Designation: CER-12 Satyros Tactical Corps Alpine Division Combat Engineering Robot

I. Dimensions:

• Total Height: 6.5 m
• Total Depth: 2.6 m
• Total Breadth: 3.2 m
• Weight: 11.2 metric tons

II. Type:

• Design: Bofors
• Builder: Bofors
• Type: One person, Combat Mountaineering/Engineering Robot

III. Service Life:

• Mk. I: Unarmed combat engineering model eventually used by the ASC TC-Alpine Divisions from 2013-2019 to support mountain offensives and the construction of defensive emplacements in mountainous terrain.
• Mk. II: Armed combat model upgrading the armor, weapons and drive systems of the Satyros. Used by the TC Alpine Divisions from 2017-2033.

IV. Propulsion:

• 3 x Allison BRT-2 Hybrid Rocket Fuel thrusters (solid propellent, liquid oxidizer) in the back, output 162 kN combined
• Powerplant: 1 x SCE-2P Miniaturized Protoculture-cell energizer
• Fuel Capacity: 6 Standard Canisters of Protoculture.
• Climbing equipment
  • 2 x Climbing hardpoints mounted on the forearms capable of supporting either:
    • Compressed-air-driven Grapples with 15 metric ton rated winches for climbing or equipment retrieval with 45 meters of high strength cable located in the arms
      or
    • Combination digging/climbing claw for excavation and climbing also located in the arms.

    Typically, one of each will be mounted.

  • 2 x retractable spikes in wrists to assist in climbing.
  • 2 x clawed hands to assist in climbing.
  • Provisions to attach spikes in feet to assist in climbing.

V. Performance:

• Running speed: 110 kph
• Protoculture supply : 300 hours operational use.
• Jump flight capability: the thrusters have fuel for four minutes of low level flight, with a maximum speed of 120 kph. More commonly, for obvious tactical reasons, the mecha uses the thrusters as jump jets, the fuel being sufficient for about 70 jumps with an average height of 20 meters and to a distance of 75 meters.

VI. Electronics:

Sensor Systems:

(All)

• Westinghouse TPG-144 X-band pulse-doppler phased array radar with battlefield surveillance mode. High gain phased arrays and signal processors to deal with harsh mountainous propagation environment.
• Phillips AllView II multi-band spherical-coverage digital camera system, for medium range all-attitude infra-red imaging, optical and ultra-violet band detection and tracking in Battloid mode HF and C-Band Satellite communications systems for long range communications.

  (Mk. II only)

• Thomson LT-8 multi-frequency laser ranger and designator.

Tactical Electronic Warfare System:

• Selenia GroundWarrior active/passive sensor jammers.

VII. Armament:

(Mk. I only) No weapons are standard built-in beyond the climbing claws. However, the mecha has hands and can carry weapon pods. (Mk. II only) 1 x MRL-15 missile launcher. 15 Total internal chest-mounted, short range (15m to 8.2km) variable warhead, combined infra-red imager and active radar homing 190 x 540mm Hammerhead missiles. Common optional pods for used by the hands: 1 x GU-13 three-barreled 35mm gun pod, firing 2000 rounds per minute, 600 round capacity, stored in the pod itself, and in a non-detachable 'magazine'. The Ammunition was a mix of Tungsten-coated depleted Uranium Armor Piercing Spin-Stabilized Discarding Sabot (APSSDS), High Explosive Armor Piercing (HEAP) and tracer rounds. This weapon was not frequently used.

or 1 x Mauser EU-10 Laser Gun Pod. This gun pod fired energy pulses of up to 10 MJ per blast. This gun pod could fire up to 150 times/minute due to the large capacitors mounted on either side of the pod. This was the most common gunpod assigned to these battloids due to its decent penetration capabilities and high rate of fire. The weapon incorporated a carrying handle to assist in transportation and could be attached to an arm in a carrying position.

or 1 x Mauser EU-11 28mm Laser Gun Pod. This gun pod fired energy pulses of up to 12.5 MJ per blast. This gun pod could fire up to 110 times/minute. This was the gun pod issued to the VHT-2 Hovertank due to its smaller size and higher penetration capabilities.

or 1 x General Electric EU-22 pulse laser pod, firing 12 MJ pulses at 130 pulses per second. Specially developed for the SC ground Battloids, this cannon used pulse technology to offset the beam attenuation caused by the lower layers of the atmosphere in which it was used. This pod was utilized in cases where more impact than penetration was required, and was introduced around 2031, although primarily with the combat battloids first.

or 1 x Excavation spade, 3.8 meters long, used as an entrenching tool. Also makes for a formidable hand to hand weapon.

VIII. Armor:

The armor on the Satyros is a new development in low-mass composite-materials Chobham plating that became the standard for all Terran mecha after its application to the VQ-6A Vandal. Aside from the respectable protection provided against projectiles, missiles, and other kinetic weapons, this armor is also resistant to plasma globes (annihilation discs), lasers, and to a lesser extent, particle guns, owing to the fact that the armor can flake off and evaporate in layers under fire from such high-energy weapons, taking much of the weapon's energy and converting it into the latent heat of sublimation in the armor. The armor stops all small arms and heavy infantry weapons fire, provides excellent resistance to light mecha-mounted weaponry, such as the Zentraedi 22.3mm HE autocannon round, and fair resistance to medium mecha-mounted weaponry, such as the Valkyrie's 55mm APFSDS round.

The Satyros provides full protection from nuclear, biological, and chemical hazards, using a fully sealed cockpit modual activated by radiation and hazardous chemical sensors, or manually when biological warfare conditions are anticipated. The module is also armored and gives the Satyros the option of operating off-planet on the Moon or elsewhere in the system. The internal consumables supplies can provide atmosphere purification for one week maximum on Earth and 48 hours in a hostile environment such as the Moon or Mars.

IX. Development:

The CER-12 Satyros, commonly known by it's nickname "Billy Goat", at first seems to mirror the CER-11 Dryad's mission and capabilities. But where as the Dryad was originally a non-military construction robot, the Satyros was devised by Bofors as an armored, jump capable, combat engineering robot from the get go. The Dryad was optimized for jungle and marshy environments, the Satyros on the other hand was meant to be used to reclaim terrain-embedded Zentraedi warships, to help construct defensive emplacements in mountainous terrain and to provide mobile hardened command, control, communications, and intelligence (C³I) relay stations for mountain-based infantry. After the Zentraedi Holocaust and the following years of unrest and uncertainty, many communities desired more protective locations in out of the way locations, such as canyons and blast craters. As such, the Satyros was expected to assist in building these communities, when their duties didn't keep them occupied elsewhere. With its powerful winches, the Satyros was also used as an armored recovery vehicle and in maintenance areas to lift heavy equipment.

Due to the poor radio propagation environment of mountainous terrain, the Satyros assisted the Alpine forces of the Tactical Corps in maintaining communications between their units. This battloid was equipped with a powerful communications relay capability, which could be boosted by the addition of high gain whip antennas. It was also equipped with a powerful radar set for a non-combat battloid that was evidenced by the twin arrays located to either side of the head.

The Mk. I was an unarmed military construction/salvage/mining robot for use in the mountains. With the Southern Cross Armies beginning as a unified command of the RDF units in South America, they quickly discovered the vulnerability of this mecha in a combat situation without built-in weapon systems. Therefore, the Southern Cross Army Robotech Research Department (SCAR) devised an armed refit for this battloid to assist in mountainous combat arenas like the Andes mountains. After years of use of the Mk. I, the Southern Cross designed a newer version optimized for its combat role as well as keeping its engineering capabilities to support the Southern Cross in mountainous terrain, designated the Mk. II. The refit consisted of the addition of a MRL-15 missile launcher containing 15 Hammerhead missiles, which were one of the most common (and capable) missiles in the ASC's inventory. It also added a laser range finder/designator, which was conspicuously missing up to that point.

Visually, the Satyros was a very distinctive mecha. With it's large shoulders, clawed arms and hands and long skinny legs it looked very close to it's Greek namesake. The feet were long and thin, giving them the agility needed for mountaineering. It also had mounting points on the feet for adding spikes to assist in climbing. The arms could mount either a claw or a grappling hook (usually one of each). It also provided accessories to support an infantry team. Knee rings for mounting ropes and a chest bar for rigging off of. The Satyros had wrist spikes to assist it in climbing as well as fully rotating shoulder and upper arm joints. It was also limited-flight-capable, which proved a life saver any time a pilot found himself involuntarily airborne.

The Satyros saw combat in the Malcontent Uprisings in the upper Andes, fought the Robotech Masters all over the Western Hemisphere and it battled against the EBSIS in Eastern Europe after the Second Robotech War. They acted as combat engineers and as infantry support battloids. Later, during the Invid Occupation, they served in a limited capacity with freedom fighters where their role in the fighting was not relegated to the mountains. No complete, functional models are known to exist today.

See additional design notes.

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