Esbeliben Continental ZBP-01 Regult Tactical Battle Pod (QIP)

Platforms

TBP-01 Regult Tactical Battle PodEsbeliben Continental ZBP-01 Regult Tactical Battle Pod (Qualitative Improvement Program)

by Tim Wing

The Esbeliben Regult battle pod was by far the most prolific mecha ever built, and with the end of the First Robotech War and the capture of the Zentraedi Factory Satellite, the UN Spacy had a virtually inexhaustible supply of them. However, there were some issues with the platform, not least of which was its almost complete lack of armor. This and other issues were addressed by Continental Battlemecha Ltd. The Regult served with the UN Spacy and later with the United Earth Defense Forces (UEDF) Tactical Space Corps and the United Earth Expeditionary Forces (UEEF) Navy from the end of the First Robotech War until the early twenties. Even after its retirement from front line service, thousands were kept in reserve on the Robotech Factory Satellite and were brought out from time to time during the Sentinels Campaign to fill holes in the ranks due to the high rate of attrition.

ZBP-01-Mk.0 Regult Tactical Battle Pod

  • Unaltered Regult as it came off the assembly line on the Factory Satellite.

ZBP-01-Mk.I Regult Tactical Battle Pod

  • Regult converted for micronian size use. The conversion process consisted of a kit that included a crew capsule encased in about a meter and a half of Chabham and depleted uranium armor (this of course handled the crew protection issue, taking the Regult from the most dangerous mecha in the known universe to the safest), actuators for the particle beam cannons, an extended magazine for the 22.3mm autocannons and a massive reaction mass bladder that filled all the remaining room in the main body. Delta-v (range) was almost quadrupled with the additional reaction mass.

ZBP-01-Mk.II-QIP1 Regult Tactical Battle Pod (Qualitative Improvement Program, phase one)

  • With crew survivability and range taken care of by simply switching to human size pilot accommodations, the Regult’s lack-luster sensor suite was the next thing to be addressed. The Mk.II same basic sensor package as the early VF-1 Valkyrie Veritech.

ZBP-01-Mk.III-QIP2 Regult Tactical Battle Pod (Qualitative Improvement Program, phase two)

  • The QIP2 Regult replaced the 22.3mm autocannons with a quad turret of GU-14 35mm autocannons. The QIP2 also introduced reactive armor for the leg joint area, negating the Regult’s primary weak point, and introduced a self-sealing fuel cell in place of the reaction mass bladder.

ZBP-01-Mk.IV-QIP3 Regult Tactical Battle Pod (Qualitative Improvement Program, phase three)

  • The phase three replaced the Regult’s four barrel particle beam cannons with single, long barrel versions of the MBR-10 Excalibur’s RRG PBC-12 particle beam cannons.

ZBP-01-Mk.V-QIP4 Regult Tactical Battle Pod (Qualitative Improvement Program, phase four)

  • The phase four introduced an avionics upgrade package based on the VF/A-6 Alpha Veritech’s.

QIP Gluuhaug/Serauhaug

  • All versions of the Regult from ZBP-01-Mk.II-QIP1 onwards were compatible with the QIP Gluuhaug package. The QIP Gluuhaug took the missile pod from the Gluuhaug Regult medium missile carrier and adapted it to use either 24 Derringer long range, heavy warhead missiles (Gluuhaug QIP-LRM1), 48 Diamondback long range, medium warhead missiles (Gluuhaug QIP-LRM2), or 120 Hammerhead short range missiles (Gluuhaug QIP-SRM)! The Serauhaug QIP simply replaced the Seraum (Moloch) missiles with RMS-2 Angel of Death nuclear missiles in the Touwhaug Rasilszt-10 missile launcher.

 

 

Robotech (R) is the property of Harmony Gold. The Super Dimension Fortress Macross (R) is the properties of Big West Advertising and Studio Nue. This document is in no way intended to infringe upon their rights.

Original artwork by: Tim Wing

Content by Tim Wing

Copyright © 2015 Tim Wing