Saxon

Description
The Saxon APC is meant to be an update to older armored personnel carriers. With improved technologies, old-model APCs were simply too vulnerable and slow. When the LAAF put out a request for new APCs, it was Cyclops Incorporated that responded with a favorable design. The first Saxons entered service with the Second Skye Guards in 3070. The design was so successful that Cyclops was unable to keep up with demand, so they licensed the Saxon to Defiance Industries and Quikscell Company.

By the time of the Dark Age, thanks to its multiple licensing deals, the Saxon has become a standard transport throughout the Inner Sphere, replacing the Hover APC.

One of the Saxon's main advantages is its top speed of 162 km/h. This enables it to quickly get in and out of hot spots. A five-ton Infantry Bay allows the APC to carry a platoon of unarmored infantry or a squad of battle armor. Nine tons of armor gives it a toughness matched by few light vehicles and protects the infantry inside as well as the Saxon itself.

Weapons and Equipment
The Saxon's only weapon is a Kicker-2 Machine Gun mounted in its turret. This gives the weapon a wide, if short ranged, field of fire. With its high speed and thick armor, the APC can aid its charges in eliminating their unarmored counterparts.

Variants

 * Laser : A field modification aimed at improving the Saxon's firepower, this variant replaces the Machine Gun with a Medium Laser . BV (2.0) = 565


 * HQ : This variant is produced by Defiance Industries. It transforms the roomy infantry compartment into a mobile headquarters. An extra three tons of Communications Gear helps the officer keep in contact with his or her troops. The turret carries a pair of ER Medium Lasers and TAG to discourage attacks. The Saxon's high speed and copious armor protection make it well-suited to this adaptation . BV (2.0) = 708


 * MASH : The Quikscell Company's signature variant makes the APC into a field hospital. It features two full trauma theaters and double the amount of Machine Gun ammo. BV (2.0) = 436