Blizzard (combat vehicle)

Description
The Blizzard Hover Transport was designed by Kressly Warworks and was first produced in 3054. While the Blizzard was intended for use against the Clans, it gained notoriety in the Chaos March and its effectiveness was realized in the Capellan-St. Ives War.

The hovertank is quite fast at 151 km/h. Though its use of an Internal Combustion Engine keeps costs down, it is also heavy and restricts the amount of equipment the vehicle can utilize. It fulfills its primary role as a troop transport well enough, devoting six tons to cargo space. Where it lacks is in firepower and armor. A scant three tons of Star Slab/3 protect the precious cargo inside. This led commanders to hold the Blizzard in reserve until the last moment.

Weapons and Equipment
The only weaponry integral to the Blizzard is a turret-mounted LongFire V LRM-5. This enables the speedy vehicle to remain out of range for most weapons, yet still contribute to the fight once its infantry bays are disgorged. It can even hide behind cover and rely on infantry units to spot so it can fire indirectly.

Variants

 * Black Blizzard : This variant dates to the late 3060s and is intended to be an escort for other Blizzards. It lacks the infantry bay and upgrades the armor protection utilizing Ferro-Fibrous technology. Instead of the LRM, the Black Blizzard mounts pairs of SRM-4s and Machine Guns in the turret. It also includes a Guardian ECM Suite to protect the unit from enemy electronics. BV (1.0) = 313, BV (2.0) = 464


 * SRM : This simple 3062 variant swaps out the LRM for two SRM-2s. It is otherwise identical. BV (1.0) = 144, BV (2.0) = 264