DAGOBERT Class Imperial Battlesuit (late 21sts century set..

DAGOBERT Class Battlesuit

The DAGOBERT-class Imperial Army Battlesuit is a fairly 'typical'
example of a combat battlesuit for its time. It is used by the
Imperial Army and (with slight variations) by the Imperial Marines, and
with slightly more extensive modifications by the Emperor's Guard. The
modifications are mostly fine details, the basic systems are similar.
Likewise, though other major powers on Earth in the late 21st century
(especially America and Australia) use their own 'standard battlesuit'
designs, they are recognizably similar to the DAGOBERT in most cases.

The DAGOBERT focuses on armor and firepower. The armor is an advanced
laminate that is light, strong, and expensive, and it also incorporates
layers of hydrogen-rich light compounds which (along with other
protective features) provide some degree of protection from the Bragg
peak effect of particle-beam weapons (though not as much as most
soldiers would prefer, 'Bragg blasters' are the bane of
battletroopers).

The armor also incorporates a liquid component, stored in hundreds of
tiny 'capsules' within the armor mass, that solidifies when it emerges
from its containers, enabling small penetrations to 'self-seal'. This
is of limited use against direct combat damage, but can be a life-saver
from toxic or radioactive environments, which would otherwise make tiny
penetrations potentially life-threatening.

The DAGOBERT is not stealthy. At over nine feet tall, it _can_ use
cover and duck out of sight much like an infantryman, indeed, that is
part of the point of a battlesuit, but it still makes a bigger target
than an unarmored individual. Also, the sound of its footsteps can
carry considerably in some conditions, as can the faint hum of its
operational systems. Battletroopers are a cross between infantry and
tanks, and combine both the advantages and disadvantages of both,
depending on the situation. The DAGOBERT is also hard to hide from
some types of sensors. IR is a serious problem, and the NPU can be
detected when it is operating as well.

(For this reason, battletroopers often switch off the NPUs and operate
on their power cells in situations where detection is an issue. This
can reduce detectability, but helps (somewhat) on IR detection, but
does not eliminate the suit's heat signature.)

The power cells of the DAGOBERT are located in the arms, because their
primary purpose is to provide power for the laser weapons built into
the arms. These power cells are cross-connected to the other systems,
however, enabling them to drive the entire suit if necessary. The
power cells generate less waste heat in operation than the NPU does,
which can make it advantageous to use the power cells for power in
situations where heat dissipation is important. This late case is
common in combat, and in fact heat dissipation is a _major_
consideration in battlesuit design.

The weapon system of the DAGOBERT consists of two tunable
laser-emission weapons, one built into each forearm, each with its own
power cell capable of powering its projector for up to 36 blasts, up to
4 per second, though steady firing for more than a few seconds risks
overheating the laser, and six micromissiles stored in launch-tubes
built into the legs of the battlesuit. The right arm also contains a
retractable razor-sharp blade six inches long. Additionally, the
DAGOBERT possesses sufficient dexterity to enable its operator to use a
variety of 'independent' weapons.

The sensor-system includes a ten-mile PESA which is the primary
long-range sensor, and an AESA with a range of about 3 miles which is
rarely used, because it can give away the location of the operator all
too easily. The DAGOBERT also incorporates a geophone and basic
radiation and chemical sensors (the later two being primary used for
environmental analysis purposes).

The life-system is good for up to two days of continuous operation, and
that can be extended by as much as 100% by the use of detachable
external tanks of oxygen. After that, the life-system needs to recycle
itself and the waste-disposal system will need service. The suit is
able to seal totally to operate in radioactive and toxic environments,
and can maintain a clement internal temperature in most situations,
including being surrounded by fire or arctic cold. However, like most
combat technologies, battlesuits require regular maintenance, and
constant use takes its toll. They are not quite as delicate as the
tanks of the 20th Century, but they do require attention and
maintenance.

The onboard information system consists of a C4 computer in the body
and a C3 backup computer in the head. Both operate in parallel at all
times unless ordered otherwise, with voice-command as the primary means
of interface. The computers can project responses in text messages
onto the visual field of the visor, or can respond in spoken language,
as the operator prefers. They can operate the suit in routine
situations without supervision, and can also be preset to take
emergency action in response to detected threats (the most common such
case being automatically sealing the suit in the presence of nuclear,
biological, or chemical environmental threats).

The operator can customize the software load in accordance with his
mission or the situation, though practically all DAGOBERTs have
environmental analysis software, targeting and profiling ability, and
standard translation programs. This last is especially important in
the Empire, with its multiple major languages and dialects. All
standard-equipment DAGOBERTs carry basic translation software for _at
least_ English, Russian, French, Japanese, Chinese, and Beastie. Many
carry more and more elaborate linguistic programs.

The communications system is straightforward, a tight-beam radio and a
lasercom, and a built-in external speaker/bullhorn.


Crew: 1 total. .

Subassemblies: Vehicle +1, Body +1, Head -2, Left Arm -1, Right Arm -1,
Right Leg -1, Left Leg -1.

P&P: 4.5-kW basic NPU (2 year duration; no access space), 360,000-kWs
rechargeable power cell [Left Arm], 360,000-kWs rechargeable power cell
[Right Arm], 5-kW legged drivetrain (waterborne; short term access).

Fuel: uranium-fueled NPU is primary power source, recharges power cells
and can drive suit directly..

Occupancy: battlesuit body control, battlesuit head control [Head],
battlesuit arm control [Left Arm], battlesuit arm control [Right Arm],
battlesuit leg control [Right Leg], battlesuit leg control [Left Leg],
2 man-day limited life support system [None], 1-man NBC kit [None],
waste relief system [None], 1.5-cf cargo hold.

Armor F RL B T U
Body 4/175 4/175 4/175 4/175 4/175
Head 4/90 4/90 4/90 4/90 4/90
Left Arm 4/75 4/75 4/75 4/75 4/75
Right Arm 4/75 4/75 4/75 4/75 4/75
Right Leg 4/75 4/75 4/75 4/75 4/75
Left Leg 4/75 4/75 4/75 4/75 4/75

Weaponry Malf Type Damage SS Acc 1/2D yds Max yds
RoF TL
50mm micromissile launcher - Cr 0d 17 0 0 0
1/6 10
missile Crit Exp 18d - - 0 1,000
- 10
rainbow laser Ver. Imp. 4dx16 20 23 11,000(x50)
33,000(x50) 4 10

Equipment
Body: IR/visible searchlight (0.35-mile range); short range radio
communicator (100-mile range; tight beam); short range laser
communicator (200-mile range); PESA (forward) (scan 17, 10-mile range);
PESA rear (scan 14, 3-mile range); AESA (scan 11, 1-mile range);
geophone (scan 14, 3-mile range); basic radiation sensor; chemical
sensor array; small computer (complexity 4; hardened, neural net, robot
brain); inertial navigation system.

Head: two auditory sensors (acute hearing +3, parabolic hearing +3,
ultrasonic); two high end visual sensors (acute vision +3, telescopic
zoom +3, night vision, spectrum vision); tiny computer (complexity 3;
hardened, neural net, robot brain).

Left Arm: 2,500-kJ rainbow laser (normal range; compact).

Right Arm: 2,500-kJ rainbow laser (normal range; compact).

Right Leg: three 50mm missiles (small HE warhead; compact Skill-15 IRH,
Skill-17 OH); three 50mm muzzleloader micromissile launchers.

Left Leg: three 50mm missiles (small HE warhead; compact Skill-15 IRH,
Skill-17 OH); three 50mm muzzleloader micromissile launchers.

Statistics
Size: [LxWxH] 8.94 x 2.24 x 1.12 Payload: 230 lbs. Lwt: 1,709 lbs.
Volume: 22.3 cf Maint: 1 hour/day (highly variable average)

HT: 12 HP: 72 [Body], 12 [Head], 36 [Left Arm], 36 [Right Arm], 24
[Right Leg], 24 [Left Leg].

Ground Performance: Motive Power 2.5-kW, Top Speed 14 mph, gAcc 10
mph/s, gDec 20 mph/s, gMR 2.75, gSR 1, Ground Pressure 2,136 lbs./sf,
Off Road Speed 10 mph.

Water Performance: Top Speed 2 mph, wAcc 0 mph/s, wDec 10 mph/s (10
mph/s), wMR 1, wSR 5, Draft 0.9 ft, Drag 143, Flotation 716 lbs.

Design Notes:
TL10 robotic heavy frame expensive materials [Vehicle].
TL10 DR 175 expensive laminate [Body].
TL10 DR 90 expensive laminate [Head].
TL10 DR 75 standard laminate [Left Arm].
TL10 DR 75 standard laminate [Right Arm].
TL10 DR 75 standard laminate [Right Leg].
TL10 DR 75 standard laminate [Left Leg].
Operating Duration: 2 D 3 H 48 M.
Payload Cost: $4,600
Vehicle Features: computerized controls, self-sealed, ruggedized,
waterproofed, no streamlining.
Water Features: no lines.
Head: limited rotation.
Volume: 11.5 cf [Body], 0.833 cf [Head], 1.38 cf [Left Arm], 1.38 cf
[Right Arm], 2.06 cf [Right Leg], 2.06 cf [Left Leg].
Area: 30 sf [Body], 6 sf [Head], 8 sf [Left Arm], 8 sf [Right Arm], 10
sf [Right Leg], 10 sf [Left Leg].