Raptor II

This article is about the 40-ton BattleMech. For other uses, see Raptor (disambiguation).
Raptor II
Raptor II
Production information
Manufacturer Classified (Republic of the Sphere)[1]

Classified (Word of Blake)[1]

Production Year 3084[2]
Model RPT-3X[1]
Class Medium
Cost 10,945,433 C-bills
Technical specifications
'Mech type Inner Sphere BattleMech
Mass 40 tons
Chassis Void Integrated MK III
Armor Void Integrated Light Ferro-Fibrous
Engine VOX 280 XL
Communications System Black Box Com 7 with Guardian ECM Suite
Targeting Tracking System Night Fire 7
Heat Sinks 11 double
Speed 118 km/h (151 km/h with MASC)
Armament
BV (1.0) N/A
BV (2.0) 1,304 [2]


Description[edit]

The first BattleMech to utilize the advanced Void Signature system, Raptor II was a virtually invisible covert reconnaissance and search-and-destroy 'Mech used by both the Word of Blake and the Republic of the Sphere.

While reports of "invisible 'Mechs" had long been ignored as confusion for such Star League era stealth systems as the Null Signature system and Chameleon Light Polarization Shield, in the maelstrom of the Jihad the Word of Blake introduced the "Stealth Raptor" to deadly effect. Though the Blakists destroyed its factory during the invasion of Terra, Devlin Stone recognized the game-changing nature of its cloaking system and took extreme risks to ensure his forces captured every last scrap of information and salvage of the design, eventually succeeding in reverse engineering and manufacturing it exclusively for the elite special forces of Republic Armed Forces. The site of the Republic factory remains classified information.[3]

Weapons and Equipment[edit]

Directly integrated into the Raptor II's endo steel chassis and seven and a half tons of light ferro-fibrous armor, the hybrid combination of the Null Signature system to shield the 'Mech from electronic detection and a scaled up version of the Purifier Adaptive's mimetic armor to cloak the 'Mech from visual detection, the Void Signature system made the Raptor II utterly undetectable if motionless, making it an ideal ambush and recon unit. To increase its effectiveness when bursting from hiding, the Raptor II also mounted a Guardian ECM suite and MASC to ensure maximum surprise. Equipped with 11 double heat sinks, another surprise is despite the use of a small cockpit, the Raptor II did not appear to have ever been fielded by or designed for the Blakists' fearsome Manei Domini.[4] While a choice seemingly at odds with ensuring the survival of the pilot, the removal of CASE and the ejection system was intended to ensure neither a Raptor II nor its pilot would fall into enemy hands.[1]

Mounting a weapons array designed to take advantage of ambush opportunities offered by its stealth systems, the Raptor II features two Streak SRM-6s and two ER medium lasers; in keeping with the secrecy surrounding its manufacture, the brand(s) of the weapons is unknown. The effectiveness of the Void Signature and MASC systems ensured the Raptor II closed to optimum weapons range in an instant.[4]

Variants[edit]

  • RPT-2X 
    The Word of Blake's original version carried a single BattleMech taser backed up by two medium variable speed pulse lasers. The effectiveness of the Void Signature and MASC systems ensured the Raptor II closed to effective taser range in an instant. One less heat sink and half a ton less armor were the price to carry the weapons load.[4] BV (2.0) = 896[2]

Design Quirks[edit]

The Raptor II is subject to the following Design Quirks:[5]

Related BattleMechs[edit]

  • Raptor - Little related other than in name, the original Raptor was the first OmniMech designed by the Inner Sphere. The Raptor II borrowed the original's speed profile, but nearly everything else is different.

Gallery[edit]

References[edit]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Technical Readout: Jihad, pp. 74–75: "RPT-3X Raptor II"
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 MUL online date for the Raptor II
  3. Technical Readout: 3085, p. 70
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Jihad Secrets: The Blake Documents, p. 152
  5. BattleMech Manual, p. 94: BattleMech Quirk Table - Raptor II Entry

Bibliography[edit]