Imperial class Grav APC
| Imperial Army Grav APC | |
|---|---|
 Imperial Army Grav APC | |
| Tech Level | TL–15 |
| Mass | 12 dTons |
| Cost | MCr4.06 |
| Mode | Flight (Grav) |
| Type | Armored Personnel Carrier |
| Speed | 752kph max, 564kph cruise |
| Cargo | Personal Equipment |
| Crew | 2 |
| Passengers | 5-14 |
| Armament | Missile Launcher, Missile Launch Rails x30, Decoy Launchers x4 |
Description (Specifications)[edit]
These vehicles are part of the Imperial class Grav APC family.
This was the standard TL–15 Armoured Personnel Carrier for the Imperial Army (Later Regency Army). It is a successful design; well armoured, reasonably fast, flexibly armed, capacious and inexpensive.
Remember that your kit was provided by the lowest bidder!
Aphorism, Terran Army - pre-spaceflight era
While is does not have the blistering speed of the Marine APC, this is not an issue for the Army's APC's role. The speed of the Marine's vehicle is a by-product of their requirement for distributed operations, and the need to move rapidly from one point on the globe to another. The Imperial Army generally operates in larger numbers and with much greater unit density, and so does not have such demanding mobility requirements. "Can it keep up with the Grav Tanks?" - The answer is "Yes".
One key reason for the relatively cheap price per unit is the lack of a full-size computer. This is possible because Imperial Army operations usually don't call for the low units densities of Imperial Marines operations, and the task of tracking unit locations and routing intelligence and instructions can be handled at Platoon level by the Platoon's "Staff" version of the Imperial class Grav APC - Fire Support.
The Imperial class Grav APC is armed entirely with missiles - a fact that makes some crew and passengers unhappy. Although TL–15 missiles are quite reliable, there is something comforting about a noisy, lead- or plasma-spitting weapon that a missile launcher does not replace. (Missiles cannot provide suppressive fire.)
The siting of the APC's light tactical missiles on external launch rails is controversial, and makes the vehicle visually distinctive. While it does mean a single hit will not disable the the entire magazine, the position exposes them to shrapnel and small-arms damage. It does, however allow any or all of the missiles to be launched in a given salvo giving a potentially huge impact.
History & Background (Dossier)[edit]
This design was developed as the Imperial Army equivalent of the Imperial Marines' APC in the Imperial class Grav APC family.
Those Imperial Army units at TL–15 and 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)[edit]
- Dave Nilsen. Regency Combat Vehicle Guide (Game Designers Workshop, 1995), 16-17.
- Fifth Frontier War (game), Counter Mix
- Author & Contributor: BackworldTraveller