ET-01 Mk II "Spider" Heavy Artillery Robot
(Version 1.0 - Last updated:
01/24/03)
- Background and RPG Statistics by
Kenneth
Olson
- Based on a design presented in
Macross Hobby Handbook
BACKGROUND
The ET-01 Mk II "Spider" was designed to replace the aging US M270 MLRS system
and provide Western Coalition forces, and later for the newly formed Robotech
Defense Forces, with long range artillery support. Like all
Earth Trekker designs, the Spider was based
of a common chassis and then modified with additional weaponry and armor.
Walking machines, devoid of wheels or tracks, were truly all-terrain and could
place themselves in firing locations unavailable to older models.
The Spider mounts two M41 80mm long range rocket launchers each holding 20
rockets apiece. These rocket launchers are the Spider's only weaponry and
as such the unit is wholly dependant on other vehicles for short range and
anti-air protection. The rockets themselves possess both an internal
inertial navigation unit or it can be guided using GPS coordinates prior to
firing. The rockets are armed either with a unitary high explosive
warhead, for use against fixed emplacements or with 500 M97 fragmentation
submunitions for use against vehicles and personnel. Once the Spider has
expended all of its ammunition, specialized vehicles can reload the unit in
under 10 minutes assuming that the unit is not currently under fire all the
personnel have sufficient training.
The armor on the Spider is typical
of the Chobham armor found on tanks during the global civil war of the late
1990's and is adequate for all small arms fire and light anti-vehicle
weaponry (up to 25mm autocannons). However, the unit can be disabled by only a
couple of direct strikes from medium or heavy anti-mecha weaponry. The pilot's
compartment in particular is quite vulnerable to strikes and a single hit by a
120mm tank round would pierce the thin armor and kill the pilot.
The first Spider was produced in 1996, 36 months prior to the crash of the
SDF-1, and ended in 2002 with a total of 250 units produced in those six years.
The first combat unit entered into service in
March of 1997 and saw its first
combat action later that same month in a series of battles against the Eastern
Co-prosperity sphere (ECPS) forces in Manchuria where the Spiders proved to be be an
effective combat unit. The single most successful engagement for the ET-01
Mk II occurred on the night of January 21th 2003. Five Spiders were
able to climb hill 506, impassible to conventional units, outside of the Yalu
and bring indirect fire down on the ECPS forces breaking them up before they were
able to launch their attack on the Western Alliance base only 10 kilometers
away.
With the introduction of the
Destroids in 2009, the Spider was relegated to reserve status and none were
assigned to the SDF-1. By 2010, all had been placed in storage except for 25
which were given to the Eastern Soviet Independent States as a token gift of
Robotechnology to placate the marginal allies of the UEG. These 25 units
continued to see service with the EBSIS for nearly another decade.
RPG STATS
- Vehicle Type: ET-01 Mk II "Spider"
- Class: Non-transformable Earth Trekker
Manufacturer: Vickers
Crew: One pilot wearing Tactical Life Support System
- Service History:
-
Western Alliance from 1995 until
2002
-
Robotech Defense Forces from 2002 until 2010
- Eastern Soviet Independent States from 2010 until 2019
-
MDC BY LOCATION:
Location |
Spider |
Rocket Launcher (2) |
50 each |
Rocket Launcher Pivot |
30 |
Legs (2) |
40 each |
Reinforced Pilot's Compartment |
30 |
* Main Body |
50 |
NOTES:
- * Depleting the MDC of the main body will destroy the mecha.
SPEEDS:
- MAXIMUM RUNNING SPEED:
- 15 kph / 25 kph (fully loaded / empty)
- MAXIMUM JUMPING IN EARTH NORMAL CONDITIONS:
- N/A
- UNDERWATER PERFORMANCE:
- 5 kph
STATISTICAL DATA:
- HEIGHT:
- 11.1 m (with rocket launchers)
- DEPTH:
- 8.5 m
- BREADTH:
- 6.0 m
- WEIGHT:
- 18.8 metric tons (dry)
- 27.2 metric tons (fully loaded)
- PHYSICAL STRENGTH:
- Equal to a P.S. of 40
- CARGO:
- None
- POWER PLANT:
- Avco-Lycoming AGT-2500 2-spool free-shaft,
multi-fuel turbine power plant hydro-kinetic transmission; 4 fwd/2
reverse gears.
- MAX POWER:
- 2,500 hp
- POWER-TO-WEIGHT RATIO:
- 25.00 hp/metric ton
- FUEL CAPACITY:
- 1,500 liters of diesel or petroleum fuel
- MAXIMUM RANGE:
- Diesel: 153 km
- Petroleum: 127 km
WEAPON SYSTEMS:
- 2 x M41 80MM ROCKET LAUNCHERS: The Spider mounts two M41 80mm
long range rocket launchers holding 20 rockets apiece. The rockets
themselves possess both an internal inertial navigation unit or it can be
guided using GPS coordinates prior to firing. The rockets are armed
either with a unitary high explosive warhead, for use against fixed
emplacements or with 500 M97 fragmentation submunitions for use against
vehicles and personnel. Once the Spider has expended all of its
ammunition, specialized vehicles can reload the unit in under 10 minutes
assuming that the unit is not currently under fire and all the personnel have
sufficient training.
- PRIMARY PURPOSE: Artillery
- SECONDARY PURPOSE: Anti-personnel
- RANGE: 50 km
- DAMAGE: 1D4*10 (High Explosive) or 2D6 (Fragmentation
Submunitions) MDC per rocket
- BLAST RADIUS: 5 m (High Explosive) or 50 m (Fragmentation
Submunitions)
- RATE OF FIRE: Single shots
- PAYLOAD: 20 rockets per launcher for a total of 40.
- HAND TO HAND COMBAT:. The Spider lack of arms and hands give
the unit only limited hand to hand capabilities.
- Kick: 2D6 MDC
- Body Block/Tackle: 1D6 MDC
- Stomp: 3D4 MDC (only effective against small (less than 2 meter) objects)
STANDARD EQUIPMENT FOR SPIDER
-
COMBAT
COMPUTER: The Spider is equipped with a combat computer which calculates,
stores, and transmits data onto the cockpit computer screen or head-up display (HUD) of
the pilot's helmet. Patches in with the targeting computer
- EXTERNAL AUDIO PICKUP: Range: 300 ft (91.5 m). A sound amplification system that
can pick up normal conversation up to 300 feet away.
- INFRA-RED WARNING RECEIVER: Selenia Ground Warrior IRWR
providing rear aspect protection from IR guided missiles
- HEAT AND RADIATION SHIELDS: Special shielding prevents the penetration of life
threatening head and radiation. A radiation detection and alarm system are linked with the
shields and will sound an alarm if there is a rupture in the shields and what the levels
of radiation are.
- HOMING SIGNAL: Range of the signal is 100 miles (320 km). Most RDF, Southern
Cross, and REF ships and veritechs can locate and track a homing signal. The onboard
computers will automatically notify their pilots if such a signal is detected.
- LASER COMMUNICATIONS: Long range, directional communication system. Effective
range: 100,000 miles
- LASER TARGETING SYSTEM: Range: 50 miles (160 km). Used for increased accuracy in
the striking of enemy targets and is partly responsible for the mecha's strike bonus.
- LOUDSPEAKER: A loudspeaker system is built into the craft, which can be used to
amplify the pilot's voice up to 90 decibels.
- OPTICS (INFRARED): Range 2500 m. This optical system projects a beam
of infrared light that is invisible to the normal eye, but detectable by the mecha's
sensors. The system allows the pilot to detect hidden/concealed objects by their IR
reflectiveness. The beam will be visible to anyone with IR sensitive optics, however.
- OPTICS (NIGHTVISION): Range 1000 m. A passive light image intensifier
that emits no light of its own, but relies on ambient light which is electronically
amplified to produce a visible picture.
- OPTICS (THERMAL IMAGER): Range 650 m. A passive optical heat sensor
that detects infrared radiation projected by warm objects and converts that data into a
false-color visible image. The system enables the pilot to see in the dark, in shadows,
and through smoke, and also adds a +10% bonus to pilots using a tracking skill.
- RADAR JAMMER ALQ-54: On board self-protection jammer
providing broadband protection. Estimated system effective radiative
power 30 dBW.
- RADAR (TARGETING): Westinghouse TPG-144 X band pulse Doppler phased array medium range radar
with battlefield surveillance mode. Estimated range against 0 dBsm
target 40 km.
- RADIO/VIDEO COMMUNICATION: Long range, directional communications system with
satellite relay capabilities. Range: 600 miles (960 km) or can be boosted indefinitely via
satellite relay.
- RADAR WARNING RECEIVER: Selenia Ground Warrior IRWR
providing all aspect broadband protection from RF guided missiles.
- SELF-DESTRUCT: To prevent capture by the enemy,
the pilot can activate the self-destruct system, which will cause the
mecha to explode after a delay of up to 60 minutes (time is set by the pilot).
The explosive damage is contained within a 20 foot (6 m) area and inflicts
1D6x10 M.D. to everything within the radius of the explosion. All internal
systems are obliterated.
- STANDARD SURVIVAL KIT: All UEDF vehicles come equipped with a
portable survival kit. Inside the small reinforced box is a medium-sized flashlight, two
hand flares, one rocket flare, a compass, infrared distancing binoculars, a small mirror,
a pocket knife, dehydrated and concentrated food (can be stretched into a five day supply
for one person) and basic first aid items (aspirin, bandages, disinfectants, etc.)
- TACTICAL LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEM: The Spider's cockpit is
pressurized, and also provides additional air feeds to the pilot's flight suit
that provides him with pressurized breathing.
COMBAT BONUSES FOR SPIDER:
- Zero melee attacks (plus those of the pilot)
- +0 to roll with punch
- +1 to strike
- +0 to parry
- -2 to dodge
- One additional attack at levels six and eleven
RANDOM HIT LOCATIONS
When there is an equal chance of hitting both sides from 1D6
- 1-3 hits the right side
- 4-6 hits the left
When there is a preferred side, roll 1D10
- 1-8 hits the preferred side
- 9-10 hits the opposite side
Spider |
FRONT |
BACK |
SIDES |
TOP |
BOTTOM |
Rocket Launcher (Pivot) |
01-40 |
01-35 |
01-50 |
01-40 |
01-35 |
Launcher Pivot (Main Body) |
41-50 |
36-55 |
51-57 |
41-60 |
- |
Legs (Main Body) |
51-60 |
56-75 |
58-70 |
61-67 |
36-65 |
Pilot's Compartment |
61-75 |
- |
71-85 |
68-85 |
66-80 |
Main Body |
76-00 |
76-00 |
86-00 |
86-00 |
81-00 |
SOURCES USED IN CREATION OF DOCUMENT
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