Zilkia Industries ZI-250X “Silent Death” Hover Tank:

Zilkia Industries is one of the most unique companies of Rifts Earth. It was founded by an exiled Kittani by the name of Ki-Tarn Zilkia. Several other members of his family are also employed by the company and it has become a haven for other members of the Kittani race who are trying to escape the dominion of the Splugorth. Of course the majority of the company are humans. The headquarters of the company are located in the city of Tolkeen The company opened its doors producing a variety of Kittani weapon systems and power armors but has since branched out to produce additional equipment including robot vehicle and tanks. Several of his designs are based on Triax developments although they often have extensive stylistic changes to make that less obvious. The Company is believed to work closely with Metalworks Industries even though both companies compete for the same market. Both companies also appear to trade with Naruni Enterprises.

One of the products produced by Zilkia Industries is the ZI-250X “Silent Death” Hover Tank. The “Silent Death” is believed by most to be a copy of the Triax XM-330 Phantom hover tank with stylistic changes. The basic hull between the two designs appear to be virtually identical. There was some hacking into a Triax design database and the design of the Phantom is one which is believed to have been stolen. As well, several employees of Zilkia Industries are believed to have formerly worked for the New German Republic company. The “Silent Death” shares the same propulsion system which is virtually silent. It also has the same top speed as the Triax design. The Zilkia Industries' design has a top speed of around 130 kilometers per hour over land and twenty-five kilometers per hour over water. The fusion reactor is a standard Zilkia Industries design but again appears to have been developed from a Triax reactor design. Unlike the Metalworks hover tank design, the Zilkia Industries does not have the option of being powered by fuel cells or through a pure electrical power plant.

The armor carried on the main body and turret on the “Silent Death” are identical to that carried on the Phantom but the armor on some of the second locations have been modified when compared to the Triax design. The hover tank is incredibly well armored and can take a huge amount of abuse. Standard Naruni force fields are simply not powerful enough to protect the hover tank. It is possible that one developed for the Juggernaut super heavy hover tank could be adapted but none have been so far to the “Silent Death.” The Zilkia Industries' hover tank is already extremely expensive and this would likely mean a tremendous increase in the tank’s cost. A handful have been adapted to use the Naruni camouflage system. These few have sold for incredible prices and it is believed that Zilkia Industries has retained a small number for their own use. Crew is the same as in the original model with a crew of three. One passenger position has been eliminated to make space for ammunition and other equipment and there is only space for a single passenger.

For main weaponry, the “Silent Death” mounts the same main cannon carried on the Metalworks Industries' Typhoon hover tank, an 80 mm heavy rail gun more powerful than is carried on the Glitter Boy. The same weapon is also carried on the Iron Industries improved Abrams main battle tank and has also been adapted for the War Spider produced by Zilkia Industries. The cannon is manufacture by Metalworks and then fitted to the design by Zilkia Industries engineers. The weapon has a payload of fifty rounds which most command are armor penetrating rounds but a variety of other rounds are available as well. The tank mounts an auto-loader for the cannon. To back up the heavy rail gun, there are a pair of pulse lasers mounted. These are adapted from Triax TX-41 pulse lasers and are variable frequency for use against laser resistant armors. One is mounted on each side of the main barrel. Instead of a pair of rail guns mounted in the front, a single Vulcan laser is mounted just in front of the main turret. The design is virtually identical to the Iron Heart Armament IH-44 design carried on the Iron Hammer. The deck of the turret just in front of the main turret is extended so the weapon can be mounted. Instead of the light laser mounted in a low profile turret, the hover tank mounts a spider defense system which is permanently mounted and draws power from the fusion reactor of the tank itself instead of having an independent reactor. The grenade launchers on the main tank are replaced by the grenade launcher carried on the spider defense system. Of course one of the main advantages of the system is that it can be run in fully automatic mode, freeing the gunner up for other tasks. Finally, the small mini-missile launchers on the tank are replaced by larger models which double the number of mini-missiles which can be carried by the tank.

Model Type: ZI-250X “Silent Death” Hover Tank
Vehicle Type: Military Hover Tank
Crew: Three (Pilot, Gunner, and Commander), has space for one passenger.

M.D.C. by Location:

	Main Cannon Turret (80 mm Rail Gun):	350
	[1] Coaxial Variable Frequency Pulse Lasers (2, beside rail gun)	50 each
	[1] ZI-1000 Spider Defense System (1, Above Turret):	50
	Mini-Missile Launchers (2; sides of turret)	150 each
	Front Vulcan Laser Turret	75
	[1] Forward Headlights (2):	10 each
	[1] Main Sensor (front):	20
	[1] Top Access Hatch:	120
	[1] Belly Hatch:	100
	Reinforced Pilots Compartment:	100
	[2] Main Body:	700

Notes:
[1] All indicated hit locations are small and/or difficult targets to hit. An attacker must make a called shot and has a -3 penalty as well. Destroying both sensor systems means that the pilot must rely on his own vision with no enhancements such as radar.
[2] If all the M.D.C. of the main body is depleted, the vehicle is completely shut down and unsalvageable, but crew and troops may survive in their reinforced compartments.

Speed:
Land: 80 mph (128 kph) maximum. The hover tank rides on a cushion of air as low as two feet (0.6 meters) or as high as six feet (1.8 meters).
Water: 15 mph (24 kph). The hover system is not as efficient over water as it is over land.
Flying: Flight is not possible.
Maximum Effective Range: Effectively Unlimited by propulsion system, system does not overheat

Statistical Data:
Length: 35.1 feet (10.7 meters) long for the hull and 42.4 feet (12.9 meters) including the cannon barrel
Width: 20 feet (6 meters)
Height: 9 feet (2.7 meters)
Weight: 48 tons (43.5 metric tons) empty and 54 tons (49.0 metric tons) fully loaded
Power Source: Nuclear Fusion, Should have an average lifespan of 20 years.
Cargo: Minimal (Storage for small equipment). Tank has space for three backpacks, canteens, and rifles
Black Market Cost: 55 million credits for standard model, 75 million credits for model with Naruni camouflage system.

Weapon Systems:

High Velocity 80 mm Heavy Rail Gun: Replaces both weapons in the main battery. The turret can rotate 360 degrees and the barrel can angle up to 45 degrees. The weapon system is gyro-stabilized and has an advanced fire control computer. The special fire control computer gives a bonus of +2 to strike. The Weapon mount is useful for direct fire and artillery style fire. The rail gun normally fires a solid dart of ultra dense high strength materials that does massive damage to targets that it hits but can also use explosive warheads. Loading system of the gun is completely automated.
Maximum Effective Range: 3 miles (4.83 km) for direct fire and 7.5 miles (12 km) for indirect fire.
Mega Damage: A single round inflicts 4D6x10+20 (optional rule is that cannon gets a critical on a natural 18, 19, or 20 due to its high penetration). Can use High Explosive rounds that do 1D4x10 with a blast radius of 20 ft. High Explosive Anti Tank does 1D6x10 with a blast radius of 10 ft.
Rate of Fire:Maximum of four per melee.
Payload: 50 rounds.
Bonuses: Has a special fire control computer that helps to aim the cannon. Gives +2 to strike with rail gun and vehicle does not have minuses to fire when hover tank is moving.
Twin Coaxial Pulse Lasers (2):. One is mounted coaxial on each side of the main cannon and each is a pulse laser which is derived from the TX-41 pulse laser. The laser retains the variable frequency setting and the ability to fire bursts. The weapon has 12 different possible frequencies to counter laser resistant armor. Setting seven counters USA-10 Glitter Boy and all other setting are designed to counter other laser resistant materials. Both lasers can be fired simultaneously for greater damage.
Maximum Effective Range: 4,000 feet (1,200 meters).
Mega Damage: Rail 3D6 for single shot and 1D6x10 for three round burst (Both lasers combined inflict 2D6x10 for a six round burst.)
Rate of Fire: Equal to number of combined hand to hand attacks (usually 4-6).
Payload: (Draws Power off the main engines)
ZI-44L Vulcan Laser (1): This is a direct copy of the Iron Heart cannon and is quite powerful although much shorter range than the main cannon. This weapon is mounted in front of the main turret and can rotate up to 270 degrees and can elevate up to 75 degrees to hit airborne targets. It is normally operated by the driver or the tank commander. The weapon consists of six rotating laser cannons, cycling through bursts of six blasts per second.
Maximum Effective Range: 4,000 feet (1,200 meters)
Mega-Damage: 3D4 x 10 M.D. per instantaneous burst (counts as one blast/attack).
Rate of Fire: Can shoot up to six times per melee!
Payload: Effectively Unlimited (Draws Power off the main engines).
ZI-1000 Spider Defense System (1): Weapon is ermanently mounted on the turret on the top and are side by side. The systems are connected to the ships power supply so that it has unlimited shots. Weapon system normally is used as an anti-missile defense. Weapon system also has four grenades which two are usually smoke and two are usually prismatic aerosol for use against lasers. Other grenades can be used as well.
Maximum Effective Range: 4,000 feet (1,200 meters) for light blasts, 3,000 feet (915 meters) for heavy blasts, 20 feet (6.1 meters) for electrical current, 100 feet (30.5 meters) for smoke grenades
Mega Damage: 4D6 for light blasts, 1D4x10 for heavy blasts, 3D6 S.D.C. for electrical current. See Grenades for details on grenades
Rate of Fire: 6 Attacks per melee (+2 to strike) - grenades are fired on at a time.
Payload: Unlimited (has 4 grenades - usually two smoke and two prismatic aerosol)
Side Mounted Mini-Missile Systems (2): These are mounted on the sides of the “Silent Death” turret and are larger than the original launchers. Each are high capacity mini-missile launchers. Mini-missile launchers retract when not in use. Each launcher carries twenty-four mini-missiles for forty-eight total. Normally used for short range combat and is extremely devastating when used in that manner.
Missile Type: Any mini-missile can be used, but standard issue is armor piercing (1D4x10 M.D.) or plasma (1D6x10). Fragmentation will be used for anti-personnel operations.
Maximum Effective Range: Varies with mini-missile type (See revised bomb and missile tables for details.)
Mega-Damage: Varies with mini-missile type (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), six (6), or twelve (12) missiles.
Payload: Twelve each launcher for twenty-four total.

Special Equipment:

The Tank has all the standard features of a standard robot (including long range communication, radar, and radar tracking) plus these special features listed.

Radio/ Video Communications: Long range, directional, has a range of 500 miles with short range directional radio of 5 miles.
Laser Targeting System: Range is 2 miles and gives +1 to strike with long range weapons.
Combat Computer/ Targeting Computer: Assist in the tracking of targets.
Radar: 50 miles, can identify 96 targets and track 48 as low as 500 ft. Same as robot's Maxi-Radar.
Full Life Support: Protects pilots and hovercraft from heat and radiation and gives a breathable atmosphere inside the hover tank for up 48 hours in vacuum and three weeks with scrubbers.
Spotlight: Range: 600 feet (182.9 meters)
Thermo-Imager: Range: 2,000 ft (609 m). Finds the infrared radiations of things that are warm. Also enables pilot to see in smoke, shadows and darkness.
Nightvision Optics: Range: 2,000 ft (609 m). 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.
Silenced Engine and Propulsion System: No air cushion hover vehicle is truly silent but the Phantom is very quiet for its design. At ranges of 3.1 miles (16,400 feet / 5,000 meters) or greater, The Hover Tank is so quiet that it gets a prowl roll of 35% in daylight and 60% in darkness.
Camouflage System: Optional system: The tank’s skin is covered by a fiber-optic material that can change colors to match the general environment. Color change takes 1D4 melee rounds (15 to 60 seconds), in which the armor becomes the exact same color as the predominant one in the area. In the woods or in broken terrain, the suit will also create stripes and blotches of lighter and darker color like a camouflage pattern. In all cases, the vehicle is difficult to spot: -20% for others to detect ambush and detect concealment, and has a prowl skill of 40%.
The system also masks infrared and thermal emissions, making the tank’s heat invisible to infrared and thermal optics! There is only a 21% chance of the tank showing up on thermal systems and even then the reading/image will seem unusual. The camouflage system is disabled after the tank’s main body takes 200 points of damage.

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By Ki-Tarn Zilkia (Kitarn@netscape.net) & Kitsune (E-Mail Kitsune).

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