U.S.M.C. AAAV-10 Wolverine Amphibious Assault Vehicle:


An important part of the United States Marine Corps during the middle part of the Twenty First century and never completely supplanted in service although the planned replacement of the Assault Vehicle by the Iwo Jima hovercraft was interrupted by the coming of the Rifts. The tracked vehicle filled a similar role to the Armored Personnel Carrier and predates the USA-M-8 Maverick Infantry Fighting Vehicle by about a decade. The AAAV-10 was design for use by the marines because it had an extremely high speed on the water and was fairly fast on ground as well. While the USA-M-8 Maverick Infantry Fighting Vehicle is faster both faster on ground and water, the large number of Wolverines meant that they remained in service although many were transferred to Reserves. The marines never purchased enough Mavericks to completely replace the Wolverine and the AAAV-10 also carried more troops. The Wolverine can carry 18 troops while the Maverick can only carry 10 troops. Often the Amphibious Assault vehicles were carried instead of Landing Craft at the rate of four AAAV for one LCAC. Only a handful of the vehicles are known to have survived although if the intact hull of an Amphibious vessel was found that more of these crafts could be recovered. Most owners of these vehicles use them as straight armored personnel carriers and only take advantage of the amphibious nature of them for surprise attacks.


There are two main versions of the vehicle with the only major difference being in the weapon systems. Some old versions were upgraded up to the newer versions but most were new construction. The first version is armed with a 30 mm Bushmaster II Chain Cannon as its main weapon and the weapon is identical to the one carried by the previous generation of Amphibious Assault Vehicles. Most of these early models were found in Marine Reserve Units and virtually all known surviving vehicles are of this model. The second version of the vehicle carries two powerful rail guns instead of the 30 mm cannon. The newer model was produced in smaller numbers and virtually all are believed to have been destroyed. All of them were in active units and many were deployed onboard amphibious vessels.


The Wolverine was designed just before the introduction of fusion reactors to power smaller military vehicles. The systems were under development but there were serious concerns with delays if the designers waited until the introduction of the new power plant. The project was already almost five years behind schedule due to budget reductions during the "Golden Age." Instead the vehicle used a fuel cell system. The fuel cells operate by pulling the electrons off of an H2 molecule, splitting it into 2H+ molecules and 2 electrons. The electrons pass through the “load” (engines, weapons, avionics, etc.) creating current and powering the systems. Meanwhile, the 2H+ molecules pass from the anode to the cathode through the electrolyte. At the other “End,” the electrons then recombine with the 2H+ molecules and Oxygen (from the air) and are release as water from the rear of the vehicle. The engine and upgraded power train gave the vehicle a top speed of 65 mph on land and 35 mph on the water. This needs to be compared to the USA-M-8 Maverick which had a top speed of over 95 miles per hour on land and about 40 miles per hour on the surface of the water. Still, the Wolverine was 5 miles per hour fast on water and 20 miles per hour faster on land.


The amount of weaponry carried on the Wolverine is surprisingly light compared to other Infantry Support Vehicles such as the Maverick. The main gun which is mounted in the initial version of the Wolverine was one of the most powerful weapons when the vehicle was first introduced and fired a mixture of high explosive and armor piercing rounds for greater damage. A liquid propellant version of the weapon was initially planned but was dropped due to cost constraints. When the vehicles guns were upgraded, they were replaced by a pair of rail guns from the US Army Steel Tiger Attack VTOL. The engines for the Steel Tiger was still under development but the main rail guns were already being tested. To support the main gun, a smaller gun was mounted in the same mount in a Coaxial position. On the first versions, this was a liquid propellant weapon but on later versions, this was upgraded to a rail gun. The rail gun is identical to the one carried on the SAMAS power armor. There was some consideration to replace the rail gun with an energy weapon but this was never done due to the fact that the vehicle was due to be taken out of service within the next five years if the Rifts had not occurred. As a final weapon, the vehicle was designed with missile launchers on the rear. The short range missile launchers had a capacity for 16 short range missiles. These missiles were found to be useful against heavy armor at close range, against reinforced bunkers, and against relatively slow moving aircraft. They also helped to protect the vehicle against missile strikes against it. Unlike the previous Amphibious Assault vehicle, the Wolverine was constructed from the new high strength alloys and composites that had been just introduced. As a result, the vehicle could withstand much larger amounts of damage than previous designs. Unlike the Maverick though, laser resistant and plasma resistant materials were never used.


The vehicle was designed to be used by a crew of 3. While the pilot / driver of the vehicle sits in the main hull of the vehicle, the commander sits in the turret next to the gunner. He has controls for the turret incase of emergency. The Wolverine does not have firing ports for the soldiers to fire from. This was seen as a potential problem for watertight integrity if one of the slits is open when the vehicle is in the water. Troops have a pair of hatches on the top of the vehicle behind the turret and a large rear door.


Model Type:AAAV-10Original Model
AAAV-10-A2Upgraded Model
Vehicle Type: Amphibious Armored Personnel Carrier
Crew: Three (Driver, Gunner, and Commander).
Troop Carrying Capacity: 18 soldiers in full gear


M. D. C. by Location:

Weapon Turret (Forward):150
30 mm Bushmaster Chain Gun (Turret - Original Model):80
Heavy Rail Guns (2, Turret - Upgraded Model):80 each
[1] Forward Light Weapon Mount:40
Short Range Missile Launchers (2, Rear Sides):60 each
[1] Smoke / Gas Dispensers (4):15 each
[1] Headlights (2):10 each
Rear Troop Hatch:120
Top Troop Hatches (2):60 each
Reinforced Crew Compartment:100
Reinforced Personnel Bay:100
[2] Main Body:280
[3] Tractor Treads (2):60 each


Notes:
[1] 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.
[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. Vehicle will sink if it is in the water.
[3] Depleting the M.D.C. of a tread will immobilize the tank 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.


Speed:
Ground: 65 mph (104 kph) maximum road speed; 55 mph (88.5 kph) maximum off-road speed. 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%.
Water: On the surface at 35 mph (56 kph / 30.4 knots). Cannot travel underwater.
Maximum Range: 500 miles (805 kilometers) on land and 100 miles (161 kilometers / 86.8 nautical miles) on water.


Statistical Data:
Height: 10.8 feet (3.3 meters)
Width: 12.5 feet (3.8 meters)
Length: 30.3 feet (9.2 meters)
Weight: 37.5 tons (34 metric tons) fully loaded
Cargo Capacity: Minimal storage space in pilots compartment; about three feet (0.9 m) in side dimensions for extra clothing, weapons, and personal items. Three Laser Rifles and two hand-held Missile Launchers with four loads each are stored in a compartment behind the driver's seat.
Without troops, can carry up to 3 tons (2.7 metric tons) in rear troop bay
Power System: Fuel Cell System
Black Market Cost: 3.5 million for a new or fully operational AAAV-10 Wolverine AAV. Add 2 million for the AAAV-10-A2 Model if available.


Weapon Systems:

  1. Main Weapon: The turret is mounted fairly far forward in the vehicle. Since the cannon is built into a turret, it can rotate 360-degrees and can aim upwards 60 degrees - allowing it to engage low-flying aircraft and creatures. The cannon is controlled by a gunner inside the turret compartment. The vehicle has a special fire control computer that helps to aim the cannon. Gives +2 to strike with the cannon and vehicle does not have minuses to fire when it moving. Both the gunner and the vehicle commander are housed within the turret.
    1. Bushmaster II 30 mm Chain Gun: This is a giant machine-gun designed for light armored vehicles which uses many of the same parts as the earlier 25-mm model. The weapon is dual purpose and can be used against both which is affected against the heaviest armor types. Weapon fires a combination of armor piercing and explosive rounds to inflict heavy damage on targets.
      Maximum Effective Range: 6,000 feet (1,830 meters).
      Mega-Damage: A burst is 20 rounds and inflicts 2D6x10. A single round does 3D6 M.D.
      Rate of Fire: Equal to the gunner's hand to hand attacks; each burst counts as one melee action.
      Payload: 200 round magazine (10 bursts) each mount. The vehicle has an additional 400 rounds stowed internally. 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.
    2. Heavy Rail Guns (2): These replace the 30 mm cannon in later model and inflict greater damage when fired together. These weapons are also mounted in the Steel Tiger attack VTOL. The weapon is dual purpose and is usable against both ground targets and attacking aircraft.
      Maximum Effective Range: 6000 feet (1828 meters)
      Mega-Damage: 2D4x10 M.D.C. per burst of 20 rounds for one rail gun or 4D4x10 M.D.C. for both cannons (40 rounds). Single shot inflicts 3D6 M.D.C.
      Rate of Fire: Equal to the gunner's hand to hand attacks; each burst counts as one melee action.
      Payload: 500 rounds per each gun, that's 25 bursts each. The vehicle has an additional 1000 rounds stowed internally. 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.
  2. Secondary Non-Missile Weapon (1): The Wolverine has a light mount beside the main weapon in the turret which moves the main weapon. It is designed for targets that do not warrant the use of the main gun. The weapon shares the fire control of the main gun and gets a +2 to strike.
    1. Liquid Propellant Gatling Gun: This weapon is carried on the original AAAV-10 Model but replaced on most vehicles. This weapon is similar to the sub-machine-gun carried on the USA-GPA-01-D. This weapon's primary purpose is use against infantry and other lightly armored targets. The weapon can fire all types of burst available to machine guns except extended bursts. The weapon uses a special liquid propellant which delivers about four times the force of nitro-cellulose propellant and the weapon fires an 8 mm round.
      Maximum Effective Range: 3,000 ft (914 m)
      Mega-Damage:
        Single Shot (Costs 1 attack): 1D6
        Ten Round Burst on One Target (Costs 1 attack): 5D6
        Ten Round Burst on 1D4 Target (Costs 1 attack): 1D6
        Thirty Round Burst on One Target (Costs 1 attack): 1D6x10
        Thirty Round Burst on 1D8 Target (Costs 1 attack): 2D6
      Rate of Fire: Equal to combined hand to hand attacks of pilot or commander.
      Payload: 1200 rounds in turret. The vehicle has an addition 2400 rounds stowed internally. 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.
    2. USA-M31 Rail gun: Mounted on AAAV-10A1 models and refitted on many earlier models. It is simpler as far as ammunition and operation than the liquid propellant weapon. From the original Pre-Rifts SAMAS design. The rail gun has fewer bursts and is heavier but the rail gun inflicts more damage than the post Rifts C-40R
      Maximum Effective Range: 4,000 feet (1,200 meters).
      Mega-Damage: A burst of 40 rounds does 1D6x10.
      Rate of Fire: Equal to combined hand to hand attacks of pilot or commander.
      Payload: 2000 rounds (50 Bursts) in turret. The vehicle has an addition 4000 rounds (100 bursts) stowed internally. 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.
  3. Light Missile Launcher (2): These weapons are mounted behind the cockpit and the main turret of the Amphibious vehicle. This weapon has a limited payload but is useful again other armored vehicles, reinforced bunkers, and as a defensive weapon against incoming missiles and slow moving aircraft. Short Range Missiles are usually a mixture of 50% Armor Piercing and 50% Plasma. Launchers can lock onto multiple targets at the same.
    Maximum Effective Range: As per short range missile type (See revised bomb and missile tables for details.)
    Mega Damage: As per short range 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) or four (4) missiles and can be used up to twice per melee.
    Payload: 8 short range missiles each for a total of 16 short range missiles
  4. Smoke/Gas Dispensers (4): Two smoke/gas dispensing units are attached to each side of the Wolverine. The dispenser releases a dense cloud of smoke that covers a 40 foot (12.2 m) area in front of the vehicle. It can also release tear gas. The dispenser can dispense prismatic aerosol for dispersing laser beams. This has the same effect as prismatic aerosol grenades.
    Payload: 40 total; 10 charges each; typically 20 smoke, 10 prismatic aerosol, and 10 tear gas.


Sensory Equipment:
Sensory equipment is mounted on a retractable mount that can be extended 6.6 feet (2 meters) to extend sensors when hull down. The tank carries all standard equipment of a robot vehicle plus this special equipment:



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Writeup by Kitsune (E-Mail Kitsune).


Copyright © 2002, Kitsune. All rights reserved.


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