None
No
Mark XII
2240
500
50
50
Heavy VLS missile system
12 laser InfRpt
Strategic
No
Mark XIII
2247
565
50-75
50-75
1 laser cannon
12 laser InfRpt
Strategic
No
Heavy VLS missile system
4 15cm BL mortars
Mark XIV
2307
728-900
60-75
60-75
1 25cm Hellbore
12 laser InfRpt
Tac/Theater
No
VLS missile system
Mark XV/B
2396
1,500
65
85
1 25cm Hellbore
14 gatling laser InfRpt
Tac/Theater
No
4 20cm howitzers
VLS missile system
Mark XV/L
1,100
89
116
none
point def/AP only
None
No
Mark XV/M
3,000
65
85
1 35cm Hellbore
16 gatling laser InfRpt
Tac/Theater
No
4 20cm howitzers
8 18cm BL mortars
VLS missile system
Mark XV/R
2626
5,000
75
95
1 50cm Hellbore
12 gatling laser InfRpt
Tactical
No
4 20cm howitzers
4 18cm BL mortars
VLS missile system
Mark XVI
2650
3,600
90
100
1 50cm Hellbore
8 ion-bolt InfRpt
Tactical
No
6 20cm BL mortars
Mark XVII
2650
6,500
75
88
1 60cm Hellbore
15 ion-bolt InfRpt
Strategic
No
6 25cm howitzers
Heavy VLS missile system
Mark XVIII
2672
10,000
70
80
1 60cm Hellbore
12 ion-bolt InfRpt
Strategic
No
6 25cm howitzers
Heavy VLS missile system
Mark XIX
2790
13,000
90
120
1 60cm Hellbore
16 ion-bolt InfRpt
Tactical
No
8 30cm BL mortars
Mark XX
2796
as Mk XIX
as Mk XIX
as Mark XIX
2 30cm Hellbores
as Mark XIX
Tactical
Limited
Mark XXI
2869
Varies
Varies
1 60cm Hellbore
16 ion-bolt InfRpt
Varies
Limited
+ varying VLS capability
4-8 30cm BL mortars
Mark XXII
2890
15,000
80
135
1 90cm Hellbore
16 ion-bolt InfRpt
Tac/Theater
Limited
VLS missile system
6-8 30cm BL mortars
Mark XXIII
2912
15,000
80
148
2 80cm Hellbores
18 ion-bolt InfRpt
Tactical
Limited
VLS missile system
6 30cm BL mortars
General Armament Notes
In addition to the weapons listed, all Bolo secondary armaments include small-caliber high-velocity projectile weapons for close-in defense and anti-personnel fire. All Bolos after Mark V also mounted multiple-shot flechette anti-personnel “clusters” with progressively heavier flechettes.
Any Bolo secondary gun with anti-armor capability was always referred to as an “infinite repeater,” although the term originally applied only to a small- to medium-caliber projectile weapon with a high rate of fire and large magazine space.
Like most of their other weapon systems, the vertical launch system missile outfits of Bolos evolved tremendously over the course of the Bolo’s design history. The original Mark III VLS consisted of only 60 non-reloadable cells, although more than one missile might be loaded per cell if they were small enough. By the time of the Mark XIX, the VLS consisted of reloadable, magazine-fed cells, and all future Bolo VLSs followed that pattern. The term “light” or “heavy” used to describe a VLS refers to (1) the number of cells (and thus salvo density) and (2) the VLS magazine capacity, not to the weight or size of missiles thrown.
The breech-loading mortars fitted to most Bolos after the Mark XIII might be considered automatic weapons, as their rate of fire averaged from 8 to 12 rounds per minute. The Mark XXXIII’s 15cm BLMs had a maximum effective range of 3,000 meters; the 40cm BLMs of the Mark XXIX and Mark XXXIII had a maximum effective range of 9.75 kilometers.