New Sovietskiy HT-81 Fast Attack Tank:
The HT-81 tank, first fielded in the year 2081, was a revolutionary
design that was the world's FIRST Hover Tank; Using a system of high-powered
jets for primary lift with a backup hover cushion, the high speed "hotrod"
of a tank handled incredibly, and could cross virtually any type of known
terrain . . . Including both ice and water.
This presented NATO with a serious problem, as these tanks could dash
across the Bering Strait and establish a beach head for Soviet Amphibious
Assault Ships to follow, or they could, should the USN successfully interdict
the oceans (Still expected, despite the large Soviet surface navy), go
"Over the top of the world," operating across the Arctic Ice safely and
at high speeds to strike down through Canada into the USA.
Self-sufficient for up to two weeks of operations, the HT-81 had an
excellent main gun, and the main problem was that there were not vehicles
capable of following up on its exploits; Though there was an APC of similar
design fielded, they couldn't possibly keep up supply lines, but the possibility
of Hover Tank raids across the ice fields of the Polar North was an extreme
concern for NATO throughout the New Cold War.
Initially produced in limited numbers, they proved in simulations to
be capable of smashing their way through Robot units in a "Shock Charge"
eerily similar to the way in which a regiment of cavalry or lancers might
break through enemy infantry lines that hadn't formed into defensive squares.
The problem was not with the HT-81 Fast Attack Tank, but rather the
SUH-86 "Hailstorm" that followed it. With a considerably faster speed over
solid land, and a higher altitude, the SUH-86 had a SLOWER speed over water,
limiting the Amphibious Operations of the two when working in groups, as
planned, the necessity to cross some open water at times for the Tank/APC
combinations to make effective raids on North America was severely curtailed,
as it gave ample time for such groups to be intercepted by ground attack
aircraft and fast naval units.
Because of this, though intended to, the SUH-86 and HT-81 were never
integrated into cohesive combat units with each other. However, in post-holocaust
Russia, the HT-81 and the SUH-86, no longer being used as fast strike units,
do operate together in the New Sovietskiy Army where this is not a liability.
Still, the relatively small number of HT-81s compared with SUH-86s means
that such units are comparatively rare.
Because of this rareness, the New Sovietskiy looked into manufacturing
new HT-81s, but found their technology and industrial base not up to the
task. Because of this, the SUH-88 was designed, with cheaper hover-jets
based on the SUH-86's as overpowered design of the HT-81's and revolutionary,
though complex dual units. However, the SUH-88 is slower, has a lower maximum
altitude, less armor, and a less powerful main gun, and, is, in general,
totally inferior in all respects to the HT-81. However, it can actually
be built by the New Sovietskiy, and for the moment, that is what counts.
There are still plans, however, should they ever enter into a technology
exchange agreement with Triax and the New German Republic, to halt construction
of the SUH-88 and begin construction of new HT-81s, but such an exchange
is unlikely at the moment.
[Author Notes: See the New Sovietskiy section of the Mystic Russia
Source book for Writeups on the SUH-86 and SUH-88.]
Model Type: HT-81
Vehicle Type: Fast Attack Tank
Crew: Four (Main gunner, commander, driver, mechanic/support
gunner.)
M.D.C. by Location:
| [1] Weapons Turret: | 400 |
| Reinforced Crew Compartment: | 300 |
| Main Plasma Cannon: | 100 |
| Fire-suppression laser mounts (2): | 75 each |
| Medium Range Missile Launcher: | 100 |
| Multi-Option Jammers (2): | 25 |
| [2] Main Body: | 800 |
| [3] Emergency Hover Cushion: | 100 |
| [4] Engine intakes (4): | 50 each |
| [4] Engine vents (2): | 50 each. |
Notes:
[1] The Weapons turret is unmanned by the crew, and contains the main
plasma cannon; Destroying it will knock the cannon out action.
[2] If all the M.D.C. of the main body is depleted, the vehicle is
completely shut down and is unsalvageable; The crew can survive unharmed
in the reinforced crew compartment.
[3] Made of lightweight, flexible M.D.C. materials, the hover cushion
can be deployed when the jets have been knocked out to allow the tank to
continue fighting, or during combat to increase the fire rate of the main
gun by freeing up more power from the reactor, though altitude is limited.
Once it is destroyed, the Tank will plow into the ground, though suffer
no damage from doing so at the altitudes at which it operates. The tank
is immobile, then, but can still function as a pillbox for the crew. When
one of the rotors is knocked out, the hover cushion is automatically engaged,
and is capable of cushioning the impact to the ground from any altitude
at which the tank can operate without damage.
[4] The HT-81 has two small jet engines for thrust and two for lift.
The intakes and vents are rather hard to hit, being of the smallest size
possible; No less than -3 to strike, and requiring a called shot, when
attempting to hit them. Destroying one intake or vent on one side of the
vehicle reduces speed by 50% and adds +10% difficulty to piloting rolls;
Destroying a second intake on the other side renders the tank unable to
move, though it can still hover. Destroying one of the upper intakes (Only
possible when at a higher position than the tank) will reduce maximum altitude
by 50% and add +10% difficulty to piloting rolls. Destroying both will
reduce the vehicle to operating with the hover cushion. The vents cannot
be targeted.
Speed:
Low to ground: 124.3 mph (200 kph) over virtually all terrain.
Minimum Altitude: 1.6 feet (0.5 meters) with hover cushion or
jets.
Maximum Altitude: 6.6 feet (2 meters) with hover cushion; 65.6
feet (20 meters) with jets.
Maximum Range: Unlimited (Nuclear Fusion power supply; 25 years.)
Statistical Data:
Height: 9.8 feet (3 meters) to top of the gun turret.
Width: 14.8 feet (4.5 meters)
Length: 36.1 feet (11 meters) not including gun barrel.
Weight: 77.2 tons (70 metric tons) fully loaded
Power Source: Nuclear fusion reactor; Must be refueled every
five years, otherwise effectively unlimited.
Cargo Capacity: Up to two tons; Mostly survival gear and other
equipment. The tank has enough supplies onboard for the crew for two weeks.
The tank also contains 48 hours worth of oxygen for the crew for environments
where the air is to contaminated even for the radiation/gas/germ filters
to deal with it.
Black Market Cost: 35,000,000 Credits to build; Versions available
currently sell for 60,000,000 credits+. If fitted, any extra weapons systems
will add to the cost of the tank; HT-81s are usually found very heavily
modified, though they are relatively uncommon. Tank crews often personalize
them with their pay in the armies of the assorted warlords to be considerably
different from these Soviet-Era specifications. HT-81s still in the service
of the New Sovietskiy, however, follow these specifications to the letter.
The northernmost warlords have HT-81s, as does the New Sovietskiy, but
the southern warlords have few if any.
Weapon Systems:
- Particle Bolt / Plasma Burst Cannon: The plasma burst cannons,
alternately referred to as "Particle Bolt" cannons, is a long-barreled
version of a similar weapon mounted on the Tashkent class Fast Attack Craft
of the Soviet Navy. The goal was commonality and lessening in the required
stocks of spare parts for a wide variety of different weapons. The cannon
is highly effective against ground and air attacks, and, when the tank
traveling over water, is also excellent for engaging small naval vessels.
Maximum Effective Range: 12.4 miles (20 km / 20,000 meters);
Limited to 9.9 miles (16 km) at 1.6 feet (0.5 meters); Range increases
based on line of sight up to 12.4 miles (20 km)
Mega Damage: 2D6x10+25 per blast
Rate of Fire: 5 attacks per melee round when the tank is operating
on the hover cushion; 3 attacks per melee round when the tank is operating
on the jets, as the increased power draw increases recharge time. Therefore,
it is common in combat for the tank to operate on the hover cushion to
increase fire rate.
Payload: Effectively unlimited.
Bonuses: +2 bonus to strike any target because of automatic,
interlocked laser designator that the particle bolt travels down the path
of.
- Fire Suppression Lasers (2): These Close-In Weapon Systems
fire rapid-pulse lasers against missiles or low-flying aircraft. The weapons
are automated and track missiles with radar sensors (+4 to strike missiles
and aircraft) They are mounted on the front and back of the vehicle.
Maximum Effective Range: 4000 feet (1220 m).
Mega-Damage: 1D4x10
Rate of Fire: Each turret has 6 attacks per melee round.
Payload: Effectively unlimited.
Bonuses: +4 to strike flying targets with radar guidance.
- Medium Range Missile Launcher: This missile launcher fires
volleys of medium range missiles, principally anti-aircraft fragmentation.
They can be used against a wide variety of targets.
Maximum Effective Range: As per medium range missile type (Go to Revised
bomb and missile table).
Mega Damage: As per medium range missile type - (Go to Revised
bomb and missile table).
Rate of Fire: The launcher can fire a volley of 1 to 4 missiles
per melee round.
Payload: 8 Medium Range missiles. No reloads carried.
- Multi-Option "Shtora-8B" Jammers (2): These are multi-purpose
jamming devices designed to stop incoming missiles and confuse an enemy
targeting the HT-81
Effect: Each firing launches two Chaff rockets, two Flare rockets,
and the tank begins emitting a large cloud of smoke, both standard and
Anti-Laser Prismatic aerosol; The Chaff rockets detonate and spread Chaff
over the area, the flare rockets floating down by parachute; Effects last
for one minute (4 Melee rounds.) The Chaff rockets have a 20% chance of
interfering with the course of enemy missiles each (40%, total) that are
radar guided so that they miss the tank. The flares have the same percentages,
except with IR-guided missiles. The Anti-Laser prismatic aerosol causes
-4d4 damage to any laser beam striking the tank (With the exception of
X-ray lasers and variable frequency lasers; X-Ray lasers suffer no damage
modifiers, and variable frequency lasers do not suffer the penalty after
two test firings into the cloud to find the right frequency.), and adds
a +4 difficulty to targeting the tank with a laser guidance system or visually.
Rate of Fire: Usually once every four melee rounds; Effects
are not cumulative.
Range: Around tank only; Rough distance of 80 ft (24 m) around
tank.
Payload: Sufficient for twenty four (24) firings.
Sensors:
- Radar System: Range of 30 miles (48 km); Capable of tracking up
to 56 targets simultaneously, this radar serves to guide the Lasers in
engaging aircraft (+4 to targeting aircraft and missiles with the Lasers),
and providing early warning of incoming aircraft and missile attacks; The
radar can be programmed to shut off immediately if it detects an aircraft
firing a missile, incase the missile is a radar-homing HARM type. The radar
is relatively ineffective against ground targets (-40% to sensor rolls.)
- Full Infrared viewing mode: Range of 4 miles (6.4 km), with IR searchlight
(+3 to detecting targets with IR when in use, however, +3 to detecting
the HT-81 with IR equipment when in use, as well.).
- Two Periscopes: With up to x100 magnification for commander and
driver to view out of while maneuvering the vehicle. Visual targeting sight
with same magnification possible for gunner.
- Laser targeting system: For Plasma cannon, range of 12.4 miles (20
km)
Special Notes:
- The HT-81 is fully NBC (Nuclear, Biological, Chemical) protected, and all
equipment is hardened against EMP (Electromagnetic Pulse).
- The HT-81 has special protection against cold weather; Heating elements
are designed to keep the interior of the tank up to 150 degrees F hotter
than the external temperature, allowing the crew to work in a Shirt-Sleeves
environment even in the worst weather possible in the Arctic, Siberia,
or Antarctica.
- There is also a cooling system that allows the internal temperature of
the tank to be up to 50 degrees cooler than the external temperature, useful
for desert operations, another area where the tank can be very effective.
Environmental controls are operated by the commander.
- The tank is incredibly maneuverable with the dual jet engines and hover
system; +3 to all dodge and operating rolls.
Special systems standard to all late-model Soviet Army vehicles:
As stated in the Mystic Russia Source book regarding New Sovietskiy
equipment.
- Gromeko Battlefield Computer: All communications are automatically
encrypted/decrypted by the sender/receiver units without their operators
having to specify it. This can be turned off if desired. It also features
Enemy Profiling for up to 600 different combat vehicles and cyborgs, 1000
identifying insignias and marks, as well as 2000 (Post-Rifts Only) monsters
and demons - each rendered in full color with schematics of known weaknesses,
armor, weapons, etc, capable of rotation and zoom to x25 magnification.
The Gromeko functions as a kind of passive friend or foe identification
system, flashing words or symbols on the monitor and HUD display. This
vehicle model of the Gromeko is larger, has a more powerful computer and
larger memory compared with the bionic version tied into the cyber-optics
of many Post-Rifts 'Borgs. Visual Range: 6,000 feet (1,828 m), linked
with periscopes and a video camera with telescopic abilities.
- Enviro-sensors: An external and internal sensor system that monitors
the environment outside and inside the vehicle. This is done on a molecular
level and used to detect and measure impurities, chemical, germ/biological
and other dangerous agents (toxic gases, smoke, pollution, spores, radiation,
etc.) in the immediate area surrounding the vehicle. It can identify 6000
elements, gases and agents as well as measure temperature, wind speed,
humidity, barometric pressure, and similar air and environment aspects.
The same is true inside the vehicle, with links to the life support system
to monitor conditions and warn for breaches to the NBC integrity. When
exposed to gases, oxygen masks drop from concealed compartments in the
ceiling for each of the crew/passengers that can be carried should the
crew not be in NBC or environmentally sealed suits already.
- Long-Range Radio Communication System: Approximately 500 mile (800
km) range in the steppes and tundra; 300 miles (482.7 km) in the forests
and around cities (interference) and 100-200 (160 to 320 km) in the mountains
(Note: the interference from the latter two is common to all ground vehicles,
not just Russian designs.)
Special Notes:
Tank is fully NBC (Nuclear, Biological, Chemical) protected, and all
equipment is hardened against EMP (Electromagnetic Pulse).
[New Navy, New Sovietskiy, and TRIAX are trademarks
owned by Kevin Siembieda and Palladium Books Inc. ]
[ Rifts® is a registered trademark owned by Kevin Siembieda and
Palladium Books Inc.]
Initial Writeup by Marina O'Leary (LusankyaN@aol.com ).
Minor Reformatting and revisions by Kitsune (E-Mail Kitsune ).
Copyright © 2000, Marina O'Leary. All rights reserved.