Fox (Combat Vehicle)

Description
Developed as a more advanced replacement for the Savannah Master, The Fox Armored Car was a light scout and reconnaissance hovercraft used by the Federated Suns and Republic of the Sphere in the early thirty-second century.

Denied access to the cheap and effective hovercraft as relations worsened with the Lyran Alliance prior to the FedCom Civil War, the Armed Forces of the Federated Suns commissioned Valiant Systems to develop a home-grown replication. Unfortunately additional requests to improve its armor coverage, speed and weaponry delayed development of a prototype until after the FedCom Civil War had concluded, when the AFFS was allowed to purchase the Savannah Master once more. The heavy material losses suffered in the Jihad finally gave Valiant the opportunity to release the Fox in 3085, manufacturing it from Johnsondale for the AFFS and for the RAF from a subsidized factory on Achernar.

The Fox Armored Car was easily superior to the Savannah Master, but at the cost of the increased fragility and much heftier price tag. Built around a Nissan 195 XL Fusion Engine, the Fox was capable of reaching up to 226 kph, while its five and half tons of armor are better than average for its weight.

Weapons and Equipment
Improving on the Savannah Master's single standard Medium Laser, the Fox carried a more powerful Bright-Bloom ER Medium Laser for use against other Combat Vehicles, BattleMechs and hardened targets, supported by a pair of Magna 200P Small Pulse Lasers for anti-infantry duties, all carried in the hovercraft's turret. Even with these abilities the Fox was better used for forward observation, as a spotter and high speed reaction unit rather than as a stand-up combatant its weapon load would suggest.

Variants

 * Flamer : A relatively simple factory manufactured variant introduced in Introduction Year::3084 of the Fox swapped one of the Small Pulse Lasers for a Flamer . BV (2.0) = 530


 * Variable-Speed Pulse Laser : Intended to make the Fox more effective against non-infantry targets at range, this variant replaced both Small Pulse Lasers with a single Variable-Speed Pulse Laser, introduced also in Introduction Year::3084 . BV (2.0) = 543


 * Dark Age : A variant sighted in the Dark Age era replaced the Small Pulse Lasers with a pair of Machine Guns. BV (2.0)= 350


 * Interdictor : This Dark Age variant introduced in Introduction Year::3088 removes the turret assembly and replaces it with a Guardian ECM suite. It keeps the ER Medium Laser, but replaces the Small Pulse Lasers with a pair of Machine Guns. BV (2.0) = 547