The Essential Guide to Force Exile/Mortar tank

Description
The mortar tank, also known as the Heavy Artillery Gun, was a piece of ex-Confederate droid weaponry acquired by the Yanibar Guard from an abandoned Separatist supply base. The venerable artillery weapons had seen action in the Battle of Naboo and then in numerous battles in the Clone Wars under the Trade Federation and Confederacy. Early in the history of the Yanibar Guard Army, the mortar tank provided the bulk of its artillery firepower. Although aging&mdash;having been built over twenty years ago&mdash;the weapons were reliable, simplistic, and most importantly, numerous. It was fairly simple for Kraechar Arms to add a networking module that allowed large formations of mortar tanks to focus their fire. Eventually, the droid design was copied and reproduced by Kraechar Arms as an indigenous product, allowing larger numbers of them to enter service.

For armament, the mortar tank used a single energy projectile cannon with two small point defense lasers for defensive weaponry. The energy projectile could fire on targets several kilometers away, though its trajectory was limited to where it could not fire over the mountains surrounding the Tusloni Basin inside which the refuge was located. The fact that its primary weapon was a projectile allowed it to serve as an indirect fire platform. The mortar tank lacked defensive shielding but was well-armored with a reflective alloy that served to redirect and dissipate energy weapon impacts.

However, it was also slow, ungainly, and lacked any form of turret, requiring the entire vehicle to reposition in order to traverse its main gun. The mortar tank was not renowned for the accuracy of its targeting module either and training exercises showed that it was better employed in a mass fire configuration, saturating an area under a barrage of energy shells rather than precision bombardment. The aging technology was also not much use against mobile targets or mechanized units, and so Yanibar Guard Army commanders lacked confidence in the droids. Their main redeeming features were their low unit cost and high numbers.

History
Originally a Trade Federation weapon, the mortar tank saw extensive service during the Clone Wars. As such, YGA commander General Spectre Kraen was well aware of their capabilities when the Yanibar Guard discovered a large cache of Separatist battle droids in a derelict space station. The mortar tanks were hastily pressed into service in the fledgling Yanibar Guard from 8 to 3 BBY. A shortage of spare parts led to many of the aging tanks being cannibalized for parts, but eventually Kraechar Arms was able to reverse engineer the design and 816 were in service by 2 ABY. YGA battalions and regiments had access to the mortar tanks, allowing for various concentrations of artillery firepower. However, there was widespread dissatisfaction among YGA unit commanders with the mortar tank's performance in the primary artillery platform role. Its inaccuracy, slow-moving projectile, and lack of range were all noted shortcomings.

In response, General Kraen ordered a new design to supplant the mortar tank. The resulting vehicle, the Mauler heavy tank, was both a front-line combatant and capable artillery platform. However, it was bigger, slower, required a specially-trained crew, and cost significantly more. While Maulers were added to the ranks of the Yanibar Guard Army, they were only available at the regiment level, leading to many disgruntled battalion commanders. For these reasons, mortar tanks remained in service for many more years. A large effort to mechanize the Yanibar Guard led to dozens of mortar tanks being produced and issued in an effort to provide more vehicular weaponry.

During the invasion of Yanibar by Zann Consortium forces in 4 ABY, the mortar tanks saw their first true combat test. Their saturation fire on the advancing column was sufficient to check the Zannist advance for the first day. The plasma projectiles were sufficiently numerous and damaging to stall the approach of the Zannists, who set up camp for the evening just outside the five kilometer range of the mortar tanks. Shortly thereafter, the Yanibar Guard counterattacked, but the mortar tanks saw little use as their lack of accuracy and mobility made them poor choices due to the indiscriminate nature of their weapons. They fired an initial barrage, but were ordered to cease fire once the battle began in earnest. Overall, twelve mortar tanks were lost, five of them due to mechanical problems or overheating and no casualties among the Yanibar Guard were incurred from their use. While successful within their operational parameters, they were still heartily disliked compared to the much heavier Mauler.

Nevertheless, their simplicity, reliability, and high numbers kept the mortar tank design in service for many years after their trial by fire in the Battle of Yanibar.

Appearances

 * Force Exile IV: Guardian
 * Yanibar Guard Sourcebook