This is a fan-made contribution.
Production History[]
The Foxbat is a new Commonwealth grav tank entering service, destined (as one in a bevy of new designs) to replace many of the Liberator units currently in service. Designed to be a blend of firepower, protection, and speed, the Foxbat tries to thread the needle that made the Liberator the backbone workhorse of the CAF for decades.
Design Philosophy and Tactical Role[]
As a replacement for the Liberator, the Foxbat needed to continue performing similar roles, and perform them well. In that regard, two aspects were of the utmost importance, the first being to increase both armour and shielding, which were always considered major weak points in the Liberator design. The second was to keep the Liberator’s fine acceleration rate of 75 kph per minute.
The Foxbat succeeds in both of these departments, boasting far better armour than the Liberator ever did, carrying an impressive 55 tonnes of armour, an increase of over 40%. Shield rates were also brought more in line with other medium grav tanks, with the FloatPoint shield units able to provide a 70 flicker rate on both the front and stern, and with a rate of 60 on the sides. A slight compromise was struck with the bottom rating, leaving it at a rate of 50, which may prove to be a liability in TTF and LAF flight.
In the weapons department, the Foxbat is no slouch. Porting over from the Liberator, the Foxbat continues to use the reliable Amerex 150mm gauss cannon with interline air cooling. Secondary weaponry, however, has been switched up to take advantage of modern advances. A Multi-Gnat-15 gatling mass driver cannon is mounted opposite the Amerex in the turret, with a Darnik 3/6 laser slung underneath. While these weapons are mounted similarly as their counterparts in the Liberator, they are far less exposed to enemy fire. A small 2-pack of TVLG missiles completes the turret complement, while a Hyrr’ Inc Vulcan-III anti-missile system provides the last ditch defence against incoming rockets and missiles.
Within the hull, the Foxbat mounts a pair of tertiary weapon systems, including one with a twist. The General Systems RMC-8 gatling mass driver cannon, while new, is a fairly standard affair. It is below the GMDC’s mount where the twist happens, for there lies an interchangeable module capable of mounting two different missile systems. The original design of the Foxbat aimed to add an additional heavy-hitting punch by mounting an HM-2 heavy missile system. This made some commanders in the field nervous, unused not only to this new type of ‘land torpedo’ system, but also concerned for the lack of standard missiles and the Foxbat’s paltry TVLG-2 rack in the turret. Hence the introduction of the modular system, which allows for the installation of either the original HM-2 system. or a standard 6-rack of TVLGs. While the odd placement of the TVLGs in this retrofitted system makes for an odd launch profile, tests thus far have shown the system performs completely adequately.
With vetting trials over, Foxbats have begun to deploy to the front, swapping out Liberators and assuming the same role. Only time will tell if this new tank will attain the same longevity as the one it is replacing.
Game Notes[]
Before a game, the player fielding Foxbat units may choose whether to mount the HM-2 system or a TVLG-6. The weight, performance, and scenario points all remain the same.
The Foxbat is a non-cannon fan design by Kannik, using weapon systems from the Centurion Technical Update.