Directorate Officer
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
- Intent: To make a LPD product equivalent to the modern day Claymore mine
- Image Source: Claymore Mine by Pavel Petrenko
- Canon Link: N/A
- Permissions: N/A
- Primary Source: N/A
- Manufacturer: Lucerne Personal Defense
- Affiliation: Directorate, The High Republic, Lucerne Personal Defense customers
- Market Status: Closed-Market
- Model: LPD-80 Steel Storm Fragmentation Mine
- Modularity: Yes - Submunitions
- Production: Mass-Produced
- Material: carbo-plas casing, detonite explosive primary charge, durasteel flechettes, submunitions, common demolition components
- Classification: fragmentation mine
- Size:Large
- Weight: Heavy
- Ammunition Type: metallic projectiles / power pack
- Ammunition Capacity: Very Small (1 use)
- Effective Range: Long Range
- Rate of Fire: Single-shot
- Damage Output: Very High
- Recoil: High
- Variable Fuse: Steelstorm has a centrally placed fuse that can be easily screwed in or out. Most commonly it's a proximity fuses which detonate simply by someone or something getting too close. It can also be set up to be command-detonated by simple wire or comlink command receiver.
- Hinged: The Steelstorm's cylindrical shape makes it a useful omnidirectional blast weapon, there are times when the user doesn't want to blow up everything around the mine and wants something more focused, especially when set up right next to friendly defensive positions. To that end, the weapon is actually hinged along the centerline, allowing it to be unfolded into two half cylinders when then have a 180 degree blast radius, turning it into a directional blast weapon. This hinged construction also allows the weapon to be set on the ground to explode upwards like a typical landmine.
- Variable Submunitions:While much of Steelstorm's damage is in the form of durasteel flechettes being thrown out by the primary detonite charge, each Steelstorm has 24 submunitions which are discharged at the same time as the primary fragmentation blast. These submunitions land almost equidistantly spaced with a maximum range of 75 meters from the Steelstorm itself. The submunitions can be easily customized by the end user for certain effects against different foes or to be more effective in different environments. These submunitions are typically grenades, set either with impact or time fuses. Impact fuses add immediate damage to the brunt of the fragmentation effects of the flechettes, while timed fuses make it more difficult for enemy forces to clear the area. The Steelstorm can be fitted with any of the submunitions:
- Heavy Hitter: The Stormsteel packs a heavy punch, with it only taking several of its durasteel flechettes to kill most people, and many of the submunitions can seriously damage or destroy armored targets and vehicles.
- Big Blast Radius: The Stormsteel has a blast radius of approximately 100 meters, meaning that with some luck, can wipe out several squads of infantry or several small vehicles at once.
- Versatile: The Stormsteel is a fairly versatile piece of ordinance, being capable of being either a directional or omnidirectional blast weapon, as well as being capable of carrying different submunitions.
- Bulky: The Stormsteel is a heavy and large weapon which takes some effort to be lugged around.
- Indiscriminate: The Stormsteel does not distinguish between friend and foe, and with its large blast radius, it can cause a large amount of collateral damage if its deployment is not well thought out.
- Magnetic Signature: Durasteel flechettes are cheap and effective, but they do give the Stormsteel a magnetic signature that many basic sensor packs can detect as something artificial in a wilderness environment, even if it isn't immediately identified as an explosive device.
Large fragmentation mines have been used for thousands of years as area denial and ambush weapons - a single detonation of such a weapon can wipe out dozens of infantry and shred apart light vehicles and equipment. While Lucerne Personal Defense had developed dozens of grenades and a handful of other explosive devices, it had not developed such a long-storied staple of many militaries on the defensive. To that end, the company took the basic fragmentation mine concept and innovated it to greater level of complexity and effectiveness, with the aim of making it more capable against not only the traditional infantry targets of such mines, but also droids, creatures, and vehicles that may accompany them on the modern battlefield. To that end, the Stormsteel does use durasteel flechettes propelled forward through a simple detonite blast - while simple, this explosive delivery method remains effective on the battlefield even against many armored infantry. But LPD engineers also took advantage of this detonation for the Steelstorm to throw out a spread of submunitions across the entire blast radius. These submunitions often can provide more raw power and special effects than the rolling flechette clouds of the initial blast. These submunitions can be easily screwed in and out of the launcher by the end users, allowing even low level units to almost effortlessly change them out. Fireblast grenades with a two minute timers and Hammerblast mines with proximity sensors are among the most common choices, not only expanding the overall blast radius of shrapnel even further, but also making it take longer to clear an area for opposing forces. Proton and ion grenades are the next most common choices, as they allow the Stormsteel to be effective against vehicles and heavy battle droids which often accompany modern infantry formations. But more exotic submunitions can be fitted for use against equally exotic opponents, such as cryoban against any number of reptilian creatures. This versatility is perhaps the weapon's greatest selling point, as it allows stockpiles of this weapon to be quickly outfitted for use against certain foes or be outfitted for use in a wide variety of locales, instead of needing a special weapon for each situation or foe.
Stormsteels are most commonly found in the armories of larger militaries, where they are commonly used in large numbers to shore up defenses around important locations such as military bases and high value research labs. They also see some use with special operations units, who commonly use them as part of ambushes, especially against numerically superior opponents.
Out Of Character Info
Intent:
To make a LPD product equivalent to the modern day Claymore mine
Image Source(s):
https://pavelpetrenko.artstation.com/projects/l5xz?album_id=61950
Canon Link:
N/A
Primary Source(s):
None
Technical Information
Affiliation:
Directorate, The High Republic, Lucerne Personal Defense customers
Model:
LPD-80 Steel Storm Fragmentation Mine
Modular:
Yes
Effective Range:
Long Range
Rate of Fire:
Single Shot
Material:
carbo-plas casing, detonite explosive primary charge, durasteel flechettes, submunitions, common demolition components
Ammunition Type:
Explosives
Ammunition Capacity:
Very Small
Damage Output:
High
Recoil:
High
Ranged Class:
Other
