(updated) Hellraiser
EDF Hellraiser:
Cost: 2500
Armor: Light
Speed: Very Fast
Weapon: 4x 'Reaper' ATGMs
Range:Long
Stolen SSIA Tech, Tier-4 Advanced Anti-Armor/Ship Vehicle
Stolen Tech units are limited to being built one per player
The XM879 Hellraiser was an 1989 experimental vehicle based on the prolific M113 APC chassic. Designed to stem the tide of Russian tanks should war have re-ignited in the 1990s, the Hellraiser was designed to carry only the most lethal anti-armor missiles. Functional prototypes with extreme advanced satellite coordinated targeting systems and AGM-114 Hellfire missiles were used, but this simply was not enough for what the US Army demanded.
Hellfires were the most potent missiles that could be launched from ground vehicles at the time, so the Army's demand was never met. The project was laid to rest until the militarization period of 2013-2019, during which the XM879 found a place as a universal missile launcher. Put into the reserves of most EDF armored divisions, the materials needed to manufacture the XM879 can be found quite readily.
The SSIA, on the other hand, had something that the US Army of 1989 would have wanted. The 'Reaper' class ATGM, once used in SSIA bases as part of an automated anti-tank system, was largely retired from SSIA service. Capable of destroying almost any tank with a single direct hit, the 'Reaper' earned its name through battle. Even though the missile is no longer fielded by the SSIA, the data needed to manufacture it is stored within Technology Centers. It is believed that with such a missile, the XM879 could become the M879 and enter EDF service almost instantly.
But the XM879 is nothing without its basis vehicle, the M113. The M113's powerful engine gives the XM879 Hellraiser a remarkable top-speed, allowing it to bring its missile launching capabilities to the front quickly, and then retreat to safety before the enemy can even retaliate. Much of the non-crew space of the M113 APC is used for missile storage in the XM879, so unfortunately for the crew of the Hellraiser, they aren't well protected. This can only raise the importance of the use of mobility in combat for them.
Battlefield Observations
>Dedicated Anti-ArmorThe Hellraiser is designed to combat armor exclusively- crews are strictly instructed to never engage infantry with the missiles- even trying to crush them would be preferable. But considering the 'Reaper' ATGM the Hellraiser launches can bust through a foot of armor plating at huge ranges like a knife through butter, its not that big of a deal.
>High Speed, Low Drag- Speed is one of the greatest assets in modern warfare, and the crews of M879 Hellraisers know it. Capable of outracing most possible vehicular threats, Hellraisers can simply perform moving engagements with much larger tank forces and just whittle them away to nothing.
>Fragile- Such firepower and mobility comes at the expense of armor protection. Indeed, instead of adding additional armor or even simple bolt-on ERA plates, the M879 relies solely on a composite material that provides only minimalistic protection against AP rounds.
