Project SPRIGGAN

==Goal==
Project: SPRIGGAN was actually the result of a combination of two other projects. The first was the development of a lightweight and mobile FAIRY that could be easily deployed to help allies in active war zones while the second was the creation of a long ranged heavy support platform. Equipped with a miniaturised and highly specialized FAIRY and armed with three electromagnetic accelerator cannons, the SPRIGGAN attempts to resolve both of these issues, and spectacularly fails at accomplishing both.
== History ==
A joint project between Director Arcturus Castell and Department Head Miranda Yan, Project: SPRIGGAN was the compromise between developing a long ranged artillery platform and a fully functioning mobile FAIRY unit. To conserve resources, the two projects were eventually rolled into one, which to say the least, left both researchers discontent.
While able to fulfill the given roles, Project: SPRIGGAN was eventually scrapped due to it’s overly complicated battlefield roles and the cost of materials needed for its production.
==Overview==
Standing for Specialized PRoduction IntelliGence and Ground Assault droNe, Project: SPRIGGAN is a fairly large semi-autonomous drone. At 7.5 meters long, 3.5 meters wide and 2.5 meters high, each SPRIGGAN is remarkably similar in size to main battle tanks of the late 20th century. With four separate continuous tracks, the SPRIGGAN can achieve maximum speeds of up to 100 kph on flat surfaces. While the armor of the SPRIGGAN is relatively light for a vehicle of its size and class, it is sufficiently protected against both light and medium fire. The exception to this is it’s power source, a miniaturized fusion reactor core, which is encased within a heavily protected frame to greatly reduce the likelihood of damage from external sources.
The miniaturised FAIRY is much smaller and faster than its predecessors, however for its improvements, it loses both the versatility and finesse of traditional, stationary FAIRYs. While it cannot create any objects of biological nature or anything finely detailed, such as microchips, these m-FAIRYs are able to produce munitions, weaponry and construction materials within a matter of hours to days, depending on complexity, assuming resources are available. 
Although it is indeed armed with three seperate electromagnetic accelerator cannons, the SPRIGGAN is designed with only ever utilize a single one at a time due to interfering magnetic fields and heat dissipation issues. While each cannon has a potential range of around 200 km with projectile speeds of mach 6, accuracy falls off steeply after 165 km. This means that the ideal targets for a SPRIGGAN would either be large, slow moving ground targets, immobile fortifications or aircraft. While it does carry 30 heavy metal rounds, it is intended for each SPRIGGAN to manufacture additional rounds while on the battlefield, theoretically providing limitless ammunition provided materials exist.
Carrying 6 SPRITEs, SPRIGGANs can autonomously salvage, collect and process resources to provide materials for their onboard m-FAIRYs without the need for dedicated human help. 
As a semi-autonomous drone, SPRIGGANs can be programmed with detailed instructions to accomplish specific tasks or broad instructions for more versatile responses. Furthermore, the SPRIGGAN does possess a single-seated piloting compartment for manual control over movement and firing patterns.
Category:ARHK
Category:ARHK Research Projects
Category:PACYOA: TE