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                 Combat Vehicle Technical Readout

Name/Model:         Beatie Hovertank BTE-38
Designer:           gwaedin
Source(s):          Custom Mordel.Net Units
Technology:         Inner Sphere
Technology Rating:  D
Tonnage:            50
Role:               Striker
Configuration:      Combat Vehicle
Era/Year:           Succession Wars / 3026
Rules (Current):    Introductory
Rules (Era):        Introductory
Rules (Year):       Introductory
Total Cost:         2,656,667 C-Bills
Battle Value:       758

Movement Type:        Hover
Power Plant:          VOX 265 265 
Cruising Speed:       108 kph   
Maximum Speed:        162 kph   
Armor:                Three Ply Durotech Plastisteel
Armament:             
    2 NADl-36 Short Range Missile Six-Packs SRM 6s
    1 Diverse Optics Type 20 Medium Laser Medium Laser
Manufacturer:         New Avalon Defense Industries
    Primary Factory:  Unknown
Communications:       Garret T19B
Targeting & Tracking: Chichester ASR-26

================================================================================================
Overview:
    Overview 3027 [from BattleTechnology #9]
    The Beatie was designed with a number of criteria in mind. Its function entailed the varied
    and diverse roles of armed fighting vehicles in the Battle­ Mech environment specializing
    in re­conaissance and screening duties. Its high speed and heavy armor ensure that it can
    stand up to most punishment until support can arrive, or until the Beatie can safely
    withdraw.
    The BTE-3B has passed all of its field testing and is now being assigned to front line Armor
    units within the Armed Forces of the Federated Suns. Security at the Beatie's production
    fa­cilities on New Avalon and three other planets within the Davion borders is extremely
    tight, so production totals are unavailable. A source within the Feder­ated Suns Military
    Procurement Office speculated that as many as 1000 Bea­tie Hovertanks could be produced
    within the next ten years. Word has also been received that an initial shipment of 50
    Beaties were delivered to officials of the armed forces of the Lyran Com­monwealth
    recently, as part of the mili­tary trade and exchange agreement between House Davion and
    House Steiner.
    Only limited testing under actual battlefield conditions has been carried out on the Beatie
    design; initial appraisal of the vehicle seems to show that it should be a welcome addition
    to the armored forces of both House Davion and House Steiner. With pres­sures along the
    borders of the Succes­sor States heating up to a great degree of late, this should come as
    good news to those individuals inhabiting Davion or Steiner space.

Capabilities:
    The BTE-3B Beatie Hovertank was designed for the specific mission of intelligence gathering
    and the screening of larger forces from the scouting missions of an enemy. Be­cause of
    this, the design has sacrificed some armament features for the double advantage of speed and
    pro­tection. It is not meant for use as a main battle tank or other assault function,
    although military necessity may force its use in these roles.
    The Beatie's VOX 265 fusion en­gine has been newly designed from old Star League circuit
    specifications and data. It is the first original design in the field of fusion engineering
    that the New Avalon Institute of Science has at­tempted since its inception. The Beatie is
    the VOX 265's first operational test­ing and so far reports have been posi­tive on its
    power output and dependa­bility. Shielding and the lift machinery for the Beatie are of
    standard design, as are the cockpit layout and the instru­mentation for the vehicle's
    two-man crew.
    One of the main advantages in the Beatie design is its ample armor cover­age. Triple bonded
    Duroteck Plastisteel covers the entire outer shell of the vehicle including the lift skirts.
    Tests to Destruction on the Cameron Proving Grounds of New Avalon Defense In­dustries have
    shown that the Beatie can withstand as much punishment as many of the older well known
    tracked armored vehicles of far greater ton­nage.
    The other great advantage to the Beatie design is her speed. With a cruising speed of over
    one hundred kilometers per hour and a flank speed of greater than 150, the Beatie can surely
    outrun anything that she cannot outfight. This advantage will act as well as another patch
    of armor on her hull; she can put distance between herself and any possible opponent.
    The armament of the Beaties has led to more disagreement within the Davion military
    development commu­nity than any other part of the design. Everyone knows that any war
    machine design is a trade-off in very specific categories to make that vehicle as well
    rounded as possible, and at the same time to allow it to perform its designed mission
    portfolio up to specification. The Beatie design was able to accom­plish this, but at the
    sacrifice of much heavy armament seen on other ve­hicles of similar tonnage.
    The Beatie's main armament is in the form of a Diverse Optics Type 20 Medium Laser housed in
    a port spon­son-mounted turret on the fore part of the hull. On the other quadrants of the
    hull, mounted in free-rotating turrets of thier own, are two NADl-36 Short Range Missile
    Six-Packs. The NADl-36 is another new weapons system de­signed by New Avalon Defense
    Indus­tries, mounted in two triple launchers for each SRM-6. The original design called for
    independent tracking and targeting for each of the triple launch­ers so that up to four
    targets could be engaged at one time by the short range missile mounts alone. The sensor
    gear development has fallen extensively behind schedule so standard Chich­ester ASR-26
    units with no independent tracking ability have had to be installed in their place. Most of
    the designers feel that this should not effect the Beatie's usefulness in any way as most of
    the time the vehicle will withdraw if confronted with four or more targets.

Deployment:
    To date, there has been only one recorded engagement in which the Beatie Class Hovertank has
    taken part. During the on-going border clashes between House Davion and House Kurita forces
    in what was termed Operation Galahad last year (3026, the first "peacetime wargame"
    Operation Galahad), elements of the Second Sword of Light Regiment raided the garrison
    planet of Breed in reprisal for a similar attack by Davion forces on the Kurita border
    planet called Sheat V. Breed was one of the testing sites for the Beatie; a company of
    twelve vehicles along with spare prototypes had been stationed there some months before the
    attack.
    The Kurita forces had dropped in battalion strength; they seemed to have orders to conduct
    merely a search and destroy mission on any Davion facility encountered, then to withdraw
    offplanet. Davion defense forces were at reinforced regimental strength, but were scattered
    about the planet, leaving the 30-odd 'Mech force of the Draconis Combine superiority on the
    local level.
    Colonel Brent Richardson, commanding the 101st Test­ing and Training company, was ordered
    to set up a screening line across the intended line of approach of the Kurita 'Mechs toward
    their next target, a hydrogen fuel refining plant. They achieved first contact with a recon
    lance of the enemy and began to fall back on waiting Davion 'Mechs near the Kurita
    objective. The Draconis 'Mechs were unable to bring the Beaties to engagement because of
    their slower speed, but neither were the Beaties able to offer any appreciable fire at the
    advancing enemy. Finally, Davion 'Mechs were able to come into support range and the Beaties
    began to outflank the attacking Kurita force by performing tactics which they had practiced
    over the last few months to obtain rear shots and then withdraw before they could be brought
    to battle. After several hours of steady defense by the Davion 'Mech forces and harrassing
    fire from the company of Beatie tanks, the Kurita commander decided to withdraw back to his
    waiting DropShips. The Beaties continued to pick at the force as it fell back, but the AFFS
    had achieved its objective: the raid caused minimal damage and only one Beatie was lost in
    the fight.

Variants:
    Since the Beatie design is new, no variants have been approved or projected. However, there
    has been some dis­cussion about removing three tons of armor for the addition of one LRM-5
    rack and its missile load.
    Toward the end of the War some thirty-odd Beaties were fitted with new sensor gear developed
    in cooperation with Doctor Banzai and the NAIS. During the last days of the War this company
    served with distinction in the Capellan March theater.

Notable MechWarriors:
    Brigadier Brent Richardson
    Promoted and transferred from the 101st Testing and Training Company, Brigadier Richardson
    was placed in charge of the Beatie Hovertank disbursement program to get all assembly
    line-com­pleted vehicles to their assigned units in the least possible time. In addition to
    these duties, he is in command of the New Avalon Guards Armor Cadre which has recently been
    equipped with Beatie Hover­ tanks. His personal Beatie, 'Lil Beastie II', takes him to long
    distance inspection tours and maneuvers, freeing an Aerospace Transport Carrier for the
    front line.

================================================================================================
Equipment                                                             Mass                      
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Internal Structure:                          Standard                  5.00                     
Engine:                                     265 Fusion                21.00                     
    Cruising MP:                                10                                              
    Flanking MP:                                15                                              
Heat Sinks (Single):                            10                     0.00                     
Control Equipment:                                                     2.50                     
Lift Equipment:                                                        5.00                     
Power Amplifier:                                                       0.00                     
Turret:                                                                1.00                     
Armor Factor:                                  104                     6.50                     
    Type:                                    Standard                                           

                                              Armor                                             
                                              Value                                             
    Front:                                      30                                              
    R/L Side:                                   19                                              
    Rear:                                       12                                              
    Turret:                                     24                                              

================================================================================================
Weapons and Ammo                                            Location              Tonnage       
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Medium Laser                                                 Turret                1.00         
2 SRM 6s                                                     Turret                6.00         
SRM 6 (Ammo 30)                                               Body                 2.00         

================================================================================================
Alpha Strike Statistics                                                    
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Point Value (PV): 37
TP: CV,  SZ: 2,  TMM: 4,  MV: 20"h
Damage: (S) 3 / (M) 3 / (L) 0
Armor (A): 3,  Structure (S): 3
Specials: SRCH, SRM2/2, TUR(3/3/-, SRM2/2)