The Tactical Variable Fighter v1.0
Author: Derran

IV. Common Weapons

The weapons of a Variable Fighter range from high-energy laser weapons, autocannons, and advanced guided missile systems. Each VF possesses a wide array of these weapons systems, with the energy-based weapons serving as the primary weapons.

Beam Weapons

The beam weapons utilized by VFs are very much different than the beam weapons utilized by mobile suits. These weapons are primarily high-energy laser weapons that work by rapidly heating enemy targets and vaporizing molecular bonds at the point of impact, further weakening molecular bonds across the surface of the target. Perhaps the most popular weapon of this class is Phoenix Arms' TRW-40 "Banshee" Laser.

TRW-40 "Banshee"

An electromagnetic weapon - sends rapid pulses of exceptionally strong electromagnetic energy that forces its way through any known shield technology and produces a dramatic shearing effect which quickly destroys the target ship's materials - named for the fact that in an atmosphere, the pulse creates an atmospheric disturbance similar to a quasi-human scream at 180 dB.

TRW-30 "Virulence"

The Virulence is a laser-based weapon, utilizing an advanced radar and X-Ray tracking system lock on the target and determine the target's structure - argon laser focused via transparent ceramic optics - the laser generated at the destructive frequency (full out-of-phase) for the target's material structure - emitted no more than .02 ms after targeting and activation by the target.

EU-40 Disruptor

The Disruptor is sub-nuclear particle beam cannon with an output of 44 MJ and can fire once per every two seconds. It draws power from its own dedicated energy container, but can be fired using the mecha's own power. The particles have a very specific disrupting effective on force field, and will short out a low power field completely, while high power fields may temporarily and locally cease to function.

Ballistic Weapons

Gun Pods: These weapons are the standard rifles utilized by all Veritechs in solider configuration, with a limited ammo capacity. Near the beginning of their development, these weapons used Tungsten-coated depleted Uranium Armor Piercing Spin-Stabilized Discarding Sabot (APSSDS), High Explosive Armor Piercing (HEAP) and tracer rounds. Later on, these rounds were switched with plasma rounds that fired 60 mm plasma globes (annihilation discs) that were effective at even cracking the armor of a Gundam with repeated hits.

Missiles

Phoenix Arms "Hammerhead"

The Hammerhead is the most numerous missile used in the last three decades. As the premier dogfight missile of the NDI, the Hammerhead has more kills to its name than any other missile, and is arguably the most important missile in service today, carried on almost all mecha, aircraft and other vehicles. Built as a cylindrical body with a raised seeker section and narrowing thrust port, the Hammerhead is small enough to be carried in mass numbers, which allows pilots to launch these missiles in large numbers, creating the 'swarm' effect when engaging enemy units.

Phoenix Arms "Starhunter"

The Starhunter is the modern-day incarnation of the Phoenix missile popularized by the U.S. Navy's F-14 Tomcat. Designed as a long-range stand-off missile, the Starhunter utilizes a sophisticated homing system to home in on its targets from afar, only turning on its active seekers at 2-3 miles, at which time it has already received a superior angle on its target.