Hexareme

The Hexareme HQ Hovercraft is an early thirty-second century super-heavy combat vehicle, first produced for the Republic of the Sphere. The vehicle was originally intended to be a Main Battle Tank. However, due to the design's hovercraft qualities, this proved to be impractical. Revisions made on the drawing boards made the Hexareme into a special operations-type vehicle. The vehicle owes its existence to the Trireme, and Michaelson Industries gained much success producing the vehicle and avoiding bankruptcy.

Initial testing of the vehicle once it entered the prototype stages showed that it was indeed not suited for traditional ground based operations, but the vehicle performed well on the water. It was a former blue water navy officer, who was part of the testing team for Michaelson Industries, who suggested it would be suited for the Republic's waterborne operations.

The Hexareme was deployed with the Republic's SpecOps Command, where the vehicle was used for amphibious assaults. It was also assigned to perform blue water operations such as coastal patrol. Its hovercraft speeds and modest armor allow it to operate as a tactical mobile headquarters vehicle, keeping field command personnel safe while at sea. The Republic, in its later days, used the vehicle sparely. Notable use in combat was in 3149 on Addicks, where a Hexareme assigned to the Twelfth Hastatis Sentinels was employed in trying to counter units of the Draconis Combine's 4th Dieron Regulars. As the Republic began to shrink, Hexaremes have fallen into the hands of various parties. This would even include some pirates, who usied one particular craft to raid maritime traffic on Connaught in late 3140s.

Weapons and Equipment
Powered by a 305-rated Extra-Light Fusion Engine, the Hexareme is able to move at respectable speeds on land or at sea. Its construction includes a floatation hull and 12 tons of Heavy Ferro-Fibrous Armor. This gives the Hexareme nearly the same level of armor protection all around, with the exception of its front, which has a slightly more armor. Additionally, a Guardian ECM Suite is fitted to give added electronic warfare protection.

For its primary mission, the Hexareme is fitted with three tons worth of Communication Equipment. The equipment provides tactical data from satellites in orbit as well as giving the edge to troops in the field. Its primary offensive weaponry includes a turret-mounted Snub-Nose Particle Projection Cannon co-axially mounted with a Class 2 LB-X Autocannon with single ton of ammunition fed from the main body. Defensive weaponry is limited to a pair of Light Machine Guns and an AMS Systems mounted in Sponson Turrets on either side of the vehicle. Ammunition for the Autocannon and other ballistic weaponry is protected by CASE in the main body.

For its role in ship-to-shore assaults, the Hexareme typically uses its four ton Infantry Compartment to deploy a UMU-equipped Battle Armor Squad.

Design Quirks
The Hexareme is subjected to the following Design Quirk;
 * Poor Performance