Normandy Armored Personnel Carrier

 

 

The Normandy hover APC is one of the newer vehicles deployed by the Colonial Marines. The Normandy is designed for extreme combat insertion, theoretically able to drop a platoon of infantry or a squad of power armor directly into combat zones. While it is technically a ground hover vehicle, it can be dropped from low orbit, go through re-entry, land, and then proceed with troop deployment and combat. This makes it a sort of hybrid of APC and Huey.

Once its troops have been deployed, the Normandy’s roll on the battlefield is far from over. Despite its size, it is fast and heavily armed and, once its troops are no longer at risk, the Normandy doubles as a high-speed attack hover craft. It utilizes a larger-caliber version of the infamous “Boom Gun” as an anti-armor cannon, and has a top-mounted turret with a 20mm rail gun and a short-range missile launcher.

Currently, the Arkhon do not realize the capabilities of the Normandy. They definitely do not realize that the vehicle is capable of orbital drops, and believe it must be delivered via the Liberty-Class Carriers’ Carrier Landing Modules or Titan Heavy Lift Vehicles. They also do not know that it is a fully-capable combat vehicle designed to do more than just deliver payload and leave. One of the first operations of the war will revolve around the Protectorate organizing a liberation strike force to push the Arkhon’s off the occupied worlds in the border zone. The operation will revolve around the orbital deployment of a massive number of Normandy APCs right on top of the occupying forces. The Protectorate has modified six Archer escort carriers to carry the force into battle until local space is secured and Titan HLVs can be brought in safely. Those carriers will probably have that role throughout the war, and may see their numbers expand.

Model: HAPC-01 Normandy

Class: Orbital Drop Armored Personnel Carrier

Crew: 3; commander, pilot, and gunner. The Normandy can carry 20 soldiers in body armor, or 10 Duelist power armors.

M.D.C by Location

Gun turret – 100

Main engines (2) – 250 each

Boom Gun – 200

Rear hatch – 150

Side hatch – 100

Reinforced pilot’s compartment – 350

*Main body – 800

*Depleting the M.D.C. of the main body leaves the APC a useless wreck, sending it crashing to the ground.

Speed

Flying speed: The Normandy has a top speed of 200 m.p.h.

Maximum altitude: 6,000 feet. Standard hovering clearance is four to 20 feet.

Note: Although the Normandy APCs can be dropped from low orbit and has large “cushioning thrusters” to arrest its descent, it cannot re-attain orbit under its own power.

Statistical Data

Height: 14 feet

Length: 55 feet

Width: 26 feet

Weight: 10 tons

Cargo: 5,000 lbs.

Power plant: One 0.25 oz. Anti-Matter Lozenge Reaction Drive

Range: 10,000 miles

Cost: Not available for purchase

 

Weapon Systems

 

1. Heavy Electromagnetic Rail Cannon (a.k.a. Boom Gun II): This is essentially a scaled-up version of the original Boom Gun. It fires a slightly larger-caliber shell filled with 300 flechettes down a much longer barrel, giving it extended range. This is the Normandy’s main weapon and is operated by the commander. The weapon uses sound dampening technology, reducing the characteristic “boom” to a sound more tolerable by nearby infantry.

Purpose: Anti-Armor

Mega-Damage: 4D6x10 M.D. per round.

Effective Range: 4 miles

Rate of fire: four times per melee round.

Payload: 100 rounds.

 

2. 20mm Electromagnetic “Minigun”: This turret-mounted rail gun fires bursts of tungsten slugs and is used to mow down infantry and lay down suppressing fire during troop insertion and retrieval. The turret is capable of 360 degrees of rotation and 60 degrees of elevation.

Purpose: Anti-personnel

Mega-Damage: 1D4x10 M.D. per 20-round burst. Only fires in bursts.

Effective range: 6,000 feet.

Rate of fire: Equal to hand to hand attacks of the gunner.

Payload: 10,000 rounds, or 500 bursts.

 

3. Short-range Missiles: The Normandy has four short-range missiles attached to the same turret that mounts the 20mm minigun. These are used mainly as an anti-aircraft and anti-missile defensive system. Standard loadout is plasma missiles or armor piercing, though any short-range missiles can be used. There are usually two crates of reloads in the APC itself. Reloading takes two minutes by two crewmembers with weapon systems training.

Purpose: Defense

Mega-Damage: 2D6x10 M.D.

Effective Range: 3 miles

Rate of fire: Individually, or in volleys of 2 or 4.

Payload: Four on launcher, plus eight more stored in the APC, for a total of 12.

 

4. Sensors: The Normandy has standard vehicle combat sensors, plus ties into the Colonial Marine combat network.

 

5. Bonuses: The Normandy’s heat shielding not only protects it from re-entry, but makes the entire vehicle heat resistant as well. It takes half damage from mega-damage fire and plasma.