British Firefly Infantry Support Tank:

"I`m tellin` ya mate, the Firefly might look like a Dinky Toy, all cheap lookin plastic, but when the shit hits the fan you`ll be glad to have one or two of em around. Them things carry more firepower than you`d give em credit for. Just don`t stand around em when enemy infantry decides to make a go at em. The `puter gets confused, and is likely ta fire one `o them claymores at YOU!"

The Firefly came out of a request of the Royal Marines in 2064 for a medium armored vehicle which could provide fire support and anti-armor capabilities for a landing force. The huge Conqueror MBT which made up most of the British armies armored forces was utterly inadequate for such a job. It could barely be fitted into the Crab landing craft, and left little room for any other vehicles. With a weight of almost 100 tons it also suffered from a diminished mobility.

The Vickers Firefly was a wonderful medium tank. Utilizing mainly resin composites and ceramics in its construction, the engineers kept the weight of the tank quite low, while maintaining a adequate protection. The main hull of the tank had a low sloping profile, and a small turret was mounted on top.
Extensive use of automation meant that there were only two crew needed. Both were seated side by side in the hull, as the turret was fully automated.

Weaponry consisted of a soft recoil 120 mm Electro-thermal cannon which fired mostly various explosive rounds, but could also be used as a launcher for Short Range Missiles. It`s extremely high elevation could be used for indirect fire or, as was sometimes done in city fighting, to fire into sniper positions high up in buildings...
Further weaponry consisted of a coaxial LMG-60 coupled directly to the main power source, and a remote controlled grenade launcher on the turret roof. Lastly there were four mini-missile launchers, which were supposed to be used for missile defense. Last ditch defense against enemy infantry consisted of a series of claymore mines around the tank at chest height.

The troops received the firefly with mixed feelings. To soldiers used to the uberpanzers of the day the firefly looked rather anemic. Protection was barely adequate, and just about everybody hated the claymore mine system. Many crews went so far as to remove the mines in order to put the soldiers they had to support at ease. The other side of the coin was that the Firefly was a relatively small and maneuverable target, with considerable firepower. When used as intended, a infantry support tank, it was very successful.

Model Type: Vickers Firefly Mk II
Vehicle Type: Medium Infantry Support Vehicle
Crew: Two (Driver and Commander).

M.D.C. by Location:

	[1] Tractor Treads (2):	80 each
	Weapon Turret:	200
	[2]Extendable Sensor Pod:	80
	Soft Recoil 120 mm cannon:	120
	LMG-60 Co-axial laser:	50
	Grenade Launcher:	60
	Mini Missile Launchers (4):	30 each
	Smoke Dispenser (2):	20 each
	[3] Main Body:	450

Notes:
[1] Depleting the M.D.C. of a tread will immobilize the tank 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] Small target, -2 to hit.
[3] If all the M.D.C. of the main body is depleted, the vehicle is completely shut down and unsalvageable, but crew and troops may survive in their reinforced compartments.

Speed:
Ground: Cruising speed on land is 65 mph (104 kph) on roads and 60 mph ( 96.6 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%.
Maximum Range: Effectively Unlimited.

Statistical Data:
Height: 9.5 feet (2.9 meters)
Width: 10 feet 6 inches (3.2 meters)
Length: Main Body: 26 feet (7.9 meters)
With Gun Forward: 32.2 feet (9.8 meters)
Weight: 32 tons
Power Source: Nuclear (Should have an average lifespan of 10 years).
Cargo Capacity: Minimal, enough for equipment with crew.
Black Market Cost: Not available, should go for about 40/50 million credits when in good condition.

Weapon Systems

1. 120 mm smoothbore cannon: A electro-thermal gun, this weapon was designed to have a relatively low recoil for its caliber, and to be able to be used as a light howitzer as well. The rounds were fired by vaporizing a dot of light metal at the base of the projectile, by means of a strong electromagnetic field. It can fire a variety of loads, including high-explosive (HE), high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT), and fragmentation. The cannon could also be used to launch Short Range Missiles, of which 6 were carried. The turret can rotate 360 degrees and the gun can elevate 55 degrees up and 15 degrees down. Fired by the commander.
   Maximum Effective Range: 8,000 feet (2,400 meters) for direct fire, and 30,000 feet (9,000 meters) for indirect fire.
   Mega-Damage: (HE): 2D4x10 with a blast radius of 20 ft. (HEAT): 2D6x10+20, blast radius of 6 ft. (Fragmentation): 1D4x10, blast radius of 40 ft.
   SRM: Varies by missile type (Go to Revised bomb and missile table).
   Rate of Fire: A Maximum of 3 attacks per melee.
   Payload: 30 rounds, plus 6 Short Range Missiles.
   Bonuses: Has a special fire control computer that helps to aim the cannon. Gives +2 to strike with cannon and vehicle does not have minuses to fire when it is moving.
2. Automatic Grenade Launcher: Mounted on top of the turret in a powered remote controlled mount. The commander can operate the grenade launcher from inside the Firefly and does not need to expose himself. Aiming is aided by the use of the fire control computer of the Firefly. Normally only fragmentation grenades were fired from the launcher.
   The mount can rotate 360 degrees and has a maximum elevation of 60 degrees.
   Range: 3,000 ft (914 m)
   Mega-Damage: 3D6 for single shot of Fragmentation with a blast area of 12 ft, and 2D4x10 for a burst of ten rounds of Fragmentation with a blast area of 40 ft.
   Rate of Fire: Equal to combined hand to hand attacks of gunner
   Payload: 200 Rounds
   Bonuses: Has a special fire control computer that helps to aim the grenade launcher. Gives +1 to strike with launcher and launcher does not have minuses to fire when the Firefly is moving.
3. LMG-60 Coaxial Automatic Pulse Laser: Basically the Squad Automatic laser rifle mounted above the cannon barrel and linked directly to the Firefly`s powerpack. It`s special cooling system allowed for extended bursts which, in combination with a unlimited payload, made up for the somewhat low range of this weapon. Troops who saw the coaxial mount fire were very impressed by it, and it was remarked that the coaxial mount was the reason that the troops called the Firefly by its name, instead of some of the less flattering names which initially served the Firefly.
   Maximum Effective Range: 2,000 ft (610 m)
   Mega-Damage: 2D6 per single shot, 6D6 for a rapid fire three shot burst, or use machine gun burst rules for higher burst setting (See Machine Gun burst rules).
   Rate of Fire: Equal to combined hand to hand attacks of gunner
   Payload: Effectively unlimited.
4. Mini Missile Launchers (4): Two mounted on either side of the turret. These look suspiciously like smoke grenade launchers, but the canisters are really mini missiles. These missiles are supposed to be used to protect the Firefly from enemy missiles, and as such fragmentation warheads are standard issue. Enterprising crews have been known to switch some or all of the fragmentation rounds for AP or Plasma rounds, giving the tank a considerably enhanced anti armor punch at the expense of defensive capability.
   Maximum Effective Range: Varies with missile types, mini-missiles only (Go to Revised bomb and missile table).
   Mega Damage: Varies with missile types, mini missiles only (Go to Revised bomb and missile table).
   Rate of fire: One at a time or in volleys of 2, 4, 6, or 12.
   Payload: each launcher carries 6 mini-missiles for a total of 24 Mini-missiles.
5. Claymore Mines (16): Five mines are mounted on the sides of the tank, and three more on the front and the back. Normally computer controlled, they are a last-ditch weapon against enemy infantry. The crew can override the computer, and fire the mines (or not) when needed. Since the computer was easily confused by such mundane things as mud or dust on uniforms, the system was usually set to manual...
   Range: a cone 50 feet (15 meters) long and 30 feet (9 meters) wide.
   Mega-Damage: 6D6 for targets 30 feet and further away, 1D4x10 for targets closer than that.
   Rate of fire: One at a time.
   Payload: 16.
   Special: Uses the onboard computer to identify friend or foe, and fire the mines. Computer has a skill of 65%.
6. Smoke generator (2): Mounted on the either side of the rear of the Firefly these generators create dense clouds of particulate smoke.
   Effect: Creates a cloud of smoke 40 ft (12 m) in diameter:
   Rate of Fire: Two per melee (continuous production)
   Range: Around tank, when moving creates smoke curtain (max. 40 meters long, 5 meters wide and 4 meters high.)
   Payload: 10 clouds per generator.

Sensory Equipment

• Radio/ Video Communications: Long range, directional, has a range of 500 miles with short range directional radio of 5 miles.
• Laser Targeting System: Range is 6 miles and gives +1 to strike with long range weapons. Not applicable to hand to hand
• Combat Computer/ Targeting Computer: Assist in the tracking of targets.
• Radar: 50 miles, can identify 96 targets and track 48 as low as 500 ft.
• Full Life Support: Protects pilot and tank from heat and radiation and gives a breathable atmosphere inside the Tank.
• Spotlight: Range: 600 feet (182.9 meters)
• Thermo-Imager: Range: 2,000 ft (609 m). Finds the infra-red radiations of things that are warm. Also enables pilot to see in smoke, shadows and darkness.
• 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.
• Extendable Sensor Pod: Mounted on the back of the turret was a small Sensor pod which could be extended to a height of 14 feet (4.2 meters). This allowed the crew to see over obstacles, and to perform observations without exposing the entire tank. The pod mounted the radar and a set of enhanced vision optics, with a magnification of 50 times.

[ Rifts® is a registered trademark owned by Kevin Siembieda and Palladium Books Inc.]

By Mischa (E-Mail Mischa ).

Copyright © 2002, Mischa. All rights reserved.