In addition to manufacturing their own tank design, the Carmelles Kingdom builds their own armored personnel carrier design. It fills a similar role to the Human Alliance Lynx design. The Kingdom does not have the best reputation with regards to their starfighter designs but their ground vehicle designs are considered to be far better. While it lacks the advanced technology of many vehicle designs, it is still surprisingly effective. Part of this may simply be because of its simplicity.

Most large militaries operate assault ships. The Carmelles Kingdom simply does not have the resources to support the construction of these type of vessels while keeping their combat fleet strength growing. Instead, merchant ships are brought into military service to ferry assault forces. Often, overwhelming firepower in orbit will cause an opponent to surrender but there is still need for ground forces. This APC, along with the Centauro tank, fill this role. In addition, both vehicles are used in planetary security forces. Only a small number of tanks are operated by security forces with most being armorer personal carriers.

In addition to being used by the Kingdom itself, these armored personnel carriers are exported in surprisingly large number. Surplus Human Alliance Lynx class compete directly for customers or far more would probably be sold. This is far less of a problem for the Centauro tank because the Human Alliance Kramer hover tank is far more expensive. Originally the Kingdom operated a variety of vehicles in the APC role but all have been retired and replaced by the Freccia. There is also seen as no need to operate fast hover armored personnel carriers to supplement the Freccia.

The Freccia APC shares many of the same components as the Centauro tank including drive train and basic chassis. This enabled the design to be developed far quicker than it might otherwise and has the advantage of wide part compatibility in the field. As a wheeled design, it is far easier to maintain than a gravity based design and unlike air cushion designs, they can operate in airless conditions. Ten wheels gives a high degree of redundancy and all terrain capabilities rivaling those of tracked design. Speed is also faster than one would expect from a tracked design with the Freccia having a top speed of up to 150 kilometers per hour on smooth terrain. The Freccia APC, unlike the Human Alliance design, cannot operate on the surface of the water.

The was some consideration given towards using a battery power pack to power the Freccia APC but the reactor carried on the Centauro tank was retained. This reactor was already considered overpowered for the tank and is even more so for the armored personnel carrier. One advantage is due to low power draw, time between refueling is about fifty percent greater.

The armored personnel carrier is lighter armored than the Carmelles Kingdom tank design although is still quite well armored. It is slightly better armored than the Lynx however. It is just under forty metric tons when fully loaded and has the ability to carry up to twenty eight troops in normal gear or twenty troops in light power armors. Standard vehicle crew is three with a driver, commander, and gunner. The armored personnel carrier has full life support for both the crew and troops.

Main weapon is an automatic grenade launcher mounted in the armored personnel carrier's turret. While fairly short range, the weapon packs incredible firepower and is extremely useful against troops as well. Tear gas grenades are often carried for security roles. The grenade launcher is a conventional design, not a gravity type weapon like the grenade launchers developed by Phoenix Armory. A total of twelve hundred rounds are carried for the weapon.

Coaxial to the grenade launcher is the same particle beam carried on the Centauro tank. Copied from the Carmelles Kingdom version of the Steel Grunt power armor, the weapon pulls power directly from the vehicle's reactor. It is used on targets which the main weapon is considered not as effective.

Other than these weapons, the armored personnel carrier has a twin 10 mm electromagnetic rail gun mini-turret above the main turret. This is similar in design to the rail guns carried on the fighters operated by the Kingdom. Controlled by the vehicle's commander, this weapon is extremely useful against missiles. Payload is half that carried in the Centauro tank with a total of one thousand rounds carried. On each side of the armored personnel carrier, there is a mini-missile launcher. Each has sixteen missiles ready to fire for a total of thirty two missiles. Generally smart missiles are carried in all armored personnel carriers.

The vehicle has six firing ports for the troops to be able to fire while remaining inside of the vehicle. There are two to either side of the vehicle and two in the rear hatch. The vehicle has power connectors so that troops can use their energy weapons without depleting their energy clips.

(Note: The power system is fusion not anti-matter because the author's opinion is that anti-matter is to dangerous to be used in vehicles that may be used in an atmosphere. If a craft powered by anti-matter was to detonate in an atmosphere it would cause huge planetary damage. At GM option, this can also be applied to all vehicles or this craft can be changed to anti-matter.)

Model Type: AP.5
Vehicle Type: Armored Personnel Carrier (Wheeled)
Crew: Three, one driver, one commander, one gunner.
Troops: 28 soldiers in full gear / 20 light power armors

M.D.C. by Location:

	Automatic Grenade Launcher (Turret):	120
	[1] Coaxial Light Particle Beam (Turret):	60
	Twin 10 mm Electromagnetic Rail Gun Cupola / Mini-Turret (Turret):	120
	Mini-Missile Launchers (2, Hull):	80 each
	Turret:	200
	Driver Compartment:	125
	Gunner / Commander Compartment	100
	Troop Compartment:	125
	Rear Hatches (2):	80 each
	[2] Main Body:	575
	[3] Giant Wheels (10):	100 each

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] If all the M.D.C. of the main body is depleted, the vehicle is completely shut down and is unsalvageable.
[3] Up to one tire can be destroyed on each side of the vehicle without any appreciable loss in mobility but top speeds with be reduced by 10%. If two tires on a side are destroyed, the vehicle is reduced in top speed by 20% and has a -25% to piloting rolls when being operated off-road. If three tires on one side are destroyed, the vehicle is reduced in to speed by 30% and has a -45% penalty to all piloting rolls when operated off road and -10% when operated on the road. If more than three tires on a side are destroyed, the vehicle will be immobilized.

Speed:
Ground: Maximum speed on land is 93.2 mph (150 kph) on roads and 77.7 mph (125 kph) off road maximum. The vehicle is designed to traverse virtually all terrain and can climb at up to a 60% grade although at a much slower speed (About 10% of maximum road speed). It can also climb barriers and ford trenches. The vehicle can also handle side slopes of up to 30%.
Water Capabilities: Buttoned up, it can travel under water at 20 mph (32 kph).
Range: Effectively Unlimited by drive system but only has supplies for crew for two weeks.

Statistical Data:
Height: 9.84 feet (3.00 meters) including top 10 mm rail gun mini-turret.
Width: 13.12 feet (4.0 meters)
Length: 31.17 feet (9.5 meters) not including gun barrel and 35.27 feet (10.75 meters) with barrel forward
Weight: 25.90 tons (23.5 metric tons) empty and 40.79 (37.0 metric tons) fully loaded
Power Source: Advanced Fusion with 12 year life span.
Cargo Capacity: Without troops, can carry up to 13.23 tons (12 metric tons). Minimal storage space in pilots compartment; about three feet (0.9 m) in side dimensions for extra clothing, weapons, and personal items. Three carbines and one hand-held missile launcher with four loads each are stored in a compartment in the crew compartment.
Market Cost: 28 million credits.

Weapon Systems:
Note: Space ranges are given for when the armored personnel carrier is used on airless moons and other similar locations.

1. One (1) Automatic Grenade Launcher: Mounted in the main turret of vehicle and quite well armored. Main cannon in turret with the ability to depress 10 degrees and elevate up to 55 degrees. Mostly designed for anti-personnel, the weapon is extremely powerful and can damage other armored vehicles as well. Main gun is usually controlled by the Gunner although both the commander have emergency controls. A special guided grenade is available although the rounds costs twice normal (Rounds gives +2 to hit.)
   Maximum Effective Range: 3,000 feet (914 meters)
   Mega-Damage: 4D6 for Fragmentation with a blast area of 12 feet (3.6 meters) and 1D4x10 for Armor Piercing with a blast area of 3 feet (0.9 meter), burst of 10 rounds does 2D6x10 for Fragmentation with a blast area of 40 feet (12 meters) and 3D6x10 for Armor Piercing with a blast area of 8 feet (2.4 meters.) The launcher can also fire smoke, illumination, chemical rounds, and other rounds.
   Rate of Fire: Equal to combined hand to hand attacks of gunner.
   Payload: 1,200 Rounds.
2. One (1) Coaxial Particle Beam Cannon: Mounted next to the main grenade launcher is a light particle beam cannon. Powered by the tank's fusion reactor, the secondary weapon has a virtually unlimited payload and designed to deal with targets where the grenade launcher is considered less effective. Weapon is virtually identical to the particle beam carried on the Caramelles Kingdom version of the Steel Grunt. Weapon shares the same fire control as the 75 mm cannon. Like the grenade launcher mounts, the driver and commander have auxiliary controls.
   Maximum Effective Range: 4,000 feet (1,219.2 meters) in an atmosphere. Range is eight times normal when used in space.
   Mega-Damage: 1D6x10+10 per blast
   Rate of Fire: Equal to number of combined hand to hand attacks of gunner (usually 4-6).
   Payload: Effectively unlimited.
3. Twin 10 mm Electromagnetic Rail Gun Mini-Turret: Mounted above the main turret of the armored personnel carrier is a remote mini-turret operated by the Tank's commander. Weapon is very effective for shooting down missiles and is useful against ground targets as well. Turret can rotate 360 degrees in less than a second and can elevate up to 90 degrees vertical. Unlike rail-guns mounted on most newer Three Galaxies / Phase World tanks, the rail guns work through the use of electromagnets instead of through gravity. The rail guns still fire projectiles at incredible velocities compared to rail guns on Rifts Earth and projectiles come out of mounts at a significant fraction of the speed of light in space and when used in an atmosphere are fired at a slower but still at hypersonic speeds.
   Maximum Effective Range: 8 miles (13 km) through atmosphere and 400 miles (640 km) in space.
   Mega Damage: Both rails firing together (20 rounds) inflicts 2D4x10+20 MDC. Single rail gun (10 rounds) inflicts 1D4x10+10 MDC, one round does 2D6+4 M.D.
   Rate of Fire: Equal to the commander's combined hand to hand (usually 4 or 5) - firing both rail guns together costs one attack.
   Payload: 500 Rounds (50 Bursts) each rail gun (1,000 rounds total.)
4. Two (2) Mini-Missile Launchers: One of these are mounted on the left and the other on the right side of the vehicle's body. These are standard mini missile launchers, usually used for close in defense purposes. Missile has a top speed of Mach 10 in an atmosphere and in space has an acceleration of 2% of light per turn (slightly faster than any starship except if it is exceeding it maximum safe acceleration). Mini-Missile in the Phase World setting are normally guided.
   Maximum Effective Range: Mini-Missile range is 2 miles (3.2 km) in an atmosphere and 100 miles (161 km) in space
   Mega Damage: Varies with mini-missile types (See Phase World Missile for further details.)
   Rate of Fire: Each pod can fire missiles one at a time or in volleys of two (2), four (4), eight (8), or Sixteen (16.) Counts as one attack no matter how many missiles in a volley.
   Payload: Each launcher carries 16 mini-missiles (32 mini-missiles maximum)
5. Six (6) Firing Ports: The Freccia has six firing ports that allow soldiers to fire their guns out of the vehicle. There are two firing ports on either side and two on the rear hatch of the vehicle. Firing ports can be closed in order to make vehicle a sealed environment. Firing ports are fairly small and grenade launchers and missile launchers cannot be fired from firing ports. The Freccia has power connectors so that troops can fire energy weapons without draining their energy clips.

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By Kitsune (E-Mail Kitsune).

Copyright © 2011, Kitsune. All rights reserved.