Viewing Combat Vehicle Unit
    Overview |  Distribution |  Battle Value |  Cost |  Availability |  Alpha Strike  | Reviews   
 Units  »  Search  »  Combat Vehicles  »  Comanche Prime
Design Overview
Generate in     format       
                 Combat Vehicle Technical Readout

Name/Model:         Comanche Prime
Designer:           Vagabond
Source(s):          Custom Mordel.Net Units
Technology:         Inner Sphere (Mixed)
Technology Rating:  F
Tonnage:            30
Role:               Scout
Configuration:      OmniVehicle
Era/Year:           Dark Age / 3085
Rules (Current):    Advanced
Rules (Era):        Advanced
Rules (Year):       Advanced
Total Cost:         3,600,000 C-Bills
Battle Value:       756

Movement Type:        VTOL
Power Plant:          General Motors 40 
Cruising Speed:       64.8 kph  
Maximum Speed:        97.2 kph  
Armor:                Starshield Ultra-Tech Vehicular Stealth with CASE
Armament:             
    1 Thunderbolt 15
    2 AP Gauss Rifles (C)
Manufacturer:         Defiance Industries, Lockheed-CBM Corporation
    Primary Factory:  Furillo (DI), Furillo (LCBMC)
Communications:       Xilex-2010 with Watchdog CEWS
Targeting & Tracking: N&D Handsfree

================================================================================================
Overview:
    The Lockheed/CBM-Defiance Industries RAV-66 Comanche is a Lyran stealth armed reconnaissance
    and attack VTOL designed for the Lyran Commonwealth Armed Forces. Following almost two
    decades of study and development, the RAV-66 program was advanced into the prototype stage
    in 3083 before mass production began in 3085, by which point nearly 2.6 billion C-bills had
    been spent on the program.
    
    During the late 3060s, the LCAF then part of the Armed Force of the Federated Commonwealth
    started to formulate requirements for the replacement of its scout VTOLs then in service,
    which resulted in the launch of the Light VTOL Experimental (LVX) program. Nearly a decade
    later, following the refinement of requirements, evaluation of submissions, and the
    rebranding of the program as the Light VTOL (LV) program, the LCAF announced the selection
    of the Lockheed/CBM-Defiance Industries team's design as the contest winner, shortly after
    which a contract for construction of prototypes was awarded. The Comanche was to incorporate
    several advanced elements, such as stealth technologies, omni technologies, and a number of
    previously novel pieces of equipment. Operationally, it was to employ advanced sensors in
    its reconnaissance role, in which it was intended to locate and designate targets for
    indirect fire. Several weapon packages were planned to arm it with various cannons and
    missiles or rockets in internal bays.

Capabilities:
    The Comanche was intended to be an advanced armed reconnaissance and attack VTOL. The
    Comanche was specifically tailored to the role of armed scout to replace the LCAF's Ferret
    and Sprint scout VTOLs. The RAV-66 is powered by a General Motors 40 turboshaft standard
    fusion engine, capable of generating enough power to reach 97.2 km/h. The RAV-66's fuselage
    was 14 meters long, 2 meters wide, and composed of high-strength composite materials
    overlaid by 3 metric tons armor.
    
    As intended, it functions as a stealth VTOL incorporating a number of different techniques
    and technologies in order to reduce its radar cross-section (RCS) along with other areas of
    visibility and detectability. The exterior surfaces of the RAV-66 are faceted and covered
    with Starshield Ultra-Tech Stealth armor plating; as a result, the Comanche's RCS is stated
    to be 360 times smaller than that of the Yellow Jacket leaving it detectable only by
    Bloodhound Active Probes. The acoustic signature of the VTOL is also reported to be
    noticeably lower than that of comparable VTOLs.
    
    Also as intended, the Comanche is equipped with sophisticated avionics, including navigation
    and detection systems.  This is acheived via the use of a hard mounted Clan spec Watchdog
    CEWS package; this system serves as both an active probe and electronic counter measure,
    which is necessary for the Starshield plating to function effectively.  Utilizing these
    systems, the RAV-66's primary mission as a scout is to detect, locate, and designating
    targets for indirect fire, such as from artillery. The Comanche is furnished with a standard
    digital fly-by-wire flight control system.
    
    For the light attack role, the RAV-66 has a variety of planned Omnipod weapons packages. The
    primary configuration is equipped with twin chin-mounted 20 mm Tau-11 AP Gauss Rifles, which
    can retracted under a fairing when not in use to decrease the VTOL's radar cross-section. In
    addition, the RAV-66 Prime internally carried eight Defiance Bombard Thunderbolt-15
    air-to-ground missiles, which are mounted in a retractable weapons pylon.  Beyond storing
    munitions internally, the RAV-66 Prime also carries a recon camera suit for passive spotting
    and designating as well as a Clan spec Light TAG for active spotting and designating.

Variants:
    In 3084 during the prototype phase, the LCAF sought to procure a "heavy attack" variant of
    the Comanche.  As such, the RAV-66 A omni variant was designed which carries only 3 Telos
    ThunderShot Thunderbolt-20 missiles, which are capable of hitting as hard as a class 20
    autocannon at double the range.

================================================================================================
Equipment                                                             Mass                      
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Internal Structure:                          Standard                  3.00                     
Engine:                                     40 Fusion                  1.50                     
    Cruising MP:                                6                                               
    Flanking MP:                                9                                               
Heat Sinks (Single):                            10                     0.00                     
Control Equipment:                                                     1.50                     
Lift Equipment:                                                        3.00                     
Power Amplifier:                                                       0.00                     
Turret:                                                                0.00                     
Armor Factor:                                   48                     3.00                     
    Type:                               Vehicular Stealth                                       

                                              Armor                                             
                                              Value                                             
    Front:                                      15                                              
    R/L Side:                                   11                                              
    Rear:                                       9                                               
    Rotor:                                      2                                               

================================================================================================
Weapons and Ammo                                            Location              Tonnage       
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2 AP Gauss Rifles (C)                                         Front                1.00         
Light TAG (C)                                                 Front                0.50         
Recon Camera                                                  Front                0.50         
Thunderbolt 15                                                Front                11.00        
AP Gauss Rifle (Ammo 40) (C)                                  Body                 1.00         
CASE                                                          Body                 0.50         
Thunderbolt 15 (Ammo 8)                                       Body                 2.00         
Watchdog CEWS (C)                                             Body                 1.50         

================================================================================================
Alpha Strike Statistics                                                    
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Point Value (PV): 28
TP: CV,  SZ: 1,  TMM: 2,  MV: 12"v
Damage: (S) 2 / (M) 2 / (L) 2
Armor (A): 2,  Structure (S): 2
Specials: ATMO, CASE, ECM, IF1, LPRB, LTAG, OMNI, RCN, SRCH, STL, WAT
 
"When you have given nothing, ask for nothing." - Albanian Proverb
Copyright © 1995-2024 Scott Bukoski. All rights reserved.
BattleTech, 'Mech, BattleMech, MechWarrior, CityTech, BattleForce, and AeroTech
are registered trademarks of The Topps Company, Inc. © 2024 The Topps Company, Inc., All rights reserved.
Code Release 2.24.13.1 (2024-09-02T12:46:23-04:00)