The Combat Mechas of HARM

For more information about the Exocrisis Blue books and HARM click here.

HARM is short for Humanoid Assault and Reconnaissance Machine

These are giant bipedal robots that vaguely resemble a medieval knight with its thick torso, massive joints, blocky armour plates, and a squat helmet with a horizontal slit on top.  HARM units have been developed in a range of sizes for different purposes and range from 3 to 15 metres in height.  The main combat HARM units are on the large end of the scale since they need to carry a chemical fusion plant to generate the massive amounts of power for required for their coilgun primary armament and to energize their molecular armour plating.

HARM units are far more nimble than their appearance would dictate as they are powered by synthetic muscles that generate massive amounts of physical force with an almost instantaneous response.  However, effective use of this agility and strength derived from the advanced cybernetic control and full motion capture interfaces for the human pilot of the robot.  These systems are composed of a cybernetic 3D display helmet and the motion capture suit worn by the pilot.  The tight-fitting suit is plugged into a skeletal support frame that provides both physical support for the human operator and force-feedback to show how the machine is responding to commands.  The cybernetic interfaces read the pilot’s mind to enhance the motion capture control of the robot to a new level.

The cockpits for the machines are typically 8 to 10 metres off the ground, but human control is enabled via VR and augmented reality displays shown from the perspective of the robot’s head. When you first pilot a HARM you have to adjust to the disorienting size perspective and the actual capabilities and limitations of the machine. Pilots have indicated they felt like they were wearing the giant machines in a manner similar to how battlesuit infantry felt when they were wearing their powered exoskeletons.

Manual backups to operate the machine also exist but these could just make it walk and work its arms in the simplest manner.  Every HARM unit has an advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI) to act as a co-pilot, weapons and engineering officer.  A pilot could actually verbally command an AI to move a HARM unit, however, safety mechanisms have been built into HARM units to prevent the AI from operating on its own without human supervision.

General Automata Corporation Developed HARM Units

GAC is the world leader in military HARM development and commercial construction mechas. Under the leadership of Dr. Janet Chan it continues to excel in R & D.

X Series HARM Unit

X Series Experimental HARM Unit

The first operational HARM unit that entered combat was the X-14 numbered version of the X series.  This series of HARM units was not intended for production use as it was intended to be a functional prototyping only.

•                    Date of Introduction Into Service: 2050

•                    Height: 13 metres

•                    Weight: 30 metric tons

•                    Max Running Speed: 70 kph loaded, 80 kph unloaded.

•                    Rocket Jump: 20 metres up.

•                    Armament:

o   50 mm coilgun integrated into the right arm.  Cannon fires hypersonic, fin stabilized, depleted uranium penetrators. Single shot mode is the most powerful mode for the gun, but it takes 10 seconds before the capacitors can recharge for the next shot. A great deal of power is required for the superconducting magnetic coils to propel their projectiles at 3 km/second. Because of the power requirement only heavy tanks and HARM units are equipped with them.

o   30 mm automatic cannon integrated into left arm.

o   Unit can engaged in hand to hand combat by picking up objects or by punching.

•                    Defences: Active molecular armour plating, and duralloy composite plating.

•                    Electronics:

o   Full electronics suite including military comnet, EW, Radar, Infrared Vision, and advanced datalink.

o   Prototype Delphi series AI.

o   Reconnaissance drone

Mark I Series Avenger HARM Unit
First mass produced HARM unit that is still found in service in a few places on the globe.  The Mark I series was a universal frame that has been modified and extended by other nations since the design was shared so that every nation could construct HARM units to counter the Blue Newt invasion.  Performance characteristics and armament are similar to the X Series.  These units are no longer in service with Canada, Pacifica, and Japan.

Mark II Series Thor HARM Unit
This is the first General Automata Corporation specific HARM unit.  These Mark II series HARM units are a reengineered design that extends the Mark I series.  Mark II HARM units are only found in service with reserve units for Canada, Pacifica, and Japan now.  Other nations have HARM units similar in capability to the Thor series units.

Mark III Series Fenrir HARM Unit
The first completely reengineered HARM unit from the ground up.  The design from GAC was far superior to all other HARM designs that it seemed to leap a generation ahead of all other nations.  The units first entered service with CAJUN rapid deployment forces, then with the armed forces of  Canada, Pacifica, and Japan.

•                    Date of Introduction Into Service: 2060

•                    Height: 12 metres

•                    Weight: 30 metric tons, 34 metric tons with full combat load.

•                    Max Running Speed: 70 kph loaded, 80 kph unloaded.

•                    Rocket Jump: 20 metres up.

•                    Armament:

·                     The primary armament is now interchangeable.  The unit can carry either a 50 mm coilgun for anti-armour use or a 160 mm assault cannon that can fire a variety of rounds.  The coilgun can be clipped onto the HARM’s back if missile pods are not mounted.  The coilgun has been improved for both rate of fire (one full power shot every 4 seconds) and to fire projectiles at a maximum of 3.5 km/s or mach 10+.

·                     Typhoon missile pods.  Two disposable missile pods can be mounted per HARM, with 16 heavy missiles per pod.

·                     Mono-steel molecular combat knife in a mounted in a horizontal sheath at the base of the HARM units back.

·                     30 mm chain gun integrated into left arm with a switchable mix of 200 rounds of HE and 200 rounds of AP.

·                     20 Helldart anti-armour missiles in a shoulder-mounted vertical launch system.

•                    Defences: Active molecular armour plating and improved duralloy composite plating, active camouflage system, smoke canisters, and Hedgehog point defence system.

•                    Electronics:

·                     Full electronics suite including military comnet, EW, Radar, Infrared Vision, enhanced optics, and advanced datalink.

·                     Oracle series AI that is three times more capable than the old Delphi series.

·                     Reconnaissance drone

Mark IV Series Odin HARM Unit.
Classified and currently under development at the GAC development and test facility in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.  According to GlobalMechWatchers.org there are rumours of a flight mode and advanced beam weaponry being developed.

Date Under Development: 2067

Read about the HARM units in action in the ebooks HARM, and Raid on Kahamba available at Amazon in most regions. Coming in 2013 is the main story arc for Exocrisis Blue that integrates HARM units into a story of mecha academy recruits and veteran pilots in a backdrop of global intrigue and war.