VHT-2K "The Gunslinger" Hovertank

(Version 1.02 - Last updated: 4/16/98)  
Concept and Background by Kenneth Olson
Background Information derived from Robotech Technical Files

BACKGROUND

vht_tank_mod.GIF (20030 bytes)

In early 2029, the Armies of the Southern Cross came to the realization that the hovertank for all its firepower was still underpowered.  Under normal circumstances a single shot from the 120mm smoothbore cannon would destroy any blue or green bioroids.   However, as the Robotech Masters increased the production of the more advanced Red and Bioroid Invid fighters, the much vaunted 120 mm smoothbore cannon proved inadequate.   In an effort to increase the firepower of the hovertank, a new design VHT-1B was produced.  This design removed the smoothbore cannon and replaced it with a particle beam cannon.  This weapon had similar damage characteristics as the smoothbore weapon but without the ammunition requirements.

The VHT-1B proved to be an extremely successful design having the highest kill ratio of any of the mecha in the Armies of the Southern Cross.  There were several problems.  Although the particle cannon would inflect massive amounts of damage to any of the Robotech Master's Bioroids, an addition weapon system was needed to replace the Oerlikon triple barrel plasma pulse cannons.  The pulse cannons were or limited use against bioroids.  The Oerlikon weapon system is only truly effective against incoming missiles, which against the Robotech Masters has limited use.   Combat engineers further discovered that although the main cannon had a payload of only 30 shots, with a recharge rate of 10 shots per hour, rarely would pilots deplete the weapon.  Typically, pilots would fire 1-5 shots at extreme range and then transform in Battloid mode for close in combat.

Thus the VHT-2K project was born.  Under the supervision of Miles Cochrane in Monument City, the VHT-2K would replace the ineffectual Oerlikon with a second main particle beam cannon.  The engineers hoped that with the addition of a second cannon increased numbers of enemy units would be destroyed before the hovertank engaged the Bioroids at close range.  The second cannon added addition weight to the standard hovertank, thus decreasing the speed in all modes.  In addition, the second cannon takes up some of the space where the power generators in the VHT-1B are located.  The smaller storage unit has a payload of 20 shots with a recharge rate of 10 shots per hour.   This decrease in total payload was not thought to be a disadvantage because the hovertanks would still only be able to discharge 1-5 double shots before the enemy bioroids would close into the EU-11 range.

The initial production of 24 VHT-2K's was finished on July 29, 2030 just in time for the final attack on Monument city on August 8, 2030.  One squadron was placed in defense of Newton and the other 12 placed in defense of Fokker Field outside of Monument city.  The first squadron proved the designs worth, holding off 5 times their number.  This group performed so admirably, that a Robotech Masters mother craft armed with a electro-particle beam destroyed the squadron along with the city's 15,000 persons.  The second group also performed as expected obtaining a kill ration of 10 bioroids for each loss.  The second squadron under the command of Captain Kris Stone was forced to retreat from the base once the sheer number of bioroids forced the group to retreat.  Captain Stone was able to disengage his remaining five units.  

At the end of the Second Robotech War, military resources for the Armies of the Southern Cross was extremely limited.  However, the VHT-2K proved and extremely adept unit.  An addition 100 were produced before the Inivd destroyed the remaining manufacturing facility outside of Tokyo.  If it was possible, the VHT-2K proved even more suited for fights against the Invid.  The main cannons could destroy any of the Invid mecha a distance.  In addition the lack of ammunition based weaponry made the VHT-2K ideal for resistance groups.  37 Gunslingers survived the Invid occupation and participated on the final attack against reflex point.

 vht_battloid.jpg (34272 bytes)

 

RPG STATS

Vehicle Type:
VHT-1K "The Gunslinger" Hovertank
Class: Advanced Veritec Hovertank
Manufacturer: Armies of the Southern Cross
Crew: One pilot wearing Tactical Life Support System.
           A second person can either sit on the pilots lap or in the storage compartment behind the pilot
 

MDC BY LOCATION: 

(1) Main Body                                            300
    Reinforced Pilots Compartment                        200
    Armored Hood	                                 50
    Head	 					 60
    Headlights (2 on top)		         	 5
    Hands (2)	          		   		 50
    Arms  (2)	 				  	 125
    Arm Shields (2)	 	 			 300
    Legs (2)		 			 	 200
    Retractable Hover Jets (2)			         55
(2) Rear, Lower Hover Jets (2)	 			 50
    Retractable Utility Arms (3)			 3
    Main Cannon (2)				         120
    EU-11 Gun Pod	 			 	 100

NOTES:
  1. Depleting the MDC of the main body will destroy the mecha
  2. Note that the rear, lower hover jets are located on the rear underbelly or bottom of the transport mode, rear underside in tank mode, and lower back when in battloid mode.   The front retractable hover jets are targets only in the transport mode.  Loss of both prevents movement in that mode
  3. Armor is laser resistant (all lasers do half damage)

vht_transport.jpg (34245 bytes)

SPEEDS:

RUNNING, SOLDIER CONFIGURATION:
40 kph
LEAPING, SOLDIER CONFIGURATION:
10 m
Max Speed, TANK CONFIGURATION:
5 kph
Max Speed, HOVERTANK CONFIGURATION:
100 kph
Max sustained hover height: 1.5 meters
 

STATISTICAL DATA:

HEIGHT:
2.25 m in Hovertank
4.50 m in Tank
6.20 m in Battloid
WIDTH:
2.70 m in Hovertank
2.25 m in Tank
LENGTH:
6.00 m in Hovertank
7.75 m in Tank
WEIGHT:
21,000 kg fully loaded
PHYSICAL STRENGTH:
Equal to a P.S. of 60
CARGO:
Small compartment behind pilot's seat for personal belongings.
POWER PLANT:
4x P&W HJ-800 hover jets, max output of 71 kN of ground effect thrust each.   Peak hovering performance at 1 meter altitude.  1 x Micronized SCRR-mk 11 protoculuture generator.
Propulsion in Spaceborne operations:
2x TurboUnion RP-2S rocket pods, attached to the leg mounted hover jets.  Maximum thrust 103 kN each for up to 70 seconds.
Delta V:
5 kilometers/second with internal stores.
Generator Endurance:
8 years
COMPATIBLE FAST PACKS:
None.

hovertank_accesories.jpg (39600 bytes)

WEAPON SYSTEMS:

  1. Main Cannon: The Gunslinger possesses two 120 mm particle beam cannons

     

  2. EU-11: .

     

  3. HAND TO HAND COMBAT: If necessary, the Dualist can engage in melee combat rather than use a weapon..

vhtbacockpit.jpg (57640 bytes)

STANDARD EQUIPMENT FOR THE VHT-2K:

COMBAT BONUSES FOR VHT-2K:

ADVANCEDCOMBAT TRAINING

BASIC COMBAT TRAINING

vhtcamo2.jpg (67904 bytes)

 

SOURCES USED IN CREATION OF DOCUMENT

 

Back to Mecha Home