ATLAS Class Mobile Combat Platform
The ATLAS Class combat platform (used primarily by the American Army)
is designed to provide medium-range fire in combat situations.
Standard doctrine is for the ATLAS to remain behind the front lines,
using its heavy laser cannons and particle-beam projectors to clear the
sky of enemies (or at least to make life difficult for said enemies).
The main turrets are mounted atop the body, and each one contains a
universal mount enabling the weapons to track from slightly below
horizontal to vertical fire. The turrets themselves rotate fully,
giving the heavy weapons the ability to come to bear on almost any
point in a hemisphere around and above the ATLAS.
The lasers are designed to fire a steady stream of pulses, enabling
them to be 'swept' across the sky to track and destroy flying units.
The heavy lasers are effective anti-aircraft and anti-missile weapons,
and can fire for up to 60 seconds at a time before requiring a 30
second cooling cycle. By using the three laser cannon in sequence, a
steady stream of fire can be maintained. With a force of multiple
ATLAS units, it is possible to keep a web of laser beams sweeping back
and forth across the sky almost indefinitely.
The particle beams are more potent, but shorter in range, and are
usually reserved for specific targets such as aircraft with armor or
ground-targets that require extra force to break.
The ATLAS also mounts 100 muzzle-loaded missile launchers, in racks of
20, launching self-guided missiles with an effective range of about
twelve miles and a guidance system enabling to lock onto individual
targets and to track them. Each of these 'fire and forget' missiles
can course-correct and can be used as either anti-personnel or
anti-vehicle weapons. The launching racks can be fired en masse or
individually, and they use infra-red and optical sensors for guidance.
A standard tactic using the ATLAS platform is to have several units
fire their missile-racks en masse, 'saturating' the battle zone with
missiles.
The ATLAS carries up to 1000 such missiles, and carries an automatic
reloading system that can retract a missile launching array, reload it,
and redeploy it in a matter of minutes. With a source of additional
missiles, an ATLAS can serve as a constant launching platform for these
devices. Many American and allied combat units carry small
transponders which the missile guidance systems are programmed to
avoid, as a precaution against 'friendly fire' incidents. The system
is effective, but not perfect. Missile saturation launches require
careful coordination to be maximally effective and to avoid friendly
hits.
For close-range protection, the ATLAS mounts five machine-guns,
operable manually or by the computers. The ATLAS is not really
designed for defense, however, instead an ATLAS is usually deployed
with a squad of battlesuited troopers and/or a pair of SHERMAN BETA
tanks for protection (along with other forces).
The ATLAS standard 'crew' is four, one commander/pilot and three
gunners. The automatic systems can operate the ATLAS uncrewed, with
more effectiveness than with tank units, because the ATLAS usually does
not have to fight and maneuver at the same time. It is considerably
more effective with a crew, however. Computers have their limits,
even at TL9/10.
The ATLAS carries the standard life-support and NBC protective
features, and is designed to be operable completely sealed with a full
crew for up to three days. The nuclear core is designed to be able to
operate the ATLAS for its full lifetime without refueling, and so fuel
is not (usually) a consideration.
Crew: 4
Subassemblies: Vehicle +6, Body +5, Alpha Turret +3, Beta Turret +3,
Gamma Turret +3, Tracks +5.
P&P: One 2,000-kW enhanced fission reactor (200 year duration; no
access space), three 24,192,000-kWs rechargeable power cells, 1,500-kW
tracked drivetrain (short term access).
Fuel: Uranium
Occupancy: three cramped gunner stations, cramped pilot/command
station, 4-man full life support system, 4-man NBC kit, 10-cf cargo
hold [None].
Armor F RL B T U
Body 5/1,050 5/1,050 5/1,050 4/300 4/300
Alpha Turret 5/750 5/750 5/750 4/300 0/0
Beta Turret 5/750 5/750 5/750 4/300 0/0
Gamma Turret 5/750 5/750 5/750 4/300 0/0
Tracks 4/250 4/250 4/250 4/250 4/250
Weaponry Malf Type Damage SS Acc 1/2D
yds Max yds RoF TL
5.55mm rifled electric machine gun Ver. (Crit.) Cr 4d 12 10 290
2,300 20 10
218mm launcher - - 0d 20 0 0
0 1/11 10
missile Crit Exp 6dx250 - - 0
22,000 - 10
charged particle weapon Ver. Imp. 4dx140 25 24
16,000(x1/100) 48,000(x1/100) 1 10
tunable laser cannon Ver. Imp. 5dx82 30 28
70,000(x50) 210,000(x50) 4 10
Equipment
Body: oven/freezer; short range laser communicator (1,000-mile range;
scrambler); short range radio communicator (5,000-mile range; tight
beam, scrambler, direction finder); three PESAs (scan 20, 30-mile
range); two short-range PESAs (scan 15, 5-mile range); two AESAs (scan
19, 25-mile range); inertial navigation system; three small computers
(complexity 4; hardened, high capacity, neural net, robot brain); five
5.55mm rifled electric machine guns (medium barrel; recoilless,
caseless ammo, heavy auto); five machine gun cyberslave mounts; 20
218mm muzzleloader launchers; 1,000 218mm missiles (small HE warhead;
Skill-18 IRH, Skill-17 OH); two IR/visible searchlights (7-mile range);
four searchlights (1-mile range, signal lamp shutter); liquid crystal
skin (-2 spotting modifier); modest infrared cloak (-3 spotting
modifier); psi shielding (10 psi strength); modest sound baffling (-3
hearing modifier).
Alpha Turret: laser cannon universal mount; 50,000-kJ charged particle
weapon (very long range; compact); particle blaster universal mount;
100,000-kJ tunable laser cannon (normal range; compact).
Beta Turret: 100,000-kJ tunable laser cannon (normal range; compact);
laser cannon universal mount; 50,000-kJ charged particle weapon (very
long range; compact); particle blaster universal mount.
Gamma Turret: 100,000-kJ tunable laser cannon (normal range; compact);
laser cannon universal mount; 50,000-kJ charged particle weapon (very
long range; compact); particle blaster universal mount.
Statistics
Size: [LxWxH] 35 x 20 x 6.24 Payload: 1,000 lbs. Lwt: 155,905 lbs.
Volume: 4,182 cf Maint: 2.4 Hrs/Day as a variable average
HT: 8 HP: 2,400 [Body], 600 [Alpha Turret], 600 [Beta Turret], 600
[Gamma Turret], 1,200 each [2x Tracks].
Ground Performance: Motive Power 1,500-kW, Top Speed 60 mph, gAcc 4
mph/s, gDec 20 mph/s, gMR 0.75, gSR 7, Ground Pressure 974 lbs./sf, Off
Road Speed 40 mph.
Design Notes:
TL10 robotic heavy frame standard materials [Vehicle].
T TL10 DR 300 expensive laminate, U TL10 DR 300 expensive laminate, L
TL10 DR 700 expensive laminate, R TL10 DR 700 expensive laminate, F
TL10 DR 700 expensive laminate, B TL10 DR 700 expensive laminate
[Body].
T TL10 DR 300 standard laminate, L TL10 DR 500 expensive laminate, R
TL10 DR 500 expensive laminate, F TL10 DR 500 expensive laminate, B
TL10 DR 500 expensive laminate [Alpha Turret].
T TL10 DR 300 standard laminate, L TL10 DR 500 expensive laminate, R
TL10 DR 500 expensive laminate, F TL10 DR 500 expensive laminate, B
TL10 DR 500 expensive laminate [Beta Turret].
T TL10 DR 300 standard laminate, L TL10 DR 500 expensive laminate, R
TL10 DR 500 expensive laminate, F TL10 DR 500 expensive laminate, B
TL10 DR 500 expensive laminate [Gamma Turret].
TL10 DR 250 expensive composite [Tracks].
Operating Duration: 12 H 49 M 40 S.
Payload Cost: $2,200,000
Vehicle Features: computerized controls, self-sealed, ruggedized,
waterproofed, no streamlining.
Body: 30° Slope on all Faces.
Tracks: quantity 2, improved suspension, smart tracks.
Alpha Turret: full rotation, 30° Slope on all Faces.
Beta Turret: full rotation, 30° Slope on all Faces.
Gamma Turret: full rotation, 30° Slope on all Faces.
Volume: 2,133 cf [Body], 252 cf [Alpha Turret], 252 cf [Beta Turret],
252 cf [Gamma Turret], 1,280 cf [Tracks].
Area: 1,000 sf [Body], 250 sf [Alpha Turret], 250 sf [Beta Turret], 250
sf [Gamma Turret], 800 sf [Tracks].
>> Stay informed about: American Tanks of the 21st Century... (late C21 setting) 
FAQ
Profile
Private Messages
Log in
