Small Arms & Equipment

GOVERNMENT:Union of Solar Republics
TYPE:2nd Generation BattleKnight
MODEL:
         BK-01A Advanced Zhukov MK-III
         BK-01B Bazooka Zhukov MK-V
         BK-01L Lancer Zhukov MK-VI
DATE INTRODUCED:
         2076 AD (BK-01A)
         2076 AD (BK-01B)
         2076 AD (BK-01L)
LENGTH: 8.8 feet
WIDTH: 10 feet
HEIGHT: 31.6 feet
MATERIAL: Crystal Composite
POWER PLANT: Ganymede Energy GENR-20 nuclear reactor
OUTPUT: 20 megawatts
ARMOR TYPE: Crystal Composite
ARMOR THICKNESS:
         3.2 inches (BK-01A, BK--01L)
         3.6 inches (BK-01B)
DISPLACEMENT: 5 tons
CREW: 1Pilot

PROPULSION

             PRIMARY (FLIGHT) :
             (ALL MODELS)
             4x Vesta Motors VM-TNRE-57 Thermo-Nuclear Rocket Engine
             SPEED: 100 mph each (400 mph tota)
             FUEL: 2.3 yd3, 287.5 minutes or 4.8 hours.

             WALKER ENGINE:
             (ALL MODELS)
             1x USR-BKE-12
             SPEED: 30 mph

             LANCER FLIGHT PACE SYSTEM:
             (BK-01L ONLY)
             8x Vesta Motors VM-HYIE-.35 High Yield Ion Engines
             SPEED:3800 mph each (30,400 mph total)

WEAPONS:

             PRIMARY (DEFENSIVE):
             (ALL MODELS)
             2x Lithgear LG-AC20 20-millimeter autocannons; Effective Range: 384 yards; Payload: 100 rounds of plasma-tipped ammo each; ROF: 5, 10, or 20 round burst per discharge with a cyclic rate of up to 600 rounds per minute.

             PROXIMAL:
             1x Centauri Research CR-PA-1 1000-pound plasma axe; Effective Range: melee weapon (about 12 feet from fully extended arm); Payload: 24 hours of continuous use; ROF: up to five slashes per 10 seconds average although experienced pilots could sometimes bring the total to eight per ten seconds.

             PRIMARY (ASSAULT):
             (BK-01A ONLY)
             1x USR AC-GP35 35-millimeter autocannon gunpod; Effective Range:  1176 yards;Payload: 300 rounds of plasma-tipped ammo in a drum magazine; ROF: one 10 round burst per pull of the trigger (2 second burst) for a total of 300 rounds per minute.

             PRIMARY (ASSAULT):
             (OPTIONAL FOR BK-01A in place of AC-GP35)
             1x PC-GP1.5 PHELAC 1.5-megawatt gunpod;Effective Range: 12 miles; Payload: 200 blasts stored in a 300-megawatt detachable nuclear battery energy clip; ROF: singleshot or bursts of five per pull of the trigger with a cyclic rate of up to 100 blasts per melee.

             PRIMARY (ASSAULT):
             (BK-01B)
             1x Daigun Industries DI-SRMR-5 twelve shot missile launcher; Missile Type: USR-SRM-5 short-range computer guided missile with 5-pound warhead; Effective Range: 10.4 miles; Payload: 180 missiles; ROF: 1-12 missiles per salvo (2 second discharge) with a cyclic rate of 360 missiles per minute.

             PRIMARY (ASSAULT):
             (BK-01L Only, Attached to flight pack via a gun-harness.)
             1x AC-GP105 one-hundred and five millimeter rail-cannon gunpod; Effective Range: 12,700.8 yards (2.4 miles); Payload: 100 rounds of plasma tipped ammunition; ROF: one round per pull of the trigger (semi-automatic) with a cyclic rate of 60 rounds per minute.

ELECTRONICS:
              (ALL MODELS)
              1x Neural Link System; Effect: provides a direct link between the pilot’s synaptic brain impulses, via a telemental helmet, and the BattleKnight’s computer control systems providing enhanced control and maneuverability for the pilot of the machine.
              1x Microwave Radio Communications array with a 1000-mile range.
              1x LADAR array with a range of 1000 miles.
              1x RADAR sensor array with a range of 50-miles.
              1x Multispectral Video/Optical array with a range of 1000 miles.

DEFENSIVE SYSTEMS:
             (ALL MODELS)
             4x Lithgear LG-CL10 chaff/decoy launchers; Effective Range: 100 yards; Payload: 100 bomblets;ROF: 1-10 bomblets per discharge with a cyclic rate of up to 300 bomblets per minute.

             (BK-01A, BK-01L)
             1x Medium Combat Shield; Armor Thickness: 5 inches; Weight: 792.75 lbs.

             (BK-01B)
              1x Heavy Combat Shield; Armor Thickness: 5 inches; Weight: 2817.5 lbs.

SPECIAL SYSTEMS:
             (BK-01L Only)
             1x Lancer Flight Pack Upgrade System (LFPUS); Details: This armor upgrade system has 3 inches of Crystal Composite armor plating and houses a 2.8-megawatt nuclear battery with a 20.16-hour lifespan that powers the eight Vesta Motors VM-HYIE-.35 Hight Yield Ion Engines of the pack as well as the gun-harness that holds the AC-GP-105 one-hundred and five millimeter rail-cannon gunpod.

Description/Overview:
             (BK-01A Advanced Zhukov MKIII)
            This variant of the BK-01 was an upgrade to the original model and the first of the second generation of BattleKnights.  This new model was designed and developed by Major Suvorov after the BK-01S proved itself superior to the original BK-01 at the Battle of Deimos.  Its abilities are greatly enhanced over those of the standard BK-01.  The BK-01A was introduced in June of 2076 AD, but versions of it existed in prototype form as early as January as a command unit for BK-01 platoons.
            The BK-01A was built as a high performance BattleKnight not initially intended for mass production.  However, with the success of the BK-01S and the rise of the Ceres Regency, the decision was made to replace the standard BK-01 with the BK-01A in all of the USR forces.
             The walker engine, nuclear battery, chaff/decoy launchers, and frame of the BK-01A were the same as those of the BK-01S.  The head/sensor unit was the same as the BK-01, as was the standard issue AC-GP35 gunpod unit.
            The differences between the BK-01 and BK-01A were in the additional weapons, armor, engines, and shield of the mecha.
             The BK-01A used the same configuration of four VM-TNRE57 thermonuclear rocket engines as the BK-01S.
             The BK-01A also had the standard 20-millimeter LG-AC20 autocannons as those of all BK-01 types.
             Unlike the original BK-01, the BK-01A was armed with a CR-PA-1 plasma axe for use as a proximal weapon.
             The only difference in the defenses systems of the BK-01A over that of the BK-01 was the replacement of the old small shield with the medium shield mounted on the left arm of the mecha.  This standard medium shield was the same as that of the BK-01S only without the electrostatic armor generator unit.
             The Neural Link System of the BK-01A was the same NLS-01 and vernier/thruster combination as that of both the BK-01 and the BK-01S.
             A space variant of the BK-01A was built in 2077 called the BK-01AS.  It was identical to the BK-01A except that instead of the AC-GP35 35-millimeter autocannon gunpod, the unit was equipped with the PC-GP1 PHELAC gunpod normally used with the BK-01S.

             (BK-01B Bazooka Zhukov MKV)
             The fifth variant of the BK-01 Zhukov was the 2nd generation BattleKnight designed to be a heavy artillery mecha for ground units.  This mecha was introduced in June of 2076 AD as part of the USR upgrade effort for the coming Mars campaign.  The USR first used this BattleKnight as a frontline combat unit during the 1st Interplanetary War, but after the war, it was generally used as the main defense mecha for fortifications and bases throughout USR-controlled space.  It was also found within mecha fire-assault teams (6 BKs) usually consisting of 4 BK-01A, 1 BK-01O, and 1 BK-01B.
             The BK-01B was very similar to the original BK-01A, only the armor, weapons, and defenses were different.
             The Bazooka model used the same walker engine and VM-TNRE57 engine configuration as that of the BK-01S and BK-01A models.  Thus, it had only 4.8-hours of fuel and a maximum speed of 400 mph in space and a maximum altitude of 400 feet in an atmosphere.
             The BK-01B used even more armor plating than the BK-01S and BK-01A did and carried a much larger handheld shield.  This large combat shield was somewhat ungainly for the small machine, as it was nearly the same height as the BK-01B, but it provided a formidable level of protection unmatched by the standard medium shield used by the BK-01A.
             The weapons of the BK-01B consisted of the standard pair of LG-AC20 20-millimeter autocannons used for anti-missile defense and anti-personnel applications, and the Daigun Industries DI-SRMR-5 short-range missile rifle gunpod.  This gunpod fired the USR-SRM-5 short-range missile.  This gunpod was intended for use primarily as an indirect artillery weapon and for use in space, but was found to be useful in nearly any application or environment.
             The BK-01B was also fitted with the Centauri Research CR-PA-1 plasma axe, the four ten-shot chaff/decoy launchers for missile defense, and the NLS-01 neural link system and vernier/thruster combination that all of the first generation BattleKnights used.
             Production of the BK-01B Bazooka Zhukov MKV began in 2076 and continued well into 2100 AD.  This unit was very popular with the USR spacemarine and planetary defense forces throughout the 21st century.  They were made in moderate numbers with upwards of 23,000 units by the end of the 21st century.
             (BK-01L Lancer Zhukov MKVI)
             The final model of second generation BattleKnight was the Mark-VI Lancer type.  This unit was originally built with the intent for it to be used in combat within the atmosphere of a planet, although it was fitted with vernier thrusters for use in space should the need arise.  The design team which developed the BK-01L used the BK-01A as the basis for their new BattleKnight.  In essence the BK-01L was simply a highly modified BK-01A.
               The sensor head was different than that of the BK-01A type.  The BK-01L unit had a Greco-Roman-style praetorian helmet sensor head with its communications antennae at the front of the head unit instead of the side or back.
             The BK-01L had the same walker engine as all of the other early generations of BattleKnights and the same configuration of four Vesta Motors VM-TNRE57 thermonuclear rocket engine motors as used on the BK-01S, BK-01A, and BK-01B.  These four engines gave the BK-01L an endurance of 4.8 hours of flight time at a maximum speed of 400 mph using only the rocket engines.
             The standard weapons of the BK-01L were the regular pair of 20-millimeter Lithgear head cannons and Centauri Research CR-PA-1 plasma axe.
             The BK-01L used the standard medium combat shield normally found on the BK-01A.
             Its NLS-01 and vernier thruster system were identical to the BK-01A and the other BK-01s in the first generation of machines.
             The unique thing about the BK-01L was its flight-pack.  This outside attachment to the mecha was mounted via the external fuel tank mounts on the backpack-rocket housing used on the BK-01S and BK-01A model frames.  This flight-pack used its own nuclear battery power with a lifespan of 20.16 hours.
             The nuclear battery powered eight Vesta Motors VM-HYIE-.35 high yield ion engines. The speed of these engines was 3800 mph each for a total of 30,400 mph for all eight engines.  Normally four of these engines were used to provide a hoverjet for the BattleKnight to skirt along the ground with the two aft-facing engines and conduct high maneuvers with the two outward-facing ion engines.  This provided an incredible amount of speed and maneuverability for an early generation BattleKnight.
             One Union Arms AC-GP105 rail cannon gunpod was mounted to the flight-pack via a hydraulic harness that absorbed the recoil of the gun.  This 105-millimeter weapon provided the fast moving machine with a deadly punch that made the BK-01L the most feared of all the early generation BattleKnights.
             The BK-01L was used in place of the BK-01S in the role of a space interceptor battlerobot after 2081 AD and was produced in large numbers up until 2108 AD.  It is not known exactly how many of these units were built, but estimates put the total number at somewhere around 20-25,000 units.