Originally manufactured by a weapon company known as "Iron Forges" which also manufacture the Lion hover tank. Now defunct, the company was located on a fringe world. The facilities were wrecked in a war between the Kingdom and its neighbors. Still, a number of engineers managed to escape the wreckage. These engineers started their own companies and the designs have been copied widely. Companies which produce these designs are spread out throughout the Three Galaxies. Huge numbers of these armored vehicles are sold on Phase World.
These designs are quite popular with mercenaries, self defense forces, and small military forces. While surplus Human Alliance Kramer Hover tanks limits sales of the Lion hover tank within Consortium, there is no hover type Infantry Fighting Vehicle which is a direct competitor. Some Independent Self Defense Forces (IDF) prefer hover designs over wheeled designs because of greater speed. Interestingly, far more of these Infantry Fighting Vehicles have be manufactured than were before the company went defunct. These vehicles continue to manufactured in large numbers. In some cases these designs are modified greatly from the original Jaguar design.
In addition to no company able to enforce restriction on manufacture of the design, the infantry fighting vehicle is a quite effective combat design. The design is comparatively inexpensive to produce because the design uses relatively low technology compared to many other combat vehicle designs. In some cases civilian components are used in the design to reduce manufacturing costs.
It has a smaller troop compliment that the Human Alliance Lynx class armored personal carrier although is much heavier armed. Troop complement is sixteen in body armor or up to twelve troops in light power armor. The vehicle has a rear hatch for troops to disembark. Crew compliment is three with a commander, gunner, and driver. Both the crew and troop compartment have full life support. This is useful both on moons and planets with no atmosphere and bodies with toxic atmospheres.
Main gun is a 20 mm electromagnetic automatic cannon. The weapon is identical to the secondary weapon carried on the Lion although the weapon carried six thousand rounds (twice the payload of the battle tank design.) Compared to gravity based rail guns, the technology is extremely mature. This makes the main gun far easier to maintain then a gravity based weapon system. Vehicle has a powerful fire control computer similar to the Lion gravity hover tank design.
The vehicle also has two 6 mm pulse lasers powered directly from the infantry fighting vehicle's fusion reactor. One is mounted coaxial to the main 20 mm cannon with the other mounted above the vehicle. The coaxial laser is used against targets which the main gun is considered overkill against. The above turret mount is remote controlled within the turret and is extremely useful against incoming missiles.
The Infantry Fighting Vehicle carries both medium range and mini-missile launchers. On each side of the turret are medium range missile launchers. Four missiles are ready to fire with each launcher having three reloads for twelve missiles total. On each side of the hull are mini-missile batteries. Each launcher has ten mini-missiles read to fire with two reloads for a total of sixty mini-missiles compared to one hundred mini-missiles carried on the Lion hover tank. Mini-Missiles are usually self guided within the Three Galaxies and the weapon system is often operated as missile defense for the armored vehicle.
The Jaguar is 20 metric tons unloaded and 32 metric tons when fully loaded. It is well armored although slightly less well armored than the Human Alliance Lynx design. In addition, the Jaguar fighting vehicle is protected by a forward force field to withstand greater damage. Many of these vehicles are upgraded with a variable force field generator similar to the generator mounted on most starfighter.
As far as the main reactor, the Jaguar uses a fusion reactor derived from a civilian design although safety systems and power regulators are modified. The reactor requires refueling approximately every twelve years. As a gravity based design, the Jaguar has many advantages over air cushion based designs. The Wolfen Maniple infantry fighting vehicle combines both but still cannot operate in planetary bodies which lack an atmosphere. These mercenary vehicles can also be dropped from orbit although are extremely vulnerable before they reach the surface of the planet. Can fly at two hundred and fifty kilometers per hour at high altitude but is limited to two hundred kilometer per hour when skimming the surface.
This Infantry Fighting Vehicle uses modified starship rules for its weaponry. See Revised Starship Rules for Phase World for more details.
(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 MBT can be changed to anti-matter.)
Model Type: MGI-10
Vehicle Type: Infantry Fighting Vehicle (Grav)
Crew: Three, one driver, one commander, one gunner.
Troops: 16 soldiers in full gear / 12 light power armors.
M.D.C. By Location:
| [1] 20 mm Electromagnetic Rail Gun (Turret): | 60 | |
| [1] 6 mm Coaxial Pulse Laser (Turret): | 40 | |
| 6 mm Pulse Laser Cupola / Mini-Turret (Turret): | 80 | |
| Medium Range Missile Launchers (2, Turret) | 120 each | |
| [1] Mini-Missile Launchers (2): | 100 each | |
| [2] Turret: | 225 | |
| [3] Main Body: | 500 | |
| [4] Non-Variable Force Field (Protects front 1/3 of the tank only): | 200 | |
| Reinforced Driver Compartment: | 125 | |
| Reinforced Gunner / Commander Compartment | 100 | |
| Reinforced Troop Compartment: | 125 | |
| Rear Hatches (2): | 80 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] The Weapons turret is unmanned by the crew, and contains the main
weapons; Destroying it will knock the weapons out action but the crew will
survive.
[3] 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.
[4] Shields is non variable and only protects the forward aspect of
the hover vehicle. Shield regenerates at the rate of 5% (10 M.D.C.) per
melee round.
Speed:
Driving on the Ground: 124.3 mph (200 kph) maximum. The vehicle
can make sharp turns and float over any obstacle. Note: The maximum
top speed can be actually higher than this, but that is under ideal conditions,
like straight roads and flat terrain. The low level terrain avoidance systems
cannot operate properly at speeds faster than this.
Atmospheric Propulsion: Maximum cruise speed is 155.3 mph (250
kph), due to being a low powered Contra-Grav system, altitude is limited
to 1640 feet (500 meters.) Contra-Grav system can also control descent
speed so that the vehicle can be dropped from orbit.
Underwater: The Jaguar can use its thrusters to travel up to
a maximum speed of 37.3 mph (60 kph).
Maximum Ocean Depth: 1 mile (1.6 km)
Maximum Range: Effectively Unlimited by drive system but only
has supplies for crew for two weeks.
Statistical Data:
Length: 27.07 feet (8.25 meters) not including gun barrel and
31.33 feet (9.55 meters) with barrel forward
Height: 10.50 feet (3.20 meters) including top pulse laser.
Width: 11.81 feet (3.60 meters)
Weight: 22.05 tons (20.0 metric tons) empty and 35.27 (32.0
metric tons) fully loaded
Power System: Advanced Fusion with 12 year life span.
Cargo: Without troops, can carry up to 9.09 tons (8.25 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: 37.5 million credits. Often costs double that on
the Black Market. Various upgrade packages are also available.
Weapon Systems:
Note: Space ranges are given for when the vehicle is used on
airless moons and other similar locations.
[ Phase World TM, Naruni TM, Kreeghor TM, and CAF TM are trademarks owned
by Kevin Siembieda and Palladium Books Inc. ]
[ Rifts® is a registered trademark owned by Kevin Siembieda and
Palladium Books Inc.]
By Kitsune (E-Mail Kitsune).
Copyright © 2011, Kitsune. All rights reserved.