Quasar Drone

**Key Features** | »» Scramblegun weapon jammer (micro version)»» Compact Apollo turbojet engine»» Minature S.H.R.I.N.K. ray to maintain compactness of engine»» Ridiculously small cargo bay»» *"Disruptor bomb"* filled with magnetised strips

*"L equals Sea L times rho times Vee divided by two!"*

- Quasar Drone operator, on takeoff
## Tactical Analysis

* **When a pilot is just too much:** The Quasar Drone is an unmanned drone that is built from the Aeronautics Complex. Its advanced sensors and stealthy tendencies make it an excellent for observation purposes, allowing it to pick out concealed enemies without too much difficulty.

* **Ceasefire agreement:** In additon, the Quasar is capable of providing support for ground forces with its mini-Scrambler gun, which can be used to slowly disable the weapon systems of a single surface vehicle.

* **No-firing zone:** In a pinch, the Quasar can also release disruptor bombs filled with magnetised strips that disable the weapon systems of vehicles and tanks in a small area, enabling your army to take advantage of the enemy's temporary helplessness.

* **20 lb carrying capacity:** Due to weight constraints and the expendability of the drones, the Allies have seen no need to equip the Quasar with any sort of offensive armament, though this means that Quasars can only be used in support roles.

## History

The success of the ASM-1303 Pulsar was undisputable; the UAV was able to conduct long term reconnaissance over time spans that were unheard of a few years ago. However, Allied Command wanted more. Ever since the Cryocopters became top priority targets on the Soviets "Kill First" list, they have been taking massive casualties. The loss of such well qualified technicians was unacceptable to the Allies, and they requested an unmanned aerial vehicle that could fulfil a close support role.

Norwell-Hucks immediately started Project *Quasar*. Teams of top scientists were recruited to facilitate in the creation of the new drone, an entire research institute was set aside for research into UAVs and research started off at a quick pace.

The first attempt was at a ground support drone was a modified Pulsar drone armed with a cryobeam. The idea looked good on paper; however the entire operation was plagued with problems. The cryobeam was ridiculously heavy, and the resultant contraption was too heavy to fly. In the few tests that the Pulsar did fly, it often would do forward flips and sudden dives at random as the wings were too small to support the heavy craft. It was obvious they needed a bigger UAV.

Two years later, the ASM-1404 Predator was unveiled. It was twice the size of the Pulsar and could easily lift a cryobeam and two storage tanks. However, due to the drag caused by the large wingspan and wing mounted tanks, all it could do was lumber down the runway at 20km/h and barely take off. Slower than even a Kirov flying backwards in the air, the prototype was a complete flop. It could not even turn without risking complete stalling. Unless they could find a more powerful engine, and fast, the entire project was doomed.

FutureTech was nearing bankruptcy after several poor investments. The board was desperately looking for solid down-to-earth Allied supported projects that they could use as stepping stones to get back into the game, such as the Mesofortress Gunship. Project Quasar was exactly what they needed.

On a rainy day sometime in mid-march 1969, Kelly Weaver herself was seen appearing at the HQ of Norwell-Hucks, a first, since the two companies had been at loggerheads since their formation. Norwell-Hucks Corporation was not doing too well either. Project Quasar was sapping their company of resources, and as the deadline in mid-July loomed ever closer, many major stockholders feared that it would all be for nought.

The engine problem was still plaguing the team. It was next to impossible to find an engine compact enough to fit into a UAV that could provide sufficient power. The team tried everything. Ramjets, turbofans, gravitational distortion, even fusion torch propulsion (which resulted in 5 injuries, a hole in the wall and a rather well cooked squirrel). The problem was that either the propulsion was too weak to be of much use, or that it was so heavy and bulky that the UAV would crash tail first into the ground.

FutureTech's solution was not a complex one. In fact, it was unbelievably simple, and remarkably crude. Take a S.H.R.I.N.K. ray, shrink an Apollo engine, and mount it onto the UAV. Crude as it was, the method worked, producing a whooping amount of thrust, and the engine was able to propel the UAV at 250 km/h.

Even with the new engine, the cryobeam was still too bulky. The first three prototypes all nosedived into the ground due to the bulky device. Once again, the project threatened to grind to a halt. However, just when all hope seemed lost, a young technician came up with a brilliant solution. The Hydrofoil's scrambler gun. Although the full-sized version was too big to be mounted on the drone, they were able to fit a compact version that required more time to fully disable the target.

The now empty cargo bay was a great source of interest. One of the proposals was to fit an EMP device into it. However, the idea was scrapped in favour of a cheaper alternative, a bomb filled with magnetised strips that interfered with weapon electronics and radar. Lo and behold, the **ASM-1542 Quasar Drone** was soon flying.

## Just the Stats

 **Armour Type** | Thin-Skinned

 **DPS** | N/A