HWR-04 TIGER

(Version 2.1 - Last updated: 06/08/03)

Background and RPG Statistics by Kenneth Olson

Drawings by Long Vo, Charles Park, and Saka of Udon in Wildstorm Comics "Robotech:  Love and War #1"

Additional drawings by Matt Willis

Based off an original design shown in B-Club Special #9: Artmic Design Works

BACKGROUND

Prior to the launch of the Robotech Expeditionary Force (REF) in 2022, strategic planners envisioned a limited campaign against a few strategic Robotech Master planets.  These planets would be bombarded from orbit and then massive quantities of ground and veritech fighters would mop-up any remaining resistance.  The heavy artillery in any ground assault attempted by the REF was to be provided by the newly created HWR-03 Thundercracker.  Although the the HWR-03 was smaller than its  HWR-01 "Monster" predecessor, only the largest REF capital ships had the capability of transporting the massive unit.

This strategic plan proved to be entirely inadequate, as the REF found itsself sending fleets with relatively small numbers and correspondingly small cargo capacities to widely dispersed planets fighting a war of liberation against the Invid.  These fleets would have limited numbers of Destroids and because of their small size would not be capable of carrying any heavy artillery Destroid units.  Military planners soon came to the realization that an even smaller ground support Destroid was needed which could be carried by most REF capital ships and as a result the HWR-04 was designed.  The first production models were produced on Tirol and introduced into the REF Army and Marine Corps in 2027. 

The primary weapons of the HWR-04 are two massive PBC-21 particle beam cannons mounted on twin booms on either side of the main body.  Each PBC-21 is a miniaturized version of the arm mounted PBC-20 found on the HWR-03 Thundercracker and is capable of firing 60 MJ blasts of energy out to effective combat range of 8 kilometers, well outside the defensive perimeter of most small Invid hives.  For close in protection and also capable of providing assistance in destroying fortified static positions, a single DD-10 Coralsnake missile launcher is mounted between the two particle beam cannons.  The single launcher carries ten Coralsnake missiles in ready position, with an additional single reload of ten missiles.  In addition to the onboard weapon systems, the Tiger was normally provided with several Destroids to provide close in support should the Invid breakthrough into weapons range.

The HWR-04 Tiger was armored with the latest Chobham low-mass composite plating providing immunity from all light anti-mecha weaponry and excellent protection from medium class (55mm or less) and Invid annihilation disks.  The Tiger was given nearly 200% additional armor over the VF-6 "Alpha" and was designed to take an incredible amount of punishment.  However, the mecha was very slow and could not effectively engage Invid units which have closed to hand-to-hand combat range and thus was potentially quite vulnerable.

Approximately 250 Tigers were created during the Sentinel war and several units were sent back to Earth as part of the REF's attempt to reinforce the Armies of the Southern Cross (ASC).  The design proved to be incredibly effective in the roll for which it was designed, that of long range fire support.  Unfortunately, many of the units were lost when superior numbers of Invid were able to overwhelm the limited short range defenses of the Tiger.  By the time the REF was mounting its final assault to reclaim Terra, production of the Tiger had stopped in favor of the more maneuverable VBF-9 series veritech fighter, which could also be used in a similar fire support roll but had the maneuverability associated with a three form veritech.

RPG STATS

Vehicle Type:   HWR-04 "Tiger"

Class: Single Seat Heavy Artillery Destroid
Manufacturer:  Robotech Expeditionary Force
Crew: One pilot wearing a tactical life support system.

Service History:  Served with the REF Army and Marines from 2027

MDC BY LOCATION:

NOTES:

1. Destroying the top sensor pod of the Tiger will knock out the mecha's long range sensor systems including radar and communications.  All of the mecha's major optical systems will remain unaffected (infrared, nightvision, and thermal).
2. Depleting the MDC of the main body will destroy the mecha.

SPEEDS:

RUNNING:

60 kph maximum; cruising speed is 35 kph

LEAPING:

10 ft (3 m) high or 100 ft (30 m) long without thrusters.

FLYING:

N/A

DESIGNED G LIMITS:

+12.0/-6.5 G (Computer overrides at 9.5 g)

MAX ACCELERATION:  SPACE

0.48 G

DELTA V:

1.1 kps with 2,000 kg of D₂0

 

STATISTICAL DATA:

HEIGHT

12.4 m

WIDTH:

8.0 m at the Tigers widest point

LENGTH:

10.4 m including cannons

WEIGHT:

50,500 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:

RRG Mrk-27 Protoculture energizer providing a total of 500 MW of power

MAX ENGINE THRUST

[Main] 2 x Pratt & Whitney JG95D:  Max output of each thruster is 118 kN each (specific impulse of 3,000 sec).  These thrusters are used only for maneuvering in spaceborne operations.

[Auxiliary] Numerous Turbo-Union ATF-401 thrusters    Maneuvering thrusters are mounted on the legs, arms and on the main body for use in spaceborne operations. 

FUEL CAPACITY:

16 standard canisters of protoculture

1,000 liters of D₂0 for reaction mass

COMPATIBLE FAST PACKS:

None

WEAPON SYSTEMS:

1. 2 x PBC-21 PARTICLE CANNONS:  The primary weapon of the HWR-04 are two massive PBC-21 particle beam cannons mounted on twin booms on either side of the main body.  Each PBC-21 is a miniaturized version of the arm mounted PBC-20 found on the HWR-03 Thundercracker and is capable of firing 60 MJ blasts of energy out to effective combat range of 8 kilometers.  Unfortunately the design is somewhat unwieldy and as a result have problems striking maneuvering targets.
   • PRIMARY PURPOSE: Assault
   • SECONDARY PURPOSE: Anti-Mecha
   • RANGE: 8000 m
   • DAMAGE: 6D6*10 MDC
   • RATE OF FIRE: Equal to the combined attacks of the pilot.
   • PAYLOAD: Effectively unlimited
   • NOTES:  -3 to strike targets traveling faster than 100 kph
   
   
2. DD-10 MULTI-MISSILE SYSTEM:  Located in the front of the Tiger between the two massive PBC-21 particle cannons is a single DD-10 multi-missile system.  The single launcher carries ten Coralsnake missiles in ready position with an additional single reload of ten missiles.  These missiles were used primarily to assist in knocking down fortified static positions but could be used as weapons of last resort if enemy mecha break through into combat range.
   • PRIMARY PURPOSE: Assault/Defense
   • SECONDARY PURPOSE: Anti-mecha
   • RANGE: 8.2 km (ballistic trajectory) or 3.5 km (direct trajectory)
   • MAX SPEED:  Mach 1.5
   • DAMAGE:
     • High Explosive Armor Piercing (A,C):  2D4*10 MDC per missile
     • Plasma (B,D):  2D6*10 MDC per missile
   • RATE OF FIRE: One at a time or in volleys of two, four, eight, or ten
   • PAYLOAD: Twenty Coralsnake missiles
   • NOTES:  HEAP have critical strikes on 17-20, Mark -A and -B are +2 to strike, Mark -C and -D are +3 to strike against Invid mecha.  Subtract -5 for ballistic strikes.
   
   
3. HAND TO HAND COMBAT: If necessary, the Tiger can engage in melee combat rather than use a weapon; however, combat is limited to attacks with the legs and body blocks.

   DAMAGE:  

   • Kick: 6D6
   • Body Block/Tackle: 4D6
   • Stomp: 2D6*10 (only effective against small objects)
     

STANDARD EQUIPMENT FOR THE HWR-04 TIGER:

• ACTIVE SENSOR JAMMER: Westinghouse ALQ-250(V) internal ECM providing broadband protection.  Estimated system effective radiative power 50 dBW
• AUTO-PILOT: The Tiger 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.
• COMBAT COMPUTER: The IBM-200 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 200 targets simultaneously.
• CHAFF AND FLARE DISPENSERS AN/ALE-55: 40 chaff and 40 flares are stored in on the top of the main body firing the countermeasures upwards and to either side of the Tiger.
• 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 HWR-04  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, Veritechs, and Destroids can locate and track a homing signal, and the onboard computers will automatically notify their pilots if such a signal is detected.
• INFRA-RED COUNTERMEASURES:  Westinghouse QRC-100 providing protection from IR guided missiles
• INFRA-RED WARNING RECEIVER:  OlDelft Infra-red Warning Receiver (IRWR) providing all aspect coverage from IR guided missiles
• LASER RANGE FINDER / TARGETING SYSTEM:  Thomson LT-5 multi-frequency laser ranger and designator (Range 30 kilometers)
• LOUDSPEAKER: A loudspeaker system is built into the craft, which can be used to amplify the pilot's voice up to 100 decibels.
• OPTICS (INFRARED):  Phillips All-View multi-band camera system range 1000 meters.  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): Phillips All-View multi-band camera system range 1000 meters.  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):  Phillips All-View multi-band camera system range 1000 meters. 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.
• 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.
• RADAR (MEDIUM RANGE / FIRE CONTROL):  Hughes TPG-113 X-band pulse-Doppler, providing spherical long-range detection and tracking of targets at all altitudes. (Range 150 km against a 0 dBsm "Invid sized" target)
• RADAR WARNING RECEIVER:  Marconi Radar Warning Receiver (RWR) providing all aspect detection of radar guided missiles.
• SELF-DESTRUCT: To prevent capture of an advance variable fighter by the enemy, the pilot can activate the HWR-04 self-destruct system, which will cause the Destroid 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 3D6*10 M.D. to everything within the radius of the explosion. All internal systems are obliterated. The pilot will be automatically ejected prior to the explosion unless the pilot overrides the ejection sequence.
• SMOKE DISPENSERS:  Enough smoke is stored for 30 second of continuous coverage.  After 2040, smoke was formulated to cover protoculture emissions, hence providing temporary protection for the Tiger.
• STANDARD SURVIVAL KIT: All REF Destroids 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 Tiger's 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.
  

COMBAT BONUSES FOR TIGER TRAINING:

• 2 attacks per melee (plus those of the pilot).
• Add one additional action/attack at levels six and eleven.
• +1 to strike
• +0 to dodge
• +0 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

• B-Club Special #9: Artmic Design Works
• Palladium Books:  The Sentinels
• Robotech Technical Files:  HWR-04 "Tiger"
• Wildstorm Comics:  Robotech Love and War #1

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