This article details a Harrier-like aircraft, just what every military campaign needs for a little close air support.  Just watch out for the Kafer snap-fire missiles.  My thanks to Clare for granting permission for me to host it on my web site. - Kevin Clark - Aug. 20th, 1998.

INTRODUCTION

In 2280, the U.S. Marine Corps adopted a new ground-attack aircraft to replace its aging fleet of AV-77 VTOL jets.  Like its predecessor, the AV-90 is capable of vertical take-off and landing, and can carry a wide variety of weaponry, including both air-to-ground and air-to-air weapons.  While the AV-90 is used extensively throughout the corps, its use is not as wide-spread as the aircraft it was designed to replace.  The reason is that the corps has adopted a much wider variety of aircraft over the past three decades, providing it with a more versatile air support capability.  The AV-90 is primarily found in use with the 8th Interface Wing, now operating throughout the French Arm, and the 7th Air Wing which is one of the Earthbound Marine Corps units.
 

DESIGN

The craft is equipped with a high degree of armor protection, making it a first-class choice in the ground-attack role.  The underside armor is particularly strong, shielding the craft's crew and internal components from ground fire.  This armor is capable of stopping small arms fire, as well as fire from most plasma guns and light autocannons.  The AV-90's integral armament consists solely of a single fixed-mount 25mm autocannon, located in the craft's fuselage.  This weapons is belt-fed from a 200-round magazine.  The craft also has a small internal weapons bay which is capable of carrying extra fuel tankage, a pair of 200 kg bombs, or two air-defense missile racks with three missiles each.  The craft is also equipped with three hardpoints on each of its stubby wings for carrying external weapons stores.  The four outboard hardpoints are each capable of carrying up to a 200kg payload, while the two inboard points can carry up to 400 kg each.

Crew: Pilot, gunner Weight: 9000 kg Armor: All Faces: 6 Armament: One 25mm autocannon with 200-round magazine, 6 wing hardpoints, 2 internal hardpoints Evasion: 18 Sensor Range: 300km ( +2) Signature: -2 Max Speed: 900 kph Cruising Speed: 800 kph Combat Movement: 1800 m Endurance: 5 hour Price: Lv2,250,000
 

ORDNANCE LOADS

• Four 200 kg aircraft-guided bombs and four Striker anti-vehicle missiles on wing pylons.  Two 200 kg aircraft-guided bombs in internal bay.
• Eight 100 kg air-craft-guided bombs and four Striker anti-vehicle missiles on wing pylons.  Two 200 kg aircraft-guided bombs in internal bay.
• Four Mk40 cluster bombs and two 200 kg aircraft-guided bombs on wing pylons.  Extra fuel tankage in internal bay.
  
  

NEW ORDNANCE

100kg WASP Bomb: Type: Aircraft-guided bomb Nation: Generic Launcher Weight: 0 Bomb Weight: 200 kg Range: 6 km Guidance: Automatic following gunner lock-on Homing Value: 10 Attack Angle: Direct Burst Radius: 500m DPV: 6 Price: Lv2000

100 kg High-Explosive Bomb: Type: Aircraft-guided bomb Nation: Generic Launcher Weight: 0 Bomb Weight: 200 kg Range: 6 km Guidance: Automatic following gunner lock-on Homing Value: 10 Attack Angle: Direct Burst Radius: 500m DP: As explosion ( EP=60) Price: Lv1200

MK40 Iron Rain Cluster Bomb: The Mk40 is actually more of a bomblet dispenser than a bomb by itself.  It is an area weapon that disperses numerous bomblets over a large stretch of land.  The area affected varies with the altitude and speed of the launching aircraft.  At normal low-altitude attack speed, it covers an area roughly 100m wide and 1000m long.  For each group of infantry within the effected area, roll a 1D10 and subtract one.  In the case of vehicles, make a 1d10 roll, but subtract three instead. This is the distance to the nearest impacting bomblet.  Next roll 2d10 and add this to the first roll to determine the distance to the next closest impacting bomblet.  Use the scatter diagram for artillery rounds given in the 2300 AD rules to determine the direction of the impact.

Type: Freefall submunitions dispenser Nation: Generic Launcher Weight: 0 Bomb Weight: 200 kg Dispersal Area: 100m wide by 1000 m long Range: 0 Guidance: None Attack Angle: Direct DVP: As tamped explosion ( EP=4) Price: Lv1000

AAM-12W Lightning Bolt Air-to-Air Missile: Type: Air-to-air missile Nation: America Missile Weight: 50 kg Range: 120 km (flight time to maximum range is one minute) Guidance: Automatic following gunner lock-on Homing Value: 22 Attack Angle: Direct DP: As tamped explosion ( EP=8) Missile Price: Lv12,000

ACM-27P Guardian Countermeasures Pod: The Guardian countermeasures pod fits on an aircraft's ordnance hardpoint in place of any 100 kg weapon.  The unit operates by disrupting the targeting of any missile which is locked onto the aircraft.  This tends to work best on human-designed missiles.  Against Kafer missiles, the results are less predictable.  When activated, the unit reduces the homing value of any human-made missile targeted onto the aircraft by 2D6 and any Kafer made missile by 1D10.

Type: Aircraft ECM pod Nation: American Weight: 93 kg Range of Effect: 100 km Price: Lv35,000

-Clare W. Hess

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