NationStates Jolt Archive

M88 "Badger" Heavy Main Battle Tank
http://img49.exs.cx/img49/9702/hvymbt.png
Overview/Design
The M88 Badger is a heavyweight MBT, at 95 tons. The design uses wide tracks to maintain stability on rough terrain and prevent the vehicle from crushing roads. The turret of the Badger is completely unmanned, to increase crew protection. The crew sit in the main body of the heavily armored tank. There are four people, two gunners for the multitude of weapons, a commander, and driver.

Armor/Protection
The most notable feature of the Badger is the fact that it uses EleRA, which makes it completely immune to HEAT and shaped charge rounds. A scientist describes:
"As is well known, a current of just thirteen amps is sufficient to 'blow' and disintegrate the fuse of a household electrical appliance. Similarly, the high speed copper jet from a shaped charge anti-tank warhead is virtually instantaneously dispersed by the high temperatures and powerful fields generated by the so-called 'Pulsed Power' System carried by the vehicle. Any residual debris is absorbed by the vehicle’s ordinary armoured hull."
For more information, contact either Artitsa or the UCSNE. At this time we do not wish to disclose it to buyers. The armor of the Badger is highly refined, and coupled with 'Smart Armor' (TG Artitsa) and NxRA, the tank has 3,200mm RHA equivalent vs KE rounds, meaning the 120mm sabot round of an M1 would need 4 shots in a close area to destroy the Badger. For protection, the tank uses upgraded ARENA systems. The Badger is also equipped with TAMS II or Tank Anti Missile System. This is a 7.62mm Caseless weapon, and enough ammunition is carried for about 60 engagements of ATGMs. Also mounted is WASP II for dealing with weapons targeted at the side of the vehicle. The Wasp AMPS consists of packets of 5mm Flechettes. Each packet contains flechette "Needles" and their propellant. When the computer in the Wasp AMPS detects incoming missiles, by the same criteria ARENA does, it fires off sections of the appropriate packet at it, showering the missile with high velocity (1500mps) armor piercing flechettes, destroying it, which will eliminate the missile completely, or detonating it prematurely, with minimal, if any damage to the vehicle. In extreme situations, the Wasp AMPS can be used against infantry, which causes horrific effects. Two laser blinders are mounted on the tank for dealing with enemy optics or IR seekers.

Armarment
The main feature of the Badger is it's 155mm smoothbore. The gun is mounted in a thermal sleeve, and is designed to fire ETC rounds. The gun is also capable of launching SCRAMjet ammo, and if necessary can shoot normal NATO 155mm ammunition. Other versions are availible in 152mm for Soviet base armarment, but either way, the Badger packs a lot of bang. The coaxial is a 40mm automatic gun, for taking out APCs and the like. A smaller mini turret is mounted on top of the main one, with the TAMS II chaingun. It also houses a 20mm Automatic Gun, with dual feed to fire standard rounds or explosive grenades. On the sides of the turret, 8 ATGMs can be mounted.

Propulsion
A QNFR reactor is mounted on the tank, giving it several days of endurance. The tank can reach a maxmium speed of 40mph on the road in good conditions. The QNFR is mounted inside full cooling and radiation protection systems to ensure saftey.

Sensors/Systems
Although there are the normal 'vision blocks' of old for the crew, much of the information is relayed through enhanced optic, low light, and thermal imagers mounted on the turret, miniturret, and main body, allowing the men to choose virtually any angle they want to view. A millimetric radar is mounted on top of the tank for use with TAMS. There is also a LIDAR module that can serve as a laser designator or LADAR. The tank uses a sophisticated heat venting system to vent it downward onto the ground rather than a thermal plume as with older vehicles. The tank has full NBC filtering for protection of the crew. If necessary, the M88 can control small UAVs or UGVs. This is very useful, meaning the Badger can be an indirect fire support unit or spotter, use UGVs to flush out ambushes, and a variety of other tasks.

9M7A3 'Kanuck' Anti-Tank Guided Missile

Length: 100cm
Width/Diameter: 15.2cm
Weight: 320kg
Warhead: 75kg Shaped-Charge
Propulsion: AL-8121K Solid Fuel Rocket Engine, SIIR-A-19 SCRAMjet
Speed: Mach 2.2 flight, Mach 10+ final attack (see below)
Guidance: IR, RADAR, Optical
Penetration: Straight on: 1200mm RHA. Straight Down with Mach 10 speed: 6,500mm RHA.

The Kanuck ATGM is fired from a tank generally, and follows a low path towards its target. About a kilometer from the target it pops directly into the air, withstanding high G pressures with its AAW wings and mission adaptive skin. The Missile then hits a high altitude, around 4,500ft, and falls straight down at the target. The high speed initiates the SCRAMjet, which propells it to mach 10 and up a second before impact. A thrustvectored nozzle allows for such manuevering, along with the previously mentioned AAW wings. In the M88, there is a seperate ATGM operator, which uses the optical guidance feature to prevent jamming by Active Defences like Shtora and such. Should a type of Flare be initiated, the human person can determine which is tank, and which is not via the thermal-optical view combinding both. The computer can do this as well, using a very small database and algorithms, but it is only 85% correct in picking a tank from a flare. A trained human using the targeting system can be upto 95% correct in determining the difference between tank and flare.

The impact of the missile is equal to the impact of a metorite smashing into a tank. The 75kg warhead detonates after penetration. Penetration occurs as the front of the ATGM breaks off, revealing a very sharp spear made of Tungsten, which easily peirces a tank at mach 10. The base of the cone widens, to enclude the 75kg warhead, which is carried into the center of the tank and explodes, creating annihalation.
Questions?

Price tag: $320,000 per missile

OOC: Once again NE you've out done yourself, what tech is this one? about 2020 ish?

(Wasnt' just me... Oh, and I forgot price... 15 million per tank)

Bump...

OOC:wow, definetly needs a tag

Bump for ATGM addition.

Bump!

We will take Kaunck production rites.

Potentially very powerful tank... however as with any tank not very useful in difficult terrain... :)

Also, supplying such a unit of such tanks would be a logistical nightmare... to say the least...

But superb spec, well done!

Actually, since it's powered by a small nuclear reactor (QNFRs, the US wants them on aircraft in 2015, but the Green lobby's going to knock it cold in the House of Reps), the necessity of fuel is basically gone, which leaves it with mostly ammunition and treads to deal with, which aren't much harder to deal with than for an Abrams. A more logical supply problem would be that since this can take hits from RL tanks and then kill them in virtually a single shot, and not have to stop for gas, could the supply lines keep up with it?

Would you like to sell shares of Hyland-Nikolaas to the public? Then go to The Pentovan Stock Brokerage (http://forums2.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=367180) and sell sell sell!

We do not give production rights to the Kanuck. We will however sell you 24,000 for $6,000,000,000.

Normally Production rights are $100 Billion.

Good enough.

Alrighty, confirmed.

Actually, since it's powered by a small nuclear reactor (QNFRs, the US wants them on aircraft in 2015, but the Green lobby's going to knock it cold in the House of Reps), the necessity of fuel is basically gone, which leaves it with mostly ammunition and treads to deal with, which aren't much harder to deal with than for an Abrams. A more logical supply problem would be that since this can take hits from RL tanks and then kill them in virtually a single shot, and not have to stop for gas, could the supply lines keep up with it?

Heh, small nuclear reactors... thats pretty hefty tech NE. Also, very dangerous to the crew and if it gets hit, god help them. Also, remeber it can kill some tanks at X ranges and at Y range it cannot... no tank is perfect, also there is a very simple way to destroy such advanced tanks. Taking a leaf from the Panzer's in WWII fire at the gun, so if you hit it it will explode said shell in the barrel utterly destroying said tank. No, they haven't cured that one yet nor can they.

Also, Nuclear reactors need fuel dear and how is the tank going to cope with the waste produced?

What i was refering to as a logistical problem is the fact that your tank has flechetes (sp?), which you seem to much emphasis on stop enemy tanks. These would need be re-supplied regularily, in a war sit. Also, the fact that your tank is going to be so 'invincible' means it's extremely expensive meaning your only going to ever have a few hundred of them realistically...

If you want to see why big dangerous tanks can really be quite useless, look up the King Tiger, King Tiger II and the 'Maus'.

OOC: Silly person, have you noticed how many heavy tanks there are on NS? I'm not making a heavy tank for the sake of it being big, I'm making it for the sake of surviving on a battlefield. And do you realize that the thing can work perfectly fine against missiles and infantry without the flechettes, that the configuration pictured gives it thousands of them?

As for nuclear waste, look up the Hafnium QNRs at Newscientist.com.

I mean, jesus, look at the Admiral A1. The thing is freaking huge. It's powered by a fusion reactor. And god knows how many people have their double gun uber armor tanks from CnC. The fact is that if we want to compete with those, we need something with a ton of self protection, armor, and firepower. If I wanted to make a tank for the sake of being big, I would have made the 1000 ton landcruiser with naval guns.

OOC: Silly person, have you noticed how many heavy tanks there are on NS? I'm not making a heavy tank for the sake of it being big, I'm making it for the sake of surviving on a battlefield. And do you realize that the thing can work perfectly fine against missiles and infantry without the flechettes, that the configuration pictured gives it thousands of them?

As for nuclear waste, look up the Hafnium QNRs at Newscientist.com.

I mean, jesus, look at the Admiral A1. The thing is freaking huge. It's powered by a fusion reactor. And god knows how many people have their double gun uber armor tanks from CnC. The fact is that if we want to compete with those, we need something with a ton of self protection, armor, and firepower. If I wanted to make a tank for the sake of being big, I would have made the 1000 ton landcruiser with naval guns.

Lol, really am I silly? I'm simply asking questions... decent ones at that.

What I am trying to say is that big heavy tanks are not all they cracked up to be :)

Yeah, I know people say they have 'uber' tanks and 'uber' aircraft etc etc... they tend to get IGNORE cannoned. People on here don't recognise the potential weaknesses of their own vehicles, nor the viability of them in warfare. Why do you all think countries don't bother with huge tanks, hell we have the tech to build them, why don't we them? The Challengers, Abrams etc they're all nice big tanks but only in essence medium tanks (relative to what could be built). Play as your NS character don't play catch up with people, who almost godmod on their own vehicles. My forces only carry Chall II varients, even so i've given them obvious weaknesses, because thats the point of RPing, you cannot 'win' unlike Planetarion (which i'm a grizzled veteran of) you play for fun.

Also as for your tank and infantry ambush, i'd remind you that almost any amount of armour can be penetrated at close range. Don't assume you always fight in open terrain, most wars are fought in the nasty little places of this and the NS world.

Incidentaly Nuclear tanks is a little nuts because if one goes up then half the battlefield does as well... :) Assuming your using your standard nuclear reaction.

The Flechettes were an interesting idea, I was simply pointing the logistical problem, it's a frill I know, but I prefer my tanks without the frills, which other nations deem nessacary. I presume they would work on the idea of penetrating the shell/missle's warhead/trigger and prematurely exploding it. This could of course cause all sorts to happen especially if you have infantry in the area... (think claymore/canister shot/airburst shells).

Also, remeber tanks are most vunerable to mines and aircraft.

Survival? But at what cost to it as a AFV? In tank design everything is a trade off, i.e. more armour = less speed, bigger gun = more cost etc etc.

I see your point about the reactor, but again it doesn't answer the point as to what happens if the thing gets blown to bits... the point about protecting the crew would be moot given that quite possible scenario.

Btw, I never meant to insult you, so sorry if it sounded that way.

you are not insulting us merely proving your lack of intelligence.

Lol, really am I silly? I'm simply asking questions... decent ones at that.

What I am trying to say is that big heavy tanks are not all they cracked up to be :) They are when smashing through an enemy armoured division

Yeah, I know people say they have 'uber' tanks and 'uber' aircraft etc etc... they tend to get IGNORE cannoned. People on here don't recognise the potential weaknesses of their own vehicles, nor the viability of them in warfare. Why do you all think countries don't bother with huge tanks, hell we have the tech to build them, why don't we them? The Challengers, Abrams etc they're all nice big tanks but only in essence medium tanks (relative to what could be built). Play as your NS character don't play catch up with people, who almost godmod on their own vehicles. My forces only carry Chall II varients, even so i've given them obvious weaknesses, because thats the point of RPing, you cannot 'win' unlike Planetarion (which i'm a grizzled veteran of) you play for fun.
Those people don't have an idea of Technology then. To bad for them. Besides, a good RPer discusses these things with his enemy over a chat medium to make sure it all goes smoothly.

Also as for your tank and infantry ambush, i'd remind you that almost any amount of armour can be penetrated at close range. Don't assume you always fight in open terrain, most wars are fought in the nasty little places of this and the NS world.
Those nasty little places can be made more hosipitable thanks to our superior Thermal detection systems, there is no hiding. Should a shot be fired off NxRA deals with it nicely, but if somehow it gets past NxRA, it still has to deal with the Diamond-Matrix Armour (bonded) along with other systems. Not to mention those fletchett rounds. Besides anyone who sends tanks into an Urban setting is an idiot. Whos to say that Artitsa and New Empire are most plains, thereby having a vast advantage in our countries?

Incidentaly Nuclear tanks is a little nuts because if one goes up then half the battlefield does as well... :) Assuming your using your standard nuclear reaction.
Go look up QNF engines. They will be used in the UAV's by US Gov't in 2015, I'd imagine they won't be that dangerous. There are many safety systems. Please tell me, when Ships explode, do their nuclear reactors take out half the other ships? Common misconception.

The Flechettes were an interesting idea, I was simply pointing the logistical problem, it's a frill I know, but I prefer my tanks without the frills, which other nations deem nessacary. I presume they would work on the idea of penetrating the shell/missle's warhead/trigger and prematurely exploding it. This could of course cause all sorts to happen especially if you have infantry in the area... (think claymore/canister shot/airburst shells).
Generally you don't have Infantry around your tanks these days. American soldiers in Iraq were getting burns from the M1A2 Abrams because of its engine. You'd be surprised what those Flechettes will do to closing infantry trying to overun the tank though. And those "frills" is the difference from our tank surviving, and yours exploding in a spectacular fashion.

Also, remeber tanks are most vunerable to mines and aircraft.
You can substitute Kanuck ATGM's for Igla-S SAM's. Plus any fool knows you should have Airdefence units with your tanks, along with mine clearers. We offer the Celtic for airdefence. Also, we can attach mine-plows to the M88.

Survival? But at what cost to it as a AFV? In tank design everything is a trade off, i.e. more armour = less speed, bigger gun = more cost etc etc.
In this case we have more armour, a new different engine meaning same speed but improved range, but yes the cost is massive. But cost doesn't matter when you have an $18 Trillion defence budget, now does it?

I see your point about the reactor, but again it doesn't answer the point as to what happens if the thing gets blown to bits... the point about protecting the crew would be moot given that quite possible scenario.
answered already.

Btw, I never meant to insult you, so sorry if it sounded that way.
Hey, its the internet. Its impersonal, so its always hard to figure out someones mood when their typing. Anyways, thanks for the comments, definatly issues we needed to address.


Responses in bold above.

This tank has one purpose and one purpose only. It is not for scouting. It is not for urban or close range combat. It is for completely destroying any kind of armored vehicle in the area with extreme efficiency, while being able to take shots from it's buddies.

The fact is there are many valid heavy tanks, and I need a counter to them. A modern battle tank is not effective if it can't take fire just a bit under it's own class, and if it can't kill other tanks in one or two shot (He who fires first must kill first).

And the east section of my nations is plains in between a few mountain ranges. These are extremely useful there.

The only ships that use bomb grade (explosive) fuel are nuclear submarine reactors, but even then it's only a fraction of Hiroshima. Since this is neither a true fusion or fission reactor, there is no risk of a critical point being reached. For some reason, people think that if you shoot a nuke plant, it blows up in a mushroom cloud. If people stopped playing CnC Generals and starting doing reasearch, they'd realize this is not true.

See Artitsa for everything else.

you are not insulting us merely proving your lack of intelligence.

Now, thats a silly comment if I have ever seen one.

Impressive. Seems like a great tank destroyer, though I would note that if the scramjet rockets hit something too hard for them to just blow through, there's a risk of them shattering :)

OOC: Hmm, just a thought: The SCRAMJet rounds that you use could sometimes be totally useless. They fly at high speeds, and just punch a hole through the tank without actualyl destroying it. However, this is only possible when it's poorly aimed and does not hit any vital parts, which i think is impossible given the sensor-tech you have on your tanks. :) Hmm, how about laser weapons, by the way?

Kriegorgrad; as always, has taken a great intrest in the works of New Empire engineers, we would like to discuss the possibility of production rights. However, should you not feel comfortable selling those, the 200 tanks will suffice nicely.

Could we purchase 200 M88 Badger HBTs, also, we are enticed by the opportunity to purchase high quality missiles and would like to take you up on the offer of 24,000 for $6,000,000,000. Also, we would like to discuss production rights for the Kanuck AT Guided Missile.

Impressive. Seems like a great tank destroyer, though I would note that if the scramjet rockets hit something too hard for them to just blow through, there's a risk of them shattering :)

I've never heard of Tungsten or DU shattering... and not much is going to be harder then a tungsten bolt flying at mach 7.

OOC: Hmm, just a thought: The SCRAMJet rounds that you use could sometimes be totally useless. They fly at high speeds, and just punch a hole through the tank without actualyl destroying it. However, this is only possible when it's poorly aimed and does not hit any vital parts, which i think is impossible given the sensor-tech you have on your tanks. Hmm, how about laser weapons, by the way?

Not quite. The purpose of a KE round is to create an overpressure in the tank, as pressures change with the incredibly fast round. The heat produced will also generally set off the Ammunition, as will the overpressure. Not to mention the effects on the crew by shrapnel and such. There will be so much Spall, there won't be enough safety measures to protect the crew against it. Everything will be damaged or destroyed. Think of the Friction that will be created as well. But yes, it was a valid question and we do plan to create a different SCRAMjet round that ensures destruction... by adding a charge to the end after penetration.

Kriegorgrad; as always, has taken a great intrest in the works of New Empire engineers, we would like to discuss the possibility of production rights. However, should you not feel comfortable selling those, the 200 tanks will suffice nicely.

Could we purchase 200 M88 Badger HBTs, also, we are enticed by the opportunity to purchase high quality missiles and would like to take you up on the offer of 24,000 for $6,000,000,000. Also, we would like to discuss production rights for the Kanuck AT Guided Missile.

Well since you think that NE designed this tank, then you can wait for him to confirm the order. ::Roll::

OOC: Oh sorry Aritsa, if you designed this tank as well, could you please confirm or deny my order?

Impressive. Seems like a great tank destroyer, though I would note that if the scramjet rockets hit something too hard for them to just blow through, there's a risk of them shattering :)

I suppose... But keep in mind buddy, this is the modern tech version. The 2020+ I'd use against you in the RP would be having... Oh, a railgun. Nothing a small nuclear reactor can't handle.

Order confirmed... Talk to Artitsa about ATGMs...

OOC: Hmm, just a thought: The SCRAMJet rounds that you use could sometimes be totally useless. They fly at high speeds, and just punch a hole through the tank without actualyl destroying it. However, this is only possible when it's poorly aimed and does not hit any vital parts, which i think is impossible given the sensor-tech you have on your tanks. :) Hmm, how about laser weapons, by the way?
This isn't like looney tunes, man, where they run through the wall and make a perfect cutout. You could argue the same for APFSDS rounds, but the fact is that the armor will shatter upon impact. It doesn't just disappear. The spall will be white hot, and it'll burn, melt, or detonate everything it touches. So unless the target is ubercompartmentalized, it's gone.

We are very pleased to hear about the tanks. Thank you for this excellent opportunity.

-Kriegor Zan Varr


(sorry for bad post, writer's block)

You are confirmed.

Thank you for this opportunity.

(Another Lame Block)