Fiesta-Class Beach Assault Craft

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Mark IV Fiesta Beach Assault Craft Production information Manufacturer Vickers Vehicles Model Fiesta Class Beach Assault Craft Cost UNCr 24,000. Technical specifications Length 3.9 Metres Width 1.7 Metres Height 1.5 Metres Mass 2,600 lb Maximum acceleration 0–60 mph: 7.9-18.9 seconds Engine Power 1998 cc Rolls Royce UNI 1.6L V4 Inline Fuel Source 150hp Armour 2cm Kevlar Fibre 1cm Bulletproof Glass Armament Horn (1) Crew Driver (1) Passengers Passengers (4) Cargo capacity Smoke Grenades (2) Standard Magazines (4) Consumables Thermos Flask, Coffee (5) Sandwiches, Chicken/Bacon (10) Packet, Chocolate Digestives (1) Other systems Power Folding Mirrors Voice Control Trip Computer Built in Stereo Electronic Stability Program Usage Year introduced 2517 Role(s) Coastal Assault Vehicle Counterpart(s) Warthog Era(s) Human-Covenant War Affiliation UNSC

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Contents 1 Creation 2 Design Features 3 Initial Assessments 4 Combat Experiance

[edit] Creation

Although the ever popular Warthog LRV served as the UNSC's bread and butter light vehicle within the regular military force, it's price tended to put it out of the budget alocated to the smaller, less capable Territorial units formed upon those planets where a significant UNSCDF presence might be required in the case of terrorist attacks, yet stationing a fully equipped unit of the Military wouldn't be economically or strategically viable.

These Territorial units tended to be formed from the regular population, and so an overly complex piece of machinery designed for use by a train professional who has spent the last two years rehearsing the operation and maintaining such a vehicle would be a gross misassignment of resources. Instead, a reversal of the usual line of development was taken, where as the civilian Hog had come about as a stripped down version of the M12 Warthog, the Fiesta was modified from a civilian design to Territorial standards.

[edit] Design Features

In it's conversion to Territorial use, the Fiesta underwent several changes in order to make it more suitable able for use in a hostile environment, such as that of a beach landing against lightly entrenched infantry. One of the changes was to the pair of cupholders positioned in between the driver and front passenger seat, enlargening them slightly so that each could fit a M19 smoke grenade to assist with movement.

The glove compartment was also able to store a pair of standard magazines for the MA5B, as were the side compartments in each door. The doors themselves and most of the actual body of the Fiesta were reinforcement with 2 centimetres of Kevlar fibre in order to help protect against the small arms often used by terrorist and insurgent groups, rather than the higher calibre weaponry of an actual military force, in which case the UNSC Military would have been called to respond rather than the Territorial units.

Even with those modifications added to the design, other features were kept in order to keep the production in line with that of the civilian versions and so, improve logistics and the supply of spare parts.Examples of features kept were the power folding mirrors, which were also seen as an aid to navigating tight spaces. One addition that was improved upon from the civilian version, was waterproofing. Tests had noted the efficency of the Fiesta when wading through shallow waters, an ability which turned out to be amazingly effective in it's Territorial service and as such, it was designated the Beach Assault Craft, Mark IV.

[edit] Initial Assessments

Once the first production models began to be assigned to units in Britain, they were first put to the test in a series of training scenarios designed to test both it's wading ability and the ability of infantry to fight from inside of it, such as urban warfare and beach landings.

The initial tests with the beach assault scenarios proved the capability of the vehicle to power through the shallow waters of a beach with the saturday afternoon soldiers laying down suppressive fire from the windows.

Ironically, it wasn't the improvements provided by the Territorial which helped the Fiesta succeed in urban exercises, it was it's civilian nature. Units required to distinguish between targets were forced to give pause to see if they were shooting up a car full of drunken teenagers, a family on a shopping trip or just a fireteam of armed Territorials.

[edit] Combat Experiance

The Fiesta first saw operational use in 2518, when the Wylfa Fusion Power Station upon Anglesey came under attack by extremist elements of the Renew The Earth Action group.

While normally a rather peaceful group aside from their regular protests, a rally turned riot which had led to the death of several security force members had driven them over the edge, and so they had taken action and a year later, armed with submachine guns and grenades they stormed the reactor at Wylfa.

With the lack of a fully prepared UNSC military unit in the area, the Territorial Army sprung into action, the local company sized force meeting up in the nearby town of Moelfre and commandeering a local ferry upon which they loaded two of their Fiestas, while another four set off across the island on their way to the Fusion plant. The ferry-borne Fiestas and their supporting infantry were able to move around the sea-side rear of the station and begin the assault from behind the likely source of attack while the remaining force came from the roads.

The assault was brief and messy for the Earthies, their weaponry lacked the range to engage the Territorial Army with their L97 standard issue rifles from afar, yet it also lacked the punch to smash through even a Fiestas lightweight armour when the assault teams charged in firing from the windows. The bulletproof glass however, wasn't as effective after having an entire magazine unloaded into it, yet even this didn't matter when the front passenger could just turn and engage the new hostile through the newly removed windscreen, as was shown when Fireteam Clarkson came under attack in such a way.

The only real threat provided by the Earthies was the hand grenades they had brought with them, but even those were largely ineffective unless thrown directly underneath the vehicle. In the end, the assault was a complete and utter success with the Earthies being beaten into a surrender within less than three hours after the attack began, proving the value of even a cheap and light vehicle such as the Fiesta.