OIS Department of Advanced Weapons Research
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
Darth Solipsis' Galactic Empire is known to design its arsenal in the aesthetic and doctrine of Palpatine's First Galactic Empire, primarily to emulate itself as the true legitimate successor of his Imperial legacy. This included replicating the DLT-19 Heavy Blaster Rifle as the primary fire support weapon for Imperial infantry squads. However, this left the Imperial infantry squad vulnerable to technologically superior enemies who had since greatly modernised their own arsenals compared to antique Imperial designs.
Many officials in the Galactic Empire, especially Deputy Science Officer of the OIS Doctor Afic Otker, advocated for modernising and even overhauling the Imperial arsenal to keep pace with their many foes. Their efforts were rebuffed and stalled by assurances of Imperial zealotry and numbers winning the day, with most funds and resources being diverted to the Emperor's mysterious and vague energy program.
This changed after the Atrisia campaign, where the Galactic Empire suffered heavy casualties across all fronts against its numerous and technologically advanced foes. Furthermore, the Emperor's superweapon, the Death Star III suffered notable damage and had its vulnerabilities made known to its creators and enemies during the battle. Faith and waves of Stormtroopers allowed the Empire to take the Core Worlds by surprise, but they would not conquer the galaxy alone. As such, the political capital needed to ratify a weapon modernisation initiative was found.
The Department of Advanced Weapons Research was given adequate funds and resources needed to begin its HALLAM (High-Adaptive Logistics, Lethality, and Armament Modernisation) Program in full. One of the priorities of the program was to modernise the Stormtrooper Corps and Imperial Army kit. The DLT-19 Heavy Blaster Rifle was re-examined and then upgraded to amplify the firepower of the Imperial infantry squad.
Doctrinally, the DLT-19 Heavy Blaster Rifle was given to two members of an infantry squad to supplement their firepower. The same recommendation was made for the DLT-34A so the squad can have overlapping fire support and to allow the Imperial fireteam to be offensively and defensively flexible with its DLT-34As. This also allowed for redundancy should one of the weapons have a temporary malfunction on the battlefield.
Referred to as a 'Delt-34' as a shorthand term during project development, the DLT-34A's nickname was officalised into the project documentation. The appearance of the 'Delt-34' is similar to its DLT-19 predecessor but notably bulkier in the stock and action-receiver, with the barrel being wider.
To account for heavily armoured foes and situations where Imperial forces may be overwhelmed, the DLT-34A was given a higher capacity for plasma penetration and damage at the cost of its reliability and weight. Sacrifices were made to its recoil compensation and soldier mobility so the DLT-34A/Delt-34 could easily cut down foes and allow the Imperial squad to push forward. As such, it was unavoidable that the barrel of the DLT-34A was prone to overheating and even outright melting due to the high rate of fire and powerful plasma coursing through it. To mitigate this, the barrel was thickened, the cooling unit was upgraded, and the rate of fire was reduced. The weapon was even specifically clocked to reduce its power potential when shooting in repeating automatic mode. While this greatly reduced the chances of barrel overheating, the DLT-34A is still prone to such weapon failures.
Due to this, the DLT-34A was specifically designed to have its barrel be easily replaceable even during combat conditions, as the new firepower potential of the weapon was deemed too beneficial to reduce any further. Nonetheless, after the barrel change, the Office of Imperial Sciences approved the project for use and manufacturing. The contract was awarded to BlasTech Industries, and the DLT-34A 'Delt-34' Heavy Blaster and Squad Fire Support Rifle Platform has been deemed a success of the HALLAM Program since.
- Intent: To create a squad fire support weapon for the military forces of the Galactic Empire.
- Image Source: N/A
- Canon Link: DLT-19 Heavy Blaster Rifle
- Permissions: Need to get permissions for 'Electric Eye' Optics (Please link any Marketplace purchase approvals or other permissions to use other Writer's submissions as part of the submission)
- Primary Source: N/A
- Manufacturer: BlasTech Industries
- Affiliation:
The Galactic Empire - Market Status: Closed-Market
- Model: DLT-34A 'Delt-34' Heavy Blaster and Squad Fire Support Rifle Platform
- Modularity: Yes
- Modular Scope Attachment
- Modular Underbarrel Attachment
- Modular Bipod Attachment
- Modular Coolant Fuel and Cooling Unit
- Production: Mass-Produced
- Material:
- Durasteel Frame
- Plastoid Grip Handle
- 009 Fastshot Hair Trigger
- Blaster Components
- Dallorian Alloy Thickened Barrel and Barrel-Shroud
- Anti-Corr 113 Treatment
- Tunqstoid Bipod
- CyroBan Coolant
- Classification: Heavy Blaster Rifle / Squad Fire Support Weapon Platform
- Size: Large
- Weight: Very Heavy
- Ammunition Type: Power Cell
- Ammunition Capacity: Average (400 Blasts at Maximum Power)
- Effective Range: Battlefield (Maximum Firing Range of 1,600 Metres | 5,250 Feet)
- Rate of Fire: Selective Fire Modes (Average)
- Semi-Automatic
- 3-Blast Burst
- Fully Repeating Automatic
- Damage Output:
- Semi-Automatic (Very High)
- 3-Blast Burst (Very High)
- Fully Repeating Automatic (High)
- Recoil: High
- Removable Barrel
- The weapon was specifically designed to allow soldiers to quickly remove and replace the rifle's internal barrel during combat conditions with ease. To replace the barrel, a soldier must pull the tab-receiving bolt to the rear, push down the stamp lock located between the barrel shroud and receiver, spin the receiver around, replace the barrel, align the receiver and barrel shroud, push up the stamp lock, and then rack the tab bolt.
- Modular Underbarrel Attachment ( Glowrod / Stun Bayonet / Laser Pointer )
- Side Barrel Rangefinder
- Modular Scope Attachment ( Computerised Interface Scope / Pinpoint Scope / Targeting Scope / KXM-OS-01A 'Electric Eye' Weapon Optics System )
- Cooling Unit compatible with most coolant options
- Detachable Tunqstoid-material XA Classic Bipod
- Modular Bipod Slots
- Recoil-dampening Stock
- Cautionary Pulser
- Powerful Damage and Stopping Power: Thanks to the efforts of the project engineers, they were able to infuse a great deal of power capacity into the rifle, which makes it notable for its great lethality.
- High Penetration Penetration: The plasma rounds of this blaster can penetrate infantry armour with ease and even pose a threat to lightly armoured vehicles.
- Accurate: Even at long ranges and in sustained bursts, the DLT-34A is surprisingly accurate thanks to its heavy weight, powerful plasma fuel, and thickened long barrel. This has led some military units to modify the weapon for use in a longblaster or marksman role.
- Ease of Use and Improved Ergonomics for Imperial Stormtroopers: Initially discovered as a fluke during pilot testing and then deliberately capitalised on during further redesign, the DLT-34A's increased weight positively interacts with the joints and ergonomics of Galactic Empire armour. This allows Stormtroopers of the Galactic Empire to have an easier time carrying and using the weapon compared to others, thanks to Imperial armour carapaces allowing the weight of the DLT-34A to spread evenly.
- Vulnerable to Barrel Overheating and Melting: Despite the many efforts to mitigate this by thickening the barrel, changing the internal materials, upgrading the cooling unit, reducing the rate of fire, and much more, the barrel of the DLT-34A has been known to have its barrel overheat or even melt beyond repair, especially during long sustained periods of automatic fire. This is caused by the notably powerful fuel and high rate of fire of the DLT-34A. As such, the doctrine manual of the DLT-34A advises users to allow the weapon time to cool down and be careful not to push the weapon to its limits. As a last resort, the barrel of the DLT-34A can be quickly replaced even in combat conditions.
- Very Heavy: Even compared to earlier heavy blaster rifle models, the DLT-34A is a particularly heavy blaster rifle. This greatly reduces the mobility of any person carrying the blaster, let alone its ammunition. As such, the DLT-34A is doctrinally designed for squad fire support or battlefield suppression and is less viable for frontal charges or quick close-quarter assaults.
- High Recoil: Despite the heavy counterweight of the bipod and the weapon itself, the DLT-34A has a high recoil. Some field reports have documented users of the DLT-34A having numb hands after firing and holding the weapon during long periods of combat.
- Subpar Rate of Fire: Even compared to historical heavy blaster rifles and repeating blasters, the DLT-34A has an inferior rate of fire compared to most squad support weapons. This was a deliberate design choice of the project leads to prevent soldiers from burning through their ammunition too quickly and to mitigate the chances of the weapon's barrel overheating.
- Reduced Damage and Penetration in Automatic Fire Mode: To mitigate the chances of the weapon's barrel overheating or melting, the weapon's firing chamber is specifically clocked to be fired at reduced power levels when the weapon is selected on the fully repeating automatic mode of fire. This means that while the DLT-34A still has devastating plasma damage and penetration when firing on automatic, it is notably less compared to its burst and single-automatic fire modes.
Darth Solipsis' Galactic Empire is known to design its arsenal in the aesthetic and doctrine of Palpatine's First Galactic Empire, primarily to emulate itself as the true legitimate successor of his Imperial legacy. This included replicating the DLT-19 Heavy Blaster Rifle as the primary fire support weapon for Imperial infantry squads. However, this left the Imperial infantry squad vulnerable to technologically superior enemies who had since greatly modernised their own arsenals compared to antique Imperial designs.
Many officials in the Galactic Empire, especially Deputy Science Officer of the OIS Doctor Afic Otker, advocated for modernising and even overhauling the Imperial arsenal to keep pace with their many foes. Their efforts were rebuffed and stalled by assurances of Imperial zealotry and numbers winning the day, with most funds and resources being diverted to the Emperor's mysterious and vague energy program.
This changed after the Atrisia campaign, where the Galactic Empire suffered heavy casualties across all fronts against its numerous and technologically advanced foes. Furthermore, the Emperor's superweapon, the Death Star III suffered notable damage and had its vulnerabilities made known to its creators and enemies during the battle. Faith and waves of Stormtroopers allowed the Empire to take the Core Worlds by surprise, but they would not conquer the galaxy alone. As such, the political capital needed to ratify a weapon modernisation initiative was found.
The Department of Advanced Weapons Research was given adequate funds and resources needed to begin its HALLAM (High-Adaptive Logistics, Lethality, and Armament Modernisation) Program in full. One of the priorities of the program was to modernise the Stormtrooper Corps and Imperial Army kit. The DLT-19 Heavy Blaster Rifle was re-examined and then upgraded to amplify the firepower of the Imperial infantry squad.
Doctrinally, the DLT-19 Heavy Blaster Rifle was given to two members of an infantry squad to supplement their firepower. The same recommendation was made for the DLT-34A so the squad can have overlapping fire support and to allow the Imperial fireteam to be offensively and defensively flexible with its DLT-34As. This also allowed for redundancy should one of the weapons have a temporary malfunction on the battlefield.
Referred to as a 'Delt-34' as a shorthand term during project development, the DLT-34A's nickname was officalised into the project documentation. The appearance of the 'Delt-34' is similar to its DLT-19 predecessor but notably bulkier in the stock and action-receiver, with the barrel being wider.
To account for heavily armoured foes and situations where Imperial forces may be overwhelmed, the DLT-34A was given a higher capacity for plasma penetration and damage at the cost of its reliability and weight. Sacrifices were made to its recoil compensation and soldier mobility so the DLT-34A/Delt-34 could easily cut down foes and allow the Imperial squad to push forward. As such, it was unavoidable that the barrel of the DLT-34A was prone to overheating and even outright melting due to the high rate of fire and powerful plasma coursing through it. To mitigate this, the barrel was thickened, the cooling unit was upgraded, and the rate of fire was reduced. The weapon was even specifically clocked to reduce its power potential when shooting in repeating automatic mode. While this greatly reduced the chances of barrel overheating, the DLT-34A is still prone to such weapon failures.
Due to this, the DLT-34A was specifically designed to have its barrel be easily replaceable even during combat conditions, as the new firepower potential of the weapon was deemed too beneficial to reduce any further. Nonetheless, after the barrel change, the Office of Imperial Sciences approved the project for use and manufacturing. The contract was awarded to BlasTech Industries, and the DLT-34A 'Delt-34' Heavy Blaster and Squad Fire Support Rifle Platform has been deemed a success of the HALLAM Program since.
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