TME-08 Baretta Medium Tank

STATISTICS

OVERVIEW

    The TME-08 Baretta is the inspiration behind the current "Cougar" medium tank used by the Weirdo Zone Army.  Initially the AMT-22 "Baretta," its simple design and modular weaponry made it popular with tank crews and tacticians alike.  When the AMT-22 design was upgraded to the AMT-34 "Cougar," the remaining AMT-22s were "de-teched" and sold to the Inner Sphere of the Battletech S/TS (S/TS date 3053).

CAPABILITIES

    When it was introduced to the Inner Sphere, it was the most heavily armored tank in existence, with 154% the armor of the Behemoth assault tank, twice the armor of the Demolisher heavy tank, and slightly more armor than the SteurmFeur support tank.  This is especially telling, as the Baretta has half the mass of these AFVs.  It even out-armors all Clan tanks and the upgraded Demolisher II heavy tank.   This durability has been a major selling point.

    The cost of this protection is the Baretta's general lack of firepower.  Four lasers, three medium and one small, take up the small cylindrical turret, while simple four-rack short-range missile launchers dominate smallish side pods.  Cellular Ammunition Storage Equipment protects the crew in the event of a missile magazine hit.  Good at short ranges, the Baretta lacks the standoff weaponry of most of its counterparts and so is relegated to urban deployments, where it shines.

DEPLOYMENT

    Standard TME-08s can usually be found in urban defense militias, where the Baretta's lack of ranged firepower is less of a disadvantage.   Due to its low cost, it is also found in many line regiments, albeit with many modifications.

VARIANTS

    However, after initial sales runs, complaints about the light firepower came foreward.  Therefore, TME began selling the TME-08-A Baretta, which was absolutely identical except that the armor was made up of stacked geometric plates that were held to the hull with an extremely durable polymer resin.  To remove the armor, it is a simple matter of 'painting' the seams of the armor hourly with a special solvent for about six hours and then remove as many layers of armor as desired.   The tonnage thus removed can be replaced by mounting heavier or more weapons and heat sinks in the Baretta's modular hardpoints and power couplings.  The TME-08-A also mounts CASE II instead of standard CASE.

    A common modification of the Baretta removes nine and a half tons of armor from various locations, strips out the lasers, and mounts an entirely different turret with a heavy rotary autocannon and 40 tons of ammunition.

    Inside the Weirdo Zone, it was argued that this easy-remove armor was identical to standard Quik-Switch used by the Army's tanks.   However, the resin used in TME-08-A's easy-remove armor was found to be succeptable to heat damage.  This has not adversely affected sales, as buyers can choose between the TME-08 and the TME-08-A.