Length: 60 m
Beam: 27 m
Displacement: 400 tons, 650 tons fully loaded.
Capacity: 250 tons cargo.
Propulsion: 8 MPET-7A gas turbines, 3 for lift, 5 for propulsion; 8 x 14,936 horsepower
Additional power: 6 Hi-Po Li-Po batteries (Cargo pulley and roll system)
Propellers: 3 four bladed variable pitch propellers
Speed:70 knots, 60 knots if sustained
Range: 600 km at 60 knots
Complement: 32 (8 Officers, 24 Enlisted)
Armament:
Squad-based UAV x 2
MA14-LP Block IV SAM-Modification x4, 16 additional missiles (20 missiles overall) OR 4 x SALY28 SAMs, 16 additional missiles (20 missiles)
LY589b Hellion-II x2, 6 additional missiles (8 missiles overall) OR TPFMI MkII 'Helios II' BVR ATGM x4, 20 additional missiles (24 missiles)
3x Turrets up front, options include either: 2xMA-340s (700 rounds each) and 1x mounted extended range and ROF(RAR) SAGL-25(200 rounds); OR 2xRAR SAGL-25(200 rounds) and 1xMA-340(600 rounds); OR 3x MA-340s(700 rounds each); OR 2x KWF PAK2 25mm automatic cannon; OR 2x LAMA AC1 Vallum 30mm compact autocannon; OR 1x LY519 “Stormdrake” 120mm Heavy Mortar; or 2x Dropper Infantry Mortars (Note- Any machinegun under 15.5mm works in place of the BRG-15)
Countermeasures: 2x TKWA/MASS decoy launcher, UL 5000K ECM suite,, additional smoke grenades. SAVIOUR APS.
Electronics: SACHERI Battlespace Network suite, MIRADOR electro-optical sensors, UL 5000 K ESM suite, HOLY AVENGER.
Background
The Tigershark class LCAC is the latest development in the realm of combative amphibious operations. Built to replace the aging Zubr class hovercraft, the Tigershark is fast and very heavily armed, capable of dropping into combat an armored company worth of troops into combat and supporting them. While expensive, it is considered a powerful enough support craft and transport hovercraft that it is invauable to forces who use them. First deployed with the 111th Marines at the tail end of the Civil War in the Mushroom Islands, the speed, power, and capacity of the Tigershark have earned it respect throughout the Marshite Marine corp.
Armaments
The Tigershark is heavily armed. It has four stationary anti-air emplacements which can be detached and taken ashore if needs be, the venerable MA-14LP Block IV, the man portable anti-air defense missile system used widely by Marshite forces. With an addition six missiles per platform, the Tigershark is fully capable of engaging enemy air assets at ranges of twenty-six to thirty-thousand feet and below with authority. While not a replacement by any means for dedicated and superior anti-air vehicles or aircraft and vulnerable to aircraft regardless, the potency of the anti-air system on the Tigershark is notable nonetheless. Two launchers are placed on either side of the hovercraft, where they are controlled by the fire control stations placed on either side of the hovercraft. This same setup is also available with SALY28 SAMs, which provide superior anti-air capability but cannot be dismounted and moved in with ground forces.
Two Hellion missile launchers are attached, one to either side of the hovercraft, and are prepared to fire the advanced Hellion cruise missile. Capable of independently tracking and destroying dozens of enemy targets, each Hellion is a powerful strike in and of itself. The Hellions fired by the Tigershark are classified into four groups. The 'Spear' missiles have been broken up into various small bunker-busting munitions or into fewer but more powerful bunker busting munitions. Marine forces expecting to land against fortified positions are famous for deploying this missile. The 'Sword' are standard anti-armor submunition packed missiles and are used more so to delay or destroy opposing forces moving to the beach. 'Arrow' class Hellions are packed with cluster munitions and are used to obliterate approaching ground infantry and light armor as well as create a killing zone of an impromptu minefield. The 'Hammer' class Hellions are thermobaric explosives and are used against a wide range of targets including buildings, light fortifications, and infantry formations. The are other variations but these are the most common. A Tigershark will normally carry eight missiles, four in two configurations, with a grouping of them having capabilities across the board or being extremely focused on one task, intelligence dependent. A Tigershark can instead use theTPFMI MkII 'Helios II' BVR ATGM, which at the cost of target saturation and elimination can take out the heaviest of armor and other ddificult to destroy using submunitions target. In this configuration, there are two launches bunched up on either side of the Tigershark.
Up front there are three large turrets capable of a wide range of options. Common weapons include a combination of 15.5mm heavy machine guns and below as well as 40mm automatic grenade launchers numbering three; any combination of three works in any given turret. However, the KWF PAK2 25mm automatic cannon can be employed in pairs in every turret, giving them supreme direct anti-armor support. Some Tigersharks are outfitted with a trio of Stormdrake heavy mortars. Theese 105mm heavy mortars are capable of providing long-range indirect fire support capable of pinpotting enemy hotspots and eliminating them with the help of Marines on the ground. While any combination is feasible, once a Tigershark has been made with a certain combination in mind, they are not easily modified. Also, due to fire control and logistics concerns it is considered important that all three turrets are of the same configuration. While not a requirement, it is considered ineffective and more difficult to supply.
Lighter than any comparable heavy machine gun while still having a task oriented design, the MA-340 is capable of blowing through any body armor design on the market or on the drawing board of any world power. It can reliably penetrate light armor and can damage medium armor, while working effectively as an anti-air mount. The relatively light weight of the design allows it to be effectively mobile and engage with lethality, precision, range, and firepower.
The AC1 fires 30 x 200mm caseless telescoping depleted uranium rounds. The AC1 is chain-operated, externally powered by a 6 HP motor which, and as with the PAK2 and LY106, uses a system of sprockets, grooves and clutches to not only feed, load and fire rounds, but also allows the operator to switch ammunition types, by selecting from which of the four ammunition drums to draw rounds from. Available ammunition types include APFSDS-T, HEI-T, HEDP-T, Illum and practice rounds. Each AC1 equipped vehicle carries a small selection of 50mm Supershot Mark II ammunition for use against vehicles rated against the 30mm.
Much of the weapon system is titanium, which, while expensive, is considerably lighter than its steel volume/strength equivalent, thus allowing for the weapon's mounting to be considerably lighter. The now-lighter elements of the receiver assembly do not adversely affect the weapon's recoil characteristics, firmly entrenced in the Acropolis. A high-efficiency muzzle brake and long recoil mechanism (30mm) also lower the felt recoil signature, and provide for more efficient firing characteristics. As with all weapons on the platform, the AC1 is linked to native Fire Control and Battlespace Networks, and can prosper from attendant fire data and ballistic calculation.
The barrel is 35 calibres long, putting it 1.7m from the end of the receiver, and is chrome-lined to improve durability, and allow for the provision of higher-pressure propellant charges, with tungsten-carbide facing along the steel-forged barrel to increase heat tolerance and felt recoil.
Fourrates of fire are able to be selected: semi-automatic, low-rate automatic, high-rate automatic, and five-round burst which allow single-shot, 120rpm (approx.) and 240 rpm (approx.) and burst fire capability.
The AC1 is designed to provide the MAV series of vehicles with effective, reliable, and lightweight firepower for engagement and defeat of light and medium threats including helicopters, opposing IFVs, APCs, entrenched enemy positions, and other infantry support targets. While not as potent as the LY106, the rapid-fire nature of the design allows it to overwhelm to a greater extent the increasingly effective APS of opposing IFVs.
The 'Dropper' Mortar is the standard infantry mortar system of the Marshite Rangers and Marines and is now seeing wide-scale deployment in the Marshite Army. Utilizing setups for both 80mm mortars and 60mm mortars, the Dropper is an extremely capable. Interconnected with battlespace information systems and utilizing a unique feed system, the Dropper is capable of hitting targets at great range, with great accuracy, at sunning speed, and with high lethality. Mortar forces are better off with the Dropper than with any equivalent mortar system. Initially named the MIMS-4(Marshite Industrial Mortar System-4), its high rate of fire and ability to 'drop' the eemy gave it the nickname of the Dropper. It has since become official.
Grenade launchers at a squad level have been a cornerstone of modern militaries since the inception of the weapon and the increase in effectiveness allowing them to be fielded. Off of the heels of the two shot SAGL-16 “Hoard Fist”, the Marshite army requested a new and advanced automatic grenade launcher. The SAGL-19 and 22 were both test platforms conducting experiments on new technology. The result is the Faith Hammer, a highly lethal and adaptable squad automatic grenade launcher. Paired with BALCOTH, it is able to reach out and touch any opposing force in its combat zone. The RAR mounted version has increased range and rate of fire.
Two small and unarmed drones can also be deployed and controlled by the Tigershark, helping to sharpen the intelligence network in the local battlespace.
Propulsion
The MPET-7A gas turbines used are an advanced version of the MPET-6Ds used on Marshite Zubrs, providing a much higher engine efficiency and power output. They are high performance multi-fuel engines which can take a wide variety of fuels, but mileage varies wildly. Maintenance is an issue as well- more support personnel are needed than on the Zubr, which was itself a high-care hovercraft. Poorly supplied or ill-trained maintenance crews can end up shortening the life of a Tigershark dramatically, as well as those of its crew and passengers. The upside to all this is that the MPET-7A is an intensely powerful engine and when given the right fuel is also considered excellent for fuel consumption. A well-supplied, well-maintained Tigershark has superior range and speed to the Zubr while still holding a great deal of armaments and a larger cargo capacity. Top speed is 70 knots, 60 knots if sustained with a range of 600 km at 60 knots. It is capable of sustaining itself in sea state five.
Cargo Capacity
The Tigershark has a cargo area of 440 square metres (4,300 sq ft), and a fuel capacity of 60 tons. It can carry three main battle tanks (up to 150 tonnes), or fifteen armoured vehicles with 300 troops, or 15 amphibious tanks or up to 500 troops (with 360 troops in the cargo compartment). Cargo can be rolled in eighty tons a time and locked into one of the three pallet sections of the cargo hold and then just as easily rolled out. It can be emptied out of more than two-hundred tons of cargo in less than five minutes in this method, assuming heavy vehicles of some sort are at the destination. Even combat infantry, aided by the internal pulley and roll system, can get the cargo out faster than they woul be able to otherwise. While no substitute for a cargo ship, heavy vehicles, and a port, a Tigershark, infantry, and a combat-engaged beachhead can be sustained in the short term alone.
Crew Compliment and Amenities
The crew of the Tigershark is thirty-two large. Eight officers and twenty-four enlisted personnel serve on the Tigershark at all times. Two fire control stations are located on either side of the craft and are responsible for firing the missile-based weapons of the Tigershark. Each one is staffed with one officer and three enlisted personnel. The cargo hold is staffed by another officer and three enlisted personnel. Another fire control station is placed above the bridge- another officer and three enlisted are in charge of the turrets and their engagement. The Drone Officer, Communications and Intelligence Officer as well as the Commandant of the Tigershark are in the bridge with nine additional enlisted. The Engineering officer and his three additional enlisted aids take care of the engines.
The Tigershark is air-conditioned and seat-heated, providing a comfortable living experience. The living area is the same as the crew quarters, with thirty two beds build into the walls. Each bed unit can be closed off and comes with a personalized television with the capability to plug in various systems for entertainment. A t1 internet connection hotspot exists across the entire Tigershark and personal computers can be brought on board, even if such an actively is heavily discouraged. There are six shower stalls placed in the walls as well and a small kitchen and mess hall with multiple tables and open televisions as well as a four-toilet rest-room. This living space exists below the bridge and the cargo bay, with staircases and hatches leading to the fire control stations on either side, the bridge, and the engines in quick order. This easy access gives the large crew the ability to respond swiftly, enabling the Tigershark to go from being inert to capable of carrying cargo and engaging in combat in minutes.
Electronics, Countermeasures, Armour
The Tigershark is connected to the SACHERI Battlespace Network. With the Damocles satellite network providing up to the second satellite data, SACHERI is more powerful than ever, giving the entire Marshite military a decided advantage in battle. Information is shared seamlssly across the entire network, detailing not only enemy makeup and movements but the arms they are carrying as well as exact targeting data. In this manner, the Tigershark is able to stay connected to both the Marshite military's vitals andd engage the enemy at long range with its own advanced weaponry. The two drones that take off from the Tigershark are redundant. Only in the case of being cut off from SACHERI do they play a part, connecting the Tigersharks up to Damocles independently. SACHERI has a competent passive scrambling and communications hacking modules which immediatel set upon enemy communications and scrambling enemy missile fire. While not as effective as dedicated systems, the passive nature of it makes such actions laudable. It also has two TKWA/MASS decoy launchers, an UL 5000K ECM suite, additional smoke grenades and the SAVIOUR Active Protection System, MIRADOR electro-optical sensors, UL 5000 K ESM suite, HOLY AVENGER Information Passive-Active Counter-Missile System.
The decoy launchers and smoke grenades are attached to the front of the hovercraft and help mask the arrival of the Tigershark and distract incoming missile fire. SAVIOUR is an advanced APS which is also useful against enemy missile fire- first using soft-kill systems to make the enemy missile miss and then a hard kill to destroy it before it can do any damage. The HOLY AVENGERS IPACM system is a step above SACHERI's own passive jamming and scrambling, actively seeking out enemy missile fire and electronics and jamming them either after they target the Tigershark or before they become a threat. This suite of protection offers the Tigershark considerable protection despite the fact that it has very little armor. It can sustain 15.5mm machine gun fire but no more, with the bridge fortified to 20mm.
Export
The Tigershark is not an inexpensive warmaking machine. It is complex and large, outfitted with lethal weapons of war and advanced electronics and engines and capable of moving at high speeds with greater cargo capacity. SACHERI is taken out of any export version of the Tigershark, easily replaceable with any native information warfare system. Upon purchase of a Tigershark LCAC, the purchaser is entitled to the following, in addition:
DPR to stocks, spare parts, ammunition and resupply examples of all non-restricted materials, to maintain suitable reserves and hardware redundancy, for use with the Tigershark LCAC.
Each Tigershark LCAC is available at a total cost per unit of NS$145m.
To states so authorized, DPRs to the Tigershark LCAC are available at NS$600bn.
Sales are made through Covenant Arms and Lyran Arms.
