Directorate Officer
Intent: To provide Lucerne Personal Defense with a handheld missile launcher for its product line-up that is roughly equivalent to the PLX-2M
Image Source: here
Canon Link: N/A
Restricted Missions: N/A
Primary Source: N/A
Manufacturer: Lucerne Personal Defense
Model: LPD-19 Shockwave Missile Launcher
Affiliation: Directorate, Silver Jedi, Galactic Alliance, Closed-Market
Modularity: Munitions
Production: Mass-Produced.
Material: Agrinium casing, Hadrium internals and spacers, permex furniture, electronics
Classification: Missile Launcher
Size: Very Large
Weight: Heavy
Ammunition Type: Missiles
Ammunition Capacity: 4 Missiles/munitions
Reload Speed: Slow
Effective Range: up to Battlefield (dependent on munition being fired)
Rate of Fire: Low (carried) to High (fixed on tripod)
Stopping Power: Very High
Recoil: Very High
Variable Munitions: The Shockwave is designed to be backwards compatible with munitions used by the PLEX-2M. Like that missile launcher, the Shockwave can launch the same assortment of armor piercing anti-vehicle shells, explosive "bunker busters", gas delivery systems, and GAM guided missiles. It is also designed to be particularly compatible with several newer munitions as well, notably the KE-2 Nuriel. This versatility is all due to the Shockwave actually consisting of four independent, single-launch tubes, which through the use of hadrium spacers, can accommodate a variety of small warheads and munitions.
Multi-Launch: Unlike its chief competitor, the PLX-2M, the Shockwave can launch multiple warheads simultaneously. However, the recoil is so severe from this that it must almost always be fitted on a tripod or braced against an object
Holo-Sight: A close copy of the HUD found on the PLX-2M, the Holo-sight provides targeting information on objects highlighted in its field of view, such as range, speed, and shielding and links it with the guidance systems of the carried munitions.
Tripod Mount: The Shockwave actually has a mounting piece for a tripod on its right side. Tipping the launcher on its side for the mounting gives it a lower vertical height to aid in concealment for fixed positions while allowing users to still easily access its Holo-Sight.
Repulsor-Assist: Like the PLX-2M, the Shockwave includes a built-in micro repulsorlift to aid in making the Shockwave somewhat easier to carry and to better soften the recoil of firing the missiles.
Variable Munitions: The Shockwave is compatible with a large variety of munitions, making it capable of being adapted o variety of roles and missions.
Powerful Punch: The shockwave's ordinance tends to be pretty powerful for a handheld weapon, capable of taking down some airspeeders,vehicles, and fortifications.
Long Range: Depending on the munition or missile being launched, the Shockwave can deploy some long-range weapons.
Limited Capacity: The Shockwave can only carry four missiles or munitions at a time, which is somewhat lower than the PLX-2M's six.
High Recoil: Even with the repulsorlift assist and the ergonomic bracing, the Shockwave has high recoil.
The Shockwave is Lucernne Personal Defense's entry into the handheld missile launcher market. It is probably best understood in the context as an alternative and successor to the PLX-2M, which is one of the more popular missile launchers to date. Like that launcher, the Shockwave is designed to support a wide variety of missiles and other ordinances. Aside from the 3t3 derived series of ordinances used by the PLX-2M, the Shockwave also supports some newer ordinances such as the Nuriel. This additional modularity is largely the result of the most major design convervgence between the two weapons.
Rather than using a single launch tube fed by a magazine of missiles, the Shockwave is a collection of four individual, single-launch tubes. This means that it does not carry as many missiles per unit, but also makes the Shockwave more flexible. Each individual launcher tube can be modified with hadrium spacers to support a wider variety of munition types. With a little work and tinkering, the Shockwave can support smaller vehicle and personal-scale weapons. Another benefit granted by the use of individual tubes is that the operator can chose which tube to fire in what order. As an example of this flexibility, a Shockwave could carry two bunker-busters and two anti-aircraft missiles. It could then fire each one as needed, rather than having to reload the weapon or waste munitions before getting to the right one that is immediately needed. This wide variety of munitions makes the Shockwave a potentially powerful weapon on the battlefield.
Here gain, the Shockwave borrows some from its predecessor while going off in different design path in other directions. Like the PLX-2m,, the Shockwave uses a built-in microrepuslorlift to help ease the weight of the weapon and to hep absorb part of the recoil. Unlike the PLX-2M's harness and belt system, however, the Shockwave returns to a somewhat more conventional set-up of an encompassing shoulder brace along with a pair of handles for each arm to help control the weapon. This system is less bulky and more easily adapted to different body types. By dispensing with the collar system, they were also able to incorporate a tripod mounting system to better deal with the weapon's recoil, with the mount located on the right side of the launcher This allows on the Shockwave to be set up in a static position with a relatively low height, making it more easy to conceal while still allowing users the ability to use its holo-sight.
The weapon's holo-sight is an adjustable, flip-open out unit that broadly is equivalent to the sighting system found on the PLX-2M. This sight links the weapon's operating mechanisms with the avionics of any of the warheads currently onboard. This allows users to select targets for guided munitions or for unguided munitions zoom in on targets with a basic reticle at up to a x3 zoom. This last use requires a good amount of ballistic skill and experience with the munition to achieve good results, but is also particularly useful for engagements in which large amounts of sensor jamming and other electronic warfare disciplines are employed.
The Shockwave has slowly been filtering into the armories of governments that have ties to Lucerne Labs. Most of the time, it is employed as a general purpose missile launcher alongside its predecessor, the PLX-2M. There are a number of smaller military units that have adopted the weapon as part of their standard issue missile launcher, notably the 1st Directorate Rangers Regiment ("The Survivors of Eryn III"). Lucerne Personal Defense expects the weapon will be a steady sell,and plan to eventually bundle the weapon for purchase with new munition types produced by either it or their parent company, Lucerne Labs.
