Bombshell Genius
A case of three 3t4 missiles
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
- Intent: To provide a new generation of man-portable fire-and-forget missile
- Image Source: Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast
- Canon Link: PLX-4 portable missile launcher
- Restricted Missions: N/A
- Primary Source: 3t3 missile
- Manufacturer: Ringovinda Systems
- Model: 3t4 man-portable missile
- Affiliation: Open-Market
- Modularity: No
- Production: Mass-Produced
- Material: Baradium, standard electronic components, plasteel casing, standard
- Classification: Man-portable missile
- Size: Handheld
- Length: 74 cm
- Diameter: 72 mm
- Weight: 5 kg
- Ammunition Type: Missile
- Ammunition Capacity: 1 (launch platform)
- Effective Range: 5 km (head-on, vs. aircraft) 10 km (if used against tanks)
- Rate of Fire: Single action
- Tandem charge
- Delayed homing
The tandem charge in this missile is twofold: the first stage contains a miniature ion charge designed to pierce a hole in an enemy shield just large enough to allow the secondary shaped charge to detonate inside the hole in the shields, and cause it to penetrate the enemy armor. As a result, it can penetrate up to 1500mm of reinforced duracrete due to its baradium charge.
Delayed homing: the operator can have the missile launched as if unguided for a set amount of time (usually 3-5 seconds, programmed when the targeting solution is being established) and then have it turn on the infrared guidance system after that time has elapsed.
Strengths:
- Great penetration: can penetrate up to 1500mm of reinforced duracrete
- Can partially penetrate particle shields due to the ion charge in its tandem charge
- Great tracking
- High blast radius
- Fast cook-off time: if a launch platform with 3t4s still loaded catches fire, it will explode soon thereafter
- Its effectiveness decreases significantly when the target's speed rating gets better than average starfighter-scale ships, rendering it much less effective against fighters (when contrasted against bombers or gunships)
- Against aircraft, its effective range is highly dependent on its angle of attack: firing a 3t4 in a stern chase or even for flanking will result in a much lower wffective range than attacking aircraft head-on
- Can be fooled by flares
- Delayed homing may easily be back-tracked
The 3t4 missile is borne from the lessons of battle on Mandalore, where the lack of shield penetration proved troublesome for armor-kill infantry teams, and for anti-aircraft units on Dromund Kaas whose lack of effectiveness at shooting down landing craft proved costly. The 3t4 features a tandem charge comprising a first stage consisting of a miniature EMP system that can open windows in enemy shields upon contact with enemy particle shields and a secondary shaped charge containing a 2kg baradium warhead, allowing it to have a blast radius of circa 25 m and penetrating up to 1500mm of reinforced duracrete. Of course, such a missile, designed for the Plex series of missile launchers, had a limited supply of fuel thanks to the limited size of the warhead: the miniature ion drive has only enough fuel for about 20 seconds of sustained flight, after which the missile becomes dead-stick as a result of running out of fuel. As a result, the effective range of the weapon is about 10 km when used in anti-tank roles, and 5 km when used against aircraft flying head-on. When firing at aircraft in a stern chase, the effective range decreases to a mere 2 km. The resulting speed makes its effectiveness decrease signficantly when fighting enemies faster than an average fighter.
As with many short-range missiles, man-portable or otherwise, the 3t4 is guided by infrared, that is, it is heat-seeking and, due to the short range of the missile, it is more practical to use than sensor-based guidance. However, it can also be fooled by flares as a result. Also, its activation can be delayed after launch, for a set period of time prior to launch, but it also carries the risk of backtracking the source of the missile in a certain zone and enemies can locate the approximate area of the launch platform that fired it, based on how long it was flying like an unguided rocket.
