Firedrake Fire Support Robot

BARD PAPER: VERA5003

The Firedrake is a heavy fire support robot designed to operate in tandem with lighter scout/hunter bots, like the Hummingbird. It resembles a small armoured personnel carrier - a blocky tracked vehicle with vertical sides and rear and a slightly sloped front. Three blocky structures sit atop the roof - a pair of Swordfish Heavy Tac Missile tubes on the left, a reloading crane in the centre and the firing tube for a magazine-fed Flying Fish Launcher on the right. In front of the arm rises the comms/sensor cluster, a resembling an upturned cereal bowl on a stick.

Firedrakes have relatively low powered brains, since all they are required to do is find firing positions, stay low and loose off missiles on command. They are quite capable of self-reloading, and usually operate around small stockpiles of spare missiles.

When a fire mission is requested by a scout (human or robot) the Firedrake calculates an approximate target position and launches a missile out towards the target's location. When the missile's laser-spot-tracker picks up the designation point the Firedrake releases command funtion and allows the missile to home by itself.

For self defence, the Firedrake is armed with a pair of rapid-fire lasers, mounted on the loading crane to allow aiming. It is intended that these should not be used. In extemis the Firedrake can guide its own missiles, usually opting for a high angle loft-and-drop shot for short range self defence.

General Data

Tech Level: 14

Price: 0.66 MCr

Size: 4 m³

Mass: 7.139 tonnes

Engineering Data

Power Plant: .75 MW Fusion Power Plant 360 days LHyd Fuel (73 litres)

Transmission: Tracked

Suspension: Tracked

Maint: 2

Electronics

Brain: TL-13b

Logic: High Autonomous

Command: Full

Intelligence: 4

Assets:

Computer: None other than Robot brain

Avionics: None

Commo: 2 x 300km maser, 2 x 300km laser control links / designators, 1 x 300km radio.

Sensors: 1 x Image Enhancing Eye, 2 x Visible Spectrum Eye, 1 x Passive IR Eye, 1 x Audio Sensor, 1 x Amplied Ear, 1 x IR Motion Detector, 1 x Radiation Sensor.

ECM/ECCM: EMM Masking

Cargo: None

Peripherals: 1 Reloading Crane, Video Display, Voder/Speaker, Master RCV Controller System, Strobe Light, and Siren.

**Arms**
Arm	Volume	AGL	STR	Lift	Hit	UMD	Weapon	AMD
Reloading Crane	40 liters	5	20	1000 kg	11	10	-	-

Armament

Offensive 1 x 2-Pack Swordfish Launcher, 1 x 12-Pack Flying Fish Launcher, 2 x 8.1cm DEI Rapid Fire Lasers.
The Flying Fish Tactical Missile is a TL-9 400kg EAPLac Rocket with 8kg of fuel. It uses a 18cm SEFOP warhead and is capable of Mach 3.
The Swordfish Heavy Tactical Missile is a TL-9 600 kg EAPLac rocket with 37 kg of fuel. It uses a 30-cm HEAP warhead and is capable fo Mach 2.

Defensive: None

Stablization:

Weapon Guidance Mass Price Conc-Burst Pen Val Max Rng M/turn

Flying Fish M,LC,LD 45 kg 1286 Cr C;32 B:80 209C 30.4 km 940

Swordfish M,LC,LD 240 kg 3664 Cr C:119 B:110 353C 68.4 km 680

M=Manual Guidance, LC=Laser Command and LD=Laser Designated.

Weapon	Guidance	Mass	Price	Conc-Burst	Pen Val	Max Rng	M/turn
Flying Fish	M,LC,LD	45 kg	1286 Cr	C;32 B:80	209C	30.4 km	940
Swordfish	M,LC,LD	240 kg	3664 Cr	C:119 B:110	353C	68.4 km	680

Weapon ROF DamDice Pen Val Magaz S Range

8.1-cm Laser Rifle Auto-3 8-4-2-1 Nil - 260m

Weapon	ROF	DamDice	Pen Val	Magaz	S Range
8.1-cm Laser Rifle	Auto-3	8-4-2-1	Nil	-	260m

Movement

Travel Move: 105/85 kph

Combat Move: 25

Endurance: 360 days

Armor

Front: 60

Side: 40

Rear: 40

Deck: 40

Belly: 40