NationStates Jolt Archive


Feles Industries Presents: GO-01 Scimitar MBT

Praetonia
26-04-2004, 17:28
Introducing the GO-01 Scimitar MBT

This heavy battle tank is designed to be used with equal effectiveness against enemy tanks and against dug-in positions and buildings.

Armament:

The Advanced Scimitar Weapon System is made up by a 135mm ECT gun system and two new types of ammunition. The gun system includes the twin autoloader system featured in the GO-02 Lightning LSCV. This allows the tank to quickly change between two different types of rapidly loaded ammunition. In fact it can fire ten aimed shots per minute and ensure a 95% chance to kill versus most MBTs.

The gun also features a laser range-finder and a high-definition targeting array which is able to distinguish between a counter-measure and a tank, as well as between different types of tank, effectively giving the Scimitar a passive friend/foe differentiator. The gun effectively controls itself, meaning that all the gunner has to do is tell it what to destroy – the system does the rest, and very effectively. In trials we have found it possible to run the tank without a gunner, and the commander performing the relatively simple task of telling the gun what to aim at. However, we cannot necessarily recommend this.

The first type of new ammunition is a SABOT / HE composite designed to be the most effective AT round yet made. This round features two explosive charges and the trademark SABOT needle. The first charge is mounted in front of the needle and the other in the back of the needle: The round is fired. The smoke and thermal extractors regulate the emissions, helping to keep the tank undetected. The shell shoots towards the target at 2km/sec. The shell is just about to hit the tank when the first charge explodes outwards, destroying the ERA cubes on the tank and weakening the spot of the armour where, less than a second later, the DU cored titanium needle hits, slicing through whatever is in it’s path. Once inside the tank the second round explodes, not only incinerating whatever happened to be nearby and the time (namely crew and tank systems), but spraying red-hot shards of titanium needle into the tank. Not that that wasn’t enough, a piece of metal slices through the ammunition boxes and detonates every round of ammo in the enemy tank.

The second type is for use against buildings and pillbox-like defenses. The concept is similar to the first shell type, but with a much bigger needle, with only one charge at the back. The charge slams into a wall, burying itself into the thickest defenses and traveling straight through normal walls. Seconds later the timed charge explodes, either inside a thick barricade, causing immense damage to the structure, or inside a garrisoned building, killing all those inside.

The tank also sports two 0.5cal machine guns on top of the turret - one on the commander’s hatch, one on the gunner’s hatch (both of which can be controlled from within the turret), one co-axial to the main gun and one in the gunner’s port. It is also armed with eight 40mm grenade launchers and one-shot anti-helicopter missile tube mounted on top of the turret, all of which are controlled from inside the tank.

The tank can carry 60 rounds of main gun ammunition – 20 on each side of the auto-loader and 20 on emergency racks. The amounts of exact types of ammunition can be adjusted at will, and this gun can fire almost all non-Praetonian 135mm ETC ammunition. The auto-loader carrousel and emergency ammo-ranks are encased in titanium, although the auto-loader casing can be easily removed for emergency re-load.

Propulsion:

The Scimitar is equipped with the same gas-turbine engine as the GO-02 Lightning HoverLCSV, allowing this 60 metric tonne behemoth to travel at speeds up to 65mph (average on/off road).

http://armor.kiev.ua/Tanks/Modern/Tank90/t90_3.jpg

Crew

The crew consists of a commander, a gunner and a driver. As mentioned above the tank can operate with only a commander and driver, but this is a possible configuration not a design feature. Each man has a 0.5cal machinegun at his disposal.

Armor

The Scimitar features a thick titanium/ceramic composite encasing a DU core. ERA is also featured in this design, but the tank also features systems designed to rounds from reaching the tank in the first place. The vehicle features a self-sealing coolant system running behind the armour to greatly reduce the tank’s IR signature, and radar absorbent paint which greatly reduces its radar signature, which also absorbs visible light waves (ie it’s a very dark, dull, black), meaning that laser range-finders cannot operate as effectively on this tank. Even if it is detected, it is unlikely that the enemy will get a lock. The tank also features decoy and ECM systems designed to disable or misdirect the guidance system of missiles.

Cost: 5,000,000 (5 million)
Shell Production Rights: 10,000,000 (10 million)

All prices are negotiable

Edit: Added picture
Praetonia
27-04-2004, 08:29
bump

OOC: Could I also have some comments for future designs?
Praetonia
27-04-2004, 17:51
bump
Praetonia
28-04-2004, 08:33
bump
Kotterdam
28-04-2004, 08:55
It's an impressive design - Nicely laid out and well detailed. I have my reservations as to whether the new Sabot/HE rounds you came up to would offer much in the way of improved performance, but they're pretty nice ideas as well. You have a solid weapon system here in the Scimitar, advanced compared to the designs available today.

It's not as flashy as some of the tanks on here, or as heavy on the electronics or exotic systemry. In terms of the home grown tanks a lot of nations have, what you have here is a good design, but not outstanding. The special paint you came up with is actually a pretty good idea, and something I'm surprised nobody else thought of.

As for constructive criticism, this vehicle doesn't have much in the way of flaws to poke at. It's a very thorough design with no real weak points. The only thing I can really suggest is that you replace the commander's 0.5 calibre heavy machine gun with a general purpose machine gun like the M240 FN MAG, or something similar. Yes, the MAG is only a 7.62x51mm machine gun, and thus not as powerful, but it's also lighter, and thus in the event that the tank is disabled and the crew has to bail out, the commander could unship the weapon and carry it with him. Also, I'd replace the coaxial machine gun with a 20mm cannon for the extra firepower, but that's just a matter of my personal taste.

All and all, this is a solid design - Not too special, but still a very good, and relatively affordable design. This tank will put you on a par with many of the nations out there, and put you on a step above most nations using real life tank designs.
Praetonia
28-04-2004, 18:17
Thanks for the comments it helps a lot. Could you give me a link to a contemporary 'homegrown' tank design so that I could see what is expected of a new design? I really didnt know what was required excpet the 135mm ETC gun and the armour.

Also on the paint note is there any way I can patent it?
Praetonia
29-04-2004, 18:02
bump
Archites
30-04-2004, 21:36
Thanks for the comments it helps a lot. Could you give me a link to a contemporary 'homegrown' tank design so that I could see what is expected of a new design? I really didnt know what was required excpet the 135mm ETC gun and the armour.

Also on the paint note is : any way I can patent it?






the archites
Archites
30-04-2004, 21:39
I don't know?





the archites
Archites
30-04-2004, 21:41
Are you selling?



the archites[/quote]
Praetonia
30-04-2004, 21:41
Errr... an odd two posts, if you dont find me saying. What exactly was the point you were trying to convey?
Praetonia
01-05-2004, 16:51
bump
Praetonia
06-05-2004, 18:04
bump