SF-6C BALLISTA
The
venerable, powerful, Ballista is a fighter/bomber entering its seventh decade
of service in the Protectorate. The two-man vehicle is generally considered a
strike fighter, as it is designed to cripple or destroy larger vessels. Using
stealth, speed and power, the Ballista penetrates enemy defenses and devastates
its targets with missiles and heavy particle beam cannons. While the Ballista
does not lack maneuverability or speed, it is not an interceptor and is not
meant to get into dogfights. However, it can hold its own with most space
fighters.
The
Ballista is operated by a two-man crew; a pilot and a bombardier/navigator
(B/N). It is used by carriers, ground and space stations, and were once
occasionally used on the older Stalwart-Class heavy cruisers (phased out),
which carried four Ballistas or Arrows on an internal
rack.
Perhaps
the Ballista’s most noteworthy feature is its armaments. It has a lot of them.
The strike fighter is armed with two heavy (for a fighter) particle beam
cannons. These cannons are meant to be used against ships instead of other
fighters, due primarily to their slow rate of fire. Dealing with enemy fighters
is usually left to the twin, turret-mounted pulse lasers operated by the B/N.
But the Ballista’s main punch comes from its missiles. The Ballista has an
internal ordinance compartment capable of storing up to 12 anti-ship missiles.
It also has concealed wing compartments that house a cluster of 10 medium-range
missiles each, in addition to three external hard points on each wing. These
hard points can hold a total of six additional anti-ship missiles, 12
medium-range missiles, or 18 short-range missiles.
The
Ballista is well-armored for its size, has excellent range for a fighter, and
stealth features that make it extremely hard to detect at long-range. Its speed
is good, but nothing like the Crossbow or the Arkhon’s
Clawfish II fighter. What’s more, the Ballista was
designed and implemented before conflict with the Arkhon’s
broke out, and its energy weapons have proven to be somewhat of a liability
against Arkhon space units. Some Ballistas have recently had their turrets
upgraded to rail guns, but they are few, and the ammunition needed eats up
valuable space that could be used to carry more missiles.
While
there are still hundreds of Ballistas in service, the strike fighter is no
longer in production, and is scheduled to be retired to colonial defense duties
within the next five years. By that time, the Fleet will likely have a new,
dedicated heavy bomber.
Model:
Sf-6C Ballista Heavy Strike Fighter
Crew: Two
M.D.C. by Location:
Heavy
Particle Beam Cannons (2) – 75 each
Pulse
Laser Turret – 50
Wings (2)
– 200 each
*Engines
(2) – 125 each
**Main
Body – 600
Reinforced
Crew Compartment – 200
*The
engines on the Ballista are particularly sensitive, so destroying one of them
not only reduces speed by 60%, but there’s a 15% chance every ten minutes
afterwards that the other engine will overheat and fail if its being used to
compensate. Destroying both engines leaves the fighter adrift.
**Depleting
the Main Body’s M.D.C. will destroy the fighter and set off its remaining
ordinance. Ballista crews are trained to eject before that happens, if
possible.
Speed
Maximum Sublight Speed: 225,000 miles per hour (Mach 303)
Maximum
Acceleration/Deceleration: 8Gs per melee round
FTL Speed:
Not possible. At the start of its production there was talk of a NMD booster
attachment, but they could never work it out.
Top Atmospheric
Maneuvering Speed: Mach 4; limited more by its lack of stabilizers than engine
power. It can achieve escape velocity on a straight booster climb.
Statistical Data
Height: 10
feet
Length: 60
feet
Width: 44
feet
Cargo:
None, other than its missile compartment payload and survival packs for Flight
Officer and the B/N.
Power
plant: One 0.75 oz.
Range:
Generally accepted range is 6 million miles, though can coast much further
through conservative use of fuel. Has three days of consumables (air, water and
food packs).
Cost: Not
available for purchase.
Weapon Systems
Heavy Particle Beam Cannons (2): The primary weapon of the Ballista is a pair of anti-ship
heavy particle beam cannons. This system was the precursor to the light
anti-ship PBC sometimes employed on the
Primary
Purpose: Anti-Ship
Mega-Damage:
3D6X10 M.D. each, 6D6X10 M.D. for a dual shot (standard). Dual shots take only
one attack.
Range: 50
miles
Rate of
Fire: Each cannon can only be fired once every 5 seconds (3 times per melee
round)
Payload:
Effectively unlimited, but can only fire 100 in a 10-minute period before
needing 1D4 minutes to recharge from the engine. Such heavy use will cut the
fighter’s range in half.
Penalties:
-2 to strike fighter-scale vessels
Long-Range Missile Launcher: Located in the belly of the fighter is an ordinance bay
equipped with 12 long-range anti-ship missiles. These missiles are “smart”
missiles, have excellent range, and are usually nuclear tipped. This weapon
system is the Ballista’s first-strike weapon and generally the first used on an
attack mission. Typically, a squadron of Ballistas will use stealth to close in
on their target, and then empty their long-range missile payload against
selective targets. Quite often, they’re able to just turn around and go home
after that.
Primary
Purpose: Anti-ship/Assault
Mega-Damage:
Varies with missile type, but typically medium nuclear missiles that do 1D4x100
M.D. each to a 50-foot radius (See Rifts Ultimate Edition, p. 257 for details
on long-range missiles of all types).
Range:
Approximately 5,000 miles. (Multiply atmospheric range by five)
Rate of
fire: Individually, in pairs or in volleys of 3 or 6.
Bonuses:
All Terran Protectorate Long-range Missiles are “Smart” Missiles that are +5 to
strike (in addition to standard bonuses), +3 to dodge, and have two attacks per
melee (used to dodge or circle back at a target they missed). They have basic
friend-or-foe software packages that can identify most known enemy vessels and
are updated milliseconds before firing by the launcher’s link to the Ballista’s
targeting computer.
Payload:
Twelve.
Medium-Range Missile Launchers (2): Used against smaller vessels, fighters, and to pinpoint
critical enemy systems, these two launchers are built into the wings of the
Ballista. They are also often used to shoot down incoming missiles.
Primary
Purpose: Assault
Mega-Damage:
Varies with missile type. Standard load is armor-piercing (3D6X10 M.D. each).
Range:
Approximately 150 miles, varies with missile type (multiply atmospheric range
by three)
Rate of
Fire: Individually, in pairs, or in volleys of four, or 10.
Payload:
10 missiles per launcher, for a total of 20.
Twin Laser Pulse Turret: This turret is mounted on top of the B/N’s section of the
cockpit and is generally rear-facing, like the B/N himself. It is capable of
360 degrees of rotation, and 60 degrees of elevation.
Primary
Purpose: Defense
Mega-Damage:
2D4X10 M.D.
Range: 2
miles
Rate of
fire: Equal to hand-to-hand attacks of the B/N
Payload:
Effectively unlimited.
Optional
Weapon Systems
Missile Hard Points (6): When expecting heavy combat or a large number of targets,
the Ballista has six external missile hard points for additional ordinance. It
can use these to carry either six additional long-range missiles, twelve
medium-range missiles or 18 short-range missiles.
Primary
Purpose: Multi-use
Mega-Damage:
Varies with missile type.
Range:
Varies with missile type
Rate of
fire: Varies, but generally individually, in pairs or in volleys of three or
six.
Payload:
Varies with missile type.
Special:
The Ballista is equipped with an advanced stealth package that greatly reduces
its mass and energy signatures, and eliminates its radar signature. A Read
Sensory Equipment roll at -30% is required to detect the Ballista at a distance
of greater than 500 miles, 20% at a distance of 500 to 100 miles, and -10% at
less than 100 miles. A species using only radar will only be able to detect the
Ballista while it is firing missiles from internal bays (-30% at all ranges). Radar-guided
missiles are completely ineffective against this fighter.
Sensors:
Standard Sensors with a 15,000 mile range for short range sensors. Receives a +2 to strike with ALL missiles, in addition to standard
missile and targeting computer bonuses.
