VF-3000 "BLAZINGSTAR"

(Version 1.01 - Last updated: 08/24/00)

Background and RPG Statistics by Kenneth Olson

Background Information derived from Robotech Technical Files

BACKGROUND

After the end of the First Robotech War and the beginning of the rearmament period leading up to the Sentinels campaigns, RDF designers came out with a plethora of new designs for any conceivable enemy.  As early as 2012, the newly formed Robotech Expeditionary Force decided that the new generation of Robotech fighters for the upcoming trip to the home world of the Robotech Masters was needed.  Design teams from Shinsei Industries came up with a modified version of the VF-1 series valkyrie fighter.  The new fighter would be armed with the latest weaponry and armored using the more advanced Chobam designs.

The basic airframe was kept, but the electronics, weapons and armor under went a major overall.  Two new Nakajima/P&W/Rolls-Royce FX-2005 fusion turbines were added to replace the venerable FF-2001 or FF-2001D initially installed.  These engines produced 25% more thrust than the earlier models at three-quarters the weight.  The aging Hughes AWG-20 X-band pulse-Doppler radar was replaced with a new AWG-30 model providing 50% greater detection range.  Two of the head lasers on the right were replaced with a Marconi Spyeye broad-spectrum radiation sensors and a TI-10000 onboard data interpretation system.  The armor was upgraded to the Chobam laminar found on the VBF-1 and VAF-6 series of veritech fighters.  In addition two small armshields were added on the left and right arms to give the fighter the ability to parry incoming attacks.  The two head lasers on the left side were similarly upgraded to LA-5 lasers able to fire 6 MJ bursts every 2 seconds.  The missile complement was kept from the older VF series; however, the new GU-111 65mm rotary cannon was added for additional firepower.

The first production upgrade was rolled out in July of 2016 and under went combat testing in South America the following month.    The Blazingstar, although, not quite as maneuverable as the VAF-6 series of veritechs had better amour and arguably better weaponry.  The VF-3000 had one main advantage over the alpha fighter, and that was a majority of the RDF/REF pilots were already comfortable with the design and cockpit layout as both were kept from the VF-1.  The Blazingstar performed admirably and would have become one of the premiere fighters for the REF; however later in 2018 the concept of the Beta fighter was introduced.  This proved to be the death nail for the VF-3000 for now it found itself not as maneuverable as the alpha but with far less weaponry than the beta.  In addition the alpha/beta combination had the ability to connect allowing the "combined" fighter to escape from planetary atmospheres, a ability that was greatly desired by the REF.  The VF-3000 project was canceled in 2019, after a grand total of 125 fighters were produced.  Roughly 75 Blazingstars accompanied the REF into deep space where they were used against the Invid during the assault on Tyrol.  After Tyrol was retaken, the remaining 35 fighters were placed in strategic reserve. 

Meanwhile, on earth the VF-3000 although canceled continued to live on.  The 50 remaining fighters were taken down to South American were they were placed in 6 squadrons at RDF sector headquarters in Argentina.  These six squadrons provided the RDF with additional firepower after the departure of the expeditionary force and allowed them to maintain the integrity of the Zentraedi control zone until the arrival of the Robotech Masters in 2029.  By 2029 only 27 fighters remained, these fighters were transferred to RDF sector headquarters at New Albuquerque base were they immediately went into action against the numerous assaults by the Robotech Master's assault shuttles and bioroid forces.  The Blazingstar proved to be and incredibly efficient design against the Robotech Masters.  The remaining RDF forces knew the the Southern Cross would not permit any new RDF mecha designs to be created during the war so they took some of the principles behind the Blazingstar design and created and upgrade package for their remaining VF-1 series valkyrie fighters.  The upgraded package was termed the Morningstar variant.  At the end of the war, all but a handful of the Blazingstars were destroyed;  however, several units were believed to have survived the Invid invasion.  The Blazingstar was highly prized by resistance forces for the longevity of their protoculture generator and  high maximum speed which could often outrun any Invid mecha .

RPG STATS

Vehicle Type: VF-3000 Valkyrie Blazingstar Fighter

Class: Variable Fighter
Manufacturer: Robotech Defense Forces
Crew: One pilot wearing Tactical Life Support System.

MDC BY LOCATION:

NOTES:

1. Destroying the  head of the Blazingstar will knock out the mecha's major sensor systems, including all of the optics systems (infrared, nightvision, thermal). Radar and communications will be unaffected.
2. Depleting the MDC of the main body will destroy the mecha.

SPEEDS:

RUNNING, SOLDIER CONFIGURATION:

140 kph

LEAPING, SOLDIER CONFIGURATION:

50 ft (15 m) high or 70 ft (21 m) long without thrusters.

FLYING, SOLDIER CONFIGURATION:

350 kph 

FLYING, GERWALK/SOLDIER CONFIGURATION:

Mach One (670 mph/1072 kmph) maximum speed limit in an Earth-like atmosphere. Can also hover in place indefinitely.

FLYING, FIGHTER CONFIGURATION:

Max level speed at sea level : Mach 1.6
Max level speed at 10km:  Mach 4.9
Max level speed at 30+ km:  Mach 7.5

Stall speed : 150 kph (VTOL rectification possible)
Initial climb rate : over 35000m per minute
Service ceiling : 40 km (unboosted).

MAX ENGINE THRUST:

• Two Nakajima/P&W/Rolls-Royce FX-2005 fusion turbines, total engine output 325 kN total at max. power; 610 kN are available with overboost. Exhaust nozzles allow for vector thrust, serving in place of conventional elevators. System includes two reverse-vernier thrusters, on blisters outboard of each intake; exhaust comes directly from main turbine at a maximum of 20% thrust.
• Four Nakajima NBS-1 high-thrust vernier thrusters, four in the legs on the ventral in fighter mode, two in the 'backpack' in Guardian and Battloid modes.  Each thruster has a total engine output of 50 kN.
  

STATISTICAL DATA:

HEIGHT:

17.7m  in soldier configuration.

12.3m in gerwalk configuration.

6.5m in fighter configuration.

WIDTH:

10.1m at shoulders in soldier and gerwalk configuration.

14.8m  with wings at maximum extension.

LENGTH:

5.5m in soldier configuration.

12.3m in gerwalk configuration.

15.1m in fighter configuration.

WEIGHT:

27,200 kg empty.

PHYSICAL STRENGTH:

Equal to a P.S. of 60

CARGO:

Small compartment behind pilot's seat for personal belongings in addition to the cyclone storage compartment

POWER PLANT:

Two Tirolian mecha protoculture-generators RT-5d providing a total of 800 MW

.

Delta V:

100  kps

 

COMPATIBLE FAST PACKS (Macross Mecha Designs):

Dorsal: NP-BP-01, NP-BP-02, NR-BP-T1, NP-BP-10, NP-BP-11, NP-BP-12, NP-BP-19
Arm: NP-AR-01, NP-AU-T1
Leg: NP-FB-01, NP-FB-T1, NP-FB-10

WEAPON SYSTEMS:

1. GU-111 65MM THREE-BARRELED SMOOTHBORE ROTARY: firing 700 rounds per minute, 600 round capacity stored internally.
   • PRIMARY PURPOSE: Assault
   • SECONDARY PURPOSE: Anti-Mecha
   • RANGE: Armor Piercing Spin Stabilized Discarding Sabot (APSSDS) 5249 feet (1600 m), or 3937ft (1200m) for all others.
   • DAMAGE: APSSDS 6d6 short burst, 1d4*10+10 medium burst, 3d4*10+10 full melee burst.   HEAP 1d4*10 short burst, 2d4*10 medium burst, 4d4*10 full melee burst.  Tracer rounds reduce damage by 25%.  Standard 5d6 short burst, 1d4*10 medium burst, or 3d4*10 full melee burst
   • RATE OF FIRE: Single shots or bursts equal to the combined attacks of the pilot.
   • PAYLOAD: 600 rounds of internal ammunition or 60 short bursts, 30 medium, or 15 full melee. 
   • NOTES:  APSSDS critical strikes on 17,18,19,20.  HEAP critical strikes on 19,20.   Tracers add +2 to strike.

    

2. LA-5 HEAD LASERS: The head lasers were upgraded to the more powerful LA-5 laser cannons capable of firing 6 MJ shots every two seconds.
   • PRIMARY PURPOSE: Anti-missile
   • SECONDARY PURPOSE: Assault
   • RANGE: 600 m
   • DAMAGE: 4d6 for each Head lasers or 8d6 if both are fired
   • RATE OF FIRE: Single shots equal to the combined attacks of the pilot up to eight times per melee.
   • PAYLOAD: Conditionally unlimited. 

   

3. BODY/WING HARD POINTS: Two fixed hard points are mounted on each wing.   These hardpoints can be used to carry 15 short range missiles, 5 medium range missiles or 2 long range missiles.

 

 

4. HAND TO HAND COMBAT: If necessary, the Blazingstar can engage in melee combat rather than use a weapon. The VF-3000  is extremely agile and can execute most typical hand to hand combat moves, such as punches, jump kicks, leap attacks, rolling with impacts, etc.

   DAMAGE:  

   • Punch in Battloid:  3D6*3
   • Punch in Guardian:  3D4*3
   • Kick: 3D6*3
   • Leap Kick: 6D6*3
   • Body Flip/Throw: 3D6*3
   • Body Block/Tackle: 3D6*3
   • Stomp: 6D6*3 . (only effective against small objects)
     

   

STANDARD EQUIPMENT FOR THE BLAZINGSTAR:

• AUTO-PILOT: The Blazingstar is equipped with a computerized auto-pilot, allowing the pilot to relax or even sleep during long voyages. The auto- pilot can be programmed with a single destination or a complex flight plan involving multiple speeds, directions, and destinations. The onboard computer will alert the pilot when the fighter is near its destination, and can also be set to automatically signal when sensors detect objects near the mecha. The auto-pilot was designed with long intra-system space journeys in mind.
• TI-1000 COMBAT COMPUTER: The combat computer tracks and identifies specific enemy targets, and has a database of over 10,000 images stored in memory. The computer can identify and track up to 250 targets simultaneously. 
• EXTERNAL AUDIO PICKUP: Range: 300 ft (91.5 m). A sound amplification system that can pick up normal conversation up to 300 feet away.
• HEAT AND RADIATION SHIELDS: Special shielding prevents the penetration of life threatening head and radiation. A radiation detection and alarm system are linked with the shields and will sound an alarm if there is a rupture in the shields and what the levels of radiation are.
• HOMING SIGNAL: The escape pod of the  VF-3000  is equipped with a homing device that enables rescue teams to locate a disabled craft or ejected life pod. The range of the signal is 400 miles (640 km). Most REF ships and veritecs can locate and track a homing signal, and the onboard computers will automatically notify their pilots if such a signal is detected.
• LASER TARGETING SYSTEM: Range: 100 miles (160 km). Used for increased accuracy in the striking of enemy targets and is partly responsible for the mecha's strike bonus.
• LOUDSPEAKER: A loudspeaker system is built into the craft, which can be used to amplify the pilot's voice up to 90 decibels.
• OPTICS: INFRARED: Range: 2000 feet (610 m). This optical system projects a beam of infrared light that is invisible to the normal eye, but detectable by the mecha's sensors. The system allows the pilot to detect hidden/concealed objects by their IR reflectiveness. The beam will be visible to anyone with IR sensitive optics, however.
• OPTICS: NIGHTVISION: Range: 2000 feet (610 m). A passive light image intensifier that emits no light of its own, but relies on ambient light which is electronically amplified to produce a visible picture.
• OPTICS: THERMAL IMAGER: Range: 2000 feet (610 m). A passive optical heat sensor that detects infrared radiation projected by warm objects and converts that data into a false-color visible image. The system enables the pilot to see in the dark, in shadows, and through smoke, and also adds a +10% bonus to pilots using a tracking skill.
• HUGHES AWG-30 RADAR: 200 mile range.
• RADIO/VIDEO COMMUNICATION: Long range, directional communications system with satellite relay capabilities. Range: 600 miles (960 km) or can be boosted indefinitely via satellite relay.
• SELF-DESTRUCT: To prevent capture of an advance variable fighter by the enemy, the pilot can activate the VF-1M self-destruct system, which will cause the fighter to explode after a delay of up to 60 minutes (time is set by the pilot). The explosive damage is contained within a 20 foot (6 m) area and inflicts 1D6x10 M.D. to everything within the radius of the explosion. All internal systems are obliterated. The escape pod will be automatically ejected prior to the explosion unless the pilot overrides the ejection sequence.
• STANDARD SURVIVAL KIT: All RDFs veritechs come equipped with a portable survival kit. Inside the small reinforced box is a medium-sized flashlight, two hand flares, one rocket flare, a compass, infrared distancing binoculars, a small mirror, a pocket knife, dehydrated and concentrated food (can be stretched into a five day supply for one person) and basic first aid items (aspirin, bandages, disinfectants, etc.)
• TACTICAL LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEM: The Blazingstar cockpit is pressurized, and also provides additional air feeds to the pilot's flight suit that provides him with pressurized breathing. The REF flight suit also contains an upper and lower g-suit that promotes blood circulation even during high-g turns, thus decreasing the possibility of pilot's blacking out in combat.
• Elettronica Radar Warning Receiver (RWR)
• OlDelft Infra-red Warning Receiver (IRWR)
• Westinghouse ALQ-250(V) active sensor jammer
• Chaff and Flare dispensers: 12 chaff and 12 flares are stored in each lower leg
  

COMBAT BONUSES FOR BLAZINGSTAR TRAINING:

• 2 attacks per melee (plus those of the pilot).
• Add one additional action/attack at levels six and eleven.
• +2 to strike
• +2 to parry  Can use arm shields to block incoming attacks of any kind, punches, blasts, and even missiles.
• +2 to dodge in solder, +4 in guardian, and +6 in jet mode.
• +3 to roll with a punch or fall with an impact, reducing damage by half.
• Critical strike same as pilot's hand-to-hand.

REFERENCES USED IN THIS DESIGN

• Robotech Technical Files: Veritech Valkyrie
• Palladium Books:  "Robotech The Roll Playing Game"

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