Chaparral

The Chaparral missile tank was introduced by Grumman Industries in 2611. Designed to provide artillery support for the SLDF ground forces, the Chaparral frequently operated in places the larger Mobile Long Tom couldn't reach. The Chaparral was loved by the troops it supported because the shorter range of the Arrow IV meant that it was closer to the conflict and the missiles arrived more quickly.

This proximity to the battlefield led the Grumman engineers to provide a decent amount of weaponry and armor protection, but they didn't forget the tank's primary mission. Though the Chaparral mounts five and a half tons of 1/Star Slab armor, its frontal protection is relatively light with 40% of the total armor protection mounted on the rear of the hull to protect the Chaparral as it withdraws.

Between excessive ComStar red-tape on exports from Grumman's Terran based factory and the Arrow IV system becoming LosTech to the general Inner Sphere in 2830, save for the Blessed Order's military stockpiles the Chaparral became all but extinct during the Succession Wars. This changed after the ComStar Schism, with the tank being produced in the untold thousands for general sale across the entire Inner Sphere, before the Word of Blake's take-over of humanity's cradle restricted production exclusively for the Word of Blake Militia.

Weapons and Equipment
The primary armament of the Chaparral is the AIL Arrow IV launch system mounted in the hull. As the Chaparral lacks a turret, the launch system uses a pair of armored launchers that rise up out of the hull to fire, giving the design a sleek look when they are retracted. With three tons of magazine space, the Chaparral could carry both the homing Arrow IV missile and the unguided version. SLDF commanders however tended to prefer to use the guided missile as it was less likely to affect their own troops, matching the design with companion TAG equipped spotters such as the Grumman produced Zephyr.

Befitting its primary role, the Chaparral's secondary close weaponry is purely defensive rather than offensive. Carrying a Shapphire Medium Laser on each side to fend off flanking actions, a Shrike SRM-6 launcher with a single ton of reloads is mounted directly aft to discourage pursuers.

Variants

 * ER Medium : A common modern field retrofit first seen in 3074, the standard medium lasers are swapped for ER Medium Lasers. BV (2.0)= 847


 * SRM : Under-funded units unable to keep up with the expensive maintenance required to keep the Shrike launcher in optimum condition have been known to replace it with a cheaper SRM-4 launcher, using the extra space for additional ammunition. BV (2.0)= 832


 * MG : Under-funded units unable to keep up with the expensive maintenance required to keep the Shrike launcher in optimum condition have been known to replace it with a cheaper SRM-4 launcher, using the extra space for a pair of Machine Guns and half-ton of ammunition. BV (2.0)= 801


 * CASE : A simple refit by the Word of Blake in 3071 upgrades the protection of the tank by including CASE and Ferro-Fibrous Armor. BV (2.0) = 814