Hussar

Specifications
Use	Gear-Strider
Production Code	PD-10HS-A
Manufacturer	Neil Motorworks / Javelin Systems/PADI
Height	10.0 meters

The monstrous Hussar was the creation of the strider loving HAPF engineers. Intended as a light strider without manipulators, the Hussar was originally designated the Ippikos [Greek for horse rider] at the White Rock facility. The project faced a number of challenges throughout the TN1905-TN1913 development period. White Rock Engineers had trouble calibrating the gyroscope of the Ippikos due to its high center of gravity. When the Ippikos engaged its secondary movement system, the prototype had a habit of tipping over or bottoming out. Additionally, the complex SMS system seriously compromised overall structural integrity.

With the advent of the War of the Alliance, the Ippikos was put on hold due to it's set-backs. Ippikos engineers were retasked to work on improving the HAPF’s manufacturing capabilities. Post-war, Humanist preceptors studied captured CEF vehicles, and within a few cycles, the metallurgical properties of the captured hovertanks were understood and applied to various projects including the Ippikos and the Xiphon. The advanced metal was able to handle the transformation of the Ippikos, but did not address the balance issues.

Preceptors designed a new frame proposing the addition of two arms. The modified frame was a strange Gear Tank hybrid that worked very well. The initial Ippikos prototype went into production in TN1932 and was secretly tested in the Barrington Basin in cooperation with elite PAK units as part of the secret alliance between the league and the remnant CEF forces.

PAK forces were very impressed with the Ippikos and pressed their allies for the design specifications, but the Gear Tank was left out of the original treaty. The Ippikos remained in the prototype phase until TN1937 when the unit was deemed essential by the HAPF protectors. The loss of so many preceptors to the Theban Blight left only one option for production: facilities south of Port Arthur were pressed into producing the Ippikos. Only a hundred and twenty two Ippikos were produced at the facilities before the Interpolar War had wound down. Most of the Ippikos Tank Striders were plagued with the same issues the prototype suffered and many were scrapped after the war.

NuCoal design development of the Gallic Series vehicles was underway during the Interpolar War and the Ippikos was rolled into the series. PAK and NuCoal engineers modified the overly complex Ippikos and the simplified chassis and armor made the Gear Tank function at a more optimal rate. Stripping away some of the overly engineered internal components made the newly dubbed Hussar more useable in the field. Technicians were able to make repairs and the interchangeability of a number of parts made the Hussar capable of sustainable field operations.

Even with these changes, the Hussar is still considered one of the most complex machines fielded in the joint militaries. The Hussar is primarily produced by the Humanist owned Javelin Strategic Industries. A limited number are produced by Neil Motor Works for NuCoal use, and in Port Arthur, the Defense Industries manufactures a few dozen of the units each cycle.

Usage

The HAPF and NuCoal forces are the primary users of the Hussar which are generally fielded in Hussar batteries or strider companies as a mobile light artillery vehicle. The versatility of the unit which bridges Striders and Gears fits well into the military doctrine of both forces. While PAK utilizes the Gear Strider to some extent in its forces, the slow moving vehicle sees less use due the highly mobile forces employed by the Arthurian Korps.

In Humanist forces, the Hussar is still referred to as the Ippikos, though functionally the vehicle is exactly the same as the Hussar. During the Interpolar War, the original Ippikos saw heavy use within the few regiments lucky enough to have had access to them. Most of the Gear Striders sustained heavy damage or became unusable after a few seasons of use largely due to maintenance complexities and the lack of replacement parts. Still even with those issues, the Ippikos was highly regarded by the pilots and the companies that fielded them. With the introduction of the Hussar to the HAPF forces, the Gear Strider has a significant presence in the revitalized Humanist forces.

In the current CEF invasion, the Hussar is being used aggressively in both the Barrington and Pacifica front. Often the vanguard of armored companies, the Hussar is capable of laying down tremendous firepower from advantageous positions, while heavier elements move into the kill zone. Rumors persist of NuCoal forces fielding the Hussar in the field taking down at least one HHT-90 Overlord tank during the brutal fighting north of Port Arthur.

Gallery

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