HT-68 Hovertank

Specifications
Use	Heavy Assault Hovertank
Production Code	HT-68
Manufacturer	Moscow Heavy Industries
Height	3.4 meters
Speed	Hover: 140 kph

Still a mainstay for most of the Colonial Expeditionary Force, the HT-68 is a tank chassis mounted on two powerful electrically driven turbofans similar to those used in VTOL-capable jets. Brief bursts from its engines allow it to jump over obstacles it cannot cross using the air-cushion ground effect alone. This gives unprecedented mobility over all types of terrain, a definite plus for the invading Earth army.

The hovertank is designed to strike hard and strike fast, exploiting weaknesses in the enemy’s defense at a moment’s notice. Despite its imposing size, being slightly larger than a conventional main battle tank, the HT-68 is relatively light to save as much wear and tear as possible on the lift fans. It is built out of ultra-lightalloys, ceramites and other costly space manufactured materials. Only the NEC can viably afford an army of such machines.

The thrust generated by the vehicle’s turbofans is channeled through articulated nozzles placed around the hull of the tank, making it more maneuverable than standard ground effect vehicles. The control surfaces and exhausts are prominently placed and somewhat exposed to hostile fire, especially the two large airflow controllers, and constitute the hovertank’s primary weakness.

The turret-mounted particle accelerator is the main armament and is used to defeat light tanks and other lightly armored vehicles. Guided missile racks for engaging main battle tanks and other hardened targets designated by forward observers, Frames, other hovertanks or aerospace assets can be mounted on the sides of the turret.

Usage

When Earth attempted to invade Terra Nova in TN 1913, the local forces were confronted by hovertanks for the first time. The HT-68s were used as shock troops and assault vehicles, leaving the task of pacifying the conquered areas to the troops that followed them. When the CEF retreated in disarray, most of the vehicles were scuttled or flown back to the landing ships. Only a few of these hovertanks were left behind by the invasion forces. They are now either in museums or with independent local forces such as the Port Arthur army.

In reclaiming the colonies, the HT-68’s performance has been mixed. At Caprice and Atlantis it has practically never been used in a warfare capacity due to a lack of combatants. On Utopia it is a tremendous asset to maintaining the CEF’s treaty agreements, and at Home it was decisive in securing the planet’s surrender and capture.

Gallery

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  HT-68 Artillery loadout

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  MHT-68 Diagram

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  Miniature