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Asshur

Armament:

2 Series 2b ER Medium Lasers

1 Pattern J6 Streak SRM 6

1 ICD Type 4 TAG

Manufacturer:    Various

   Location:    (Unknown)

Communications System:    Consolidated Type 2M

Targeting & Tracking System: Consolidated Type V TTS

Overview:

         The lightest of the original designs commissioned by Jerome Winson, the Asshur fast reconnaissance vehicle was named for an Assyro-Babylonian god of war. When the scientists of Clan Blood Spirit introduced the even lighter Shamash to serve the same purpose, the Asshur immediately became a candidate for decommissioning, Rather than abandoning the serviceable Asshur, however, Blood Spirit technicians replaced its hull-mounted machine guns with a TAG system, and the Asshur proved an ideal artillery spotter.

Capabilities:

         Only moderately armored, the Asshur's primary defense against opposing 'Mechs and armor is its speed. Capable of achieving speeds in excess of 150 kilometers per hour, it can outrun almost any ground vehicles currently fielded. In addition, a pair of turret-mounted extended-range medium lasers provide accurate fire out to 450 meters, allowing the Asshur to maintain a respectable distance from its target. These beam weapons are backed by a sophisticated short-range missile system, also mounted in the turret. Though the Asshur carries only enough ammunition for fifteen missile volleys, the use of Streak technology guarantees a hit by every round.
         The vehicle's primary "weapon" is the TAG system. Initial attempts to mount the device in the turret caused problems with the traverse mechanism, hindering both the TAG system and the Asshur's ability to defend itself. As a result, the designator was mounted fixed-forward, which proved to be less of a problem than might be expected. Though the crew is required to maneuver their vehicle face-on to the target. the vehicle's speed and agility means they are rarely exposed to effective counter-fire.

Deployment

         Though most Clans use Asshurs, only the Ghost Bears and Steel Vipers have deployed them in the Inner Sphere. They saw action in several engagements, the most notable being a raid by the mercenary company Armstrong's Archers in 3054. Under contract to the Federated Commonwealth, the Archers staged a raid against the Steel Vipers on Graus, encountering elements of the Thirty-eighth Phalanx 250 kilometers north of New Paris. A mixed Star of vehicles and 'Mechs faced off against the mercenary company, and the Inner Sphere commander expected a quick victory against the garrison unit.
         Because the commander was unaware that one of the vehicles was an Asshur spotter vehicle, the mercenaries ignored the vehicles and launched a mass assault against the Star's two 'Mechs, perceiving them as the greater threat. The mercenaries' action freed the Vipers from the need to adhere to the strict rules of engagement, and the Asshur ran circles around the Inner Sphere 'Mechs, repeatedly designating the nearest for Arrow-IV artillery missiles inbound from a pair of tanks located several kilometers from the battlefield. No mercenaries survived the engagement.

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Type/Model:	Asshur Artillery Spotter
Mass:	20 tons

Equipment:		Items	Mass
Internal Structure:	10 pts Standard	0	2.00
Engine:	95 Fusion	0	3.00
Shielding & Trans Equip:		0	1.50
Cruise MP:	9
Flank MP:	14
Heat Sinks:	10 Single	0	.00
Cockpit & Controls:		0	1.00
Crew:	2 Members	0	.00
Lift Equipment:		0	2.00
Turret Equipment:		0	.50
Armor Factor:	58 pts Ferro-Fibrous	1	3.00