Combat Vehicle Technical Readout

Name/Model:         FRED [BASE]
Designer:           Thunder
Source(s):          Custom Mordel.Net Units
Technology:         Inner Sphere
Technology Rating:  E
Tonnage:            30
Configuration:      OmniVehicle
Era/Year:           Dark Age / 3150
Rules (Current):    Standard
Rules (Era):        Standard
Rules (Year):       Standard
Total Cost:         531,875 C-Bills
Battle Value:       272

Movement Type:        Wheeled
Power Plant:          100 Fusion
Cruising Speed:       43.2 kph  
Maximum Speed:        64.8 kph  
Armor:                Heavy Ferro-Fibrous
Armament:             
    16 tons of pod space available
Manufacturer:         Unknown
    Primary Factory:  Unknown
Communications:       Unknown
Targeting & Tracking: Unknown

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Overview:
    The Caboose trailer never really caught on.  The loss of mobility incurred and its inability
    to respond to dynamic tactical situations made it to brittle of a tool.  At the same time,
    the relativly cheap fire support it could provide was still a desirable force multiplier if
    its costs could be mitigated.

Capabilities:
    The FRED, Flexible Response & Engagement Delivery, is a light vehicle that carries the same
    payload as a Caboose.  It is faster then the standard Bolo unit it would normally be
    supporting.  And total armor coverage was improved against multi-spectral situations.  The
    only major downside is its not quite as capable of traversing rough terrain due to the
    wheeled motive system chosen to keep down costs.

Deployment:
    Trial by fire came early as a lance of FREDs made short work of 2 lances of light tanks
    supported by a pair of medium mechs.  The crews of the FREDs will grudgingly admit the Pair
    of Braces helped keep the hostile mechs off their backs.

Variants:
    With 16 tons of omni-space available there is a wide variety of potential configurations.
    The most common is Thumper artillery.  Because why expose yourself to return fire?  For
    cases where widespread collateral damage is not desired...  LRM and Mortar systems are
    popular.  Direct fire options are also available, if not advised.  Twin Large Lasers can be
    supported, but you have to ask why when a Heavy PPC has better range and firepower.  Its
    also supplants the Gauss Rifle option the majority of the time.  Ac-20s can also be
    supported, often paired with an SRM carrier variant.  Operating as a Battle Armor Bus is
    also popular, upto 5 squads of battle armor can be ferried thanks to the omni hookups for
    them.  But lets be honest,  you're only going to carry 4 squads on a long distance road
    trip.  Hanging off the side at 80kph is not OSHA approved.

Notable MechWarriors:
    The name, Flexible Response & Engagement Delivery, is a backronym.  The name FRED was chosen
    before the words in the acronym were picked.  The reason has to do with history.  Despite
    never being seen in our lifetimes, everyone knows that a caboose goes on the end of a train.
    That was true when trains were invented over a thousand years ago.  They didnt last long.
    They were replaced by the Flashing Rear End Device aka the FRED.

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Equipment                                                             Mass                      
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Internal Structure:                          Standard                  3.00                     
Engine:                                     100 Fusion                 4.50                     
    Cruising MP:                                4                                               
    Flanking MP:                                6                                               
Heat Sinks (Single):                            10                     0.00                     
Control Equipment:                                                     1.50                     
Lift Equipment:                                                        0.00                     
Power Amplifier:                                                       0.00                     
Turret:                                                                0.00                     
Armor Factor:                                   99                     5.00                     
    Type:                              Heavy Ferro-Fibrous                                      

                                              Armor                                             
                                              Value                                             
    Front:                                      30                                              
    R/L Side:                                   25                                              
    Rear:                                       19                                              

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Fixed Equipment                                             Location              Tonnage       
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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Alpha Strike Statistics                                                    
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Point Value (PV): 9
TP: CV,  SZ: 1,  TMM: 1,  MV: 8"w
Damage: (S) 0 / (M) 0 / (L) 0
Armor (A): 3,  Structure (S): 2
Specials: ENE, OMNI, SRCH