Polar Star Manufacturing Marten Infantry Fighting Vehicle:

Polar Star Manufacturing appears to be located in the north west, most likely what was once Canada. There are persistent rumors that the company was started by a number of escaping engineers from Iron Heart Industries when New Kenora was taken over by the Coalition. Interestingly, the designs are not really similar to those of Iron Heart Industries but some argue that is to keep the company under the radar of the Coalition. It has been also suggested that the manufacturing facilities were intact Pre-Rifts facilities. So far, the company only produces a comparative handful of designs. Unlike Iron Armory and Alamo Armory, Polar Star Manufacturing produced more than just ground vehicles.

As companion to their Leopard medium tank, they produce an Infantry Fighting Vehicle known as the Marten. It is named after a small mustelid. It appears to be based on a Pre-Rifts design known as the CV-90. In comparison, it is a bit better armored than the Iron Maiden design and is armed with a 35 mm cannon instead of a 30 mm. Cost is similar to the Iron Heart armored vehicle design which makes it far cheaper than most robot vehicle designs. Based on the Marten is a light tank design. Armed with the same 120 mm cannon as the Leopard, it is much lighter armored and carries only forty-seven rounds of ammunition.

Similar to the Polar Star Leopard, the Marten’s quality is good but not outstanding, most comparable to Alamo Armory designs. Direct comparisons are difficult to make due to two companies differences in emphasis. The Marten Infantry Fighting Vehicle is far better armored and armed than the Alamo Armory T-113-IFV although is quite a bit more expensive. The Marten is selling well although several companies including Alamo Armory directly compete with Polar Star in the Infantry fighting vehicle market.

Standard crew of the vehicle is three, driver, gunner, and vehicle commander. In addition, the vehicle carries seven troops maximum. While it lacks full environmental systems, it has protection against chemical and other attacks. One item that Polar Star designs has over Alamo Armor is better air conditioning and environmental systems. The idea is that crews can be comfortable outside of environmental body armor. Still, while operating in a combat situation, most crews and troops will wear full body armor. The vehicle has a sophisticate fire control system, periscopes to see over most terrain, as well as night vision and thermal imaging equipment.

There are three basic propulsion / power systems similar to the Leopard design. The first is a hybrid diesel and electric drive system. The drive system is far more efficient than a pure diesel engine and gives a range of one thousand kilometers, just a little shorter than the leopard design. Most Iron Heart designs use gas turbines which are far less fuel efficient although have less problems with low quality fuels. There is a high quality filtration system on the Marten but still caution needs to be taken with fuels. The second version, a pure electric version, eliminates the fuel tanks and replaces them with high capacity batteries. The pure electric version has a similar range to the hybrid version. In comparison to the Iron Maiden design, the Martin has around sixty percent greater range. Final version is a fusion powered model. While it gives virtually unlimited range, it greatly increases the cost of the armored vehicle. Like Iron Heart Industries, Polar Star does not manufacture their own fusion plants but instead imports them. Many appear to be purchased from Northern Gun. One weakness the Martin has compared to the Iron Maiden is its top speed. Top speed is about twenty percent less with a top speed of ninety-five kilometers per hour on roads with a slightly lower top speed off roads.

Similar to the fusion plants on some models, Polar Star Manufacturing does not seem to manufacture many, if any, of their own weapon systems. Instead the company prefers to use already existing weapon systems including many manufactured by Wellington Industries. Mounted in a gyro-stabilized turret, the main gun is a Wellington Bushmaster III 35 mm Chain Gun using special ramjet ammunition. Standard payload is three hundred rounds although more can be carried in the place of troops. Coaxial to the 35 mm mount is a heavy plasma mount. In this case, the weapon system is of Northern Gun manufacture, the NG-E12 plasma ejector. Power in the non fusion models of the Marten are provided by a high capacity storage cell. For defensive purposes, the vehicle mounts a pair of grenade launchers primarily used for smoke grenades although other grenades such as decoy and prismatic aerosol can also be carried.

In addition to the 35 mm chain gun and the coaxial plasma mount, there are a number of different options. One is to carry the same combination remote station as the Leopard, combining the same plasma cannon as the coaxial and an automatic grenade launcher. A second is the option to mount a pair of mini-missile launchers. Each launcher has a capacity for four mini-missiles for a total of eight missiles. Additional mini-missiles can be carried in the fighting compartment instead of troops. Engineers have discussed mounting a pair of Wellington “Super Claymores” on the sides of the armored vehicle for defense against close infantry but so far has not been adopted.

Model Type: PS-IFV-02 Polar Star Marten Infantry Fighting Vehicle

Vehicle Type: Infantry Fighting Vehicle

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

Troop Carrying Capacity: Seven (7) soldiers in full gear.

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 Bushmaster III 35 mm Chain Gun (Turret):	65
	[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
	Rear Hatch:	120
	Reinforced Crew Compartment:	100
	Reinforced Personnel Bay:	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: Without troops, can carry up to 2.0 tons (1.81 metric tons)

Black Market Cost: Conventional Hybrid: 1.2 Million Credits, Pure Electrical: 1.5 Million Credits, and Fusion Powered: 16 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:

One (1) Wellington Bushmaster III 35 mm Ramjet Chain Gun (Turret): Modified version of the pre-Rifts weapon. Mounted in the turret and controlled by the gunner, it has the ability to rotate 360 degrees and can aim upwards up to 37 degrees. It can engage low flying aircraft and creatures. The 35 mm cannon fires heavy ramjet rounds with armor piercing warheads which inflict as much damage as most heavy rail guns. The ramjet rounds inflict great damage and can quicky punch through the front armor of a tank or the main armor of a giant robot.

Maximum Effective Range: 8,000 feet (2,438.4 meters).

Mega Damage: 2D6x10+20 for a burst of 10 rounds, 4D6 for each round.

Rate of Fire: Equal to the gunner's hand to hand attacks; each burst counts as one melee action.

Payload: 300 round magazine (30 bursts.) Reloading is done inside the vehicle and takes two melee rounds (30 seconds) for two crewmen or passengers and six melees (90 seconds) if only one person is involved or the people aren't trained in the reload procedure.
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.
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.
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. Mini-Missiles can be carried in place of troops.

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. Forty-Eight mini-missiles can be carried in the place of a single troop.
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:

NBC Protection: While not full life support, the armored vehicle is equipped with protection for the crew from most gas, radiation, and biological attacks.
Combat Computer: Gives +2 bonus when targeting with main gun.
Thermo-Imager: Range: 2,000 feet (609 meters). Finds the infra-red radiations of things that are warm. Also enables pilot to see in smoke, shadows and darkness.
Nightvision Optics: Range: 2,000 feet (609 meters). Uses light amplification to make a picture. Emits no light but will not work in absolute darkness. System can be dazzled by sudden bright lights but does not physically blind the pilot.
Visual Magnification: Gives magnification of up to 12 times normal.
Periscopes: Enables the crew to see over most terrain.

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Writeup by Kitsune (E-Mail Kitsune).

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