Thumper (Combat Vehicle)
Sarna News
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| Thumper Artillery Vehicle | |
| Production information | |
| Manufacturer | Brooks Incorporated |
| Mission | Fire Support |
| Type | Wheeled |
| Technical specifications | |
| Mass | 60 |
| Armor | Durallex Heavy |
| Engine | Strand 220 Fusion |
| Speed | 64 km/h |
| Crew | 3 |
| Armament | |
| BV (2.0) | 797 |
Contents
Description
The Thumper was created by Brooks Inc. as a cheap knockoff of the SLDF's Thor Artillery Vehicle. The vehicle was mass produced and and sold to the Successor States from 2735 to 3046. Sales of the vehicle fell off in the years following the Fourth Succession War.
The vehicle was put into production again and refitted for modern combat during the Jihad. During this chaotic time, Brooks Inc. used the advantage of defense spending increases to begin selling its vehicle to the Word of Blake. It is suspected that Brooks conspired with the the fanatical Blakists to ensure that newly revised equipment and sales would go to them.
The current version of the vehicle is noted for its mobility, crew comfort, and electronic defenses. By the time of the Dark Age, it has become the most common mobile artillery platform used in that era.
Armament
The vehicle's primary weaponry is the Edward Industries Thumper Artillery Piece with two tons of ammunition. For close-in defense, the vehicle is armed with two Hellion c-II ER Small Lasers mounted in the turret. It also mounts a pair of Voelkers [Machine Gun]s in the front and the back to protect from infantry. The Machine Guns share a ton of ammunition, which is stored in the main body with the artillery ammunition in a CASE protected compartment. The vehicle is also protected by a Guardian ECM Suite.
Variants
- ICE - The original version of the vehicle produced at the end of the Star League until after the Succession Wars utilized an ICE power plant and less armor. The vehicle was not equipped with turreted lasers, ECM, or CASE.