VBR-2 "SHADOW HAWK" VALKYRIE

(Version 1.01 - Last updated: 07/16/2004)

Concept and Background by Kenneth Olson

Background Information derived from Robotech Technical Files

Artwork from Entertainment Bible: Part 1 (pg 18)

BACKGROUND

As planning for the Robotech Expeditionary Force (REF) began in earnest in 2012, the mission planners came to the realization that new transforming fighters would have to be created.  Fighters would have to be designed for air superiority missions, ground support, elicit roles, as well as long range reconnaissance.  As of that time, no RDF possessed no variable fighter which could fulfill the roll of long range reconnaissance.  

In the past, VF-1 series valkyrie fighters were outfitted with necessary external fuel tanks that gave them the delta-V to travel some distance from their home carrier.  However, with the considerable unknowns associated with fighting a major campaign in a distant part of the galaxy, a completely new design was created to fill the specialized roll.  The VBR-2 Shadow Hawk was designed in early 2013 and made its first test flight on March 15th of that year.  The first space flight was performed on April 17th 2013 when the VBR-2 showed its extreme long range capabilities by launching from the SS Saratoga, one of the remaining ARMD Space Platforms, flying around the moon and returning without the need for external fuel tanks.  As such, the high command in the REF were impressed and ordered 100 units for the upcoming SDF-3 Pioneer mission.

Ninety Five of the 100 units were placed onboard the SDF-3 or auxiliary vessels when the REF departed Earthspace on December 2022.  Each airwing in the REF received no less than 4 Shadow Hawks for long range reconnaissance rolls.  The Shadow Hawk proved itself to be an excellent long range fighter.  On no less than four campaigns did Shadow Hawk recon patrols discover hidden Invid outposts or hives that could have launched a major counter attack against the REF forces.  Upon discovery of these hidden fortresses, the Shadow Hawk recon team would radio back to the fleet and the appropriate response would be dispatched.

At the end of the Sentinels campaign, the remaining 64 Shadow Hawks were upgraded with the Mk 2 Protoculture Shadowing System and most were sent back with the Jupiter and Saturn Attack waves.  During the initial phases of the invasion of Earth, advanced Shadow Hawk recon teams were able to pin point all of the major Invid outposts on the planet and hence the attack forces knew precisely were the counter attack would come from.  Surprisingly, only 2 Shadow Hawks were destroyed during the invasion.   This was mainly due to the fact that once the invasion began the recon teams would pull back into flanking positions away from the main battle.

RPG STATS

Vehicle Type: VBR-2 Reconnaissance Valkyrie  Fighter

Class: Variable Fighter
Manufacturer: Robotech Defense Forces
Crew: One pilot wearing Tactical Life Support System.

MDC BY LOCATION:

NOTES:

1. Destroying the sensor head of the VBR-2 will knock out the mecha's major sensor systems, including all of the optics systems (infrared, nightvision, thermal). Radar and communications will be unaffected.
2. Depleting the MDC of the main body will destroy the mecha.

SPEEDS:

RUNNING, SOLDIER CONFIGURATION:

180 kph

LEAPING, SOLDIER CONFIGURATION:

50 ft (15 m) high or 70 ft (21 m) long without thrusters.

FLYING, SOLDIER CONFIGURATION:

300 kph / 400 kph for (A,B,G,H,I,T)

FLYING, GERWALK/SOLDIER CONFIGURATION:

Mach One (670 mph/1072 kmph) maximum speed limit in an Earth-like atmosphere. Can also hover in place indefinitely.

FLYING, FIGHTER CONFIGURATION:

Max level speed at sea level : Mach 1.2
Max level speed at 10km:  Mach 7.2
Max level speed at 30+ km:  Mach 25.0

Stall speed : 182 kph (VTOL rectification possible)
Initial climb rate : over 35000m per minute
Service ceiling : 40 km (unboosted).

MAX ENGINE THRUST:

• 4 x Nakajima/P&W/Rolls-Royce FF-2002 fusion turbines, total engine output 275kN total at max. power; 550 kN are available with overboost. Exhaust nozzles allow for vector thrust, serving in place of conventional elevators. System includes two reverse-vernier thrusters, on blisters outboard of each intake; exhaust comes directly from main turbine at a maximum of 20% thrust.
• Four Nakajima NBS-1 high-thrust vernier thrusters, one on the ventral in fighter mode, three in the 'backpack' in
  Guardian and Battloid modes.
  

STATISTICAL DATA:

HEIGHT:

20.7m  in soldier configuration.

14.7m in gerwalk configuration.

6.3m in fighter configuration.

WIDTH:

8.1m at shoulders in soldier and gerwalk configuration.

15.8m  with wings at maximum extension.

LENGTH:

5.0m in soldier configuration.

21.3m in gerwalk configuration.

24.0m in fighter configuration.

WEIGHT:

50,000 kg empty.

PHYSICAL STRENGTH:

Equal to a P.S. of 60

CARGO:

Small compartment behind pilot's seat for personal belongings in addition to the cyclone storage compartment

POWER PLANT:

Two Tirolian mecha protoculture-generators RA-5d providing a total of 1000 MW

Delta V:

250  kps

COMPATIBLE FAST PACKS :

None

WEAPON SYSTEMS:

1. GU-111 65MM THREE-BARRELED SMOOTHBORE ROTARY: firing 700 rounds per minute, 600 round capacity stored internally.   The weapon is stored under the main fuselage in fighter mode and on the right hand when in gerwalk or battloid.
   • PRIMARY PURPOSE: Assault
   • SECONDARY PURPOSE: Anti-Mecha
   • RANGE: Armor Piercing Spin Stabilized Discarding Sabot (APSSDS) 5249 feet (1600 m), or 3937ft (1200m) for all others.
   • DAMAGE: APSSDS 6d6 short burst, 1d4*10+10 medium burst, 3d4*10+10 full melee burst.   HEAP 1d4*10 short burst, 2d4*10 medium burst, 4d4*10 full melee burst.  Tracer rounds reduce damage by 25%.  Standard 5d6 short burst, 1d4*10 medium burst, or 3d4*10 full melee burst
   • RATE OF FIRE: Single shots or bursts equal to the combined attacks of the pilot.
   • PAYLOAD: 600 rounds of internal ammunition or 60 short bursts, 30 medium, or 15 full melee. 
   • NOTES:  APSSDS crits on 17,18,19,20.  HEAP crits on 19,20.   Tracers add +2 to strike.

    

2. 2 x EP-4 THREE-BARRELED 80MM PARTICLE GUN POD: Each weapon is mounted on the front of each of the engine thrusters.  Each EP-4 can fire 9 MJ bursts of particle energy every second and is powered by the main protoculture generators.
   • PRIMARY PURPOSE: Assault
   • SECONDARY PURPOSE: Anti-Mecha
   • RANGE: 2000 m
   • DAMAGE: 1d4*10 for each single shot, or 2d4*10 for each dual shot.
   • RATE OF FIRE: Single shots equal to the combined attacks of the pilot.
   • PAYLOAD: Conditionally unlimited. 

   

3. 6 x BODY/WING HARD POINTS: A single hard point is mounted on either wing and four under the main fuselage.  Each hard point can carry:  15 short range missiles, 5 medium range missiles or 2 long range missiles.

 

4. HAND TO HAND COMBAT: If necessary, the VBR-2 can engage in melee combat rather than use a weapon. The Shadow Hawk can execute most typical hand to hand combat moves, such as punches, jump kicks, leap attacks, rolling with impacts, etc.

   DAMAGE:  

   • Punch in Battloid:  3D6*3
   • Punch in Guardian:  3D4*3
   • Kick: 3D6*3
   • Leap Kick: 6D6*3
   • Body Flip/Throw: 3D6*3
   • Body Block/Tackle: 3D6*3
   • Stomp: 6D6*3 . (only effective against small objects)
     

    

STANDARD EQUIPMENT FOR THE VBR-2:

• AUTO-PILOT: The Shadow Hawk is equipped with a computerized auto-pilot, allowing the pilot to relax or even sleep during long voyages. The auto- pilot can be programmed with a single destination or a complex flight plan involving multiple speeds, directions, and destinations. The onboard computer will alert the pilot when the fighter is near its destination, and can also be set to automatically signal when sensors detect objects near the mecha. The auto-pilot was designed with long intra-system space journeys in mind.
• COMBAT COMPUTER: The combat computer tracks and identifies specific enemy targets, and has a database of over 10,000 images stored in memory. The computer can identify and track up to 250 targets simultaneously. 
• EXTERNAL AUDIO PICKUP: Range: 300 ft (91.5 m). A sound amplification system that can pick up normal conversation up to 300 feet away.
• 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: The escape pod of the Shadow Hawk  is equipped with a homing device that enables rescue teams to locate a disabled craft or ejected life pod. The range of the signal is 400 miles (640 km). Most REF ships and veritecs can locate and track a homing signal, and the onboard computers will automatically notify their pilots if such a signal is detected.
• LASER TARGETING SYSTEM: Range: 100 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: 2000 feet (610 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: 2000 feet (610 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: 2000 feet (610 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.
• WESTINGHOUSE APY-7 MULTI-BAD INTERLEAVED MULTI-MODE RADAR SYSTEM: (500 mile range)   providing spherical very-long-range detection and tracking of targets at all altitudes in addition to medium range imaging and target identification. This system includes passive modes for "stealthy" detection of targets.  This provided very long range detection and tracking of all targets.
• 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.
• SELF-DESTRUCT: To prevent capture of an advance variable fighter by the enemy, the pilot can activate the Shadow Hawk self-destruct system, which will cause the fighter 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. The escape pod will be automatically ejected prior to the explosion unless the pilot overrides the ejection sequence.
• STANDARD SURVIVAL KIT: All REF veritecs 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 VBR-2's cockpit is pressurized, and also provides additional air feeds to the pilot's flight suit that provides him with pressurized breathing. The REF flight suit also contains an upper and lower g-suit that promotes blood circulation even during high-g turns, thus decreasing the possibility of pilot's blacking out in combat.
• ELETTRONICA RADAR WARNING RECEIVER  (RWR)
• OLDELFT INFRA-RED WARNING RECEIVER  (IRWR)
• WESTINGHOUSE QRC-100 INFRA-RED COUNTER MEASURES (IRCM)
• THOMSON ASD-52 SIGNAL DETECTOR/RECEIVER
• WESTINGHOUSE ALQ-249 ACTIVE JAMMER DISPENSERS
• CHAFF AND FLARE DISPENSERS:  12 chaff and 12 flares are stored in each lower leg
  

COMBAT BONUSES FOR VBR-2 TRAINING:

• 2 attacks per melee (plus those of the pilot).
• Add one additional action/attack at levels six and eleven.
• +1 to strike
• +2 to parry
• +2 to dodge in solder, +4 in guardian, and +6 in jet mode.
• +3 to roll with a punch or fall with an impact, reducing damage by half.
• Critical strike same as pilot's hand-to-hand.

REFERENCES USED IN THIS DESIGN

• Robotech Technical Files: Veritech Valkyrie
• Palladium Books:  "Robotech The Roll Playing Game"

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