|
Designed in 3052 by Akula Corporate Engineering's Vehicle Division as an air defence platform, the Shilka is well suited to that task. However, additional testing also proved that the Shilka was very capable of providing long range fire support to ground units. Used in combination with the Rapier type fire support vehicles and the Mastermind command vehicle, the Shilka quickly became the worst nightmare of aerospace fighter pilots throughout the Inner Sphere. Capabilities: The Shilka is a heavy air defence platform weighing in at 85 tons. While it is very slow compared to similar vehicles, and lightly armored with only 10.5 tons of A.C.E. Type 4F Extra Heavy armor, its basic mission profile rarely leaves it without cover or exposed to fire. The Shilka is armed with with 4 Mydron Excel 2 LB 2-X Autocannons. These main weapons are capable of throwing up an nearly inpenetrable wall of flak, and their slug rounds are very capable of dealing with mechs and other ground vehicles. Providing additional firepower at long range is a Holly LRM5. For ground targets that get too close, the Shilka does have a brow mounted Sperry Browning Machine Gun. The Shilka also employs a Kallon Sure-shot C3 Slave that allows it to give and receive up to the minute battlefield information. The ammo storage bins are housed in CASE, which improves the chance of crew survival should the armor be breached. The Shilka does have one major disadvantage however. Because of its primary intended role as an air defence platform, and the arrangement of its autocannons, the weapons in the turret can only depress 3 degrees. This proves very costly should the Shilka find itself engaging a ground target that is at a lower elevation as itself, as it simply cannot target the enemy ground unit with its main weapons. While the LRM5 and Machine Gun are still capable of engaging, this oversight leaves the Shilka missing its main firepower in those situations. Deployment: The Shilka is deployed through out the Inner Sphere. Shilkas can be found in moderate numbers in almost every House Army, mercenary unit, and Perphery Kingdom. Almost always deployed as part of an air defense network working along side Rapiers and Masterminds, the Shilka can be a deadly adversary. Most armies deploy the Shilka in a purely defensive role to overcome the vehicles obvious weaknesses. The Shilka can almost always be found in areas of heavy forrest, or dug into berms that provide cover for the body of the vehicle. By deploying the Shilka into berms, the vehicle's two greatest weaknesses can be overcome. The thin armor is given additional protection by the earth that surrounds it, and the lack of turret depression becomes a non-factor as the Shilka's main guns would be at ground level if fully depressed. |
| Equipment | Mass | ||||
| Engine: | 255 I.C.E. | 26.0 | |||
| Cruise MP: | 3 | ||||
| Flank MP: | 5 | ||||
| Internal Structure: | Standard | 8.5 | |||
| Heat Sinks: | 0 | 0 | |||
| Turret: | 3.0 | Control Equipment: | 4.5 | ||
| Lift Equipment: | 0.0 | ||||
| Power Amplifier: | 0.0 | ||||
| Armor Factor: | 168 | 10.5 | |||
| Internal | Armor | ||||
| Structure | Value | ||||
| Front: | 8 | 36 | |||
| Right: | 8 | 33 | |||
| Left: | 8 | 33 | |||
| Rear: | 8 | 30 | |||
| Turret: | 8 | 36 | |||
| Weapons and Ammo | Location | Heat | Mass | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LB-2X | Turret | 0 | 6.0 | |
| LB-2X | Turret | 0 | 6.0 | |
| LB-2X | Turret | 0 | 6.0 | |
| LB-2X | Turret | 0 | 6.0 | |
| Machine Gun | Front | 0 | 0.5 | |
| Ammo-Machine Gun | Body | 0 | 0.5 | |
| C3 Slave | Body | 0 | 1.0 | |
| Ammo-LB-2X Slug | Body | 0 | 1.0 | |
| Ammo-LB-2X Cluster | Body | 0 | 1.0 | |
| LRM-5 | Turret | 0 | 2.0 | |
| Artemis IV - LRM | Turret | 0 | 1.0 | |
| Ammo-LRM-5 Artemis IV | Body | 0 | 1.0 |