Kainan Wolfe
Shadow of War
- Intent: To create a vehicle capable of providing defense against orbital bombardment
- Image Source: Andrii 'Zelfit' Mykhailov @ArtStation
- Canon Link: N/A
- Primary Source: N/A
- Manufacturer: Karavin Concern
- Model: E-Series Hydra-pattern Self-Propelled Surface-To-Orbit Missile Launcher
- Affiliation: Closed-Market | Confederacy of Independent Systems, Eternal Empire
- Modularity: Yes - Warhead types
Production: Mass-Produced
- Material: Durasteel frame, Impervium-334 armor plating, Echo-series components (standard components interchangeable with other Echo-series vehicles)
- Classification: Self-Propelled Missile Launcher
- Role: Forward-Deployed Anti-Orbital Defense System
- Size: Large
- Weight: Very Heavy
- Minimum Crew: 3 - Driver, Weapon Systems Operator, Commander
- Optimal Crew: 4 - Driver, Weapon Systems Operator, Commander, Navigator
- Propulsion: Tracked
- Speed: Slow
- Maneuverability: Very Low
- Armaments: Very High
- 2x KC-208 'Phalanx' Cruise Missile Launchers
- 1x Swivel-mounted KC-249 General Purpose Repeating Blaster - Defenses: Average
- Impervium-334 Armor Plating - Passenger Capacity: None
- Cargo Capacity: Very Small
- Echo-Series: The newest generation of armoured vehicles for the Eternal Empire, based on the concept of easy maintenance. The entire Echo-Series features the same standard components for engine, chassis, tracks,electronics and most other mechanical parts.
- Phalanx Cruise Missiles: Phalanx missiles are designed to shut down their engines after accelerating and entering vacuum, "cruising" towards their targets and only reactivating the engine when making course corrections, making them able to travel extremely long distances
- Iron Curtain: The Hydra is equipped with powerful and effective Surface-To-Orbit missiles, making it ideal for defending against orbital bombardment
- Cheap To Maintain: Like all Echo-Series vehicles, the Hydra shares many of the same components, reducing maintenance costs and thus allowing it to be produced and fielded in significant numbers
- Big Target: The Hydra's large cruise missile launchers increase its profile, making it easier to target by enemy weapons
- One Trick Pony: The Hydra's main weapons are designed to intercept targets in low orbit and its secondary weapon consists of only a single repeating blaster that is inadequate for proper surface combat
With the increasing prevalence of orbital bombardment amongst the various military forces operating around the galaxy, the Eternal Army decided to develop and equip itself with a mobile weapon system capable of countering this previously impossible to counter battlefield tactic.
Normally, the development of such a weapon system would have taken long periods of time, however, Karavin Concern, the military-industrial conglomerate that had been contracted to develop the Hydra, already had technology at its disposal that was capable of fulfilling its military requirements, with but a few modifications to adapt them for the new mission. The Echo-Series vehicles were chosen as the chassis for the new vehicle, their versatility and modular design making them perfectly suited for the task.
The highly versatile KC-208 'Phalanx' Anti-Ship Cruise Missile was chosen as the main weapon of the project and the Echo-series chassis was modified to mount a pair of Phalanx missile launchers instead of a turret. This required that the fuel tanks be moved forward, because of the large hydraulic systems which had to be installed. The crew compartment was moved outside of the main chassis, above its normal position.
In order to provide the vehicle with some capability to defend itself against ground-based attackers, a KC-249 General Purpose Repeating Blaster was installed in a swivel-mounted configuration, which could be operated by one of the vehicle's crew members.
In spite of this, the Hydra is not, by any means, an effective weapon against ground-based targets. Its large profile makes it a difficult target to miss and its weapons are geared exclusively towards engaging orbital targets, the only exception being the swivel-mounted repeating blaster which is a hardly adequate weapon for fighting off enemy vehicles. However, if properly defended, the Hydra can provide military forces which field it with a highly capable defense system, especially if deployed in large numbers. As such, it was quickly pushed into production and issued to the various units of the Eternal Army for immediate deployment.
Recognizing its military potential, Karavin Concern is also offering the vehicle for purchase to the Confederate Defense Forces and various other planetary militias operating within the Confederacy.
