We received an evaluation of this new vehicle just before the outbreak of hostilities which became the Fourth Succession War. The report was replaced in our pages by early-breaking war news. During the war, the Beatie has proved itself on several occasions, not all of which have been removed from security silence. We now present that earlier report in plain type, with later additions in italics. Security remains tight on the Beatie, especially on the estimated 30-odd vehicles in existence with the Banzai sensor gear. Overview 3027 The Beatie was designed with a number of criteria in mind. Its function entailed the varied and diverse roles of armed fighting vehicles in the BattleMech environment specializing in reconaissance and screening duties. Its high speed and heavy armor ensure that it can stand up to most punishment until support can arrive, or until the Beatie can safely withdraw. The BTE-3B has passed all of its field testing and is now being assigned to front line Armor units within the Armed Forces of the Federated Suns. Security at the Beatie's production facilities on New Avalon and three other planets within the Davion borders is extremely tight, so production totals are unavailable. A source within the Federated Suns Military Procurement Office speculated that as many as 1000 Beatie Hovertanks could be produced within the next ten years. Word has also been received that an initial shipment of 50 Beaties were delivered to officials of the armed forces of the Lyran Commonwealth recently, as part of the military trade and exchange agreement between House Davion and House Steiner. Only limited testing under actual battlefield conditions has been carried out on the Beatie design, initial appraisal of the vehicle see ms to show that it should be a welcome addition to the armored forces of both House Davion and House Steiner. With pressures along the borders of the Successor States heating up to a great degree of late, this should come as good news to those individuals inhabiting Davion or Steiner space. Capabilities The BTE-3B Beatie Hovertank was designed for the specific mission of intelligence gathering and the screening of larger forces from the scouting missions of an enemy. Because of this, the design has sacrificed some armament features for the double advantage of speed and protection. It is not meant for use as a main battle tank or other assault function, although military necessity may force its use in these roles. The Beatie's VOX 265 fusion engine has been newly designed from old Star League circuit specifications and data. It is the first original design in the field of fusion engineering that the New Avalon Institute of Science has attempted since its inception. The Beatie is the VOX 265's first operational testing and so far reports have been positive on its power output and dependability. Shielding and the lift machinery for the Beatie are of standard design, as arethe cockpit layoutand the instrumentation for the vehicle's two-man crew. One of the main advantages in the Beatie design is its ample armor coverage. Triple bonded Duroteck Plastisteel covers the entire outer shell of the vehicle including the lift skirts. Tests to Destruction on the Cameron Proving Grounds of New Avalon Defense Industries have shown that the Beatie can withstand as much punishment as many of the older well known tracked armored vehicles of far greater tonnage. The other great advantage to the Beatie design is her speed. With a cruising speed of over one hundred kilometers per hour and a flank speed of greater than 150, the Beatie can surely outrun anything that she cannot outfight. This advantage will act as well as another patch of armor on her hull; she can put distance between herself and any possible opponent. The armament of the Beaties has led to more disagreement within the Davion military development community than any other part of the design. Everyone knows that any war machine design is a trade-off in very specific categories to make that vehicle as well rounded as possible, and at the same time to allow it to perform its designed mission portfolio up to specification. The Beatie design was able to accomplish this, but at the sacrifice of much heavy armament seen on other vehicles of similar tonnage. The Beatie's main armament is in the form of a Diverse Optics Type 20 Medium Laser housed in a port sponson-mounted turret on the fore part of the hull. On the other quadrants of the hull, mounted in free-rotating turrets of thier own, are two NADI-36 Short Range Missile Six-Packs. The NADI-36 is another new weapons system designed by New Avalon Defense Industries, mounted in two triple launchers for each SRM-6. The original design called for independent tracking and targeting for each of the triple launchers so that up to four targets could be engaged atonetime bythe short range missile mounts alone. The sensorgear development has fallen extensively behind schedule so standard Chichester ASR-26 units with no independent tracking ability have had to be installed in their place. Most of the designers feel that this should not effect the Beatle's usefulness in any way as most of the time the vehicle will withdraw if confronted with four or more targets. Battle History To date, there has been only one recorded engagement in which the Beatie Class Hovertank has taken part. During the on-going border clashes between House Davion and House Kurita forces in what was termed Operation Galahad last year (3026, the first "Peacetime Wargame" Operation Galahad), elements of the Second Sword of Light Regiment raided the garrison planet of Breed in reprisal for a similar attack by Davion forces on the Kurita border planet called Sheat V. Breed was one of the testing sites for the Beatie; a company of twelve vehicles along with spare prototypes had been stationed there some months before the attack. The Kurita forces had dropped in battalion strength; they seemed to have orders to conduct merely a search and destroy mission on any Davion facility encountered, then to withdraw offplanet. Davion defense forces were at reinforced regimental strength, but were scattered about the planet, leaving the 30-odd 'Mech force of the Draconis Combine superiority on the local level. Colonel Brent Richardson, commanding the 101st Testing and Training company, was ordered to set up a screening line across the intended line of approach of the Kurita 'Mechs toward their next target, a hydrogen fuel refining plant. They achieved first contact with a recon lance of the enemy and began to fall back on waiting Davion 'Mechs near the Kurita objective. The Draconis 'Mechs were unable to bring the Beatles to engagement because of their slower speed, but neither were the Beatles able to offer any appreciable fire at the advancing enemy. Finally, Davion 'Mechs were able to come into support range and the Beatles began to outflank the attacking Kurita force by performing tactics which they had practiced over the last few months to obtain rear shots and then withdraw before they could be brought to battle. After several hours of steady defense by the Davion 'Mech forces and harrassing fire from the company of Beatie tanks, the Kurita commander decided to withdraw back to his waiting DropShips. The Beatles continued to pick at the force as it fell back, but the AFFS had achieved its objective: the raid caused minimal damage and only one Beatie was lost in the fight. B>Variants Since the Beatie design is new, no variants have been approved or projected. However, there has been some discussion about removing three tons of armor for the addition of one LRM-5 rack and its missile load. Toward the end of the War, some thirty-odd Beaties were fitted with new sensor gear developed in cooperation with Doctor Banzai and the NAIS. During the last days of the War this company served with distinction in the Capellan March theater. Notable Vehicles and Crews Brigadier Brent Richardson Promoted and transfered from the 101st Testing and Training Company, Brigadier Richardson was placed in charge of the Beatie Hovertank disbursement program to get all assembly line-completed vehicles to their assigned units in the least possible time. In addition to these duties, he is in command of the New Avalon Guards Armor Cadre which has recently been equipped with Beatie Hovertanks. His personal Beatie, "Lil Beastie II", takes him to long distance inspection tours and maneuvers, freeing an Aerospace Transport Carrier for the front line. BTE-31B Beatie HoverTank Mass: 50 tons Movement Type: Hover Power Plant: VOX 265 Cruising Speed: 109.5 kph Flank Speed: 154.1 kph Armor: Three Ply Durotech Plastisteel Armament: One Diverse Optics Type 20 Medium Laser and Two NADI-36 Short Range Missile Six-Packs Manufacturer: New Avalon Defense Industries Communication System: Garret T1 9B Targeting and Tracking System: Chichester ASR-26 Type: BTE-3B Beatie HovertankTons Movement Type: Hover Tonnage: 50 tons 50 Cruise Speed: 10 Flank Speed: 15 Engine Rating: 265 14 Type: Fusion Control: 2.5 Lift Equipment: 5 Internal Structure: 5 Shielding: 7 Turrets: 1 Armor: 72 4.5 Location Points Front: 30 Lt/Rt Side: 19/19 Rear: 12 Turret: 24 Weapons and Ammo: Type Facing Tons Medium Laser Turret 1 SRM 6 Turret 3 SRM 6 Turret 3 Ammo (115) Body 2 Technical Readout Jumbo Plans (excruciatingly slow: 587K) Back to BattleTechnology 9 Table of Contents Back to BattleTechnology List of Issues Back to MagWeb Magazine List © Copyright 1990 by Pacific Rim Publishing. 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