Combat Vehicle Technical Readout

Name/Model:         Snatch Fly
Designer:           Thunder
Source(s):          Custom Mordel.Net Units
Technology:         Inner Sphere
Technology Rating:  E
Tonnage:            5
Configuration:      Combat Vehicle
Era/Year:           Civil War / 3067
Rules (Current):    Standard
Rules (Era):        Experimental
Rules (Year):       Experimental
Total Cost:         158,712 C-Bills
Battle Value:       182

Movement Type:        VTOL
Power Plant:          45 XL
Cruising Speed:       205.2 kph 
Maximum Speed:        313.2 kph 
Armor:                Standard
Armament:             
    1 Small X-Pulse Laser
Manufacturer:         Unknown
    Primary Factory:  Unknown
Communications:       Unknown
Targeting & Tracking: Unknown

================================================================================================
Overview:
    VTOLs come in several flavors.  There are slower designs that rely on firepower and armor to
    carry the day.  There are faster designs that offer a good blend of speed, firepower, and
    protection.  And then there are the designs that cranked their airspeed up for the purpose
    of being extra annoying.  The Snatch Fly is an economical solution to that problem.

Capabilities:
    When a VTOL reaches about 150 km/h they start being problematic.  Issues with targeting can
    quickly cascade leading to an expotential drop in accuracy against such targets.  Worse,
    that mobility advantage means that the VTOL is the one dictating the range further affecting
    their target profile.
    
    Prehaps one of the most infamous examples of such a VTOL is the K-Star enterprise's Raptor,
    a 22 ton flying PPC that could back up as fast as a Locust could run forward.  Fortunatly
    the first succession war put an end to that nonsense, but not before IPD buisness interests
    introduced a light hunter killer VTOL intended to keep the skies clear of such annoyances.
    
    The Snatch Fly brings two traits to the table making it an effective killer of VTOLs, even
    more speed and accurate weaponry.  It is also very affordable, coming in at less then 200k
    cbills.  Mobility is such as that it can close the range from long to point blank of a
    Raptor even while it preforms its signature back pedaling manuever.  Once the range has been
    closed the Snatch Fly can even use more stable flight profiles to stick to its target even
    if they try to evade.  Accurate firepower comes from pulse technology.  Though still prone
    to missing due to the erratic nature of air to air combat between VTOLs, with persistence
    any VTOL targeted will go down in short order.

Deployment:
    Use of Snatch Flies is not too common.  They'll be brought into play when an opforce is
    known to use high speed VTOLs.  Use has fallen off considerably since the Geigerhost was
    encountered.  Though used initially to try and fend off Doom Bees, that quickly became a
    losing strategy.  Instead that job has been reallocated to swarms of light drones that are
    cheap enough that defense in depth  and reasonable exchange rate are meaningful.  Where you
    will still see Snatch Flies is combat coming from "politics by other means."  In that
    situation its important not to overmatch your opponent so badly that their defeat doesnt
    seem real.  They need to feel they did their best and failed rather then their opponents
    cheated.  Once that goal is achieved, reconciliation can begin.  Having human pilots who put
    themselves at risk are a large part of that interplay.

Variants:
    The model shown here is a modern design.  The original version lacked the specialized armor,
    and used a normal pulse laser.  Other weapon choices are avaliable.  Usually in the vein of
    medium lasers or twin small lasers.  It would take a rather unique event to fabricate such
    models for use however.  On the research side... what if M-Pod?

Notable MechWarriors:
    The Snatch Fly is named after the generic name for bugs that fill the ecological niche of
    airborne hunters.  On Earth there are Dragonflies and Robber Flies,  but in the wider cosmos
    most planets have something equivilent.  In this case a descriptive common name filled the
    gap allowing for people from different planets to communicate what they mean without
    requiring specific knowledge of foreign species.

================================================================================================
Equipment                                                             Mass                      
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Internal Structure:                          Standard                  0.50                     
Engine:                                       45 XL                    1.00                     
    Cruising MP:                                19                                              
    Flanking MP:                                29                                              
Heat Sinks (Single):                            10                     0.00                     
Control Equipment:                                                     0.50                     
Lift Equipment:                                                        0.50                     
Power Amplifier:                                                       0.00                     
Turret:                                                                0.00                     
Armor Factor:                                   24                     1.50                     
    Type:                                    Standard                                           

                                              Armor                                             
                                              Value                                             
    Front:                                      10                                              
    R/L Side:                                   5                                               
    Rear:                                       2                                               
    Rotor:                                      2                                               

================================================================================================
Weapons and Ammo                                            Location              Tonnage       
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Small X-Pulse Laser                                           Front                1.00         

================================================================================================
Alpha Strike Statistics                                                    
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Point Value (PV): 15
TP: CV,  SZ: 1,  TMM: 5,  MV: 38"v
Damage: (S) 0* / (M) 0* / (L) 0
Armor (A): 1,  Structure (S): 1
Specials: ATMO, ENE, SRCH