cannon as is carried on the Leopard design. The company appears to produce few of their own weapon systems, preferring instead to adopt already produced weapon systems. For the 120 mm cannon, the vehicle carries forty-seven rounds. Depending on the role, the tank might carry a variety of ammunition. To deal with enemy armor, the preferred round is a anti-tank discarding sabot round. There is an auto loader system for the main gun which will load the selected ammunition as required.


Coaxial to the main gun is a plasma cannon. Much lighter, it is still capable of dealing with troops and power armor. As with the main gun, the weapon is not manufactured by Polar Star. Instead it is the NG-E12 plasma ejector. On fusion powered models, the weapon is powered by the light tank’s fusion plant while it uses a special high output storage cell on other versions. As an interesting feature, the vehicle can use e-clips for the weapon when the main storage cell is emptied.


As with the Marten, there are a number of different options as far as additional weapons. One is a special remote mount usually controlled by the commander. It uses the same NG-E12 plasma ejector as is used in the coaxial mount. Combined with it is Wellington WI-GL21 Automatic Grenade Launcher. As with the coaxial mount, the plasma mount is powered by the fusion plant in fusion powered versions while it uses a special energy cell in other versions. In all versions, the grenade launcher has eight hundred rounds.


A second optional weapon system is a pair of Wellington mini-missile box launchers. Each has a capacity for four mini-missiles for a total of eight mini-missiles. Some crews with the Leopard carry additional mini-missiles externally although this does not appear to have been done by any crews of the Badger yet. Still, it is certainly theoretically possible. Still, there are serious dangers involved in carrying additional mini-missiles in such a manner. In all cases, the launchers have to be loaded externally.


For self defense, the Badger does mount a pair of smoke grenade launchers. While uncommon, crews can chose to use other types such as prismatic aerosol to deal with lasers or decoy grenades as protection against missiles. A possible addition to the design is Wellington “Super Claymore” mines as defense against attacking ground troops. Alamo Armory offers this feature on their various designs.


Amor is effectively identical to that of the Marten and quite a bit lighter than the Leopard design. There are a number of medium tanks which the Leopard can be compared to while there are less to compare the Badger to. Still, it is reasonable capable of tanking abuse. Against a full size modern tank however, especially one armed with a heavy electro-thermal cannon or a hypersonic heavy rail gun, the Badger is likely to find itself in trouble quickly.


Power systems are the same as with other Polar Star designs. As previously mentioned, there is a fusion powered model. The fusion plant is not manufactured by Polar Star but instead are adapted fusion reactors from other companies, mostly Northern gun. Giving virtually unlimited range, this design is the most expensive versions. The two other versions are a hybrid and pure electric powered model. The hybrid combines a high efficiency diesel and electric system. One criticism of the hybrid has been that fuels can be of dubious quality and even the best fuel filtration system is not always forgiving. That appears to be why Iron Heart went with gas turbines. While far less fuel efficient, they are far more forgiving of fuels and are even able to burn gasoline. The pure electric version replaces the diesel engine with additional high capacity batteries. In both the hybrid and pure electric versions, range is considered to be around one thousand kilometers. Top speed on roads is considered to be just a bit under one hundred kilometers per hour on all models. Off road, this speed is a little bit less. The design does have excellent fording abilities and can climb steep grades.


For crew comforts, the vehicle does carry a high efficiency climate system designed to deal with extremes of temperatures. While it has protection against chemical and other attacks, it does not have full life support systems. In such an environment, the crew would be expected to wear full environmental body armor. Still, the crew will generally be comfortable inside of the light tank. Standard crew is three with a drive, gunner, and commander. Electronics cannot be considered primitive but are limited. There is an excellent fire control computer combined with both night optics and thermal imaging systems. There are also periscopes fitted so that the vehicle crew can see over obstacles without exposing the light tank.


Model Type: PS-LBT-03 Polar Star Badger Light Battle Tank

Vehicle Type: Light Battle Tank

Crew: Three (Driver, Gunner, and Commander).


M. D. C. by Location:

 

[1] Tractor Treads (2):

75 each

 

Commander Remote Weapon Station - Optional

100

 

[2] WI-GL21 Automatic Grenade Launcher (Commander):

40

 

[2] NG-E12 Heavy Plasma Ejector (Commander):

30

 

Weapon Turret:

180

 

Wellington 120 mm Smooth-Bore Gun (Turret):

120

 

[2] NG-E12 Heavy Plasma Ejector (Turret - Coaxial):

30

 

WI-25 Four Tube Mini-Missile Launchers - Optional (2, turret):

30 each

 

[2] Smoke / Gas Dispensers (2):

20 each

 

[2] Headlights (2):

10 each

 

Reinforced Crew Compartment:

100

 

[3] Main Body:

360

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: Cruising speed on land is 59.03 mph (95 kph) on roads and 55.92 mph ( 90.0 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: Can be equipped with snorkel to run underwater down to 16.4 feet (5.0 meters)

Maximum Range: Conventional Hybrid or Pure Electric: 621.37 miles (1,000 kilometers). Nuclear: Effectively Unlimited (10 year life)


Statistical Data:

Height:  9 feet 2 inches (2.8 meters).

Width:   10 feet 6 inches (3.2 meters).

Length:  22 feet 4 inches (6.8 meters).

Weight: 38.58 tons (35 metric tons) fully loaded

Power Source: Three versions: Conventional, Diesel / Electric Hybrid, Pure Electric, or Fusion Powered with 10 year life span. Each developed around 1,200 horsepower.

Cargo Capacity: Minimal, enough for equipment with crew. Usually each crew carries a pistol, light carbine, and usually the tank carries a rocket launcher for defense against other armor if the crew is forced to evacuate the tank.

Black Market Cost: Conventional Hybrid: 2.0 Million Credits, Pure Electrical: 2.4 Million Credits, and Fusion Powered: 18 Million Credits (life span of 10 years). Optional Commander Remote Station costs 400,000 Credits.. Four Shot Mini-Missile Box Launchers cost 65,000 Credits for a pair of launchers.


Weapon Systems

  1. One (1) Wellington 120 mm L55 Smooth Bore Gun: Very similar to the Iron Fist’s main cannon and unlike the original CV-90-120T design, the Polar Star Leopard mounts an auto loader. The gun can fire a wide variety of loads, including high-explosive (HE), high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT), armor-piercing explosive (AP),and armor piercing sabot-discarding solids (APSD). The turret can rotate 360 degrees and the gun can elevate 20 degrees and depress 10 degrees. Fired by the main gunner.

    Maximum Effective Range: 11,500 feet (3,500 meters) for direct fire with discarding sabot round, 6,000 feet (1828 meters) for direct fire with all other rounds, and indirect fire range of 26,250 feet (8,000 meters).

    Mega-Damage: High Explosive: 1D6x10 with a blast radius of 20 feet (6.1 meters). High Explosive Anti-Tank: 2D6x10, blast radius of 10 feet (3.05 meters). Armor Piercing: 2D4x10. Armor Piercing Discarding Sabot: 3D4x10 (optional rule is that cannon gets a critical on a natural 18, 19, or 20 due to its high penetration)

    Rate of Fire: A Maximum of three (3) attacks per melee.

    Payload: 47 rounds.

    Bonuses: Has a special fire control computer that helps to aim the cannon. Gives +2 to strike with cannon and vehicle does not have minuses to fire when tank is moving.

  2. One (1) Coaxial NG-E12 Heavy Plasma Ejector: Powerful secondary weapon which fires a blast of plasma. Coaxial weapon points wherever the main gun points and has the same limitations. In fusion models, power is pulled directly from the power plant although conventional and pure electric models much use a high capacity battery to power the coaxial weapon system.

    Maximum Effective Range: 2,000 feet (610 meters).

    Mega Damage: 1D6x10 per plasma blast

    Rate of Fire: Equal to the gunner's hand to hand attacks.

    Payload: Conventional Hybrid / Pure Electric: 42 blasts from the main battery. Can plug in E-Clips for addition blasts (6 shots short E-Clip, 12 Shots each long E-Clip). Fusion: Effectively Unlimited.

  3. One (1) Commander Remote Weapon Station (Optional): The remote weapon station is designed to be controlled from inside the tank so that the commander is protected. The weapon station combines a plasma ejector with an automatic grenade launcher. The weapon mount combines a Wellington WI-GL21 Automatic Grenade Launcher and a Northern Gun NG-E12 Heavy Plasma Ejector. Conventional and Pure Electrically powered models use a high capacity battery to power the plasma ejector while fusion powered models pull power directly off the reactor. The grenade launcher is extremely effective against troops while the plasma ejector is better against fast moving targets.

    Maximum Effective Range: NG-E12 Heavy Plasma Ejector: 2,000 feet (610 meters). WI-GL21 Automatic Grenade Launcher: 3,000 feet (914 meters).

    Mega Damage: NG-E12 Heavy Plasma Ejector: 1D6x10 per plasma blast. WI-GL21 Automatic Grenade Launcher: 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: Both Weapons: Equal to the gunner's hand to hand attacks.

    Payload: NG-E12 Heavy Plasma Ejector, Conventional Hybrid / Pure Electric: 42 blasts from the main battery. Can plug in E-Clips for addition blasts (6 shots short E-Clip, 12 Shots each long E-Clip). NG-E12 Heavy Plasma Ejector, Fusion: Effectively Unlimited. WI-GL21 Automatic Grenade Launcher: 800 Rounds.

  4. Two (2) WI-25 Four Tube Mini-Missile Launchers (Optional): Mounted on either side of the vehicle’s turret, these launchers are lightweight but add greatly to the potential firepower of the vehicle. Controlled by the gunner, each one has four tubes than can be fired individually or all four in each may be fired at the same time. The weapon has to be manually reloaded with the crew having to get out of vehicle to reload the launchers. The tank is not designed to carry reloads. As such, no reloads are usually carried although crews could carry them externally.

    Maximum Effective Range: Varies by mini-missile type (See revised bomb and missile tables for details.)

    Mega-Damage: Varies by mini-missile type (See revised bomb and missile tables for details.)

    Rate of Fire: Single shot or all four mini-missiles only (Both launchers cannot be combined)

    Payload: 8 total (4 each), takes 15 seconds (one melee) to reload each launcher.

  5. Two (2) Smoke Dispensers: Mounted on either side of the armored vehicle 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 feet (12 meters) in diameter. Other special effects per grenade type.

    Rate of Fire: Two (2) per melee round.

    Range: 1,200 feet (365 meters).

    Payload: Carries 12 smoke grenades per launcher (24 grenades total)


Sensory Equipment:



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Writeup by Kitsune (E-Mail Kitsune).


Copyright © 2014, Kitsune. All rights reserved.


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