Vanagandr Armaments VR-12 'Advocator'
The Advocator has answered all of our needs for streamlined logistics, training and field performance for nearly four decades. Why should we waste millions in taxpayer money to develop something worse?
The Vanagandr Armaments VR-12, also known as the Advocator, is a family of electronically fired automatic rifles developped by the Vestan manufacturer Vanagandr Armaments. Designed with modularity in mind for the Enhanced Individual Offensive System program, it is extensively used by the Vestan Defense Forces as their standard-issue weapon and has largely replaced all other infantry weapons of the Vestan military. This family of rifles consist of 4 main variants, each designed to use the same ammunition and power source to provide simplified logistics. These variants are respectively an assault rifle, a carbine, a general-purpose machine gun and a precision rifle.
Since its adoption in 338, the Advocator series has undergone numerous modifications to improve its ergonomics, reliability and durability. Thanks to these regular updates, it has remained in service for over forty years, proving itself to be a remarkable weapon that competitors still fail to surpass to this day. Despite its high cost on the civilian market, it also became one of the most popular weapons in Vestan culture, be it in video games, movies or other medias.
History
Development
Vanagandr started the development of the Advocator in the 330s as part of the Enhanced Individual Offensive System program. Competing against prototypes from various small arms manufacturers such as Omega Arms, Varne and Carter and Zhong Tech, the Advocator is one of the three proposals that passed all of the program's requirements, including, but not limited to, nominal function in extreme environments, accurate sustained fire at 700m and ambidextrous controls. Of these three proposals, the Advocator is the only one that passed the two years field testing period, with its down-to-earth modular design and robustness unanimously winning over its more complex jack-of-all-trade competitors. It was officially adopted by the VDF in late 338, and replaced all regular infantry weapons less than twelve years later with more than 4 million units produced.
Production
Production of the Advocator began in early 339 with an initial order of 250 000 units to be issued to the Ranger Task Force and several other divisions of the VGDF. The Advocator underwent numerous minor and major modifications during its service, with the current models being on their 7th generation. These newer models are primarily manufactured or retrofitted on Vesta, but Vanagandr has also established factories on Atalanta and Asteria that are now mostly used to produce spare parts and ammunition. After the 374 lift on the Oström weapons ban, Vanagandr introduced in 375 a simplified, semi-automatic version aimed for the civilian market, with limited success due to its high cost and extremely regulated distribution.
General Characteristics
Carbine
General-Purpose Machine Gun
Precision Rifle
Specifications
Design
The Advocator was built to fulfill the roles of most small arms previously in use by regular infantry units, and as a result was designed with high modularity in mind. In essence, the Advocator is an Oström coilgun with many interchangeable components and modules. With very few moving parts and a robust assembly system, the Advocator is a very resilient design, though despite its nature, it isn't meant be retrofitted on the field. On the other hand, its proprietary Quick Attach System allows it to accommodate a number of attachments such as optics, bayonets and other accessories quickly and without any tools. Other features include a digital ammunition counter, laser sights, a flashlight and onboard fire control computer.
Fire Control System
Located in the pistol grip, the Advocator's fire selector is an electronic component that links with the weapon's computer to automatically set the weapon's firing mode. Depending on the variant used and the underlying software installed, this can result in great variations between each firing mode. The Advocator's fire control system not only manages the number of shots fired per trigger pull, but also influences the rate of fire and even the power used for each shot. This is thanks to the extensive capacitor bank and multiple coils installed in the weapon, allowing it to use a varying number of coils used for each shot, resulting in more or less power being transferred to the projectile.
Power supply
The Advocator is powered by a conventional UT8C battery located in the weapon's stock. A single such battery is worth 24000 capacitor charges, automatically translated into a number of shots by the weapon's computer. While the UT8C's superconducting coils allow for a large draw of power, they remain coupled to an array of capacitors to properly power the weapon's accelerating coils with finely tuned discharges. These liquid-core capacitors have a charge time of merely 150ms. While a single UT8C battery supposedly lasts for an entire battle, its compartment can be opened in the field to replace it, should it be necessary.
Ammunition
The Advocator, as an Oström weapon, uses an LGX cartridge as ammunition. Roughly the size of a shotgun shell, these cylindrical cartridges are inserted in the weapon's chamber through a loading port and locked in place by the weapon's compartment. While loaded, the compartment itself is sealed and only opens to release the empty cartridge or through a manual override, should the cartridge malfunction or should the user simply wish to replace it. Each cartridge contains enough LGX particles for 50 shots, magnetically confined through the use of superconductive materials and shielded against radiations by a composite lining.
Receiver
The Advocator's receiver contains the weapon's computer, LGX cartridge compartment and firing mechanism. When firing, it extracts from the LGX cartridge a dense droplet of Oström condensates, initially confined and compressed by a magnetic bottle before accelerating it through an array of coils. These actions are performed almost simultaneously, propelling an LGX projectile less than a few milliseconds after the trigger has been pulled. In addition to the firing mechanism, some cooling systems and reinforced calfen frame are also embedded into the receiver, although most of the cooling fins and heat sinks will be directly attached to the barrel assembly.
Materials
The Advocator has very few moving part, with most of them being located in its firing mechanism. This makes it a remarkably robust weapon, even with its modular design causing some unavoidable structural weaknesses. When fully assembled, the Advocator is just as much of a bludgeoning weapon than it is a rifle. Encased in polymer bodies and reinforced with calfen inserts, each module is further protected with an electromagnetic shielding layer, making it as reliable as mechanical weapons on the modern battlefield. Finally, Resilium heat sinks and aluminum radiators are found near the barrel and chamber for more effective cooling during sustained fire.
Notable Variants
VR-12C 'Counselor' Carbine
The Counselor is a shortened version of the Advocator designed to be used by pilots, crew members and rear-line troops. With a 50% shorter barrel, the Counselor is tailored for short to medium range engagements and will struggle with targets beyond 700 meters, though its accuracy remains excellent. With an array of 8 coils powered by 8 independent capacitors, the Counselor's muzzle velocity and rate of fire remain comparable to the original Advocator, making it a popular weapon among other units such as special forces and ship security contingents.
- Mass: 4.5 kg
- Length: 77.6 cm
- Barrel Length: 38 cm
- Rate of fire: 400 rounds/min (semi-auto/auto)
- Muzzle velocity: 45 000 m/s
- Effective range: 700m
- Kinetic energy: 3kJ
VR-12A 'Advocator' Assault Rifle
The standard-issue rifle of the Vestan military, the original Advocator is an assault rifle that all recruits learn to master before using any other weapon. With excellent accuracy, good weight distribution and high reliability, it is a tool that most soldiers would never trade. Using 16 coils along with 16 independent capacitors, the Advocator is usable for targets up to a kilometer away while retaining a highly controllable automatic fire capability. Its only drawback would be its poor sustained fire capabilities, making it more difficult to suppress targets.
- Mass: 5.8 kg
- Length: 89.6 cm
- Barrel Length: 57 cm
- Rate of fire: 400 rounds/min (semi-auto/auto)
- Muzzle velocity: 67 500 m/s
- Effective range: 1 050m
- Kinetic energy: 6.8kJ
VR-12H 'Herald' General Purpose Machine Gun
Answering the need of the military for sustained automatic fire, the Herald variant is a heavily modified Advocator suited for prolonged engagements. With twice as many capacitors and a significantly improved cooling system, the Herald is capable of firing for much longer before overheating, though it came at the price of weight and ammunition consumption. A partial answer to this proplem was the creation of a a magazine well in the Herald's receiver, along with a magazine to store and load extra LGX cartridges within the weapon. An additional feature available thanks to the expanded capacitor array is a burst mode for quick saturation fire.
- Mass: 10.4 kg
- Length: 89.6 cm
- Barrel Length: 57 cm
- Rate of fire:
- 600 rounds/min (auto)
- 1200 rounds/min (burst)
- Muzzle velocity: 67 500 m/s
- Effective range: 1 050m
- Kinetic energy: 6.8kJ
VR-12P 'Prophet' Precision Rifle
The Prophet variant is tailored for maximized lethality at extreme ranges. It does so by using high-yield capacitors and a precision barrel, both fine-tuned with each other to provide as much power to the projectile as possible. This comes at the cost of significantly lower rate of fire, as well as overheating issues, making the weapon reminiscent of ancient bolt action rifles. The resulting increase in firepower, however, is substantial, with the Prophet being capable of piercing all but the heaviest body armors and killing human-sized targets well beyond the usual ranges of firefights.
- Mass: 8.6 kg
- Length: 110 cm
- Barrel Length: 77 cm
- Rate of fire: 80 rounds/min (semi-auto)
- Muzzle velocity: 120 000 m/s
- Effective range: 1 900m
- Kinetic energy: 21kJ
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