SRM Carrier

Description
Ever since the development of the first rocket centuries ago, military units have used mobile missile systems to provide cheap and effective fire support. Along with its LRM counterpart, the SRM Carrier serves in every military action across the Inner Sphere in a variety of shapes and forms.

The chassis for missile carriers vary in basic design, but they are all essentially military transport vehicles, tracked being the most common, adapted to carry the huge missile launchers and loading equipment. Those adaptations generally consist of reinforcing the suspension systems and armoring the crew and critical components areas enough to survive the back blast from so many missiles. With an average top speed of 54 kph and armor unable to survive counter-battery fire, if forced to engage in direct combat a carrier's life expectancy is measured in seconds.

Manufactured by almost every major military supplier, the modern SRM Carrier is derived from those developed in the Age of War by Quik Products Inc, the future Quikscell Company. In many cases derived a little too closely; during the Succession Wars era many manufacturers were producing little more than shoddy direct copies that fell below even Quikscell's low quality standards. After the end of the Fourth Succession War Quikscell lodged lawsuits against those manufacturing clones of Quik based carriers, resulting the closure of many smaller manufacturers and larger manufacturers ending production. While those who produced their own designs were not affected, Quikscell's elimination of much of its competitors and its offer to exchange any missile carrier not produced by them for legitimate Quikscell versions and parts made it the number one player of the missile carrier market.

Weapons and Equipment
While its chassis is identical to its LRM counterpart, the SRM Carrier mounts ten forward-firing SRM-6 launchers. Quikscell utilizes Holly brand launchers, but carriers produced by other manufacturers frequently use the launchers common to their House of origin, such as HoverTech SRMs in the Federated Suns or NCK in the Draconis Combine. While the SRM carrier must physically move to change firing angles a barrage fired from a missile carrier is a fearsome sight, and four tons of ammunition allow a carrier to keep up that rate of fire up for over a minute, but forces carriers to be tied to a functioning supply system to keep them in action for any extended period.

Variants

 * Blakist : An even more radical upgrade produced by the Word of Blake, it utilizes a Light Fusion Engine to boost the speed and armor of the carrier, while still retaining enough weight to add a C3i unit, TAG, a Guardian ECM suite and a switch to Streak SRM-4 launchers. BV (1.0) = ??, BV (2.0) = 961


 * C3-Guardian : An attempt by Quikscell to make their upgraded SRM Carrier more popular, it replaces the Narc launcher with a C3 Slave and Guardian ECM Suite. BV (1.0) = ??, BV (2.0) = 903


 * Mortar Carrier : Developed by Quikscell during the early Dark Age Era in 3083, this variant of ancient SRM Carrier takes advanced of new introduced Class 8 Mech Mortar and add three of these weapons to the SRM Carrier's chassis. The three weapons have 32 rounds of ammunition placed in carrier's hull. BV (1.0) ??, BV (2.0) = 517


 * MRM Launcher : A radical Draconis Combine flavored variant of the SRM carrier, Quikscell dropped the SRM launchers for three MRM-30s. A C3 Slave improves coordination, but reduced top speed and a mere eight reloads for each launcher limit its effectiveness. BV (1.0) ??, BV (2.0) = 782


 * Narc : Introduced by Quikscell in 3054 for the Federated Commonwealth, the use of Lexington Ltd. High Grade Ferro-Fibrous boosts armor protection of the carrier, while one SRM launcher and a ton of ammunition is dropped to free up the space for a Doering Electronics Glowworm Narc Missile Beacon and a ton of Narc pods, a relatively unpopular choice as the carrier's slow speed makes it hard to score a hit with a pod.  BV (1.0) = 645


 * Ryuken-yon : The Combine's Ryuken-yon reportedly fields SRM Carriers refitted with Arrow IV artillery pieces.


 * Primitive : This Age of War design (introduced in 2440) inspired further generations of SRM Carrier Vehicle. It uses three tons of BAR 6 armor to provide protection. It mounted Advanced Fire Control systems to guide the nine SRM-4 launchers mounted on the vehicle's front side. Eight tons of ammunition provided plenty of staying power. BV (2.0)=569

Related Combat Vehicles

 * Light SRM Carrier : A Taurian Concordat reworking of the standard carrier, the Light SRM Carrier is built on a lighter wheeled chassis and removes half of the SRM launchers to reduce cost and complexity of repair and manufacture, also allowing an increase in speed to 65 km/h while carrying four and half tons of armor, one and half times more than the standard model.

Design Quirks
The SRM Carrier Primitive variant is subject to the following Design Quirks:
 * Easy to Maintain
 * Fast Reload
 * Low Profile
 * Poor Performance
 * Obsolete/2580