Rusty
Purveyor of Fine Weaponry
Image Source
Intent: To create a mobile anti-aircraft platform for the Mandalorian Clans.
Development Thread: If Necessary
Manufacturer: Rusty's Custom Firearms and Cutlery
Model: AAA
Affiliation: Mandalorian Clans
Modularity: Can fire multiple types of shells
Production: Limited
Material: Durasteel, alusteel, rail gun components, tracking package, microprocessor, repulsorlift components
Classification: Autocannon
Size: Towed
Length: 3 meters in firing configuration, 1 meter in tow configuration
Weight: 72 kilograms
Ammunition Type: 30mm shells in ammo belts
Ammunition Capacity: Belt fed, belts come in 100 round lengths that can be linked together
Effective Range: Battlefield
Rate of Fire: 2 rounds per second
Special Features: Linked ammo belts allow for extended firing before the need to reload, multiple types of shells allow for flexible loadout, multispectrum target tracking allows it to stay on target in the face of decoys.
Strengths:
- Dual barrels both increase firepower and reliability. If one barrel goes down, the other can still fire.
- Fires a variety of shells for engaging different targets.
- Multispectrum tracking allows the AAA to effectively track targets, even if they deploy countermeasures.
- Use of rail gun tech allows the weapon to be lighter than a normal 30mm autocannon by a significant margin, and since the shells don't need casings, they're lighter as well.
- Must be grounded to fire. Trying to fire on the move will result in catastrophic failure.
- Power hog. Cells must be changed out after 4 hours of continuous operation.
- Takes a trained crew 15 seconds to reload. If the crew isn't careful to link belts, running out of ammo can be disastrous.
- Though the multispectrum tracking system is effective at discerning the target from the decoys, it can still be spoofed under the right circumstances.
The AAA uses rail gun architecture to propel 30mm shells upwards towards air and low flying spacecraft. It fires several types of shells:
- Explosive (Flak)- Proximity detonated shells that spray shrapnel out in all directions. Good all around deterrent, weak against shielding.
- Solid Penetrator (SP)- Tungsten rounds designed to punch through thick armor. No explosive charge, meaning no secondary damage, but capable of disabling low flying gunships that mere explosive rounds might not be able to scratch.
- Baradium Charge (BC)- Baradium filled rounds that can be set to detonate via proximity or direct contact. No concussive force, but effective at dealing with everything from armor to draining shields. Expensive and heavier than normal rounds, meaning reduced range and decreased probability of being carried in bulk.
- Ion Charge (IC)- Basically high velocity ion grenades. Releases a burst of ion energy that can potentially shut down electronics on unshielded craft and can also do a number on shields. No secondary damage.
- Blaster Rounds (BR)- Each shell is essentially a self contained, single use blaster that fires high intensity bolts down the barrel and disintegrates on firing. Only has a range of about 100 meters and the bolts are much slower than physical projectiles, but can be devastating against low flying targets.
The dual barrel design increases the weight, but also dramatically increases firepower and reliability. If one barrel goes down, the other can continue to fire. However, the weapon will need to be completely shut down before maintenance can commence. The dual barrel design also doubles power consumption, meaning that the cells have to be changed out after 4 hours of continuous heavy operation. In standby mode, where the weapon is not actively engaged in firing, they need to be swapped out every 80 hours. The depleted cells must be handled with care, as they're dangerous if breached.
The AAA is towed on a repulsorlift platform that allows the Dantooine Plains Turkey to haul its weight with little effort. In order to fire, however, the weapon needs to be grounded, both physically and electrically. When grounded, the weapon fires anchor stakes into the ground, as well as a grounding stake. Trying to fire while on the move will result in catastrophic failure.
To track targets, the weapon has a multispectrum tracking package that scans in infrared, radar, and also for electronic emissions. This allows it to swap back and forth between targeting methods if the enemy tries to use decoys such as chaff or flares. However, careful use of decoys can spoof the weapon. In the event of such a situation, it can be linked to a helmet's HUD and fired manually, though manual tracking is much less effective.
Primary Source: N/A
