Morningstar

Description
The Morningstar City Command Vehicle is designed to coordinate battles that take place within urban centers. Though it was ostensibly created to coordinate defensive operations in said areas, it has proven equally adept at going on the offensive. The Morningstar was engineered by a joint team from General Motors and Ceres Metals Industries and is produced at their Kathil and Tikonov plants, respectively. Following the loss of Tikonov to the Capellan Confederation and the subsequent scattering of George Hasek's naval blockade, Morningstars began making their way into the CCAF. They are so well-liked that production is planned to expand to Warlock, despite the fact that the Morningstar is designed specifically to make use of the special autocannon munitions produced by the Federated Suns.

The Morningstar uses an XL Engine to attain speeds up to 86 km/h. While not terribly fast, it is enough to maneuver in the restricted terrain it is designed for. Nine tons of armor protect it well enough, as it is not intended to be on the front lines. The Morningstar is built around a C3 Computer that can coordinate the fire of three other like-equipped units, especially the Minion that it is designed to work with. Four tons of cargo space enable the Morningstar to ferry infantry into the battle, giving it the capability of inflicting a nasty surprise on an unwary flanker.

Weapons and Equipment
The Morningstar has a turret that contains a Mydron Excel Autocannon/10. This low-tech gun is included so that it can make use of special munitions, though it now seems decidedly antiquated. Two tons of ammunition are sufficient, though using heavier munitions can change this equation. A Targeting Computer makes the autocannon even more accurate. Three Slingshot Machine Guns serve to deter infantry from assaulting from the front or sides.

Variants

 * Company Command : This variant that was only on the drawing board in Introduction Year::3068 downgrades the autocannon to an Autocannon/5 to make room for an additional C3 Computer, enabling this Morningstar to effectively coordinate the fire of an entire company. It also reduces the size of the turret and removes a ton of ammunition, giving it the same battlefield longevity while adding a Guardian ECM Suite . BV (1.0) = 350 (C3: 35), BV (2.0) = 680


 * Laser : This unpopular variant was developed in Introduction Year::3065 and removes the C3 Computer that is the Morningstar's entire reason for existing to replace it with a Large Laser . BV (1.0) = 601, BV (2.0) = 975


 * HPG Carrier : This version of the Morningstar was introduced in Introduction Year::3076 and replaces the weaponry of the original with a six ton infantry compartment, Ground-Mobile HPG, and a single Magshot Gauss Rifle covering the front, left, and right sides of the vehicle. BV (2.0) = 458