GSD Comfort class Mess Tractor

GSD Comfort class Mess Tractor
Unpublished, non-canon vehicle design.
Tech Level	TL–9
Mass	~3.86 dton
Cost	475,054.5
Mode	Ground (Tracked)
Type	Armored Fighting Vehicle
Speed	80kph
Cargo	None
Crew	3 commander, gunner and driver
Passengers	3
Armament	Laser Rifle and (1) TAC missile rail
Manufacturer	Various
Also see	Global Securities Division
Available for export

The GSD Comfort class Mess Tractor is a TL-9 Armored Fighting Vehicle.

• It is a military vehicle and a tracked AFV.

Description (Specifications)

The GSD Comfort class Mess Tractor: Built on Tarkan (world) from TL–9 kits acquired off world by Global Securities Division, attempts to build them from local sourced technology failed. The fusion power plant was considered vital for protected forces work in vacuum conditions and TL 8 batteries were not equal to the task. The vehicle's heavy 16.8cm thick composite laminate armor sheaths the chassis to levels of protection equivalent to starship hull metal. This design is sealed with life support for the crew in vacuum and protected forces roles. An imported bare minimum stock 2MW fusion power plant is installed for movement. There is a remote laser rifle cupolas on the forward chassis deck and a 42.53kg capacity launch rail on the rear of the chassis deck. The 3 crew and 3 passengers have ~14.4 days of full life support (proof against CBR/NBC threats) and exit via an airlock to the rear of the vehicle. Due to their high ground pressure their cross country speed is 40% of their road speed. They never get stuck in the mud, soft earth, snow, or sand. Their heavier armor means they are not amphibious, and have trouble finding bridges that can support their mass which places additional maintenance strain on their wide tracked suspension. It is unusual to see a field kitchen sporting weaponry but the mercenaries make no assumptions about any "rules of war" conventions being in effect in cold hard space.

Vehicle Dimensions:

• Height: 3m. Width: 3m. Length: 6m.
• Total usable volume: 54 m³
• Total mass loaded: 129 metric tons.
• Production Cost: Cr. 475,054.5
• Movement: Road Maximum 80kph/66cm; Cross country 32kph/26cm.
  Movement effect on fire: move 1/2 or less: -4 FFP, no fire EFP; move 1/2 or move no fire

Armor:

• Chassis all facings 40.
• Target Size DMs: +3 low and no high hits.

Equipment:

• Thermal and Image Enhanced vision
• 5,000 Power Radio
• 1,000km Maser Communicator with satellite uplink
• Map Box with GPS
• Modular Field Kitchen capable of feeding 100 troopers
• Sealed Environment with life support for 6

Power:

• 2 megawatt fusion power plant consumes 3 liters of fuel/hour
• Fuel capacity 1,042 liters, enough for 347 hours or approximately 14.4 days!
• Power to weight ratio is 15.5 and the ground pressure is 9.2 tons/m³.

Weapons:

There is a TL–9 laser rifle mounted in a 360 degree rotating remote cupolas on the forward chassis deck connected to a dedicated 100 shot battery. The weapon is NOT stabilized to fire on the move. It can engage 1 target and has +0 signature. It can function as a target designator in low power mode. Its direct fire characteristics are as follows:

Direct Fire Characteristics: Laser Rifle

Effective Range	Long Range	Extreme Range
180 m (9)	360 m (4)	1,800 m (1)

There is one 42.53kg capacity TAC missile launch rail on the rear of the chassis deck. It uses a 12kg 25cm HEAP 57 warhead and it takes one crew member to manually reload these missiles if additional rounds are available, as none are normally carried internally. The homing missiles struggle to achieve intercepts against vehicles protected with advanced ECM abilities. The vehicle can designate its own targets and can hand off to deployed infantry to spot and mark targets. One target designated missile is included in the price.

Characteristics: HEAP Warhead Missiles

Type	Range	Price
Homing HEAP 57,	2km +2 DM	Cr401.53
Target Designated HEAP 57,	2km +2 DM	Cr901.53
IR Follow Up HEAP +8,	2km +2 DM	Cr501.53

Maintenance:

• Vehicle: 8
• Electronics: 9
• Weapons: 3
• Suspension: 5

History & Background (Dossier)

The mobile field kitchen usually carries two cooks in addition to the normal crew. There are ten of these field kitchens to feed the whole formation. Nutrients and water can be transferred to troops in vacuum suits without breaking environmental integrity, but those options are typically less palatable. Removing your helmet and sitting down for a meal usually involves the use of an Advanced Base dome for life support, but enhanced to survive vacuum exposure and the temperature regime on Tarkan (world). These vehicles are not equipped with guidance packages for operator guided missiles. The GSD Comfort class Mess Tractor was designed and manufactured at TL–9, these vehicles are manufactured for the Global Securities Division in defense of Tarkan (world). They are one of a family of tracked utility vehicles designed to survive the rigors of protected forces operations on a vacuum world. The lord's retinue concentrates all support elements and the line companies are all teeth and no tail. They have good communication links and a map box with GPS to help lost GSD Achilles class Combat Walkers. The single, high speed, short range target designated TAC missile places a small amount of anti-tank firepower at the hands of the unit commander in support of infantry or in extremis self defense. They lack the sensors to spot enemies at range.

References & Contributors (Sources)

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This list of sources was used by the Traveller Wiki Editorial Team and individual contributors to compose this article. Copyrighted material is used under license from Far Future Enterprises or by permission of the author. The page history lists all of the contributions.

• Traveller Wiki Editorial Team
• Author & Contributor: Lord (Marquis), Captain, and Lead Naval Architect Ronald B. Kline, Jr. of the Imperial Navy
• Author & Contributor: Lord (Marquis) and Master of Sophontology Maksim-Smelchak of the Ministry of Science