Weapons of the ZOCU War
EU Mobile Weapons
Ge-02 "Lambert" Mobile Suit
While they had originally discounted the possibility that the combat mobile suits by the Zodiac Colonies posed any real threat, the military authorities of the European Union were quick to reassess this position after the startling successes of the OMF-06 Hoplite in the summer of 2185. Superior in performance to the EU's outdated space fighters, the highly mobile Hoplite was often able to retreat into planetary atmospheres beyond reach of any pursuit by conventional space forces. They could even be used in the rugged jungles of Haraway's World and Open. It was obvious that while improvements to the regular forces were desperately needed, adopting the unconventional weapons used by the guerrilla Zodiac fighters would prove vital to defeating them.
The Ge-02 Lambert was the result of the EU's crash mobile suit development program, and while itself a relatively primitive design it provided data vital to design of the deadly mobile suits eventually fielded by the EU in the war's final climactic battle. Only a limited number of Lamberts were produced during the war, and they saw little actual combat against Zodiac mobile suits. While not much of a wartime success, the Lambert found its niche in the postwar years as remote or technologically backwards colonies rushed to obtain their own mobile suits and the EU looked to bolster its own clients on the frontier.
The easy to produce and dependable Lambert proved to be well suited for deployment on worlds without the resources needed to maintain or construct more advanced mobile suits, and the design is now produced under license on a number of worlds. It is widely available across the expanse and beyond.
Type: Combat Frame
Height: 18 Meters
Armor: Titanium Alloy (Category 2)
Armament: 1 x GIAT F3 100mm Autocannon
Powerplant: 1 x Compact Reactor
Propulsion: 1 x Extra Verniers, 1 x Extra Boosters
ZOCU Mobile Weapons
OMF-04 Peltast Mobile Suit
For the worlds of the ZOCU organization, the Breakdown offered an opportunity to seize their national destinies. Unfortunately with the effective termination of significant core world contact, the ZOCU Worlds were forced into nearly total self-reliance. Armed with limited weapons and with no source for replacement or reinforcement it was almost inevitable that civilian vehicles would be pressed into service. Among these were orbital transfer vehicles and manipulation vehicles, the ancestors of modern combat frames. Not terribly efficient, they nonetheless served as stopgaps until ZOCU military industry matured. Out of the 'second' generation of ZOCU weapons, the OMF-04 Peltast was the first frame to be designed and built from conception forward as a combat craft.
Originally produced by Londenium Metals for the local militia, the arrival of the Peltast into service did not come too soon as less than six months after the first companies achieved operational status, the ZOCU world of Vrijheid was attacked by forces of the Magnates. The organized clone-soldiers of the Magnates swiftly overwhelmed Vrijheid's militia and a rushed relief force from several ZOCU worlds was organized. At the lead were Londenium's Peltasts which led the landing operation in December 2165 and subsequent counterattacks. This and smaller brushfire wars gave the ZOCU Peltast pilots and tacticians solid experience that they put to good use in the '80s.
While rugged and relatively simple to produce, the Peltast was already starting to show its limitations by the early '80s. Its early design was beginning to hold it back and the design austerity that had allowed it to be produced all across the ZOCU worlds was being superseded by almost two decades of technological and industrial improvements. Furthermore, despite the successes scored by Peltast teams in the early 80s, recontact and the looming spectre of conflict with the industrially and technologically powerful core worlds pointed towards the need for replacements. These were to be the OMF-06 Hoplite and the OMF-07 Legionnaire.
The wartime record of the Peltast ultimately spanned more than two decades from the Magnate Wars of the 60s to the ZOCU war of the 80s. Designed as an all-environment craft it saw most of its battles on land, with the majority of its space combat time occurring near the end of its service period. For most of this time the standard load was a Londenium Metals Mk-11 railgun or locally-built weapons, with the more expensive PG-47 particle rifle only entering service in the 80s for units assigned to orbital ops. Despite the Peltast's age, it performed adequately against the EU's aging space fighters and ground vehicles, though PACT aerospace craft proved to be difficult opponents for the relatively underpowered mobile frame.
The introduction of the Hoplite pushed the Peltast into second-line formations as fast the newer frames could be produced. Today, surviving Peltasts have been relegated to home guard forces or sold/provided to third-world Expanse states, making them a reasonably common sight in smaller militaries.
The following specifications are typical for a war-era Peltast.
OMF-04 Peltast Combat Frame
Origin: Londenium
Primary Operator: ZOCU
Date Of Introduction: 2165
Role: General Role Combat Frame
Control System: Linear Frame
Height: 16.9 meters
Weight: 72.5 tons (standard combat loadout)
Powerplant: Forced Fusion Reactor
Main Thrusters: 7
Apogee Motors: 16
Fixed Armament: 1x PL3 Plasma Lance (hand-carried in use)
Additional Armament: 1x Kojima-Saitama Collective Technologies PG-47 Particle Rifle (arm-mounted in use), 2x 'Hammerhead' Medium
Missiles
Defensive Systems: Laminate Armor
OMF-06 Hoplite Mobile Suit
Early skirmishing on and around Kanon, Haraway’s World and New Mercia between 2181 and 2183 demonstrated the creeping strategic inferiority of the Peltasts that had been ZOCU's backbone for fifteen years. While well-suited for their original role, it was clear that in the case of all-out war - which had already begun on New Mercia - the unsophisticated '60s design would not suffice. Plans for a Peltast replacement were duly accelerated and the introduction of the Hoplite to battle in 2185 was instrumental in several ZOCU victories in space. Indeed, if it were not for the heroic efforts of the 16th ZOCU Mobile Volunteer Battalion in getting the full design schematics and prototypes out of Kanonian space in the face of stiff PACT resistance it is quite possible that the EU's attack on the Londenium orbital yards four months later would have been successful, crippling half of ZOCU's entire starship production ability.
The Hoplite entered warzones in first a trickle and then as production ramped up across the ZOCU worlds. By the end of 2185, virtually all production lines had been turned to the Hoplite family and between 2185 and the armistice of 2189, approximately 80% of all ZOCU combat frames built were Hoplite variants. The Alpha model was the definitive production model and saw both production and fighting on all fronts. Other common variants include the Beta superiority/ace model with enhanced apogee motors and tweaked control systems for better aerospace performance and the Gamma 'shell' model which was clad in advanced armor composites, seeing use in both antishipping strikes and ground actions. Many specialized or local variants were also built, such as the Lambda electronic attack model and the Harawayan-built Heras.
The rapid introduction of the Hoplite came as welcome news to ZOCU pilots. Importantly, the control systems and general outfit were quite similar between the Peltast and Hoplites replacing them, ensuring that changeover to the new units was smooth and quick. Superior in performance to the Peltasts, Hoplites allowed ZOCU to effectively control space for the first time in the war. Beyond the improvements to thruster output and armor and the increased agility due to reduced weight, the Hoplites also had substantially improved powerplants. This meant that Hoplites could power high-energy weapons like the standard PG-55 directly from their onboard power grid, as opposed to relying on capacitor 'magazines' like the Peltast was forced to do.
Fighting on the ground and in space across both the Pac-Am and European Arms, the Hoplite was the dependable soldier of ZOCU. Its effectiveness and reliability has ensured it remains in service to the current day. No official replacement has yet been planned, though some forces are slowly shifting to the more powerful Sarissa derivative or upgunning Hoplites with mega particle rifles. Hoplites have also been sold to a number of friendly governments, as they include no cutting-edge ZOCU technology.
OMF-06A Hoplite Alpha Mass Production Model
Origin: Kanon
Primary Operator: ZOCU
Date Of Introduction: 2185
Role: General Role Combat Frame
Control System: Linear Frame
Height: 16 meters
Weight: 56 tons (standard combat loadout)
Powerplant: 2x Forced Fusion Reactors
Main Thrusters: 4
Apogee Motors: 14
Fixed Armament: Kojima R-10 Pulse Laser Array (head mounted), 2x PL6 Plasma Lances (hand-carried in use)
Additional Armament: 1x Kojima-Saitama Collective Technologies PG-55 Particle Rifle (hand-carried in use), 4x 'Hammerhead' Medium Missiles
Defensive Systems: Laminate Armor
OMF-07 Legionnaire Mobile Suit
While the Hoplite was a solid performer, its ability to perform anti-shipping strikes in the face of increasingly effective Core anti-air defenses became a concern by early 2187. Even the deployment of the heavily-armored Hoplite Gamma model could not reverse this trend. This made the introduction of the OMF-07 Legionnaire in June 2187 an unpleasant surprise for Core shipping. Sharing some outward similarities with the old Peltast, the Legionnaire was nonetheless an entirely new machine designed designed by Londenium Metals for heavy assault.
Thickly armoured in low-mass composites and equipped with a frame-sized flash shield, the Legionnaire was a tough target for the Core ships’ railguns and pulse cannons, making it popular with pilots and earning it the nickname 'The Tank.' As befitting an assault unit its default armament emphasised anti-ship and anti-armor effectiveness, starting with a LDS-2 assault cannon. This large bazooka-style weapon and the pair of 'Sledge' heavy missiles proved to be effective at antiship strikes. A lightweight particle carbine provides firepower against other mobile units. Unfortunately this Legionnaire was something of a rushed design and shipboard maintenance crews were forced to replace overworked components after almost every mission. Additionally, while the Legionnaires were only slightly taller than their stablemates, they were considerably bulkier than Hoplites and as a result some hangars could not handle them properly.
Despite its flaws, the Legionnaires performed well during the war. A sweeping upgrade in the early '90s solved many of the outstanding maintenance issues, though Legionnaires still retain their reputation as hangar queens. Few Legionnaire variants exist, as for most roles it is cheaper and easier to modify a Hoplite instead.
OMF-07 Legionnaire Combat Frame
Origin: Londenium
Primary Operator: ZOCU
Date Of Introduction: 2187
Role: Assault Frame
Control System: Linear Frame
Height: 16.9 meters
Weight: 84.8 tons (standard combat loadout)
Powerplant: 2x Forced Fusion Reactors
Main Thrusters: 4
Apogee Motors: 12
Fixed Armament: Kojima R-10 Pulse Laser Array (head mounted), 1x PL6 Plasma Lances (hand-carried in use)
Additional Armament: 1x LDS-2 Assault Cannon, 1x Kojima-Saitama Collective Technologies PG-59 Particle Carbine, 2x 'Sledge' Heavy Missiles
Defensive Systems: Depleted Uranium Armor, Flash Shield
OMF-09 Sarissa Mobile Suit
The introduction of the Hoplite in 2185 spurred Core efforts to fast-track new, more effective craft to the battle. Unfortunately, ZOCU was not resting on its laurels and the introduction of the Sarissa in early 2188 demonstrated that they'd solved various problems with mass-producing compact mega particle weapons. A high-performance unit intended for commanders and aces, the Sarissa is a heavily upgraded derivative of the Hoplite.
In addition to the new mega particle rifle and an electromotive shotgun for close fights, the Sarissa replaced the original fusion drive system of the Hoplite with a compact and powerful Mercurion drive array. This allowed for both better performance and thicker armor, as well as the robust fusion generators required for the Sarissa's array of power-hungry systems. Normally used by aces or squadron leaders, some all-Sarissa formations were organized and sent into battle where they proved to be deadly adversaries for Core pilots who soon learned to fear their tell-tale sprays of energized particles.
Unlike the Hoplites and Legionnaires that saw a great deal of planetside fighting, Sarissas were priority allocated to orbital operations. Their advantages were less pronounced inside atmosphere and there were never enough of them to deploy them groundside in all but the most pressing engagements. No official variants were built during the war, though recently the Alpha model upgrade kit has begun to circulate which primarily consists of a lightweight flash shield retrofit for added protection.
OMF-09 Sarissa Combat Frame
Origin: Kanon
Primary Operator: ZOCU
Date Of Introduction: 2188
Role: Ace use Frame
Control System: 360' Panoramic Cockpit w/ Linear Frame
Height: 16.0 meters
Weight: 57.9 tons (standard combat loadout)
Powerplant: 2x Delta-Type Forced Fusion Reactors
Main Thrusters: 2 (Mercurion Drives)
Apogee Motors: 18
Fixed Armament: Kojima R-10 Pulse Laser Array (head mounted), 2x PL7+ Plasma Lances (hand-carried in use)
Additional Armament: 1x Kojima-Saitama Collective Technologies MP-1 Mega Particle Rifle (hand-carried in use), 1x 'Stonebridge' 140mm electromotive shotgun (hand-carried in use), 12x MM-3 Swarm Missiles
Defensive Systems: Laminate Armor
OMF-14 Masamune Mobile Suit
One of the strategic issues that ZOCU planners were acutely aware of was the varying level of technology and industrial development of the ZOCU worlds. Mindful of this, the Hoplite and Peltast had been designed relatively conservatively with mass production in mind . However, there was always a need for advanced models to conduct special missions. Rarely produced in significant numbers, these combat frames were at the cutting edge of ZOCU science and had technologies and equipment unsuitable or too expensive for main line units. The last of these to achieve production status during the war was the OMF-14 Masamune. A veil of secrecy still surrounds the Masamune and virtually all performance specifications remain secret. However some information has been gleaned from intelligence sources and battle data and a general if incomplete picture has been assembled.
Having entered service sometime in 2189, Masamunes were limited to elite pilots. The Transbaal ace Y.G. Kruger is believed to have recieved the first frame built, with the second going to 'Geist', ZOCU's top-ranked ace. Several more frames were rolled out but the cost and complexity of the Masamunes kept them very rare. This cost was due to the diverse array of cutting-edge technology they carried, the requisite miniaturization to fit and the staggering quantities of theta dust needed for all the systems. This technology came from multiple sources, including a Transbaal-designed fast-scan neural interface system, twin Kanonian mega particle pulse guns and a stealth system reputedly reverse-engineered from a crashed posthuman drone by scientists on Hampshire. The key to making this work however was the SIYAN-supplied power core and propulsion system. Like the stealth system, it is believed to be posthuman-derived. A ZOCU ally, it is believed that SIYAN traded their power system expertise as repayment for technical help in ship design development.
OMF-14 Masamune Combat Frame
Origin: Kanon
Primary Operator: ZOCU
Date Of Introduction: 2189
Role: Special Operations Combat Frame
Control System: Neural Interface
Height: 14.0 meters
Weight: 50 tons (estimated)
Powerplant: Unknown
Main Thrusters: Unknown
Apogee Motors: Unknown
Fixed Armament: Kojima R-10 Pulse Laser Array (head mounted), 2x Kojima-Saitama Collective Technologies MP-2 Mega Particle Guns (chest mounted), 4x PL7+ Plasma Lances (hand-carried in use)
Additional Armament: Unknown
Defensive Systems: Stealth System
ZOCU Spacecraft
Spartacus Heavy Cruiser
One of the earlier warships to emerge from the Expanse, Spartacus heavy cruisers were the cutting edge of technology when the name ship officially entered service in 2162. Some of the largest and by far the most technologically advanced warships to be built outside the Core at the time, the Spartaci were symbols of Londenium military might and industrial power. Designed before the need for transporting combat frames or fighters for space combat was properly recognized, the design and the several Spartaci in service during the Magnate War were modified to carry eight strike craft, replacing much of the ship's internal cargo bays and leading to the now-familiar external fuel spheres.
It originally took about two years to build each Spartacus, though by the early 70s increased automation had cut this down to approximately fifteen months and production continued methodically. By the recontact, all ZOCU major worlds had anywhere from one to three of these cruisers forming the cores of their navies, all built at the Londenium orbital shipyards. Most went through a major SLEP upgrade between 2177 and 2181, with their original heavy railcannons replaced by newly-developed mega particle cannons, a scattering field system added and additional power generation capacity fitted. No further Spartaci were completed after 2182, when the Londenium cruiser yards were shut down for a two-year reconstruction in preparation to commence construction of the new Ionia and Carthage designs.
While recently upgraded and carrying exceptionally powerful cannon armament only exceeded by the eventual introduction of the Pallada battleships, overall the Spartaci were past their prime during the ZOCU war and by the armistice in 2189, more than half had been destroyed or rendered unfit for fleet operations. Most of the survivors have been transferred to second-tier navies, though New Mercia maintains a number of modernized hulls in the Royal Fleet, preferring the well-gunned Spartaci over the more generalized Ionias.
Spartacus Heavy Cruiser
Origin: Londenium
Primary Operator: ZOCU
Date Of Introduction: 2162
Role: Heavy Cruiser
Control System: Bridge
Length: 264.4 meters
Empty Mass: 44,500 tons
Loaded Mass: 52,700 tons
Powerplant: 5x Closed-Cycle Fusion Reactors
Main Thrusters: 5
Apogee Motors: 52
FTL Drive: Theta Type
Fixed Armament: 3x Triple Mega Particle Cannon Turrets, 18x 80mm AA Railgun Turrets
Defensive Systems: Orbital Steel Armor, Scattering Field
Strike Craft: 8
Liberty Ship
The re-establishment of regular contact with the Core worlds at the end of the Breakdown brought with it both new challenges and new opportunities. For almost three decades merchant marines throughout the Expanse were limited by what was immune to the Breakdown, in other words mostly various painfully slow freighters dating to the dawn of the 22nd century and a handful of modern theta dust designs operated by naval auxilaries. Individual worlds were forced into self-sufficiency. Eventually however the virus that had infected delta drives was isolated and eliminated and in in 2179, regular travel once again began. This suddenly exposed the near-total lack of proper merchant marine in any of the ZOCU worlds. Luckily, New Mercia had been working on a new model of modular conveyor since the opening of the EU catapult in 2176. Named after the famous Liberty ships of WWII, these ships were specifically designed to be easily built on the ground and then launched into orbit inside a single civilian lift vehicle.
While originally intended for civilian operations, the rapid escalation of tension saw various ZOCU states modifying the original Liberty Ship design to fill the role of stopgap mobile weapon carrier to augment the abilities of the few dedicated warships the ZOCU militias had at the time. To this end the bow habitation section was replaced with an independent command pod/escape ship capable of detaching from the main frame with the docking collars, engineering and primary fuel stores. The command pod was also fitted with various locally-built weapons, though generally these needed to be ejected in order to perform atmospheric landing.
In a combat role, Liberty Ships normally carried four fast-release racks, each of which could hold four frames or fighters. However, due to the distinct lack of support facilities onboard either the racks or the ships themselves, frames were preferred as at least they could rearm themselves. This also tied Liberty Ships closely to bases, though it was not uncommon to see them as part of offensive fleets, paired up with Protons and/or with one or two racks replaced with small hangars and supply pods capable of performing maintenance. SIYAN used this tactic particularly widely, as they had few other warships. It was also not uncommon for Liberty ships to swap roles on a regular basis; a ship launching mecha for patrols one month would be moving supplies the next and transporting dropships the third. They were cheap, fast to build and expendable.
After the war, the need for cheap hulls vanished and many of the surviving Liberty Ships were demilitarized and sold into civilian service, replaced by Samo class logistics ships in a support role. A number of Expanse and Rim governments have since licensed the design to expand their own merchant marines without needing to invest in pricy orbital yards.
ZOCU Liberty Ship
Origin: New Mercia
Primary Operator: ZOCU
Date Of Introduction: 2180
Role: Armed Merchantman
Control System: Bridge
Length: 162 meters
Empty Mass: 2,900 tons
Loaded Mass: 3,600 tons
Maximum Jumpable Mass: 14,000 tons
Powerplant: 1x Closed-Cycle Fusion Reactor
Main Thrusters: 4
Apogee Motors: 16
FTL Drive: Civilian Delta Type
Fixed Armament: Varies, normally 1x or 2x pulse cannons
Defensive Systems: Radiation Protection Shield
Proton Light Cruiser
Designed for simplicity of production and the ability to carry a single team of mobile suits into combat the Proton light cruiser is not without significant flaws. However it was ideal for its role and the Proton was mass-produced in shipyards across ZOCU space to become the most common warship in the combined ZOCU fleet. While designated a light cruiser, the Proton was too light to fall under Sirius treaty restrictions and remains ubiquitous to the current day in a wide variety of different subtypes.
Proton Light Cruiser
Origin: Londenium
Primary Operator: ZOCU
Date Of Introduction: 2182
Role: Escort/Light Carrier
Control System: Bridge
Length: 160.3 meters
Empty Mass: 19,800 tons
Loaded Mass: 22,700 tons
Powerplant: 2x Closed-Cycle Fusion Reactors
Main Thrusters: 2
Apogee Motors: 60
FTL Drive: Delta Type
Fixed Armament: 3x Twin Mega Particle Cannon Turrets, 8x 80mm AA Railgun Turrets
Defensive Systems: Composite Armor, Scattering Field
Strike Craft: 6
PACT Mobile Weapons
MS-1 "Puller" Multipurpose Mobile Suit
Wartime PACT mobile suit, partially based on Leonid plans purchased from the EU to allow for shorter lead-up to production. Primary operators are the USASF and JSSDF (as the Tokugawa).
M-8 "Schwarzkopf" Ground-use Mobile Suit
Something big and ugly with 'USMC' on it. Not unlike the average Marine, really.