Not much more can be written about the ArmaTech SAMAS of Pre-Cataclysm fame, save that even today versions of this famous power armor are produced across the globe. S-Mart began producing their own brand of the SAMAS in the summer of 115PA, earning further animosity from the Coalition States in the process, if that were even possible considering the history between Desert Star and the CS.
The S-Mart SAMAS-A entered production in 115PA, and has seen most service in the hands of the Imperial Armed Forces of Kyatashiro, and with the N.O.M.A.D. Military, rather than in the hands of foreign purchasers. Later, it was decided to make the S-Mart SAMAS the basis to the Electronics Warfare power armor suit of the N.O.M.A.D. Military.
This version, called the S-Mart SAMAS-B, is nicknamed the "Beerbelly", due to it's large belly fairing, which gives it an almost pregnant appearance. Within this fairing is contained the most dangerous weapon carried by the S-Mart SAMAS-B - Electronics Counter-Measures and Electronics Counter Counter Measures systems. With these systems, the SAMAS-B can jam radar and radio signals within a large radius, and still manage to keep communications open for friendly units by serving as a communications platform. With this system, the SAMAS-B is not often used as a combat type, as it is often deployed in a position skirting a battle zone, remaining under cover, and often with an escort of standard SAMAS-As. Only offered to Allied Nations, the Imperial Kyatashiro Armed Forces procured 120 of these suits, while the N.O.M.A.D. Military procured only 20 of these specialized suits. It is only an interrim type, however, as S-Mart is working on a far stealthier platform. When completed the SAMAS-Bs in N.O.M.A.D. hands are likely to be retired, returned to S-Mart, converted back to SAMAS-A standards, and sold.
Model Type: SAMAS-B.
Class: Electronics Warfare Power Armor Suit.
Crew: 1.
M.D.C. by Location: See pg. 196-198 of RIFTS World Book 15: Spirit West for other details..
Head - 80.
Arms - 80.
Legs - 175.
LPL-3 Light Pulse Lasers (2; Forearms) - 20 each.
Performance:
Running Speed See pg. 196-198 of RIFTS World Book 15: Spirit West.
Leaping: See pg. 196-198 of RIFTS World Book 15: Spirit West.
Flying Speed: 378 mph maximum, with a maximum altitude of 500'. The EMT-2 turbines can provide full power thrust for up to 13 & 1/2 hours, before requiring at least a fifteen minute cooling period. Optimal weight of the pilot is 180 Lb. For every 25 Lb. less than this amount, the power armor is capable of 5 mph more of speed, and 10 minutes longer endurance. For every 25 Lb. more than this amount, the power armor loses 5 mph of speed, and 10 minutes of endurance.
Statistical Data:
Height: See pg. 196-198 of RIFTS World Book 15: Spirit West.
Length: See pg. 196-198 of RIFTS World Book 15: Spirit West.
Width: See pg. 196-198 of RIFTS World Book 15: Spirit West.
Weight: 719 Lb., fully loaded. (Max height for the pilot is 6'4", with an optimal weight of 180 Lb.)
Physical Strength: See pg. 196-198 of RIFTS World Book 15: Spirit West.
Power System: Nuclear, average energy life of 5 years.
Cargo: Enough space for a survival kit, a sidearm, and a few energy clips.
Market Cost: The S-Mart SAMAS-B "Beerbelly" is not available on the open market, as they were special order types produced in limited numbers for the N.O.M.A.D. Military. Cost for the N.O.M.A.D. Military was 1.6 million credits per suit, fully loaded.
Weapon Systems
1. S-Mart LPL-3 Light Pulse Lasers (2; Forearms): These light pulse lasers are added to the Beerbelly, as a means of defending the suit from missile attacks, accidental discovery, or the rare instances where this suit is sent directly into combat. It is a reasonable weapon system, roughly in the same class as the standard energy rifles now used by the Coalition States.
Primary Purpose: Defense.
Secondary Purpose: Assault.
Mega-Damage: 2D6 M.D. per single pulse blast, or 6D6 M.D. per triple pulse burst.
Rate of Fire: Standard; Aimed, Burst or Wild.
Maximum Effective Range: 1,600'.
Payload: Effectively unlimited, thanks to the nuclear power supply.
2. Systems of Note: This unit incorporates all the usual environmental features found in power armor including environmental protection, environmental control, air filtration, an independant 6 hour supply of air, heat and radiation shielding.
1. H.U.D. Wideband Interface: This system is one of the most common systems used throughout post-cataclysm Earth in power armor. Instead of relying upon human vision it operates using a wide angle lense camera to take in the scene. Built into the helmet it sits directly in front of the pilot's face, concealed behind a curved LCD screen. With this model a full one hundred and twenty degree field of vision is attained AND it has no ill effects on the power armor operative. This system provides full integration of all systems in a comprehensive H.U.D. (Heads Up Display). Unlike the common systems found elsewhere, this type is joined with a more advanced targeting computer that allows up to two weapons to be trained on a target at once. The audio level in the H.U.D. Wideband Interface is advanced beyond normal human hearing, becoming only slightly less sensitive than the cybernetic amplified hearing system.
2. Anti-Dazzle Protection: This is essentially nothing more than a polarized film on the sensors that react to the ambient light. Thus if a bright flash occurs in the face of the SAMAS, the lense turns nearly black for an instant, and then quickly changes back to normal - protecting the operator from being dazzled.
3. Infrared Optics: This system allows the user to see the heat emanating from an object. It can be set to be white hot or black hot, depending on operating status. If in combat black hot would be best to avoid being blinded by explosions and similar. While in passive mode, outside of combat, white hot would be best, so as things like body heat would better stand out. The range of this system is 2,000'.
4. Nightvision Optics: This system uses the ambient light from starlight, moonlight and similar to allow a sort of green-tinged vision beyond normal visual ranges for a human. The range of this system is 2,000'.
5. Macrovision Optics: These optics are essentially like a microscope, capable of magnifying objects hundreds of times, from a distance of 6'. This is a useful system for analyzing clues in the field, such as tracks, spent shell casings and similar.
6. Telescopic Optics: These are exactly as they sound, telescopic optics that enhance the image of far away objects. At a range of 6,000' an object appears only 100' away, as an example. The range of this system is 6,000' effectively - but it can enhance the image of objects further away yet still, they just are not quite so well detailed.
7. Thermal Imaging Optics: This is very similar to the Infrared Optics in the sense that it detects heat, but unlike the imprecise nature of the infrared optics, this measures the heat signature precisely displaying them in colorful shades of reds, yellows, greens and blues with various degrees of heat. The thermal imaging optics are also far more sensitive than the infrared optics, actually allowing them to see heat through walls of structures at certain distances. The range of this system is 2,000', but it can only see heat through an obstacle such as a brick wall from 100'.
8. Military Radio & Scrambler: This is the same radio equipment, bolt for bolt, microchip for microchip, as the system found on the USA-G10 Glitterboy. The broadcast range is a modest 50 miles. By resetting the radio transmitter inside the armor to an elevated position, however, the same transmitter can achieve a fairly consistent 500 mile range using atmospheric bounce. Atmospheric anomalys can extend this range still further or can completely disable the radio system within a set radius, it just depends on the circumstances. The scrambler system allows the radio signals to be scrambled to all those not equipped with the correct scrambling codes.
9. I.F.F. Transponder System: This system transmits data such as alpha-numeric designation code, course, mission, base of operations, and unit, via radio signal, to other similarly equipped military stations, vehicles, and power armor suits that have been programmed with the correct access codes. This allows a friendly N.O.M.A.D. soldier in an S-Mart Assassin, overflying a squad of SAMAS, to quickly determine who these individuals are. This also allows field commanders to keep far better track of their military assets. A further feature of this system is that it functions well as a distress beacon. A note towards the safety of I.F.F. - is that the codes are very difficult to break. Since the N.O.M.A.D. Military periodically changes their I.F.F. safety codes - attempts to crack the codes that have taken weeks of supercomputer analysis - are for naught. Those SAMAS that are sold DO include this system but it is programmed as a civilian system, readily read by N.O.M.A.D. Military programmed I.F.F. transponders.
10. Civlian Radar & Tracking Computer: The radar system of the SAMAS covers a sixty degree arc in front of the suit to detect distant objects. Unlike the more advanced type offered by S-Mart, this version is not terribly sensitive to changes in environment, but moreover is sensitive to objects moving outside of ground clutter. In the SAMAS, it's mostly used while the suit is in flight to detect incoming objects, vehicles, and the like. The range of this model is a modest 10 miles. The tracking computer, linked to the radar, is used to track objects detected by radar. Up to fifty separate targets may be tracked simultaniously.
11. Electronic Counter-Measures (E.C.M.): The age old ECM, once again brought to life. This system is similar to the Wild Weasel SAMAS system in the World Book 14: New West. However this is only the jamming system that permits the unit to block radio and radar transmitions within it's radius of effect 65% of the time, and block the guidance of incoming missiles, providing the attackers with a -7 to strike. This system has a 100 mile radius of effect.
12. Electronic Counter-Counter-Measures (E.C.C.M.): This system is specifically designed to fight against ECM, regardless of
whether it's air based, ground based, or sea based. It has a 60% chance to burn through ECM, effectively making this unit a communications platform, in a ECM environment. While the Beerbelly only has a short range radar, this system does allow the suit to use it's radar without much impediment, even while in an E.C.M. intensive environment.
13. EMP Sponges: A pair of EMP Sponges are located in the upper thigh areas of the power armor suit. Each of these will absorb the pulse of a single EMP attack, whether as the side effect of the detonation of a nuclear weapon, or from a specialized EMP weapon.
14. Improvements Available: The SAMAS's basic layout is far from overextended in fact there remains a GREAT deal of room for improvement in terms of the number of systems that can be carried. Remaining system requirement slots are as follows, the first number is internal, second is external. Head 0/25, Left Arm 15/25, Right Arm 15/25, Left Leg 32.5/32.5, Right Leg 32.5/32.5, and Main Body 0/0. An additional 20 S.R. may be fitted to the twin turbine pack, 15 S.R. may be fitted to each of the two main wings, and 5 S.R. may be fitted to each of the winglets.