Alamo Armory T-113-IFV Infantry Fighting Vehicle:

"What is the purpose of an Infantry Fighting Vehicle? It is to carry troops into battle and support them. How can you do that when you can only afford one or two? The answer is simple. No you can't!"

"Buying an old refitted Pre-Rifts design is no solution either. Many have long passed any imagined service life and show it. Most refits do little more than patch the damage and the vehicles are maintenance nightmares."

"The solution is simple. The Alamo Armory T-113-IFV. Well armed and capable of taking a beating. As well, our Infantry Fighting Vehicle uses many of the same components as our other designs making logistics much simpler. The flexible fuel diesel engine allows for a wide variety of fuels and the vehicle is easy to support from primitive facilities. "

"Our moto at Alamo is quality at an affordable price. The T-113-IFV, don't buy anything else."

Many companies produce vast numbers of different designs, all quite different. While the products often share at least some components, a full production line is virtually required for each one. Alamo Armory takes a different approach. The company produces a number of combat vehicles all based on the same chassis. One might think the Old M-113 Armored Personnel Carrier is out of date, first developed in the Nineteen-Fifties, but it is still a capable platform and extremely adaptable to new roles. As such, it is in many ways the perfect design to base Alamo Armory's designs. As might be expected, Alamo Armory produced an Armored Personnel Carrier but they also produce an Infantry Fighting Vehicle, a Self Propelled Mortar, and a pair of different missile launchers.

The only problem with Alamo Armory is that the company is tiny compared to companies such as Northern Gun and Iron Armory. Before it was taken over by the Coalition, Iron Heart Industries was also much larger. The combat designs of Alamo are extremely popular, especially among starting mercenary companies. The T-113-IFV is only around half the cost of a used Iron Maiden and most of the other designs it competes with are far more expensive. The problem is simply that Alamo Armory's production cannot keep up with demand. It is also extremely new compared to most of their competition. It is quite possible that in the future that they will expand production.

Alamo Armory is based in a single in a single factory in what was the American Empire state of Texas. The factory was an automobile manufacturing facility before the coming of the Rifts and was restored by Alamo Armory to produce their combat designs. It is near the boarder of Mexico but has excellent security to protect it from both the Vampires south of the boarder and the bandits of the Pecos Empire. The founding personnel of the company include escaped engineers from Iron Heart Industries who managed to get out before the Coalition took control and engineers from Golden Age Weaponsmiths.

The Armored Personnel Carrier and the Mortar Vehicle are both extremely similarly to the refitted vehicles produced by Golden Age, which has lead some speculation that Alamo Armory is really part of Golden Age, but the Infantry Fighting Vehicle is quite a bit different. It is actually the most modified version of the basic T-113 platform which they produce. In many ways it is similar to the design which was designed as completion against the Bradley fighting vehicle. The basic rear of the chassis is slightly extended in the design. Still, it shares most of the same components including the propulsion system. None of the weapons which the vehicles use are manufactured by Alamo Armory at present and all are purchased from a variety of other companies.

The Infantry Fighting Vehicle is designed for a crew of three, in this case a commander rides in the vehicle as well as a gunner and a driver. There is also space for seven troops. Down from the eleven carried on the standard T-113, the vehicle carries much greater firepower. The vehicle has a rear hatch and has the option of having two firing slits to the rear and two to either side. No power connectors are provided to power energy weapons though. Sensors are still primitive, basically limited to infra-red and night vision, although the vehicle also is fitted with periscopes. The vehicle has NBC protection but lacks full life support systems. Of course since most crew and troops wear full body armor, it is often no problem although it does reduce crew comforts to some extent.

All Alamo Armory designs are designed with a diesel engines which are designed around being able to use different grades of fuel. Finding high quality fuel is often questionable on Rifts Earth. As well, often bio-diesel is often all that is available. Iron Heart Industry's solution was using a turbine engine. Such engines are not as fuel efficient. As a result, the Alamo Armory designs have a range around fifty percent greater than the Iron Maiden with a conventional propulsion system. As far as combat vehicles go, the T-113 series is not fast compared to many with a top speed of around forty-five miles per hour. Their designs can also use their tracks for water propulsion although top speed on water is only around four miles per hour.

The Infantry Fighting Vehicle version of the T-113 is much heavier armed than the standard model with a 30 mm chain cannon as the main weapon in a turret. Weapon is based on the Pre-Rifts 30 mm Bushmaster II and uses special Ramjet ammunition. The weapon along with the ammunition is manufactured by Wellington Industries. The turret can rotate through 360 degrees and can angle upwards up to forty degrees. Standard payload is eight hundred rounds which allows for approximately forty bursts. More ammunition can be carried instead of troops as needed. Coaxial to the 30 mm autocannon is an L-20 Pulse Laser Rifle in a fixed mount. While the vehicle does not have the ability to power the weapon from the engines, a high capacity battery is provided which gives one hundred and seventy-five shots. With three blast bursts are fired, the gun can fire around sixty bursts. Optionally, a Northern Gun NG-E12 Heavy Plasma Ejector can be mounted. Greater in range and inflicts much greater damage per shot but is limited to around forty plasma blasts. It also increases the cost of the Fighting Vehicle.

The only other feature which is standard is a pair of decoy grenade launchers. Several other options are available for the vehicle though. These include mounting a pair of mini-missile box launchers one either side of the turret with each having the ability to fire four mini-missiles. Although there is no automatic reload system, additional mini-missiles can be carried in the vehicle. As well, claymore mines can be mounted on the sides and front for anti-personnel defense.

Model Type: Alamo Armory T-113-IFV
Vehicle Type: Infantry Fighting Vehicle
Crew: Three (Driver, Gunner, and Commander)
Troops: Seven (7) in Full Gear.

M. D. C. by Location:

	[1] Tractor Treads (2):	50 each
	Weapon Turret:	150
	Wellington Bushmaster II 30 mm Chain Gun (Turret):	50
	[2] Coaxial L-20 Pulse Laser - Optional (Turret):	25
	[2] Coaxial NG-E12 Heavy Plasma Ejector - Optional (Turret):	30
	WI-25 Four Tube Mini-Missile Launchers - Optional (2, turret):	30 each
	WI-CL3 "Super Claymore" Mine - Optional (6, sides and front):	20 each
	[2] Smoke / Gas Dispensers (2):	20 each
	[2] Headlights (2):	10 each
	Rear Hatch:	80
	Reinforced Crew Compartment:	80
	Reinforced Personnel Bay:	80
	[3] Main Body:	280

Notes:
[1] Depleting the M.D.C. of a tread will immobilize the platform until it is replaced. Replacing a tread will take 1D6x10 minutes by a trained crew (2 replacements are carried on board) or three times as long by the inexperienced. Changing the tread is only advisable when the vehicle is not under attack.
[2] 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.
[3] If all the M.D.C. of the main body is depleted, the vehicle is completely shut down and is unsalvageable.

Speed:
Ground: Maximum speed on land is 45 mph (72.4 kph.) 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 40%.
Water Capabilities: The T-113-IFV Infantry Fighting Vehicle is designed to be amphibious and can cross small bodies of water. It is not designed for deep water use. The T-113-IFV can travel in this manner at 4.0 mph (6.4 kph/3.5 knots).
Maximum Range: 620 miles (997.8 km)

Statistical Data:
Height: 6.57 feet (2.005 meters) to hull top and 9.15 feet (2.788 meters) to top of periscopes
Width: 8.81 feet (2.866 meters)
Length: 17.21 feet (5.248 meters)
Weight: 25,353.2 pounds (11,500 kg) empty, 30423.8 pounds (13,800 kg) combat loaded, and 31,967.0 pounds (14,500 kg) maximum load.
Power Source: Conventional, Diesel / Electric Hybrid developing 300 hp
Cargo Capacity: Without troops, can carry up to 2.0 tons (1.81 metric tons)
Black Market Cost: 540,000 Credits for standard model. Replacing L-20 with NG-E12 Heavy Plasma Ejector costs 60,000 credits. Mini-Missile Batteries cost 65,000 Credits and Super Claymore Mines cost 30,000 Credits (for six.) Firing ports are available at no cost.

Weapon Systems:

1. Wellington Bushmaster II 30 mm Ramjet Chain Gun (Turret): Modified version of the pre-Rifts weapon. Mounted in the turret and controlled by the gunner, it has the ability to rotate 360 degrees and can aim upwards up to 40 degrees. It can engage low flying aircraft and creatures. The 30 mm cannon fires heavy ramjet rounds with armor piercing warheads which inflict as much damage as most heavy rail guns. The ramjet rounds inflict great damage and can quicky punch through the front armor of a tank or the main armor of a giant robot.
   Maximum Effective Range: 6,000 feet (1,830 meters).
   Mega Damage: 2D6x10 for a burst of 20 rounds, 3D6 for each round.
   Rate of Fire: Equal to the gunner's hand to hand attacks; each burst counts as one melee action.
   Payload: 800 round drum magazine (40 bursts.) Reloading is done inside the vehicle and takes two melee rounds (30 seconds) for two crewmen or passengers and six melees (90 seconds) if only one person is involved or the people aren't trained in the reload procedure.
2. Coaxial Weapon Mount: The vehicle comes standard with the L-20 laser rifle mounted beside the 30 mm chain gun. Instead, a Northern Gun NG-E12 Heavy Plasma Ejector can be mounted. Both feed from a high capacity battery to greatly increase payload but payload is still limited compared to many other designs. E-Clips can be plugged in instead of power pack when the main battery is depleted. Generally used for targets not considered worth the use of the main gun such as troops and missiles.
   1. L-20 Pulse Laser Mount: A modified version of the pulse laser rifle carried by many adventurers and mercenaries. It can fire single blasts or three blast bursts for greater damage.
      Maximum Effective Range: 1,600 feet (610 meters)
      Mega Damage: 2D6 for Single Shot and 6D6 for 3 simultaneous blasts.
      Rate of Fire: Equal to the gunner's hand to hand attacks; Single shot or three round burst.
      Payload: 175 blasts from the main battery (58 three blast bursts). Can plug in E-Clips for addition blasts (40 shots short E-Clip, 50 Shots each long E-Clip)
   2. NG-E12 Heavy Plasma Ejector (Optional): More powerful than the L-20 Pulse Laser but consumes more power and a heavier weapon. It also has slightly greater range than the pulse laser. It cannot fire bursts.
      Maximum Effective Range: 2000 feet (610 meters)
      Mega Damage: 1D6x10 per plasma blast
      Rate of Fire: Equal to the gunner's hand to hand attacks.
      Payload: 42 blasts from the main battery. Can plug in E-Clips for addition blasts (6 shots short E-Clip, 12 Shots each long E-Clip)
3. Two (2) WI-25 Four Tube Mini-Missile Launchers (Optional): Mounted on either side of the turret, these launchers are lightweight but add greatly to the potential firepower of the vehicle. Controlled by the gunner, each one has four tubes than can be fired individually or all four in each may be fired at the same time. The weapon has to be manually reloaded and more missiles can be carried in the vehicle (at the cost of reduced troops.)
   Maximum Effective Range: Varies by mini-missile type (Go to Revised bomb and missile table.)
   Mega-Damage: Varies by mini-missile type (Go to Revised bomb and missile table.)
   Rate of Fire: Single shot or all four mini-missiles only (Both launchers cannot be combined)
   Payload: 8 total (4 each), takes 15 seconds (one melee) to reload each launcher. Fort-Eight mini-missiles can be carried in the place of a single troop.
4. Six (6) WI-CL3 "Super Claymore" Mine (Optional): Two are positioned on either side with two in front. None are in the rear of the vehicle. Mounted on armored plates which prevent the mines from doing damage to the vehicle itself. Derived from the pre-Rifts claymore mine, this weapon is extremely effective. It is slightly larger than the original Claymore mine and has 1000 super dense alloy spheres instead of steel balls and is backed by two pounds (0.9 kg) of powerful advanced explosive instead of the original C4 plastic explosive. The "Super Claymore" operates in a similar fashion to the original mine and creates a fan of projectiles for a 328 foot (100 meter) cone with a 60 degree arc of danger. Generally the Super Claymore is activated by the crew when it looks like the vehicle will be overrun.
   Maximum Effective Range: 820 feet (250 meters)
   Mega Damage: Front 60-degree horizontal Cone of Mine: 2D6x10 MD for a 164 foot (50 meter) range, 1D4x10 MD for a 328 foot (100 meter) range, and 2D6 MD for a 820 foot (250 meter) range. Sides of Mine: 4D6 MD for a 66 foot (20 meter) range and 2D6 MD for a 328 foot (100 meter) range.
   Rate of Fire: Each mine single use only.
   Payload: Six Mines.
5. Six (6) Firing Ports (Optional): The T-113-IFV 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. No power connectors are provided for using energy weapons.
6. Smoke Dispenser (2): Mounted on either side of the tank and launches smoke grenades. While other types of grenades can be used, they have been rarely carried. Recently, there has been consideration for the use of prismatic aerosol and decoy grenades to help protect the vehicle against lasers and other weaponry.
   Effect: Creates a cloud of smoke 40 ft (12 m) in diameter. Other special effects per grenade type
   Rate of Fire: Two per melee
   Range: 1,200 feet (365 m)
   Payload: Carries 12 smoke grenades per launcher.

Sensory Equipment:

• NBC Protection: While not full life support, the Armored vehicle is equipped with protection for the crew from most gas, radiation, and biological attacks. If fitted with firing slits, the slips have plates which can be closed and sealed.
• Periscopes: Enables the crew to see over most terrain
• 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.
• Thermo-Imager: Range: 2,000 feet (609 meters). Finds the infra-red radiations of things that are warm. Also enables pilot to see in smoke, shadows and darkness.

[Golden Age Weaponsmiths TM, Wellington Industries TM, and Iron Heart Industries 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 © 2008, Kitsune. All rights reserved.