Viewing Combat Vehicle Unit
    Overview |  Distribution |  Battle Value |  Alpha Strike |  Cost |  Availability  | Reviews   
 Units  »  Search  »  Combat Vehicles  »  Pragma Heavy Tank
Design Overview
Generate in     format       
                 Combat Vehicle Technical Readout

Name/Model:         Pragma Heavy Tank
Designer:           IronRaven Special Projects Group
Source(s):          Custom Mordel.Net Units
Technology:         Inner Sphere
Technology Rating:  D
Tonnage:            95
Role:               Juggernaut
Configuration:      Combat Vehicle
Era/Year:           Succession Wars / 2838
Rules (Current):    Introductory
Rules (Era):        Introductory
Rules (Year):       Introductory
Total Cost:         2,228,363 C-Bills
Battle Value:       942

Movement Type:        Tracked
Power Plant:          HeavyLoad 285 with PowerBoost 285 Internal Combustion
Cruising Speed:       32.4 kph  
Maximum Speed:        54 kph    
Armor:                SimplePlate Manufacturers Standard
Armament:             
    1 Magna Hellstar PPC
    4 Martell Model 5 Medium Lasers
Manufacturer:         Grumman Amalgamated
    Primary Factory:  Shiro III
Communications:       Easy Talk-2
Targeting & Tracking: GuideRite w/Laser Coordination Link

================================================================================================
Overview:
    Developed by Grumman Amalgamated as a companion or alternative to the Ontos, the Pragma
    (meaning "to do" or "to practice" in Greek, rather than the Ontos' "to be" or in a more
    vulgar translation, "thing") was produced in trial quantities early in the Second Succession
    War before being abandoned due to a lack of customer interest. It uses the same drive train,
    tracks and suspension as the Ontos, along with a hull and turret clearly derived from the
    older tank with it's eight medium lasers. But then GA took it in an interesting direction.
    
    The first thing one notices when they examine records of this machine is the four Martell
    lasers we'd expect to find on the right side of the turret have been replaced with a
    particle cannon, specifically a Magna Hellstar. Records suggest that GA had initially tried
    to secure the Parti-Kill that is found on the Manticore, but corporate pressure blocked this
    contract. On the left side of the turret, there are still  four Martells. This combination
    of ranges is interesting, particularly given that the LRM racks have been removed from the
    top of the turret. The armament of the Pragma required no ammunition, but it was still
    logistically dependent as it used the same internal combustion engine as the Ontos. One one
    hand, that is contradictory, but on the other hand the only logistics it needs is fuel.
    
    The armour was improved by a not inconsiderable degree, to a total of ten and a half tons of
    the "simple plate" used by the Ontos that can be manufactured on any world with a self
    sustaining heavy equipment manufacturing capability. The electronics are the same as the
    Ontos. The one weird thing about the machine is that for an 95 ton tank, it has a small
    infantry compartment, big enough for a squad of troops. It is curious that such a small
    troop compliment would be attached to such a large vehicle, but it is enough to carry
    weapons teams, forward observers or other specialists.
    
    So what was the reason we don't see the Pragma today? Lack of investment is GA's answer if
    you ask them, but it would have been produced on Shiro III which has long been part of the
    FWL. Given their chronic, centuries long limitations in PPC manufacturing, maybe that's the
    reason why. A switch to a large laser could have been an easy enough solution, possibly even
    with one of the Ontos' LongFire LRM racks to supplement the long range firepower. As it was,
    it competed with Grumman's then new Ontos and with the much more established Manticore.
    Introduced a century or two earlier, it might have been more successful, particularly with a
    fusion engine. That would have allowed a doubling of the troop bay with little difficulty
    while lightening the machine overall. And that era, the Manticore was less well established
    in the minds of procurement generals. Instead, the few dozen that were made have long since
    been destroyed or cannibalized to keep other machines working.

================================================================================================
Equipment                                                             Mass                      
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Internal Structure:                          Standard                  9.50                     
Engine:                              285 Internal Combustion          33.00                     
    Cruising MP:                                3                                               
    Flanking MP:                                5                                               
Heat Sinks (Single):                            22                    22.00                     
Control Equipment:                                                     5.00                     
Lift Equipment:                                                        0.00                     
Power Amplifier:                                                       1.50                     
Turret:                                                                1.50                     
Armor Factor:                                  168                    10.50                     
    Type:                                    Standard                                           

                                              Armor                                             
                                              Value                                             
    Front:                                      43                                              
    R/L Side:                                   34                                              
    Rear:                                       24                                              
    Turret:                                     33                                              

================================================================================================
Weapons and Ammo                                            Location              Tonnage       
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4 Medium Lasers                                              Turret                4.00         
PPC                                                          Turret                7.00         
Compartment, Infantry (1 ton)                                 Body                 1.00         

================================================================================================
Alpha Strike Statistics                                                    
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Point Value (PV): 28
TP: CV,  SZ: 4,  TMM: 1,  MV: 6"t
Damage: (S) 3 / (M) 3 / (L) 1
Armor (A): 6,  Structure (S): 5
Specials: EE, ENE, IT1, SRCH, TUR(3/3/1)
 
"Never criticize a man until you've walked a mile in his moccasins." - American Indian Proverb
Copyright © 1995-2026 Scott Bukoski. All rights reserved.
BattleTech, 'Mech, BattleMech, MechWarrior, CityTech, BattleForce, and AeroTech
are registered trademarks of The Topps Company, Inc. © 2026 The Topps Company, Inc., All rights reserved.
Code Release 2.26.5 (2026-02-16T13:20:18-05:00)