Based very loosely on the Macross II “Zentran Veritech.” Use it, abuse it, whatever, but have fun (and don’t get caught).
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SVA/F-18 Sol Space Veritech

RPG Stats by Dave DEITRICH (deitrich@mcs.net)
Original background by the MACROSS ONLINE COMPENDIUM
Reformatted by Lt Col Andering “SKID” REDDSON, RDF/EF/BOS

SVA/F-18 Sol Space Veritech, Fighter Mode

SVA/F-18 Sol Space Veritech, Battloid Mode

The UGC has been fairly reluctant to arm drones, and rightfully so; The need to keep a Biologic in the loop, or as they say, “A pulse on the trigger”, can not be overstated. There was a brief test with automated weapons platforms, but the one field test to date resulted in a slaughter of over 4ØØ innocent civilians, and with a terminal mission failure- The Tiresians the force was sent to destroy largely escaped, with only a 1Ø% casualty rate.
A partial solution was to attach the drones to a ‘squad leader’, a living person capable of giving direction to the drones. The SVA/F-18 Sol Space Veritech is the testbed for the new program.
The Sol Veritech has four modes of operation; “Rove”, patrolling an assigned area. Deviations are limited to ‘imminent threat’, such as a meteorite that the Veritech might crash into. During this period, the Mecha maintains communications with a home base, advising them of where it is, and what it sees and is doing; “Sniff”, when it is detailed to investigate a place or thing, by direction from the home base; “Fetch”, when it is detailed to retrieve an object; And “Bite”, when it is weapons-hot and ready to kill. Fetch mode can only be engaged when assigned to a flight leader; Rove is the default mode.
The drones, in Bite mode, follows a flight leader, along with 1 to 4 others; They serve as the Fighter’s wingmen and bodyguards. They can also be equipped with a Reflex Package, making them self-protecting Reflex Medium to Long Range Missiles. Though the majority of the action, they continue as the Flight Leader’s wingmen, however the Flight Leader can ‘task’ one of the drones to ‘bite’ an enemy ship (this command engages the bomb). As the drone makes it’s approach, it AVOIDS enemy contact as much as possible, while it’s wingmen cover the approach, throwing themselves in the way if necessary to allow the tasked drone to complete it’s mission.
Otherwise, they stay tightly with their Flight Leader, cover his fighter while he engages enemy fighters and bombers. The force multiplication, making one fighter effectively 3 or more, has served the UGC well- Over FBX 5552132Ø, an drug lord tried to breech the atmosphere with the intent of putting an armed satellite in orbit to bomb her enemies. The Spacy task force that interrupted the operation was ONE Spacer Fighter and 3 Sol Drones. There were no druggie survivors and only one of the Sol Drones destroyed.
The Drones rarely are tasked to land forces; They don’t have the kind of armor nor armament to take on anything more than power armor, and are too big to hide from anything. Furthermore, they can’t see anything below 5 feet above the ground at anything closer than 2Ø feet. However, in groups of three or more they may be able to take on a single Destroid, preferable the lighter kind. This gives them some usefulness when taking on enemy warships- If they can fit in the passageways.
The Sol Fighter’s light armaments are not a mistake; The UGC wanted to restrain the firepower against the possibility that the Mecha may be used offensively. Once the technology is fully understood, the UGC may approve the advancement of the technology, but not until then. This is also the reason they do not have shields; They ARE the shields for their Flight Leader.
In the event a Flight Leader is incapacitated (their fighter is damaged), the entire flight will recover the fighter and return to their base/ship.
Name: Sol Fighter.
Vehicle Type: Drone Veritech Fighter.
Crew: None. Ever.
MDC by Location:
*Torso
Legs/Thrusters
Arms
GU-3 Gun Pod		2ØØ
1ØØ each
75 each
1ØØ		Head
Retractable Utility Arms (4 per arm)
Tailerons (attatched to the legs)
Backpack-style Pods (2)		3Ø
3 each
5Ø each
2ØØ
Note:
* Destruction of the Torso/Fuselage will shut the unit down completely.

Speed and Statistical Data:
Speed:
Running: 1ØØ mph (16Ø kmph).
Leaping: 3Ø ft (9 m) high or 5Ø ft (15.2 m) long without thrusters.
Jet Mode: Mach 3.87+ (2593 mph/1621 kmph).
Operational Ceiling: Semi-Trans-Atmospheric; The craft can exit a gravity well once, and enter one an unlimited number of times, on a single fueling.
Height:
Battloid Mode: 45.Ø ft (13.7 m).
Jet Mode: 17 ft (5.2 m).
Width:
Battloid Mode: 19 ft (5.8 m).
Jet Mode: 2Ø ft (6 m).
Length:
Battloid Mode: 16 ft (4.9 m).
Jet Mode: 45 ft (13.7 m).
Weight: 29 tons.
Physical Strength: Equal to a P.S. of 5Ø.
Cargo: A 5’×8’×8’ cavity exists in the torso/fuselage of the Mecha. In Fetch mode, the cavity is used to hold smaller items. In Bite mode, a Reflex bomb can be installed here..
Powerplant: Single Shinnakasu/P&W/Roice DTF-31 Dual-Phase Turbine Engines.
Output: 22,ØØØ lbs.
Range: 48 thrst-hours.
Trust System: Bleedoff from the powerplant.
Flight System: Grav Pods.


Compatible FAST Packs:
Dorsal: NP-BP-Ø1, NP-BP-Ø2, NR-BP-T1, NP-BP-1Ø
Arm: NP-AR-Ø1, NP-AU-T1
Leg: NP-FB-Ø1, NP-FB-T1, NP-FB-1Ø

Weapons Systems:
Ø1. Dual Lasers: Mounted on the lead edge of the thrusters, these lasers can be used either in Jet or Battloid mode. They can traverse up to 9Ø° (outboard only), and elevate/declinate 18Ø°, giving them an effective full 18Ø° coverage area in the front of the Mecha. They can be fired independantly or in tandem.
MD: 3D6 MD per laser per blast.
Range: 2ØØØ feet (6ØØ m).
Rate Of Fire: Up to 3 attacks per melee.
Payload: Effectively unlimited.

Ø2. Jet Fighter High Powered Lasers (2): These lasers can only be used in fighter mode. They are fixed-forward only.
MD: 6D6 MD per twin blast.
Range: 4ØØØ feet (12ØØ m).
Rate Of Fire: Equal to the pilot’s combined number of attacks.
Payload Effectively Unlimited.


GU-3 Gun Pod.


Ø3. GU-3 Gun Pod: A funny-looking gun pod used only in Battloid Mode. It is technically a Heavy, a combination of a pair of weapons, and loosely based on the L-18/-21 Assault System.
MD:
Laser: 4D6 per blast.
Particle Beam: 1D6×1Ø per blast.
Range:
Laser: 8,ØØØ feet (2,4ØØ m).
Particle Beam: 4,ØØØ feet (1,218 m).
Ranges halve in an atmosphere.
Rate Of Fire: 4 attacks per melee with this system (either weapon).
Payload: The GU-3 was equipped with a power node, allowing the weapon to draw power directly from the Mecha.

Ø4. Hand-To-Hand Combat: The Sol Fighter can engage in melee combat rather than use a weapon. The Mecha is fairly agile and can execute most typical hand to hand combat moves, such as punches, jump kicks, leap attacks, rolling with impacts, etc.

Restrained Punch: 1D4 MD
Full Strength Punch: 2D6 MD
“Booster” Punch: 3D6 M.D. (counts as two attacks) MD
Tear or Pry with Hands: 1D6 MD
Kick: 1D6 MD
Leap Kick: 2D6 MD
Body Flip/Throw: 1D4 MD
Body Block/Tackle: 1D6 MD
Stomp: 1D6 M.D. (only effective against small objects).

Features: The SVA/F-18 Sol Space Veritech needs absolutely NO features necessary for pilot comfort, and does not have an XTNDR pod as it can BE an XTNDR.
  • Radar: Combat grade radar. Range: 2ØØ miles, can track up to 25Ø individual targets. 95% reliability (24% against unfriendly stealthed vehicles).
  • ESM: Radar Detector. Passively detects other radars being operated.
  • AJP: Active Jamming Pod. Causes -25% to detection but when it is active, other vehicles/bases can detect that it is jamming, and some missiles will home in on jamming signals. Jamming also causes a -4 penalty to all radar guided weapons.
  • Anti-Jamming System: Reduces Electronics Countermeasure by ¾ (decrease skill level appropriately).
  • Full Range Sensory Suite: Infrared, ultra violet, Magnification, night sight, color filters, thermal imager. Range is about 2,ØØØ miles for MOST sensors.
  • MRA 6 Radios: Allows real time, continuous radio link up with friendly forces in the area via satellite relay over laser radio signals, preventing jamming, and automatically encrypts/decrypts same to prevent eavesdropping.
  • Type-11 wide band radios: Effective 1Ø mile range, auto encrypt/decrypt. Works on standard radio band wavelengths, so it can still be jammed (if the enemy knows the frequencies).
  • Combat/Targeting Computer: Records all enemy and friendly activity over the course of time; Can replay that activity for the pilot, assign target designation numbers, and track likely damage based on mathematical formulas (i.e. “Right leg red” badly damaged/destroyed, “head green” not damaged, etc). Displays this information as a pop up in the HUD on request by the pilot.
  • AMC/FD (2): Anti-Missile Chaff/Flare Dispensers. Actually launches a glob of burning magnesium/aluminum alloy to confuse both radar AND heat sensory systems. Fires off Ø4 chaff/flares each time it is activated. The system is KNOWN to work on all KNOWN radar and infrared systems, but concerns continue that somewhere out there their MIGHT be a system that will be totally unaffected by the system. Reduce effects by 2Ø% against smart missiles (add +2Ø% to rolls for smart missiles.)
    Effect:
    Ø1-5Ø: Enemy missile or missile volley detonates in chaff cloud- Missiles are all destroyed.
    51-75: Enemy missile or missile volley loses track of real target and veers away in wrong direction (may lock onto another target).
    76-ØØ: No effect, missile is still on target.
    Also note that the chaff cloud will also blind nearby heat sensors (and optically based sensors at night) for 1 melee. They will suffer the following penalties: Reduce melee attacks/actions, and combat bonuses by half.
    Duration: 1D4 melee rounds.
    Payload: 6Ø chaff/flares. Each time the system is engaged, the system fires off Ø4 chaff/flares.
  • LDP (4): Launched Decoy Pods. The Mecha can carry a special pod that carries four advanced decoy drones. These drones are launched to go where ever they want for 3Ø minutes. Each is a specially designed lure that mimic the Mecha. This system has been successfully deployed against SEVERAL alien radar-type sensors (including one that works off of sound), but does not work on Invid Protoculture sensors.
    MDC: 5
    Effects: The decoy has a 98% chance of fooling ordinary non military radars and
    non smart guided missiles, and a 9Ø% chance of fooling military grade radars
    and advanced smart missiles.
    Range: Released to go wherever it wants. Can fly independently for about 3Ø minutes.
    Rate of Fire: Per pilots attacks per melee.
    Payload: 8 decoys total.
  • Motion Detector: Activates a loud wailing when an object is coming at the user fast, and a soft ringing if it’s coming slowly. Activation ranges must be specified by the pilot.
  • FLIR/SLIR: Forward and Side Looking Infrared. Allows pilot and weapons officer to get visuals on targets at night.
  • Blue Force Tracker: Identifies Friend from Foe. Overlays the information on both the radar and HUD, ensuring that friendly forces are not accidentally targeted.
  • Video Recorder: Records from sensors and the cockpit itself. 5ØØ hours of recording available.
  • GPS: Standard tracking device.
  • HUD: Displays maps, radar, targeting information, and any OTHER information the wearer wants directly in front of the user.
  • Virtual Map: Displays a continuously-updating map of local terrain for the pilot. Effective land navigation of 85% as updates come. Good to 5Ø miles. Specific range can be adjusted in 1 mile increments.
  • Smoke dispensers (8): Throws out smoke flares capable of covering a 9س foot area. Special chemicals in the smoke obscures IR and heat sensors, and defeats visual tracking of the vehicle. Note that it DOESN’T make the vehicle invisible, but simply negates ALL bonuses to strike.

    • Combat Profile for SVA/F-18 Sol Space Fighter:
  • 6 attacks per melee.
  • +1 on initiative.
  • +2 to strike.
  • +7 dodge in jet mode.
  • +3 to roll with a punch or fall with an impact, reducing damage by half.

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