VFB-9 "Beta" Fighter with GBP-9S Armor System

(Version 1.00 - Last updated: 04/20/04)

Background and RPG Statistics by Kenneth Olson

BACKGROUND

The VFB-9 “Beta” fighter was the Robotech Expeditionary Forces premier heavy assault variable fighter from 2039 until well after the conclusion of the 3^rd Robotech War.  The design proved so successful that it spawned a two-seat electronic attack (EA) version designated the VBE-9 or “Wild Weasel Beta”.  Military planners soon discovered that the VBE-9 was used primarily in the initial spaceborne phases of planetary assaults against Invid occupied plants and had little role once the plant had been blockaded.  What the REF desired was to have a ready pool of VFB-9 fighters that could be upgraded to the VBE-9 standard during the initial attack phases and obliterate any Invid long range electronic sensors.  As the REF ground forces closed in for assaults on Invid planetary hives, the electronic attack fighters could be modified back into their standard VBF-9 configurations and resume their heavy attack roles for which they were designed. 

The REF had a great amount of experience in creating armored FAST pack systems, and thus the VFB-9 “Beta” would be given the electronic attack capability with the addition of the newly designed GBP-9S Armor Augmentation System.  As a cost saving measure, the GBP-9 system would prohibit the Beta from transforming out of battloid mode; however, this was not seen as a detriment as the use of the armor would be primarily used in space.  The primary upgrade for the GBS-9S armor was the massive Raytheon AN/ALQ-199 Tactical Jamming System mounted on the right shoulder of the unit.  The AN/ALQ-199 was capable of jamming Invid mecha based radars out to nearly 250 kilometers and operate in a passive mode that can collect enemy signals, analyze, and geolocate in order to provide target quality cues to long range missiles. 

The weapon systems of the unit were similarly upgraded with the addition of a shoulder mounted EU-13 destablizer which can fire 30 MJ bursts to an effective combat range of 1.8 km up to 20 times per minute powered from its own dedicated protoculture generator.  The missile payload was similarly upgraded with two leg mounted MM-12 multi-missile systems each holding twelve hammerhead short range missiles  and two torso mounted GRL-16 each holding sixteen Tarantula mini-missiles for point defense.  Almost as an afterthought, mecha designers placed two GU-13s modified from retired VF-6 gun pods and fed from rear mounted ammunition bins instead of the original clip based design.  This modification doubled the amount of ammunition which the weapon can normally hold;  however, the ammunition is fed into the weapon from outside the armor belt of the mecha and thus is vulnerable to enemy attacks.  Weapon designers felt that the added engineering necessary to design an armored ammunition feed could not be justified for a weapon system which was viewed as auxiliary at best to the VFB-9.

The Armored Beta Fighter proved to be just as effective as the VBE-9 “Wild Weasel” in electronic attack while retaining the combat capability of the standard VBF-9.  Unfortunately, the high cost of the GBP-9S armor and the tendency of pilots to eject the armor when in heavy combat to regain the full use of all variable modes, resulted in a small production run for the armor and limited distribution in the REF fleet.  From 2040 until the conclusion of the 3^rd Robotech War approximately 750 GBP-9S armor upgrades were built but production of the VBE-9 for which the upgrade was to replace continued until war’s conclusion.

RPG STATS

Vehicle Type:  Armored Augmentation System GBP-9S Armored Augmentation System

Class:  GBP-9S

Manufacturer:  Robotech Expeditionary Forces
Crew:  One pilot wearing tactical life support system

Service History: 

Served with the Robotech Expeditionary Forces from 2040 onward.

 

MDC BY LOCATION:

NOTES:

1. Destruction of the top mounted ELINT sensor / jammer will not effect the VFB-9 standard sensor equipment.
2. Strike roles of 15 or higher which hit the hip mounted 35mm GU-13 will destroy the ammunition feed and effectively disable the weapon.

SPEEDS:

RUNNING, SOLDIER CONFIGURATION:

90 kph

LEAPING, SOLDIER CONFIGURATION:

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

FLYING, SOLDIER CONFIGURATION:

300 kph

DESIGNED G LIMITS:

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

MAX ACCELERATION:  SPACE

4.95 / 2.55 g (light / maximum weight)

ARMORED VFB-9 DELTA V:

14.3 kps with 10,000 kg of D₂0 with minimal weapons load (21.2 kps  if 8,000 kg of weapons in bomb bay replaced with D₂0)

7.9 kps with 10,000 kg of D₂0 with maximum weapons load (12.7 kps  if 8,000 kg of weapons in bomb bay replaced with D₂0)

 

STATISTICAL DATA:

HEIGHT:

14.7 m (ELINT Sensor adds 1 m)

WIDTH:

8.5 m

DEPTH:

9.0 m (Rear mounted thrusters and ammunition adds 50 cm )

WEIGHT (Total System with all components):

37,000 (GBP-9S adds 7,500 of dry weight)

67,500 kg full load (with reaction mass and full ammunition load out) (GBP-9S adds 10,250 kg)

ADDITIONAL POWER PLANT:

1 x RRL-2D miniaturized protoculture-cell energizer providing power to the EU-13 particle cannon

ADDITIONAL MAX ENGINE THRUST:

4 x NAKAJIMA FBS-2 [Auxiliary]:  Four high maneuverability miniaturized fusion plasma-ramjets providing 20 kN of standard thrust and max overboost to 35kN are mounted on either leg missile launcher and two on the rear of the sensor unit to provide additional thrust to offset the additional weight of the armored system.

ADDITIONAL FUEL CAPACITY:

1 standard canisters of Protoculture for RRL-2D powering the EP-17
2,000 liters of  D₂0 for reaction mass stored in rear mounted propellant tanks (in addition to the 10,000 kg standard on the VFB-9)

(Optional) 8,000 liters of D₂0 in bomb bay instead of weapons

WEAPON SYSTEMS FOR THE GPS-9S BETA ARMORED AUGMENTATION SYSTEM:

1. EU-13 DESTABLIZER:  Sub-nuclear particle beam gun with output of 30 MJ, can fire up to 20 times/minute.  Draws power from its own dedicated protoculture canister, but can be fired using the Veritech's own power.  Particles have specific, disrupting effect on force fields, and will short out a low power field completely, while high power fields may temporarily and locally cease to function..
   • PRIMARY PURPOSE: Assault
   • SECONDARY PURPOSE: Anti-Force Field
   • RANGE: 1800 m
   • DAMAGE: 3D4*10 per burst
   • RATE OF FIRE:  The dedicated protoculture generator can provide enough energy for up to 20 short bursts per minute (5 per melee)
   • PAYLOAD:  Effectively unlimited
   • NOTES:  Use of the EU-13 precludes the use of the EU-35 mounted in the right arm of the VFB-9

    

2. 2x GPS-9S MM-12 FAST PACK MULTI-MISSILE SYSTEM:  Two MM-12 multi-missile systems are mounted in armored launchers on either leg.  Each MM-12 missile system can hold twelve hammerhead short range missiles with three missiles in ready positions and nine reloads.
   • PRIMARY PURPOSE: Assault/Defense
   • SECONDARY PURPOSE: Anti-mecha
   • RANGE: 5.2 km
   • DAMAGE: Varies on warhead type (typically 1D6*10 for plasma)
   • RATE OF FIRE:  One at a time or in volleys of two, three, or six (simultaneous volleys from both leg units)
   • PAYLOAD: 12 short range hammerhead missiles per launcher

    

3. 2x GU-13 THREE-BARRELED 35MM GUN POD: With the retirement of the GU-13 in 2035 with the more advance EP-13, a large number of weapons became available for modification and possible use on other mecha.  Two modified GU-13s are added to either hip of the GBP-9S armor and modified to accept ammunition from a rear mounted ammunition bin holding a maximum capacity of 1200 rounds.  This modification doubled the amount of ammunition which the weapon can normally hold;  however, the ammunition is fed into the weapon from outside the armor belt of the mecha and thus is vulnerable to enemy attacks.  Weapon designers felt that the added engineering necessary to design an armored ammunition feed could not be justified for a weapon system which was viewed as auxiliary at best to the VFB-9.
   • PRIMARY PURPOSE: Assault
   • SECONDARY PURPOSE: Anti-Mecha
   • RANGE: Armor Piercing Spin Stabilized Discarding Sabot Rounds (APSSDS) 5000 feet (1500 m), High Explosive Armor Piercing, Standard, and Tracer 4000 ft (1200m)
   • DAMAGE: APSSDS 3D6 short burst, 5D6 medium burst, 1D6*10 full melee burst.   HEAP 4D6 short burst, 1D6*10 medium burst, 2D6*10 full melee burst.  Tracer rounds reduce damage by 25%.  Standard 4D6 short burst, 1D4*10 medium burst, or 2D4*10 full melee burst
   • RATE OF FIRE: Single shots or bursts equal to the combined attacks of the pilot.
   • PAYLOAD:  The aEach weapon can fire 80 short bursts, 40 medium, or 20 full melee.
   • NOTES:  APSSDS crits on 17,18,19,20.  HEAP crits on 19,20.   Tracers add +2 to strike.
   • NOTES-2:  Strike rolls of 17 or higher which hit the hip mounted GU-13 will hit the ammunition feed and disable the unit, enemy forces can accomplish the same by aiming for the link on a call shot (-5 to strike)

    

4. 2 x GRL-16 MINI-MISSILE LAUNCHERS:  Two mini-missile launchers are mounted on either side of the center torso.  Each launcher can hold up to sixteen 76mm x 180mm Tarantula LLTV-and radar-guided missiles in four missile tubes.  Each tube can fire all four of their missiles in a single volley which gives the Armored Beta fighter the capability of firing a single volley of 32 mini-missiles.  These missiles were primarily used for close in defense against incoming Invid Scouts and Shock Troopers; although, their effectiveness is somewhat questionable because of their low damage potential.  
   • PRIMARY PURPOSE: Assault/Defense
   • SECONDARY PURPOSE: Anti-mecha
   • RANGE: 1.1 km
   • DAMAGE: 3D6 MDC.
   • RATE OF FIRE: One at a time or in volleys of 2, 3 or 4 per launcher
   • PAYLOAD:  Four missiles per launcher for a total of 16

ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT PROVIDED WITH THE GBP-9S ARMORED AUGMENTATION SYSTEM:

• ACTIVE SENSOR JAMMER:  The Raytheon AN/ALQ-199 Tactical Jamming System (TJS) is mounted in either shoulder providing broadband protection against enemy surveillance and fire-control radar.  Estimated system effective radiative power of over 95 dBW which will deny radar coverage to the Invid for approximately 250 km around the unit.
• COMBAT COMPUTER: The IBM-500 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 5,000 targets simultaneously.
• RADAR (SURVEILLANCE):  Westinghouse APY-7 multi-band interleaved-multi-mode radar system, providing spherical very-long-range detection and tracking of targets at all altitudes in addition to medium range imaging and target identification. This system includes passive modes for "stealthy" detection of targets. (Range 500 km  against a 0 dBsm "Invid sized" target)
• SIGNAL ANALYZER:  Thomson ASD-52 has the capability of receiving inbound EM signals and classify frequency direction of emitter.  System can geo-locate signals down to 1 km^2 within 2 minutes of first emission

ADDITIONAL COMBAT BONUSES PROVIDED WITH THE GBP-9S ARMORED AUGMENTATION SYSTEM:

• Subtract one attack per melee while the boosters are attached to the VFB-9 the additional weight of the boosters make the fighter unwieldy and more difficult to dodge or line up to engage enemies
• -1 to strike
• -2 to dodge in the atmosphere, -1 while in space
• -1 to roll with the punch

Random Hit Locations

When there is an equal chance of hitting both sides from 1D6

• 1-3 hits the right side
• 4-6 hits the left

When there is a preferred side, roll 1D10

• 1-8 hits the preferred side
• 9-10 hits the opposite side

REFERENCES USED IN THIS DESIGN

• Macross Mecha Designs:  "UN Spacy FAST Packs"
• Palladium Books:  "The Sentinels"
• Robotech.com:  Veritech Beta Fighter VFB-9 "Beta"
• Robotech Technical Files: Veritech Beta Fighter VF-12 "Beta"

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