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PostPosted: Fri Feb 09, 2018 10:30 pm 
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Joined: Sun Jan 20, 2002 8:00 pm
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Code:
          BattleTech Vehicle Technical Readout
                      VALIDATED

Type/Model:    Masada Medium Tank 
Tech:          Inner Sphere / 3025
Config:        Tracked Vehicle
Rules:         Level 1, Standard design

Mass:          50 tons
Power Plant:   200 UVZ 200 I.C.E.
Cruise Speed:  43.2 km/h
Maximum Speed: 64.8 km/h
Armor Type:    Starshield Standard
Armament:      
  1 Thunderbolt A5M Large Laser 
  1 Harvester SRM 2 
  1 Coventry Light Autogun Machine Gun 
Manufacturer:  UVZ
  Location:    Horizon
Communications System:  Basix 200
Targeting & Tracking System:  ComStar Test-2

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
==Overview:==
Like its ancient fortress namesake, the Masada was envisioned as the bastion
that would deliver Horizon from its many enemies.  Its introduction was
heralded with great fanfare in the Horizon news media.  The UVZ tank plant on
Horizon, refurbished at great expense to the nation, was prepared to construct
an estimated 6 tanks per month.  The Horizon Royal Army confidently submitted
an order for 320 units.  

Unfortunately, the Masada has come to represent yet another chapter in
Horizon's story of hard luck.  Since production started in 3014 only seventeen
vehicles have been contructed.  Production is currently stalled because the
Lyran Commonwealth has refused further shipments of the compact Defiance
Industries "Thunderbolt" A5M Large Laser that the Masada was designed around. 
Unfortunately Horizon currently lacks the technical capability to produce a
local copy, and attempts to substitute a different laser have not been
successful.

==Capabilities:==
The Masada is outwardly similar to the Goblin and Bulldog tanks, and does draw
some design elements from those vehicles.  However, it is actually an entirely
new tank, completely produced and assembled on Horizon with the exception of
the large laser.  

One could be forgiven for wondering why the Horizon Royal Army put such faith
in this vehicle.  Weighing in at 50 tons, the Masada possesses average armor
protection, average mobility, and average firepower for its class.  However,
if one looks closer, it becomes clear that the large laser largely frees the
Masada from the ammunition supply chain.  The time-proven and efficient
Harvester SRM and Coventry minigun are the exact same types found on Horizon's
other military vehicles.  Even the vehicle's electronics and fire control
system are the same type already produced by Horizon.  Furthermore the tank
can fit snugly in a light vehicle bay, a key requirement given Horizon's
limited dropship capacity.  Finally, the per-unit cost of the tank comes in at
just under 750,000 C-bills, meaning it costs virtually the same amount as a
Vedette yet provides far more overall capability.  

The Masada was never intended to be the best combat unit on the battlefield. 
Instead it was intended to be just good enough.  Most importantly it was to be
produced in such quantities that any potential adversary of Horizon would face
dozens, even hundreds of tanks.  After all, any Battlemech of comparable weight can
probably defeat a single Masada, all else being equal.  However, even the most
powerful mechs in service would be very hard-pressed to fight four or five of
them at once.  

==Variants:==
Casting about for some sort of solution that would make use of their rebuilt
factory, UVZ has recently developed a variant of the Masada equipped with a
Thumper artillery piece.  The "Redoubt" class artillery vehicle will be
covered in another entry.

==Deployment==
Unfortunately, the Masada's greatest strength, the "Thunderbolt" large laser,
has also proven to be its greatest weakness.  Currently, Horizon lacks the
technical capability to produce large lasers.  During the Masada's development
several large laser types were evaluated and proved to be unsatisfactory. 
However, the Defiance Industries Thunderbolt A5M is by far the most advanced
laser weapon currently available in the Inner Sphere.  The Thunderbolt alone
was found to have met all design requirements of compactness, power
efficiency, power output, and reliability.  

At first, Defiance Industries made every sign that they were eager to
supply the lasers needed for Masada production.  Contracts were signed,
thousands of workers were trained up, and Horizon poured hundreds of millions
of C-Bills into rebuilding the old and decaying UVZ tank plant.  All seemed
well until just after UVZ had produced the first dozen vehicles.  Suddenly,
Defiance ceased all further shipments of lasers.  

The official reason that Defiance provided to defend this action was that
tensions with the Draconis Combine have increased (they have not), and that
every Thunderbolt laser produced is needed for Zeus production (currently, far
more lasers are produced than Zeus battlemechs).

The Horizon Special Service believes that this action is purely a political
move.  Defiance Industries almost certainly was, by all accounts, truly eager
to do business with Horizon.  The current theory is that the order to stop
shipment originated somewhere far higher up in the Lyran government.  As for
why?  That is unknown, but perhaps there are actors in the Steiner chain of
command who have a vested interest in keeping Horizon as a weak neighbor,
rather than as a strong one.  Meanwhile, although Defiance stands to be
financially penalized for voiding the contract, that issue is currently mired
in litigation.

The end result is that Horizon has only been able to produce seventeen tanks
in five years.  All tanks built after the first dozen were only made possible
by second-hand acquisitions of salvage on the gray market.  

Currently, a single company in the 3rd battalion/3rd Armor Regiment is
equipped with the Masada.  The remaining vehicles have been retained by UVC
for evaluation purposes as the search for a replacement laser continues.  


--------------------------------------------------------
Type/Model:    Masada Medium Tank 
Mass:          50 tons

Equipment:                                 Items    Mass
Int. Struct.:  25 pts Standard               0      5.00
Engine:        200 I.C.E.                    0     17.00
Power Amplifiers:                            0       .50
    Cruise MP:   4
     Flank MP:   6
Heat Sinks:      8 Single                    0      8.00
Cockpit & Controls:                          0      2.50
Crew: 4 Members                              0       .00
Turret Equipment:                            0      1.00
Armor Factor:  128 pts Standard              0      8.00

                          Internal    Armor
                          Structure   Value
   Front:                     5         32 
   Left / Right Sides:        5      24/24 
   Rear:                      5         18 
   Turret:                    5         30 

Weapons and Equipment    Loc  Heat  Ammo   Items    Mass
--------------------------------------------------------
1 Large Laser            Turret   8          1      5.00
1 SRM 2                  Turret   0   50     2      2.00
1 Machine Gun            Turret   0  100     2      1.00
--------------------------------------------------------
TOTALS:                           8          5     50.00
Items & Tons Left:                          10       .00

Calculated Factors:
Total Cost:        742,750 C-Bills
Battle Value 2:    585 (old BV = 306)
Cost per BV:       1,269.66
Weapon Value:      242 / 242 (Ratio = .41 / .41)
Damage Factors:    SRDmg = 10;  MRDmg = 5;  LRDmg = 0
BattleForce2:      MP: 4T,  Armor/Structure: 0 / 5
                   Damage PB/M/L: 1/1/-,  Overheat: 0
                   Class: GM;  Point Value: 6

_________________
New Horizons Battletech campaign homepage: http://www.heavymetalpro.com/forums/vie ... 10&t=22137

The Expanse Battletech campaign homepage (currently defunct): http://www.heavymetalpro.com/forums/vie ... hp?t=17910


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