T-99 Surgut

Originally developed for the UEDF, the **T-99 Surgut** ( **Сургу́т**) was a Battloid used by the EBSIS.

## Background

The design that eventually became the T-99 Surgut had its origins as a part of the UEDF's Project Excalibur. Aimed at creating 'giant killer' anthropomorphic weapons systems, Project Excalibur was responsible for the development of the Destroid series. One of the project's goals was to create a wide variety of different platforms, including a rapid response/heavy cavalry design. Two different proposals were put forward for the design; one from an American consortium, and another from a Soviet design team.

After assessment, the UEDF ordered the American design into production as the MBR-08 Masamune. Officially, the American design was chosen because of its superior performance and the use of a modular weapons system that was compatible with the MBR-04 Tomahawk. However, the Soviet design team claimed that the selection process as politically biased and that Anatole Leonard, the leader of Project Excalibur, had deliberately favoured the American group. As a compromise, the Soviet Union was selected as a manufacturer for several Destroid designs (including the Tomahawk).

Following the Rain of Death, the newly formed Eurasian Bloc of Soviet Independent States was desperately searching for Robotechnology weapons that they could produce domestically. While their pre-war Destroid manufacturing facilities had been destroyed, some assembly components and a fair stockpile of Destroid parts could be salvaged. Knowing that this supply was limited, the EBSIS military opted to put the pre-war prototype into production, using what components they could.

The result was the T-99 Surgut (named for the Surgut Administrative District in which it was built), a mobile infantry Battloid. In terms of capability, the Surgut lay somewhere between a Destroid and a VF-1 Veritech in Battloid mode, albeit while being entirely land-based. While fully aware that it was not an ideal design that was compromised in a number of ways, the EBSIS leadership also knew that, at least for the moment, it was still better than nothing else. As such, the Surgut was seen as being an interim design until an entirely indigenous combat Mecha could be developed.

Surguts entered service with EBSIS mechanised units, were it was used alongside both conventional vehicles and salvaged UEDF Destroids. The design first saw action in the EBSIS' efforts to secure its territories, where it was fielded against a variety of opponents that included human insurgents, proto-states and Zentraedi Malcontents. The Surgut gave entirely adequate service during these campaigns, although it does need to be said that the Mecha was largely facing numerically and/or technologically inferior opponents.

The Battloid also was deployed to the EBSIS' fronts in Asia and Africa where it saw less use, but also served as a visible symbol of the nation's military and its capabilities. A combination of the Surgut's appearance and some questionable intelligence lead to some UEDF sources mistaking it for a Battloid-mode VF-1 on numerous occasions, leading ludicrous to claims that the Surgut was a reverse-engineered Veritech or that it was even capable of transforming. This confusion served the EBSIS well, helping them to conceal their actual technological capabilities and limitations behind a screen of confusion.

By 2018, the EBSIS had exhausted its supply of stockpiled UEDF technology. Priority had been given to keeping leftover UEDF Destroids in service, and so the decision was taken to discontinue production of the Surgut. In its place, the EBSIS introduced the PPR-24 Soldat, an entirely new Battloid that was built with a mixture of readily available technologies as well as components that were salvaged from the many wrecked Zentraedi ships scattered across the EBSIS' holdings.

The remaining Surguts were kept in service even as their numbers dwindled, with maintenance and repairs becoming difficult due to parts shortages. Many of those were lost in the EBSIS' expansion efforts during the 2020s, often expended while covering retreats or against dubious objectives in place of more valuable units. It is believed that the survivors had been retired completely or put in reserve by the start of the Second Robotech War, where there are no records of its seeing any action. Any surviving examples were presumably destroyed in the Invid Invasion.

## Capabilities

The T-99 Surgut was a comparatively simple infantry combat Battloid, one that served as the inspiration for the EBSIS' later indigenous designs. While based on a prototype Destroud, the final production model Surgut was somewhat compromised by the need to make do with a limited supply of existing components as well as new ones that were purpose-built for the design. In form, the Surgut vaguely resembled a VF-1 Veritech in Battloid mode, featuring fully anthropomorphic limbs complete with hands and a separate head/sensor module. While this was a coincidence of design, the EBSIS would later lean into the idea to confuse opponents to the Mecha's true origins and capabilities.

Like all of the first generation Destroids, the Surgut was powered by a Protoculture reactor that was built from reverse-engineered Tirolian technology and was not fully understood. While the reactor was originally designed for the Tomahawk, it was found to be an adequate fit that could be adapted to the Surgut's frame. The Surgut had a top speed of 88 km/h, which while slower than other designs was still seen as being adequate for purpose. Additional mobility was provided by jump boosters in the rear and legs, a feature that would become a standard fixture for other Soviet Battloids.

The Surgut's single crew sat in an armoured cockpit in the torso. The mecha was fully environmentally sealed and featured full life support systems and NBC protection. While the Surgut could operate in a vacuum, it lacked any ability to manoeuvre in zero gravity beyond use of its jump jets. Primary sensors came in the form of a short-range battlefield radar system, backed up by a multi-functional optical targeting system that included a variety of visual options, as well as infra-red and laser detectors.

The armor of the Surgut was composed of an advanced titanium-steel alloy, commonly referred to as "Space-metal". This armor was sufficient to stop all small arms and heavy infantry weapons fire, provided good resistance to light mecha-mounted weaponry, such as the Zentraedi 22.3mm HE autocannon round, and fair resistance to medium mecha-mounted weaponry, such as the GU-11's 55mm APFSDS round.

## Weapons and Equipment

* **Tokarov 97 Gun Pod:** Hand-held. A single-barreled automatic gun pod firing 50mm high-explosive rounds at 600 round per minute. Fed from a detachable magazine with a capacity of 200 rounds. The weapon featured an integral laser sight tied to the Mecha's fire control system.

* **RS-30 3-Barrled 30mm Cannon:** Mounted on the head. Fired 30mm HE rounds at 500 rounds/minute. Fed from a 300 round internal drum.

* Eight missile pods, two in the chest and one on each shoulder, forearm and lower leg, each containing two **Куница** ("**Kunitsa**") missiles for 16 total.

## Game Statistics

* **Required Rank:** 1

* **Designation:** T-99

* **Stats**
	+ **Armour – Mecha:** 2
	+ **Structure – Mecha:** 2
	+ **Hardware Points**: 3
	+ **Speed** – **Running:** 75 kph / 120m / 12 Ground Units
	+ **Speed** – **Jumping:** 100 kph / 160m / 16 Ground Units

### Weapons

* **Tokarov 97 Gun Pod:** A hand-held automatic gun pod that fires 50mm explosive shells up to Medium Range. The weapon inflicts Mecha-scale damage and ignores one point of Armour at Short Range. [P1][H]

* **3-Barrleled 30mm Autocannon:** Mounted on the head, designed for use against enemy personnel and missiles. The weapon has a range of Short and does x3 Light Damage and ignores one point of armour. [P1][H]

* **Missile Launchers:** The Surgut is equipped with eight missile launchers for use against surface targets. These weapons may only be used with an equipment suite. [H]

* **Punch:** The Surgut has strong hands, made from durable alloys. They may make Melee Attacks without penalty. These Attacks inflict 5x Light-Class damage.

### Features

* **Indexing Hands:** The Surgut has fully functioning hands that can pick up objects. They have a sensitivity of .5 kg.

### Equipment Suites

* **Defensive Cone:** The Surgut's head-mounted cannon can be used to shoot down incoming missiles. This effect can be used to shoot down any missiles within the weapon's Short range. This weapon can only be used when defending against Missiles or similar attacks. Destroying the Autocannon disables this equipment suite.
	+ **Uses:** Unlimited
	+ **Skill:** 2

* **Mini-Missiles:** The Surgut carries sixteen missiles spread across its body, They can be used up to Medium range. Destroying the Missile Pod disables this equipment suite. [B3]
	+ **Uses:** 3
	+ **Skill:** 3