USA-M-22 "Mackintosh" Tank Destroyer (Hover):

"Firing tha main gun at top velocity is not advised on anything other than completely stable ground...Oh, you don't have to worry about flipping over from recoil like some jerks in the ranks would have you believe,...the stabilizer jets take care of that, but even with the recoil control working, you can lose twenty to thirty percent of your forward speed, and the tank heels up and hangs for a few seconds....not enough for a gunner on the other side to put one under your skirts and into your fans, but on rough ground you can come down HARD and scrape the underbelly...shotput some debris into the fans and it's the same as if you took a frag grenade through the air chutes...Yeah, the fans are rated for debris ingestion, but why risk it?"

"BLOCKHEAD! What the hell's the point of a staggered swept-back-RIGHT formation if you're going to break off and cut RIGHT!? You pulled right into the sights of your platoon mates and if they hadn't aborted their shots they'd have nailed you broadside, THEN piled into your wreck! What should have been a devastating counter-attack instead became a bloody rout because the platoon had to break off the attack and avoid each other!!!! No WONDER we're losing this war with shits like you doing the Coalition's work for them!!!"

The Schwarzkopf hover tank was an excellent design but many senior officers considered it not to have enough firepower. There seems to be no solution because a more powerful main weapon would cause severe problems with the stability of the hover tank. An ingenious solution was come upon by a team assigned to the problem. This idea went back to the Tank Destroyers of the past century. This was to mount the cannon in a fixed forward position and use thrusters to resist the recoil of the cannon. Otherwise, a huge design would have been needed to be able to stabilize with the firing of the main gun. Like many similar concepts, the Mackintosh was based on a previous design. The Mackintosh design was built off the same chassis as the Schwarzkopf for ease of manufacture. These tank destroyers were entering service only just before the coming of the Rifts but it was planned that there would be one tank destroyer for every two hover tanks. These tank destroyers never were used in actual combat before the coming of the Rifts but did quite well in simulated combat and would have been a powerful augmentation to the American armored forced. These tank destroyers were planned to be used as a spearhead for attacks with their high speed and incredible fixed forward firepower.

As stated previously, the Mackintosh uses the same chassis as the Schwarzkopf hover tank. The Mackintosh has an 80% part commonality with the Schwarzkopf which greatly reduces logistics. It carries the same engine system and like the hover tank, it can reach speeds of about 250 kilometers per hour. The armor carried on the Mackintosh is the same as Schwarzkopf and is both laser and plasma resistant. The tank destroyer is designed with radar absorbing materials and the angles are designed to reduce the tank destroyer's radar signature. Some people consider the lack of a turret to be a disadvantage but it also gives the advantage that disabling turret hits are not a factor and the gun mount is protected by thicker armor. The tank destroyer's main gun is a 100-mm rail gun which is similar to those carried on many naval vessels and was already carried on the Jackson main battle tank. When the rail gun is fired, the rear jets on the tank destroyer fire to keep the hover vehicle stable. While the cannon is fixed forward and has a very limited side to side movement, about ten degrees, it can be raised and lowered to change the angle of fire. Because of how maneuverable the tank destroyer is, many soldiers questioned if the loss of a turret was actually a disadvantage. The tank destroyer carries light defense weapons similar to the tank it was designed to supplement. On the front of the hover vehicle is a pulse laser mount and on top of the tank destroyer is a second mount. These mounts are effective against light vehicles, infantry, and missiles. The tank destroyer carries missile launchers for both use against other armored vehicles and against aircraft and missiles. The medium range missile launcher is mounted low on the sides and gives the Mackintosh its longest range punch although with a limited payload. The tank destroyer also carries mini-missile launchers for close in firepower. The mini-missiles are very effective for short range blanket fire. Like the Schwarzkopf, the Mackintosh does not carry an internal smoke dispenser. It was thought that the hover tank fans would blow smoke away too quickly. To compensate, several of the mini missiles carried normally have smoke type warheads.

There was only a handful of these tanks that survived the coming of the Rifts. Production was only getting underway when events overtook production. The remaining vehicles can go for high costs on the black market and many mercenaries would love to get possession of several of these tank destroyers. There is no known wide scale use of the tank destroyers by Governments. The New Navy has recently found designs of the tank destroyer in their data base and is seriously considering replacing part of their wheeled tank forces with these. There are several adventuring groups looking for more of these tank destroyers in old American military bunkers but only with marginal success. The same groups interested in manufacturing the Schwarzkopf hover tank exists for manufacturing the Mackintosh tank destroyers. Northern Gun and Metalworks Incorporated are at the head of the list. Most of the tank destroyers still in operation have lost their radar absorbent outer layers and special resistant layers. A few have had their armor replaced by glitter boy style armor.

Model Type: USA-M-22 Mackintosh
Vehicle Type: Tank Destroyer (Hover)
Crew: Three (Pilot, Gunner, and Commander). The tank can carry two passengers in a cramped rear compartment.

M.D.C. By Location:

	100 mm Rail Gun (Main Cannon - Fixed Forward):	240
	Mini-Missile Launchers (2, upper sides):	75 each
	[1] Pulse Laser Mounts (2, Top and Front):	50 each
	Medium Range Missile Batteries (2, lower Sides):	150 each
	[1] Headlights (4):	8 each
	Reinforced Crew Compartment	250
	[2] Hover Thruster Units:	350
	[3] Main Body:	780

Notes:
[1] These are small and difficult targets to strike, requiring the attacker to make a "called shot," but even then the attacker is -4 to strike.
[2] Destruction of the hover unit will cause the vehicle to be no longer under the pilots control.
[3] Destruction of the main body will cause the vehicle to crash. All systems will not function. The tank takes half damage from plasma and laser weaponry. Damage to the main body will also reduce the hovercraft's stealth, for every 10% of damage to the main body, reduce the hovercraft's stealth by 10% of its total.

Speed:
Hover Speed: Can hover at ground level at from a hover to up to 150 mph (241.4 kph) over both land and water. Minimum hover height is 2 feet (0.6 meters) and a maximum altitude is 20 feet (6.1 meters).
Maximum Range: Effectively unlimited.

Statistical Data:
Height: 10.6 feet (3.2 meters) including top mounted mounted mini-missile launchers.
Width: 12.5 feet (3.8 meters)
Length: 34.5 feet (10.5 meters) for main body and 36.9 feet (11.2 meters) including 100 mm rail gun
Weight: 55 tons (49.9 metric tons)
Power Source: Nuclear with 25 year fusion reactor.
Cargo Capacity: The tank destroyer has a small storage space for crew. This includes weapons, armors, and emergency supplies.
Market / Black Market Cost: 49.5 million credits for a new or fully operational USA-M-22 "Mackintosh" Tank Destroyer but often costs twice as much. The hover vehicle was produced in only limited numbers and is in high demand.

Weapon Systems:

1. Hyper Velocity 100 mm Heavy Rail Gun (1): The cannon is fixed forward and is limited to a 10 degree arc from side to side. The rail gun can also be aimed upwards 60 degrees. When the main gun is fired, the thrusters are fired to keep the tank destroyer stable. Mostly used against other armored vehicles. Because of how maneuverable the vehicle is, it can engage low-flying aircraft and creatures. The cannon is controlled by a gunner inside the main compartment. The tank destroyer has a special fire control computer that helps to aim the cannon. Copied from a Naval weapon design and identical to the rail gun carried on the later Jackson class main battle tanks. This rail gun normally fires a solid dart of MDC materials that does massive damage to targets that it hits but can also use explosive warheads for softer targets and against aircraft. Gives +2 to strike with the cannon and vehicle does not have minuses to fire when the tank is moving.
   Maximum Effective Range: 15 miles (24.1 km)
   Mega Damage: A single round does 3D6x10+20 MDC (optional rule is that cannon gets a critical on a natural 18, 19, or 20 due to its high penetration). Can use Standard High Explosive rounds that do 1D4x10 with a blast radius of 16 ft (4.9 m). High Explosive Armor Piercing does 2D4x10 with a blast radius of 8 ft (2.4 m).
   Rate of Fire: Maximum of four per melee.
   Payload: 60 rounds. Normally 30 rounds are of standard anti-tank slugs.
2. Pulse Laser Mounts (2): One pulse laser is mounted on the front of the hover tank in a small ball mount slightly lower and to the left side of the main gun and can be fired by either the driver or the hover tank's gunner as a secondary weapon. The second mount is fired by the commander and is mounted on the top of the tank destroyer. The weapons' primary purpose is use against infantry but is effective against missiles and to a lesser extent both aircraft and other armored vehicles.
   Effective Range: 4,000 feet (1,200 meters)
   Mega-Damage: 1D6x10 per pulse.
   Rate of Fire: Equal to combined hand to hand attacks of pilot or commander.
   Payload: Effectively Unlimited.
3. Medium-Range Missile Launchers (2): Two medium range missile launchers are mounted on the lower sides the of the tank destroyer. Each mount has two actual missile launch tubes. Both launchers are usually controlled by the gunner, but can be fired by the driver or commander if the gunner is injured. They are usually outfitted with High-Explosive, Fragmentary or Plasma missiles. The launchers can engage air and ground targets. This tank uses an automatic loading system and additional missiles for reloads.
   Range: Varies with missile types, medium range missiles only (Go to Revised bomb and missile table).
   Damage: Varies with missile types, medium range missiles only (Go to Revised bomb and missile table).
   Rate of Fire: One at a time, or in volleys of 2, or 4.
   Payload: 8 missiles, 4 in each launcher.
4. Mini-missile Launcher (2): Mounted on the upper sides of the tank destroyer are mini missile launchers. These launchers are designed for rapid fire use to engage heavy tanks and giant robots. These weapons are designed to be able to destroy enemy vehicles quickly. Smoke warheads are often carried.
   Maximum Effective Range: Varies with mini-missile type; Usually armor piercing or fragmentation are carried (Go to Revised bomb and missile table).
   Mega Damage: Varies with mini-missile type; Usually armor piercing or fragmentation are carried (Go to Revised bomb and missile table).
   Rate of Fire: One at a time, or in volleys of 2, 4, 6 or 8.
   Payload: Each launcher carries 16 mini-missiles for a total of 32 Mini-missiles.

Sensory Equipment

• Radio/ Video Communications: Long range, directional, has a range of 500 miles with short range directional radio of 5 miles.
• Laser Targeting System: Range is 2 miles and gives +1 to strike with long range weapons.
• Combat Computer/ Targeting Computer: Assist in the tracking of targets.
• Radar: 50 miles, can identify 96 targets and track 48 as low as 500 ft. Same as robot's Maxi-Radar.
• Full Life Support: Protects pilots and hovercraft from heat and radiation and gives a breathable atmosphere inside the vehicle for up 48 hours in vacuum and three weeks with scrubbers.
• Spotlight: Range: 600 feet (182.9 meters)
• Thermo-Imager: Range: 2,000 ft (609 m). Finds the infrared radiations of things that are warm. Also enables pilot to see in smoke, shadows and darkness.
• Nightvision Optics: Range: 2,000 ft (609 m). Uses light amplification to make a picture. Emits no light but will not work in absolute darkness. System can be dazzled by sudden bright lights but does not physically blind the pilot.
• Radar Defeating Profile & Radar Absorbing Materials: The vehicle is designed so that the radar profile of the hover tank is reduced and the vehicle is covered with radar absorbing materials. Because of this, attempts to detect the hover tank using radar are made with a -30% penalty to read sensor rolls when attempting to detect it. Go to General Detection Penalties for more information on penalties and bonuses to use with stealth.

+10% to Piloting Rolls
+3 to Dodge

[Coalition TM, Northern Gun TM, Golden Age Weaponsmiths TM, and Triax TM are trademarks owned by Kevin Siembieda and Palladium Books Inc.]
[ Rifts® is a registered trademark owned by Kevin Siembieda and Palladium Books Inc.]

Introductory Quotes by Talis D. Merrill (taalismn@pop.tiac.net).

Writeup by Kitsune (E-Mail Kitsune ).

Copyright © 2000 & 2002, Kitsune. All rights reserved.