REEF-PA01 Wasp Power Armor:

Neither the RDF or Southern Cross developed much in the way of power armors. There were some experimental designs but heavy mecha and veritechs were preferred over power armors. Still, the founder of the Florida base decided that she wanted a number of power armor to augment the main force of mecha and veritechs. The power armors would both be quicker to manufacture as well as being far cheaper to make in large number. Prior to developing their own armor design, the REEF used a mixture of different armors.

In order to reduce time in developing the armor, the various power armors operated by the REEF forces were studied and components were copied. These armors include the Coalition SAMAS armor, Triax Predator Power armor, and Northern Gun power armor designs. The armor was developed in record time, only taking a few months to develop and begin production. It was developed alongside the ground based power armor design, the Beetle.

In general, the “Wasp,” and its ground based sister the “Beetle” are considered good armor designs. Their performance is not up to the standards of some of the latest power armor designs such as the “Super SAMAS” but still compete well with the more common power armor designs. Still, the introduction of the Super SAMAS and other designs caused the REEF to quickly develop a new design, largely based on a captured Super SAMAS, which they call the “Katana SAMAS.” It was decided to virtually copy the “Super SAMAS” instead of developing an improved Wasp due to concerns about how long development would have required. Still, the Wasp is used by the REEF militia units and is still manufactured for export to both mercenaries and other interested parties. The REEF also offers full logistical support for the design.

Both the “Wasp” and “Beetle” share a huge amount of components and use the same frame. In addition to reducing development costs, this allows much easier logistic between the two armor types. The major difference is the lack of a flight system in the Beetle. The Wasp’s engines are based on a slightly improved version of the engines on the standard SAMAS and are both slightly faster, speeds of up to 515 kph and have a much better cooling system. Flight systems are similar enough to the standard SAMAS that after a shorter retraining, a SAMAS pilot can operate the Wasp with equal skill to the SAMAS. Armor materials for the Wasp are based on the improved materials developed by Triax which are stronger than the composites and alloys that the Coalition used until recently. They also took advantage of the advanced material sciences developed by Triax.

One of the things that was important in developing the power armor was that an energy weapon would be mounted integrally. A miniaturized version of the ion weapons carried on many Southern Cross designs was developed. Mounted on the back of the armor, it folds down when fired, it has a range about fifty percent greater than the standard SAMAS rail gun and inflicts significantly greater damage. The one problem the weapon has is that it draws too much energy for the fusion plant but instead it uses a capacitor. Capacitor has forty shots and recharges relatively slowly. In most cases, the troops operating the power armor will carry a secondary hand held weapon to augment this.

Otherwise, the only other weapon carried on the armor are missiles. While the design does not seem to have copied much from the Flying Titan, it appears as if the missiles mounts are copied from that flying power armor design. Eight mini-missiles or four short range missiles can be carried in total. A mixture of short range and mini-missiles can also be carried. Some consideration is being given to developing a modified wing that can carry six short range missiles or twelve mini-missiles. So far, no development work has been done on the modified wing.

Model Type: REEF-PA01

Class: Strategic Armor Military Assault Suit

Crew: One

M.D.C. by Location:

	[1] Shoulder Wings (2):	45 each
	Jet Pack:	110
	Lower Maneuvering Jets (2):	30 each
	Ion Cannon (Shoulder / Back):	80
	Arms (2):	70 each
	Legs (2):	100 each
	[2] Head:	75
	[3] Main Body:	280

Notes:

[1] Destroying a wing makes flight impossible, however without wings, the power armor can still do jet assisted leaps.

[2] Destroying the Head/Helmet will eliminate all forms of optical enhancement and sensory systems. No power armor combat bonuses to strike, parry, and dodge. Note: Head is a difficult target to hit and is a called shot and is -3 to strike.

[3] Depleting the M.D.C. of the main body will shut the power armor down completely, rendering it useless.

Speed:

Running: 50 mph. (80 kmph) maximum. Running does tire out the operator but at 10% of normal fatigue rate due to the robot exo-skeleton.

Leaping: Powerful robot legs can leap 15 feet (4.6 meters) up or across unassisted by using thrusters. A jet thruster assisted leap can propel the unit 100 feet (30.5 meters) high and 200 feet (61 meters) across without actually attaining flight.

Flight: The rocket propulsion system enables the Wasp to hover stationary up to 300 feet (91 meters) or fly. Maximum flying speed is 320 mph (515 kmph), but cruising speed is about 160 mph (257 kmph). Maximum altitude is limited to about 10,000 feet (3,050 meters).

Flying Range: The nuclear power system gives the armor decades of life, but the jet thrusters must cool down after twenty hours when flying above cruise and forty hours when traveling at cruise or below. Can fly indefinitely with rest stops.

Underwater Capabilities: Swimming: The Wasp can swim by using the same types of paddling leg and arm movements as a human at a maximum speed of roughly four mph (6.4 kmph / 3.4 knots). It can also walk along the bottom of the sea at about 25% its normal running speed. Using the jet thrusters, the Wasp can travel on the surface of water at 100 mph (160 kmph / 85 knots), underwater at 70 mph (112.6 kmph / 59.5 knots) or fly above the water's surface at normal speeds.

Maximum Ocean Depth: 2,000 feet (610 meters).

Statistical Data:

Height: 8.5 feet (2.6 meters)

Width: Wings Down; 4 feet (1.2 meters), Wings Extended; 12 feet (3.7 meters).

Length: 4.5 feet (1.4 meters) from front to back.

Weight: 620 pounds (282 kilograms) without missiles or secondary weapons.

Physical Strength: Equal to a P.S. 30.

Power System: Nuclear, average life is 15 years.

Cargo: None.

Market Cost: The Wasp power armor sells for 2.2 million for a new, undamaged, and fully operation suit complete with missiles and ion cannon. The REEF will sell the design to adventurers and mercenaries.

Weapon Systems:

One (1) Shoulder Mounted Ion Cannon: It is on the back beside the engine when not being used and rotates into a position on the shoulder pointed in front of the armor when being fired. The cannon is powerful and relatively long ranged but draws a large amount of power so that cannon has a limited number of shots. Capacitor is limited to forty shots and recharges at the arte of one shot per minute.

Maximum Effective Range: 6,000 feet (1,829 meters)

Mega Damage: 1D6x10 M.D.C.

Rate of Fire: Equal to the pilots combined hand to hand (usually 5 or 6)

Payload: Forty (40) shots in a capacitor, recharges at the rate of one shot per minute.
Four (4) Wing Missile Hard Points: On each wing, the power armor has racks that have two hard points each wing. Each hard point can carry either a single short range missile or a pair of mini-missiles. A total of eight mini-missiles or four short range missiles can be carried. Missiles can also be mixed although a single hard point.

Maximum Effective Range: As per mini-missile or short range missile type (See revised bomb and missile tables for details.)

Mega Damage: As per mini-missile or short range missile type (See revised bomb and missile tables for details.)

Rate of Fire: One at a time or in volleys of two (2) or four (4) missiles.

Payload: total of eight (8) mini-missiles or four (4) short range missiles. A mixture of missiles may also be carried, one short range missile may be substituted for two mini-missile.
Energy Rifles and other normal weapons or light rail guns may be used as a backup weapon or in case of emergency. Armor in service of the REEF Militia normally has a M-160 Assault Rifle issued with it
Hand-to-Hand Combat: Rather than use a weapon, Pilot can engage in mega-damage hand to hand combat. See Power Armor Combat Training in Robot Combat section of Rifts. All abilities are the same as those on page 45 of Rifts except that it receives a -1 penalty to the normal power armor dodge. Note: Pilot trained in the standard PA-06A SAMAS can pilot the Wasp with full elite skill after a few weeks of retraining.
Sensor Systems Note: Has all the normal power armor sensors plus has a special targeting system that gives a +2 to Strike beyond normal bonuses to strike for long range weapons combat only, not hand to hand.

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Picture by Kitsune (E-Mail Kitsune).

Writeup by Kitsune (E-Mail Kitsune).

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