Cheetah

Specifications
Use	Scout/recon Gear
Production Code	HACS-01LG-SCT
Manufacturer	Shaian Mechanics
Height	4.1 meters
Speed	Walker: 65 kph SMS: 91.6 kph

The Cheetah was introduce to replace the North's previous reconnaissance Heavy Gear, the Bobcat and Ferret, by using a frame similar to the Hunter's and the latest in cutting-edge technology.  This made the Cheetah a more capable combatant, though its light armoring still means it must rely on speed and maneuverability to get out of trouble.^{[citation needed]}

The Cheetah scout Gear was the first machine to announce the technological superiority of the North in the early part of the twentieth century. Designed to surpass the speed and maneuverability of previous scout and reconnaissance Gears such as the Bobcat and Ferret, the Cheetah used cutting edge technology on a frame similar to the Northco Hunter.

The new machine’s almost fully humanoid design allowed it to be used in a variety of specialized combat roles, including assaults that were previously off limits to the combat-shy Bobcat and Ferret. The Cheetah is nonetheless lightly armored, but it relies on outstanding speed and superb maneuverability to give it a defensive edge. Speed is not always an appropriate defense, however, and the scout Gear is still often deployed with heavier Gears when undertaking combat missions.

Attempts to increase armor strength have thus far been largely unsuccessful. The Gear is equipped with a variety of hardpoints including a series of waist-level attachments for deployable pack-guns to supplement any shouldermounted weaponry. The standard armament consists of a single pack gun, a RP-109 Pepperbox missile pod, grenades and a vibroknife.

Usage

The attempted invasion of Terra Nova by the Colonial Expeditionary Force in TN 1913 provided the Cheetah with ample opportunity to prove its worth in battle. Although few combat vehicles could match the combination of speed and firepower presented by the CEF’s deadly hovertanks, the Cheetah was able to hold its own.

Combat-capable scout units gave many Northern forces a critical edge when facing the initial drive of the Earth forces into the United Mercantile Federation and the border territories of the Western Frontier Protectorate. As the command of all Northern forces was centralized, the Cheetah came into much wider distribution and many units were transferred to the Mercantile and Western theaters. The war also saw the development of a many variants.

Since the end of the war, the Cheetah has secured its place as the premier scout unit among almost all Northern forces, but is most widely used by the Northern Guard forces stationed in the Badlands. The Guard’s elite 7th Gear Regiment — the Cat’s Paws — use a great number of Cheetahs and swear by its strengths. The Paws’ prestige ensures that Cheetah orders remain high.

Variants

• Para Cheetah
• Strike Cheetah
• Cheetah MP
• Cheetah Mk2
• White Cat
• Silver Cat
• Metal Cat

Media

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  Pre-ATO head casting

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  Post-ATO "Fang" head

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