UFS 110 Defender : Convoy Dreadnought

Introducing : The Dreadnought Class Super Heavy Convoy Vehicle

Otherwise referred to as the Defender or CCV, an incredibly large rover manufactured specifically for the role of keeping heavy convoys in line while crossing vast distances over planetside trade routes and scaring off scavengers or pirates looking for easy loot. While not spectacularly well armored or armed by standards of a "Dreadnought", its stature in comparison to the other vehicles typically assigned to its watch make its title more appropriate.

This Defender in particular belonging to the UFS Alpha Scutti convoy group #110, being one of two CCV's in 110's operation. It usually brings up the rear or heads one of many vehicle columns of 20-40 massive supply trucks traveling planet wide from a central hub that sends & receives orbital shipments. Leading the charge for the convoy often through extremely hazardous weather and unpopulated wastes of snow and ice in order to keep large remote mining populations functioning where regular atmospheric shipments cannot be trusted due to the planet's constant turmoil of whether patterns known for slamming cargo ships into mountains.

Given these kind of circumstances the Defender is well equipped with enough spare supplies to keep itself and several other trucks in operation should there be a breakdown, as well as defending itself and its convoy should pirates try to derail the train of vehicles. ___

Systems

Main Armaments

Primarily armed with a pair of twin 125mm gun turrets bolted to watch towers on either rear fender, these weapon systems are manned from seats under the driver and co driver in the bridge and have nearly 40 degrees worth of depression. They also have the ability to single fire or double fire making target ranging much less wasteful on ammunition. Gunners are advised not to take warning shots if a vehicle is deemed hostile.

Secondary Armaments

Spaced around the exterior are 6 supergrid small turrets covering most angles of approach and will target hostile ships and ground craft if active. They can be reloaded manually but may require some finiking to find the right angle to open the ammunition box. Crews are recommended to stock them when the Defender is not mobile.

Tertiary Armaments

Despite most of the operational conditions for CCVs being in environments hostile to flying vehicles, all Defenders are equipped with an AI slaved quad AA gatling gun that will target any hostile flying entity with extreme prejudice. This weapon is mounted on the top deck and is not capable of aiming low enough to hit the vehicle itself. Crews are recommended not to make finger guns at the turret's optic, the med bay can do many things but fixing 235 bullet holes is not one of them.

Operating System

The entire fleet of convoy trucks run on an obscure system so far out of date that the methods of hacking into it has been lost to time... as such it may be primitive however it is arguably one of the hardest to crack systems UFS has ever deployed into its equipment. Crews are suggested to hit monitors several times if a blue screen appears, it should clear them up.

Power Plant

Defender CCVs are equipped with twin hydrogen engines and a quad assortment of supergrid reactors all located under the bridge at the front of the machine. Most of this power is diverted into the shield bank making up a hefty chunk of mass wrapped around the engines while the rest easily keeps the lights on, mechanics running, numerous batteries charged and wheels thoroughly powered. Crews are advised not to mix hydrogen and uranium fuels. ___

Additional Features

Aft Hanger/Cargo Hold

The back end of the vehicle is mostly a large ramp that folds down and is largely open inside with a decently sized internal hanger, big enough for a scout rover, small ship, or extra cargo.

Underside Loading Elevator

Not large enough for big cargo... but is enough for smaller spare parts and containers to be more easily loaded into the storage room under the hanger floor. Also offers a 4th option to board the vehicle opposed to opening the rear hanger or climbing one of the two side ladders.

4 Man Cryo Bay

While intended to be manned by a minimum of 6-8 people, the cryo room is rather small... Like all other heavy convoy trucks, crews are intended to work in shifts leaving little down time for the rover train to be stopped reducing the number of potential pirate attacks by not giving them the time to hit halted convoys. ___

Author Notes

This thing is over 35,000 blocks of small grid parts built over several months with probably some of the most detail I have ever put into any SE project. It is designed directly off of a megabot I built long ago in Robocraft, this reconstruction gave it new life the previously mentioned game could not give it.

The Defender uses supergrids and precisely 2 mods, however this thing will function perfectly fine without either active in a world It just won't have weapons, shields, or the 4 reactors. This vehicle however is not buildable in survival thanks to the wheels which are Large 3x3's grafted onto small 2x2 axles... But It can be used in survival after being spawned in.

Also since its a 1,000,000+ mass vehicle trying to be moved by 8 axles intended to move something the size of one of its wheels... It has an internal thruster pack to assist moving forwards and backwards, + has a speed governor script on the driver's hotbar to cap the top speed to 40 m/s to assist in not crashing the beast.