M-3 Drone

M-3 Drone
Production information
Manufacturer	Terran Hegemony
Production Year	2698
Use	SDS Drone
Type	Assault
Tech Base	Star League
Technical specifications
Mass	4,000 tons
Structural Integrity	21
Length	89 meters meters
Width	75 meters meters
Height	75 meters meters
Safe Thrust	7 g
Max Thrust	11 g
Fuel (tons)	600 tons
Fuel (days)
Armament	6 x Gauss rifles 11 x PPCs 10 x LRM-20 w/Artemis IV 13 x ER large lasers 12 x medium lasers
Armor	75.5 tons standard armor
Crew	None
Passengers	None
Heat Sinks	200 Double Heat Sinks
BV (2.0)	16,459

Description

Based on the 2650 model of the Pentagon Assault DropShip, the M-3 was the first full production SDS Drone to see widespread use. First deployed in 2698, they replaced the sullied M-2 as the primary drone system of the early SDS network. The M-3 was also the first of the drones to be built new and not as retrofits of existing, crewed ship hulls. Starting in 2704, the M-3 was produced at O’Neil Shipyards and would eventually be built at a half dozen locations across the Hegemony. Being easier to produce than the massive M-5, the majority of Hegemony systems were protected by these diminutive but deadly assault ships.

Armament

This made it a credible threat to corvette and destroyer-class WarShips and capable of destroying the most thickly armored DropShip in a single salvo.

Cargo

None

Notes

The M-3 Drone required no crew as it was completely autonomous. The SDS Drone Control System had a gunnery rating of 3 and a piloting rating of 4. The station's internal automated defenses provided 14 Marine Points to fend off boarding actions.

Bibliography

• Historical: Liberation of Terra Volume 1