Vedette

Description
The yardstick against which all other tanks are judged, the Vedette Medium Tank is one of the most popular and common combat vehicles in the Inner Sphere. Carrying only one main and one secondary weapon, the selling point of the Vedette is its speed, fast even for a medium tank. The combination of speed and its tightly focused armament ensure the tank works best in concert with other vehicle types or as a pack hunter with other Vedettes. Its high speed also sees it a mainstay of convoy defense and fast response operations.

Originally one of the few vehicles produced by the mammoth New Earth Trading Company, demand outstripped supply and the design was licensed to a variety of third-party manufacturers. The only notable difference between manufacturers is that NETC production runs use ComStar designed communication and targeting equipment.

Weapons and Equipment
Unlike many 30th and 31st century military vehicles, the Vedette's armament consists of one main and one secondary weapon, a turret mounted Armstrong J11 AutoCannon, identical to the one mounted on the SHD-2H Shadow Hawk, with a Scatter Gun Light Machine Gun mounted on the bow of the tank in a mini-ball turret. Carrying only one anti-vehicle weapon does not make it a less effective vehicle than a newer tank, but does reduce its ability to deal with a wide variety of targets. The Vedette uses its speed to great effect by moving into optimum autocannon range, opening fire, and then retreating as fast as possible to another fire position.

Variants

 * AC/2 : A popular 2963 variant of the Vedette mounts an AC/2 in place of the AC/5, and adds a SRM-2 rack for short-range firepower. BV (1.0)= 211. BV (2.0)= 458.


 * Liao : A 2968 variant, popular with Liao troops, replaces the autocannon with two Medium Lasers, power amplifier and six Heat Sinks. BV (2.0)= 495


 * Ultra : One the earliest third-party licensees of the Vedette, Hellespont Industrials of Sian was also the first to produce a version using advanced technology in 3054. A relatively simple and cost-effective upgrade, the machine gun was removed in exchange for more armor and the standard plate replaced with locally produced Hellespont Lite Ferro-Fibrous, boosting the tanks overall protection by 20%. With regards to armaments, the Armstrong J11 autocannon was swapped for an Imperator Ultra series gun. This improvement in firepower allows the crew to attack with an increased rate of fire and at greater ranges than previously possible. BV (2.0) = 590


 * LB-X : Developed exclusively for sale to the Trinity Alliance, this 3069 variant restores the classic model's machine gun and carries an LB 5-X AC to offer some anti-aircraft capacity. BV (2.0) = 552


 * NETC : Following Hellespont's lead, NETC also introduced a much more mundane upgrade, also using Ferro-Fibrous armor and an Ultra AC/5, but retaining the original's machine gun, resulting in only a slight increase in overall armor protection. BV (1.0)= 297 BV (2.0) = 545


 * RAC : An advanced variant to lure sales from Hellespont, it removed the Ultra AC and machine gun for a Rotary AC/5, boasting even heavier damage capacity. BV (2.0) = 712


 * Light Gauss : Another advanced variation, this version replaces all the weaponry with a Light Gauss Rifle, the increased weight of this weapon leading to a reduction in ferro-fibrous armor. BV (2.0) = 478


 * Cell : The Vedette version used by the Word of Blake's Protectorate Militia uses a Fuel Cell engine instead of the traditional ICE. The standard weapons were removed and replaced with an LB 10-X AC and a pair of SRM-2 launchers, one mounted coaxially with the main gun, and the other covering the rear arc. The tank also carries a C3 Slave, and CASE and an Anti-Missile System provide additional protection. The HMG provide the vehicle with anti infantry capabilities. BV (2.0) = 731


 * Vedette V7 : This version of the Vedette uses a Fuel Cell engine to provide speeds of up to 86 km/h. Protection is provided by five tons of Heavy Ferro-Fibrous armor and CASE. A pair of forward firing Magshots deter infantry and light armor while the turret mounted Bombast Laser inflicts heavy damage on larger vehicles and 'Mechs. Twelve heat sinks disperse the Bombast Laser's waste heat. BV (2.0) = 599


 * Vedette V9 : This Vedette was introduced in the Dark Age era. It is powered by a Fuel Cell engine. It carries a Gauss Rifle and two Magshots for anti-infantry work. It is protected by Reflective Armor. BV (2.0) = 1,146

Custom Variants

 * V-G7X : A version created on Arc-Royal that uses Experimental Technology, the Vedette V-G7X uses a Supercharged XL Engine to increase the tank's speed by 150% over the base model. Protected by eight and a half tons of Reactive Armor, the traditional weapon loadout has been replaced with a Light Autocannon/5, Bombast Laser, and a pair of Magshot gauss rifles. The Light AC and Bombast Laser are each mounted in a separate turret, allowing them to track two totally different opponents. A Targeting Computer helps the crew make sense of the varying attack angles on each turret. BV(2.0)=1,223


 * Doris' Delight : An XL engine allows Doris' Delight to travel at a maximum speed of 96 km/h while freeing up enough weight to mount a Gauss Rifle and nine and a half tons of armor. It was destroyed during the Word of Blake's assault on New Avalon. BV (2.0) = 1,219

Design Quirks
The Vedette V7 variant is subject of the following Design Quirks:
 * Poor Workmanship
 * Trailer Hitch