Approved Vehicle Vardy siege howitzer

[Jessica Med-Beq]

A Vardy with the heavy electromagnetic plasma cannons and the mortar ports visible on the top of the turret

OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION

• Intent: To provide a heavy, self-propelled siege platform
• Image Source: Richard Pinsonneault
• Canon Link: N/A
• Primary Source: 2A3 Kondensator 2P

PRODUCTION INFORMATION

• Manufacturer: Ringovinda StarYards
• Affiliation: Open market
• Model: M61A5E9 Vardy siege howitzer
• Modularity: Yes
• Production: Minor
• Material: Quadranium frame, Hexheim ERA hull

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

• Classification: Self-propelled howitzer
• Role: Siege Platform
• Size: Very Large
• Height: 8.3m
• Length: 40.0m
• Width: 16.0m
• Weight: Very Heavy (2500 tons fully loaded)
• Minimum Crew: 10
• Optimal Crew: 25
• Propulsion: Repulsorlift
• Speed: Slow (75 kph)
• Maneuverability: Low
• Armament: Extreme
• 1 Findel heavy long-range hypervelocity cannon (30 rounds total)
• 2 Dunkirk 160mm mortars (30 rounds total)
• 2 heavy electromagnetic plasma cannons (360x90 arc)
• 4 Anoat electromagnetic plasma cannons (360x90 arc)
• 4 flex-tube launchers (60 rounds total)
• Defenses: High
• Squadron Count: None (1)
• Passenger Capacity: 0
• Cargo Capacity: Large

SPECIAL FEATURES

• 
  Integrated rangefinder
  
• 
  Long-range communications array
  
• 
  Sensor array
  
• 
  Environmental control equipment (temperature control, air purifier, containment field)
  
• 
  Electronic warfare package (sensor-jamming ECM, ECCM)
  
• 
  Inertial compensator
  
• 
  Tensor field generator
  
• 
  Refrigerator unit
  
• 
  Shield generator
  
• 
  Kirishima cap drains
  
• 
  Tier 1 Hexheim explosive reactive armor
  

Strengths:

• Large cargo capacity
• Can jam enemy vehicle sensors and defend against sensor jamming attacks within ca. 5 km of the vehicle
• Heavy defenses
• Heavy firepower

Weaknesses:

• Limited ammunition
• The heavy EM plasma cannons must not fire on the same arc as the main battery; otherwise it may risk hitting the main battery's barrels
• Mortars, main battery have minimum ranges (150m and 500m respectively) and also low rates of fire
• Slow, ponderous
• Must be immobilized to fire the main battery
• Large target: they can be spotted by the enemy as soon as it enters firing range
• Easy to detect on EM and thermal sensors once the EM plasma guns are fired
• Infantry must operate some distance away from the vehicle because of the ERA's hazards

Description: Already with the massive siege platforms being used by the Sith Empire, which before their use on Coruscant, were nothing more than rumors, there were tools to hit entrenched positions with heavy anti-aircraft defenses from long range, where an airstrike wasn't practical, but it was quickly found that repulsors were the only devices capable of rendering the Vardy able to withstand the intense recoil of the main battery, a 380mm hypervelocity cannon firing explosive shells capable of a 400m blast radius in both surface-to-surface and surface-to-orbit applications, and as such the propulsion of the vehicle was mostly based on repulsors. Even then, the recoil is so important that the vehicle must effectively be immobilized to fire its main battery: it takes nearly all the repulsorlift power to absorb the recoil. Also, to ensure stable flight, it is recommended that above-ground altitudes be kept as low as safely possible. However, it was found that the turret-mounted heavy electromagnetic plasma cannons must not fire on the same arc as the main battery, lest they may hit the main battery's barrels. However, since the siege howitzer will likely be a priority target, it must be supported by other elements on a battlefield. Finally, as with all vehicles relying on projectiles, their limited projectile count may cause them to become a liability in prolonged engagements unless supply lines can be established before they run out of ammunition.

 

[Ria Misrani]

Under Review.

 

[Ria Misrani]

[member="Jessica Med-Beq"]

Hi, sorry for taking so long to get back with you. But, I have gone through a few readings now and I just want to try and get a better understanding of what you're wanting to develop. Are you going for a straight artillery piece or an armored personnel carrier? Secondly, howitzers normally are immobile when they fire so if you could explain or address how it is that this particular one is able to fire while on the move, albeit slowly. Next this tank itself moving at forty six miles per hour that is 2500 tons? So then the base is maybe 1000 tons and the guns another 1500? This doesn't sound very stable to me at least, so I'm not sure how this works so if you could also elaborate on that as well?

Once I have this I'll give it another look over and try to do my best to help you achieve what it is you're looking to achieve with this vehicle.

 

[Jessica Med-Beq]

[member="Ria Misrani"] I know that vehicles that are even more massive (Maleval, Cerrabore) could still use repulsors without suffering from unstable flight even though neither carries weapons that big. That said, they move at about the speed of the howitzer, so their low speed is just as much of a weakness as it is for the Vardy.

On the other hand, I entirely removed both passenger capacity and its ability to fire the main battery while on the move, with the justification for the latter being that it takes all the repulsorlift power to absorb its recoil while immobile.

 

[Ria Misrani]

[member="Jessica Med-Beq"]

Precedence aside, the amount of weapons in this particular vehicle is a lot not to mention the weight of each one combined with the base itself. Given the amount of armament and defenses, this has, if you could trim it down to limited or semi-unique that would be much appreciated and we can proceed from there!

 

[Jessica Med-Beq]

[member="Ria Misrani"] Lowered the defenses...

 

[Ria Misrani]

[member="Jessica Med-Beq"]

Thanks and so getting one last look over the submission I see that you've mentioned that the jammer has a twenty-five kilometer radius. That's awfully high for a ground vehicle so if you could provide the source for this information or better elaborate on how the Vardy is able to achieve this. Once that is done I will turn it over to my mentor!

 

[Jessica Med-Beq]

[member="Ria Misrani"] Lowered the EWAR range to 5 km...

 

[Ria Misrani]

Awesome. Pending Factory Mentor Review. [member="Gir Quee"]

[member="Jamie Pyne"], [member="Lily Kuhn"], [member="Zef Halo"]

 

[Gir Quee]

Approved.