ROBOTECH: Zentraedi Mecha - Regult Tactical Pods

by Peter Walker and Pieter Thomassen, with Robert Morgenstern


Designation: Tactical Battle Pod (Regult, standard) Light Artillery Pod (Regult, light artillery) Heavy Artillery Pod (Regult, heavy artillery) Recon Scout Pod (Regult, tactical scout)

I. Dimensions:

	Regult	Light Artillery	Heavy Artillery	Tactical Scout
Length :	8.1	8.2	8.3	7.2	m
Width :	8.0	9.86	8.0	12.6	m
Height :	17.4	18.67	20.3	18.2	m
Weight :	37	39.6	41	39.8	metric tons

II. Type:

Regult : One man ground/space combat mecha.
Light Artillery, Heavy Artillery : One man ground/space combat artillery mecha.
Tactical Scout : One man ground tactical recon mecha.

III. Propulsion:

Engines: two vectorable reaction thrusters, output 230 kN. Assorted secondary thrusters.
Fuel: multiple protoculture canisters

IV. Performance:

		Regult	Light Artillery	Heavy Artillery	Tactical Scout
Speed	:	282 kph (running)	144 kph (running) 193 kph (running, with missiles expended)	128 kph (running) 193 kph (running, with missiles expended)	175 kph (running)
Jumping	:	95 m
Combat radius	:	total delta-v 2.7 kps
Protoculture supply	:	average operational life 30 days continuous use.

V. Sensory Systems:

Regult Standard, Light Artillery, Heavy Artillery

Short range (35 km) conventional radar system

Thermo-imager

Night vision optics

Telescopic optics (x10 magnification)

Laser tracker/designator

Low power broadband sensor jammer.

Recon Scout

Long range spherical radar system
Thermo-imager
Night vision optics
Telescopic optics (x10 magnification)
Laser tracker/designator
Radiation sensors
ISAR radar system
Searchlights
Recording and extended transmission systems
Low power broadband sensor jammer.

VI. Armament:

Regult Standard, Light Artillery, Heavy Artillery:

2 x 1 PB-10 : a Gatling type weapon with four barrels that rotate in one housing. Each barrel fires 2.5 MJ of particle energy, if necessary once every second. All barrels can be fired in parallel, for maximum localized damage, or in series for increased hitting chances.
2 x 1 AC-L (480 rounds) : Auto Cannon, Light. A standard autocannon of 22.3mm caliber, usually used for anti-personnel use. Standard shell and case design. It fires 850 rounds/minute, and can fire AP shells in addition to HE shells.

Regult Standard:

1 x 2 PL-3 : a pulse laser with a laser pulse of 3.5 MJ. Can fire once every second.

Light Artillery:

1 x ML-1 : Can carry 24 LAPM missiles ready for launch. The ML-1 is capable of holding either Megrim, Miff, or Morgoth missiles, depending on mission requirements. The launcher consists of a central stalk and sensor array that replaces the anti-aircraft lasers of the Regult Tactical pod, to which two matched missile racks are attached.

Heavy Artillery:

1 x HL-1 : Can carry 4 Moloch missiles. The launcher consists of a central stalk and sensor array that replaces the anti-aircraft lasers of the Regult Tactical pod, to which two matched missile racks are attached.

Recon Scout:

none

VII. Armor:

Full nuclear, biological and chemical protection, immunity from hand fired solids and energy beams, shrapnel and other fragments. Very limited protection from heavier weaponry, adequate only up to 23mm autocannon shells and other comparative weapons.

VIII. Development:

The Zentraedi mecha were developed for that race by the Tirolian Robotech Masters. The Zentraedi were to be the Masters' conquering army and thus had to be equipped with the necessary mecha. All Zentraedi mecha were made by orbiting Robotech factories in dazzling numbers. Hundreds of billions of TBPs must have been made in the centuries of the Tirolian Mercantile Empire, and the less common mecha must have numbered into the billions.

The primary mecha was the Tactical Battle Pod and its three derivatives, the Light Artillery Pod and the Heavy Artillery Pod, supported by the Recon Scout Pod. Together these mecha, known as the Regult Pods, formed a complete Infantry army, with the TBP being the main mecha, carrying heavy firepower in its two particle beam cannon, very high mobility, but only sufficient armor and the HAP, which carried a missile launcher in place of the two top mounted anti-aircraft lasers for enhanced and longer-ranged firepower. Because of the mediocrity of the sensor suite, the RSP had all its weapons replaced with enhanced sensors. These three mecha were slightly less mobile than the TBP, and carried as little armor, but complemented the TBP in areas where it was deficient. The TBP and its derivatives were issued as standard equipment to every soldier in the Zentraedi army, providing this powerful race with a very mobile and heavily armed infantry corps. The rather thin armor would have been out of the question on any human design, but the Masters saw their soldier clones as a replaceable commodity.

In order to increase the firepower of the Regult battle pods, the top-mounted anti-aircraft lasers can be replaced by the twin medium-range or heavy missile launchers. The pod must sacrifice some speed and maneuverability to handle the added weapons control systems and the weight of the medium- and long-range missiles. To provide an appropriate weapons mix, one out of every 10 battle pods is usually a LAP, and one out of every 20 battle pods is usually a HAP.

Battle Pod Rear View: