Equipment/Ammunition/Needler Magazine
UFOpaedia Entry
Proposal
TO: Base Commander, PHALANX, Atlantic Operations Command
FROM: Cdr. Paul Navarre, R&D: Engineering Division, PHALANX, Atlantic Operations Command
DATE: %02i %s %i
SUB: Proposal: Alien Artifact -- Needler
Commander, it seems we've recovered a new alien weapon, some kind of fully-automatic sniper rifle that fires masses of paper-thin needles made from silicon steel. Preliminary testing shows that the needles are virtually unaffected by ordinary body armour and will pass through most surfaces without even slowing down. It's a very interesting design and we'd like to figure out exactly how it's meant to work.
Please authorise this program at your convenience, Commander.
--Cdr. Navarre
Result
TO: Base Commander, PHALANX, Atlantic Operations Command
FROM: Cdr. Paul Navarre, R&D: Engineering Division, PHALANX, Atlantic Operations Command
DATE: %02i %s %i
SUB: Re: Alien Artifact -- Needler
Commander, we've finished analysing the alien needler gun, and I've prepared a threat assessment and technical overview for you.
As I mentioned in my research proposal, the needler is indeed a type of sniper rifle, but an unusual one. It ignores the normal concept of firing powerful slugs to make single, long-range kills. Instead it vomits out hundreds and hundreds of ultra-fast silicon steel needles which can easily tear apart a target at any range.
The needles are fired by a fast-changing magnetic field inside the barrel, hooked up to a feed mechanism that injects thousands of needles a minute into the barrel. This creates a near-constant stream of fire which lasts for as long as you hold down the trigger and the magazine holds out. Unlike bullets, these needles have a practically flat trajectory from muzzle to target. They punch through most armour like it doesn't exist. They're so low in mass that there's little appreciable recoil when firing, giving them excellent accuracy, but at the same time thin enough to avoid being overly affected by weather. Wind, rain and physical obstructions can knock some of the needles off course but not enough to make the weapon much less effective.
One of the main components that caught my attention is the powerful electromagnet array. It's laid out as a 'coilgun', many electromagnetic coils wrapped around the barrel, a method we'd previously thought to be too energy-inefficient to use on the battlefield. The aliens seem to have made it viable through clever use of superconductors and alien engineering. We may be able to adapt this technology to our own EM weapons research, I'll take a closer look and get back to you when I have anything concrete.
Instead of an ordinary top-mounted sniper scope, the aliens have incorporated a highly effective holographic aiming mechanism and rangefinder which projects directly in front of the user's leading eye. Targets are shown with absolute clarity at any range, the sight automatically compensates for natural body motions, and it will even tell the user the exact chances of scoring a hit at any time. We've run this thing by our own troops and -- once they got used to it -- the alien holo-sight was the preferred choice by an amazing 100% compared to our own scopes. If we can adapt and duplicate this sight in a self-contained package, we could create the ultimate aiming unit to use on any of our rifles, possibly even some handguns.
Equipped with a bipod for prone firing and a very large magazine, the needler is a serious threat to our troops. Snipers can inflict serious casualties on exposed troops and we cannot afford the losses. If a needler is spotted, our soldiers will have to make optimal use of cover and try to flank whilst staying out of sight. A direct assault on an entrenched needler gun will likely prove suicidal and I don't recommend anyone to try it, Commander.
--Cdr. Navarre
Damage Type
Skill
Links
Stat Suggestions
(This information for reference only; do not translate or include in-game.)
Pro:
1) Long range.
2) Very high rate of fire.
3) Large magazines.
4) High accuracy.
Con:
1) Low damage.
2) 2x2 magazines.
Research Tree Data
(This information for reference only; do not translate or include in-game.)
Prerequisites: 1 Needler
Opens: Enables production -- Needler Enables production -- Needler Magazine Coilgun