Directorate Officer
Image Source: I modified an image of Supreme Commander's T2 Terran engineer
Intent: To provide the Republic with a mobile shield generator
Development Thread: If necessary
Manufacturer: Lucerne Labs
Model: LLV-3 Contegori-class Mobile Shield Generator
Affiliation: Galactic Republic / Galactic Republic allies
Modularity: No
Production: Mass
Material: Ferroceramic plating, Alusteel frame and underbody, various common motor vehicle parts
Role: Mobile Defense
Height: 3 meters(dish flush with vehicle) / 5 meters (dish raised)
Length: 8 meters
Width: 3 meters
Weight: 12 Tons
Minimum Crew: 1 (driver)
Optimal Crew: 1 driver + 2 shield operators + 1 astromech droid
Propulsion: Wheels / Tracks
Top Speed: 150 Kph
Armaments: 1 Light Repeating Blaster, 1 MM-s3 Grenade Launcher
Squadron Count: 1
Passenger Capacity: None
Cargo Capacity: various personal equipment and small spare parts
Misc. Equipment:
-Power winch
-environmentally sealed cabin
Strengths:
-can provide protection to surrounding units with an area of effect deflector shield
-reasonably mobile on most types of terrain
Weaknesses:
-light armed
-Shield is limited in its deployment while the LLV-3 is travelling near its top speed
Description: The LLV-3 Contegori-class Mobile Shield Generator provides an umbrella of shield protection to an local ground area, not unlike the shield generators mounted on faambas as used by the Gungan Grand Army prior to the Clone Wars or the Mobile Shield Generator used by the Rebel Alliance during the Galactic Civil War. Like those units, the LLV-3 is designed to accompany large groups of units to provide them with protection against long-range artillery and aerial strikes.
The base chassis of the LLV-3 is actually that of a LLV-1 Myrmidon, and shares many of the same parts as it. But the Contegori has undergone several modifications to its chassis that turned it into a half-track, allowing it to accompany walkers and repulsorlift vehicles in places where a Myrmidon could not easily follow because of its wheeled design. Because of these modifications, the LLV-3 is noticeably slower than its parent design. The forward crew-cabin remains almost unchanged from the original design. The driver still sits at the left-hand side of the vehicle, but the gunner spot is now occupied by a astromech droid, typically an older R4-series. This droid physically maintains the shield generator systems, mans the weapons if the LLV-3 ends up in a close quarter's fight, and assists the projector operators in managing the shield system. Right behind the forward crew cabin are the shield operator stations. The vehicle's two shield operators regulate the power flow and strengthen and weaken shield areas as necessary to ensure that the area around them is efficiently protected from enemy attacks. Beyond them is a fusion reactor which is used to power the shield generator array.
The deflector shield is projected using the dish mounted on the top of the vehicle. During high-speed travel, especially in noncombat situations, the dish is typically lowered to remain flush with the vehicle. The dish can still project a shield, but it can only do so in a forward arc to protect a relatively small area. In contrast, when the dish platform is raised up, the shield can cover a greater amount of area, and can rotated to protect different arcs around the vehicle. A LLV-3 cannot protect more than a square kilometer by itself, and that is at its weakest overall shield setting. Typically the LLV-3 provides more focused shield power over a smaller area to provide better protection to units under attack. The LLV-3 uses a shutter-shield, meaning that it can allow friendly fire to leave the area of the protection, but it must be coordinated with the shield operator crews. Likewise, this brief gap in a shield area for outgoing fire is also a potential opportunity for enemy fire to come through and pass through the shields unhindered. It is not unheard of for several LLV-3s to provide overlapping shield coverage for large concentrations of Republic forces, especially at impromptu camps. It is important to note that the shields, like those employed by the Gungan Grand Army, do not prevent relatively slow-moving people or vehicles from simply walking through them if they maintain contact with the ground.
Because LLV-3s are lightly armed and are very much a niche unit, they typically accompany multiple ground forces onto the battlefield. They are typically heavily guarded by infantry and often by more battleworthy vehicles because they are valuable asset on the battlefield.
Primary Source: LLV-1 Myrmidon
