Imperial class Artillery Vehicle (Multiple Rocket)
| Imperial class Artillery Vehicle (Multiple Rocket) | |
|---|---|
 Imperial class Artillery Vehicle (Multiple Rocket) | |
| Tech Level | TL–15 |
| Mass | 12 dTons |
| Cost | MCr 9.02 |
| Mode | Flight (Grav) |
| Type | Artillery Vehicle |
| Speed | 1070kph max, 802kph cruise |
| Cargo | Personal Equipment; 20 Rounds for Launcher; 120 Decoys |
| Crew | 3 |
| Passengers | 0 |
| Armament | 300mm TL–15 20-Barrel Artillery Rocket Launcher, Decoy Launchers |
Description (Specifications)
These vehicles are part of the Imperial class Grav APC family.
The MRLAV is the vehicle that provides the Imperial Army or Imperial Marines their standard area-saturation Artillery weapon. By ripple firing all 20 barrels, a single MRLAV is able to lay fire over an area 2km across up to 650km from the launch point. With its integral auto-loader, the MRLAV can reload in only 5 minutes. Thus a single units could lay fire over nearly 40 square km in under an hour. In a high-threat environment this figure would be reduced by the need to displace to a new firing position after each salvo, but given teh vehicle's speed, this reduces this capability by only 50%.
The EMS guidance of these rockets allows them to be designated by any laser, radar or active EMS system, which allows a very high first-round-hit probability. The rockets may also be fired using normal indirect fire procedures, but given the capability of EMS target designation this method is wasteful and is only used in unusual circumstances.
MRLAV are normally deployed in Platoons of 4 vehicles.
When deployed in non-Artillery units, independent MRLAV Platoons will be led a Fire Direction Centre APC (Imperial Army) or Marine Fire Direction Centre APC (Imperial Marines).
When deployed in Artillery units, MRLAV Platoons are usually deployed in pairs with an RDMAV Platoon. These batteries have no integral Fire Direction Centres with that capability being held at Battery HQ level.
In both cases, one Imperial Utility Grav Sled is assigned per vehicle for munitions supply purposes. The munitions supply chain thus becomes the limiting factor in the rate of fire that can be achieved in the field.
n.b. This vehicle must be stationary to fire for aerodynamic and stability reasons.
The vast majority of MRLAV are deployed by teh Imperial Army as the Imperial Marines prefer the Meson Artillery Vehicle instead.
History & Background (Dossier)
This design was developed as the joint Imperial Marines/Imperial Army solution in the Imperial class Grav APC family.
Those Imperial Marines facing the Zhodani Consulate and Sword Worlds Confederation in the Spinward Marches Sector had fully upgraded to be using these systems in time for the Fifth Frontier War.
References & Contributors (Sources)
- Dave Nilsen. Regency Combat Vehicle Guide (Game Designers Workshop, 1995), 36.
- Fifth Frontier War (game), Counter Mix
- Author & Contributor: BackworldTraveller