Labhekistan
16-09-2007, 03:51
Image: M5A2 in standard Desert Camouflage (http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i185/rainmaker_01/tank5.jpg)
History:
By the end of the 20th century, Labhekistan had emerged from a bloody civil war, united under a democratic government for the first time. With the emergence of Labhekistan as a world power, a new front-line main battle tank was needed to replace the aging, crippled fleet of Soviet tanks in the Army’s inventory. However, in the late nineties, Labhekistan’s economy was only starting to recover from the five years of bitter fighting which had brought many industries to a standstill. This new tank, manufactured by Labhekistan Design Bureau, would be known as the T-96. The T-96, while a capable enough machine, was developed on a shoestring budget, and lacked many of the sophisticated systems of its contemporary tanks in other nations. It lacked the advanced fire control and active protection systems which benefited the other tanks of that era. Thus, although the T-96 met the Army’s needs for a main battle tank, it proved to be woefully ineffective on the battlefields of the 21st century.
By the year 2015, the T-96 was an absolute relic. The wide proliferation of vastly superior tanks, such as the Sumerian MCA-7B Urbara Tirak, the Macabean Nakíl 1A2, and the Aequatian M20A1 Mackall, left the Army with a main battle tank that was simply unable to compete on the modern battlefield. Thus, a new main battle tank was needed once again. This time, however, the Labhekistani Army would benefit from more than a decade of combat experience, as well as the most advanced technologies in current development. Within the past decade, the population of Labhekistan had skyrocketed, and with that had also come a defense budget that had increased more than a hundredfold. On June 1, 2015, the Labhekistani Army Tank Replacement Program (LATRP) was initiated. More than a dozen designs were submitted by various contractors, each of which featured radical new advancements in defense and armaments technology. Out of the LATRP was born the M5A1 Stormcrow.
The M5A1 was truly an effective and deadly machine. The Army’s requirements for the design, including a newer, more powerful gun, and much more effective armor, were all met and exceeded. However, the M5A1 had one fatal flaw which became apparent during combat trials. The large gap between the turret and the glacis became a “shell trap”; an incoming shell would ricochet downward off the turret – directly into the crew section. Seeing this flaw, the Labhekistan Design Bureau began work on a modified version of the original design with an entirely reworked turret - the M5A2. The M5A2 used a hull that was essentially the same as the M2A1, but the turret was entirely redesigned. The “shell trap” was eliminated by sloping the armor of the turret nearly to the hull, preventing a possible ricochet. This new incarnation of the Stormcrow was now ready to take its place in the Labhekistan Armed Forces.
Overview:
The M5A2 was designed with two things in mind: firepower and survivability. Designers went to great lengths to create a tank which could provide heavy firepower, and upon sustaining damage, could be easily repaired in the field by the crew. Although enemy tanks were one of the main concerns to Labhekistan’s designers, it was also noted that in the 21st century tanks faced increasing threats from attack helicopters and low-flying aircraft. Early tanks, which lacked the weaponry and sophisticated fire control systems to engage aircraft, but a new tank would have to be able to counter this threat without compromising its ability to combat land vehicles. The M5A2, in addition to being well-suited to combat enemy tanks, is also a potent anti-aircraft platform.
With survivability in mind, designers incorporated many features which would allow the M5A2 to survive and excel on the modern battlefield. The tank’s armor comes in “modules”, which can be disconnected and replaced if damaged. The M5A2 also features Enhanced Durability and Manuevaerability Tracks (EDMTs), which are constructed out of high-strength materials to allow for maneuverability over almost any terrain. Along with the EDMTs, the M5A2 features a new, adjustable hydraulic suspension, which further enhances the tank’s effectiveness over a wide variety of terrain.
The M5A2 also features a new Avtomat United BD-6670 engine, which is set between the crew and the tank’s frontal armor, granting them additional protection. This also served to create an empty space near the rear of the tank, which can be used for additional storage. The BD-6670 is contained within a module (much like the armor), allowing it to be replaced with ease in the field, should it sustain damage.
Armament:
The original Rheinmetall L55 120 mm gun of the T-96 has been replaced by the much more effective Labhekistan Design Bureau E2 125 mm ETC gun. The gun, which used ETC technology, actually takes up less space than the original gun, because the liquid propellant tanks up less space than the solid propellant of a standard round. The muzzle energy of the L55 (7.5 MJ) has been almost tripled to 20 MJ, and the range increased to 5000 meters.
The M5A2 is armed with a wide variety of ammunition, but its main “punch” comes from the new TA-500 Armor Piercing Fin Stabilized Discarding Sabot Ramjet Assisted (APFSDSRA) round. The TA-500 is machined from high-density depleted uranium with a tungsten core for maximum penetration at long range. The TA-500 is just 60 centimeters long, but extends during flight to 85 centimeters. During flight, the TA-500 can achieve a velocity of more than 2000 m/s, which has proven to be uniformly lethal against a wide variety of armor. Finally, the TA-500 is assisted by a small ramjet engine which helps the round to maintain a consistent lethal velocity during flight, as well as boosting the overall range of the projectile. The ramjet does have some maneuvering capabilities, which can actually help to “steer” the round, making it more effective against moving targets at long range. Because of these features, the TA-500 has actually been compared to a kinetic “missile”, rather than a tank shell.
The M5A2 is also capable of firing a wide variety of ammunition, including the A-500B High Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT) round, the A-500C Anti-Infantry Saboted Flechette (AISF) round, and the A-500D Tank-Fired Anti-Aircraft Missile (TFAAM), as well as smoke and illuminating rounds.
The barrel of the LDI E2 ETC gun is manufactured from high-strength steel, which has a longer survivability versus more traditional solid-propellant guns. The gun is fed by a “revolver” type system, which holds ten rounds in a rotating drum. The drum is armored to prevent premature detonation of the rounds; however, because HEAT rounds are rarely used and the liquid propellant is non-combustible, the threat of an ammunition cook-off is negligible. The drum is constantly fed by an advanced autoloader, which eliminates the need for a fourth crewman to load the gun.
The M5A2 is armed with several additional weapons. The first is a 12.7 mm machinegun mounted on the turret, which can be fired remotely or manually by the gunner when unbuttoned. Within the turret is also contained a 60 mm remotely-fired mortar, which has proven to be highly effective against enemy infantry. Finally, the M5A2 has 12 dischargers (six on either side of the turret), which can fired a wide variety of grenades, including smoke, aerosol, flares, and anti-infantry fragmentation. This system is controlled by the tank commander. The M5A2 is also able to mount two additional 7.65 mm machineguns; however, this is rarely done because of the additional space needed to store the ammunition.
Protection:
The main physical protection of the Stormcrow comes from two layers of highly advanced armor which is designed in small, modular sections to be easily replaced. The first layer; furthest from the hull, is a layer of an advanced Chobham derivative, known as Safeguard. Safeguard consists of extremely dense ceramic (a combination of boron carbide and synthetic diamond) tiles, contained within a hexagonal steel matrix. The ceramic tiles are held in constant compression by the steel matrix, which vastly improves their ability to disrupt kinetic penetrators. Between various layers of ceramic tiles are layers of a highly resistant resin combined with high-strength polymer fibers, which further boosts their stopping power. Backing the armor matrices are a layer of depleted uranium and a layer of steel, which acts as a “mirror”, reflecting the force up impact back into the ceramic tiles, dissipating the energy and preventing the ceramic from cracking. Safeguard is designed to act alone; however, it is coupled with a second layer to even further boost the protective capabilities of the Stromcrow’s armor.
The second layer of armor (closest to the hull) is a newly developed technology known as Electrically Reactive Armor (ELRA). Electrically Reactive Armor is designed with the principle that a very powerful electrical charge will full disrupt a conductive projectile, such as a tungsten penetrator or a molten-metal jet from a HEAT round. ELRA consists of two thin conductive layers, which are separated by an insulator. The inner shell acts as a ground, while the out shell contains an extremely powerful electric charge. When an incoming projectile penetrates the outer shell, a bridge is formed and the massively powerful charge runs through the projectile, either disrupting it, or vaporizing it entirely. The layer of ELRA acts as a final line of defense, proving to be highly effective against a wide variety of ammunition.
The Stormcrow, in addition to its armor, comes with the latest in active protection systems, of both the hard and soft-kill varieties. The soft-kill system, known as Vanguard, is based around an electro-optical jammer, which is located near the main gun. Vanguard detects an incoming missile using a very precise laser detection system, and then activates the pulsed-infrared jammer, which is designed to “blind” an incoming anti-tank missile. The Vanguard system also includes twelve aerosol launchers located around the turret, which can deploy a “screen” which further masks the tank from incoming missiles.
Coupled with the Vanguard system is a hard-kill system known as Tower. Tower uses a millimeter-wavelength Doppler radar mounted within the turret to detect an incoming projectile, such an anti-tank guided missile, shaped charge, or rocket propelled grenade. Once a projectile is detected, an explosive interceptor is launched. The interceptor is designed to explode in close proximity to the target, destroying it or disrupting its flight path. Only the blast effect of the explosive is used, there is no fragmentation because the interceptor is created from combustible materials. Because there is little danger from fragmentation, infantry are able to operate in close proximity to the Stormcrow, most often a necessity in modern warfare.
Statistics:
General:
• Crew: 3
• Suspension: Adjustable hydraulic
Dimensions:
• Length: 8.02m
• Width: 3.65m
• Height: 2.5m (turret roof)
• Weight: 79,510 kg.
Armament:
• Primary: Labhekistani Defense Industries E2 125mm Electrothermal Chemical gun
• Secondary: 12.7mm machinegun, 60mm mortar
• Dischargers: 12 (Six on either side of the turret)
Powerplant:
• Type: Avtomat United BD-6670 diesel engine
• Max. Road Speed: 82 km/h
• Max. Off-Road Speed: 67.2 km/h
• Operational Range: 630 km. (standard)
• Power/Weight Ratio: 22.0 hp/ton
• Displacement: 20.25 Liters
• Layout: Horizontally Opposed 8 Cylinder
Protection: RHAe KE/CE thickness
• Hull Glacis: 2,750mm/3,450mm
• Hull Front: 1,400mm/1,800mm
• Hull Sides: 1,380mm/1,780mm
• Hull Rear: 590mm/740mm
• Hull Top: 310mm/430mm
• Turret Front: 2,750mm/3,450mm
• Turret Sides: 1,300mm/1,600mm
• Turret Rear: 600mm/750mm
• Turret Top: 310mm/450mm
• Turret Mantlet: 3,050mm/3,750mm
Price: $12,500,000 USD
Domestic Production Rights: $120,500,000,000
Tanks in Service:
Labhekistan (65,000 Planned)
Kampfers (50,000 ordered)
Vandaheim (2000 ordered, redesignated M5A2VMOUT)
Central Prestonia (1000 ordered, redesignated M5A2 Hellraiser)
Total: 119,000
OOC: May be edited soon upon Draftroom reply.
History:
By the end of the 20th century, Labhekistan had emerged from a bloody civil war, united under a democratic government for the first time. With the emergence of Labhekistan as a world power, a new front-line main battle tank was needed to replace the aging, crippled fleet of Soviet tanks in the Army’s inventory. However, in the late nineties, Labhekistan’s economy was only starting to recover from the five years of bitter fighting which had brought many industries to a standstill. This new tank, manufactured by Labhekistan Design Bureau, would be known as the T-96. The T-96, while a capable enough machine, was developed on a shoestring budget, and lacked many of the sophisticated systems of its contemporary tanks in other nations. It lacked the advanced fire control and active protection systems which benefited the other tanks of that era. Thus, although the T-96 met the Army’s needs for a main battle tank, it proved to be woefully ineffective on the battlefields of the 21st century.
By the year 2015, the T-96 was an absolute relic. The wide proliferation of vastly superior tanks, such as the Sumerian MCA-7B Urbara Tirak, the Macabean Nakíl 1A2, and the Aequatian M20A1 Mackall, left the Army with a main battle tank that was simply unable to compete on the modern battlefield. Thus, a new main battle tank was needed once again. This time, however, the Labhekistani Army would benefit from more than a decade of combat experience, as well as the most advanced technologies in current development. Within the past decade, the population of Labhekistan had skyrocketed, and with that had also come a defense budget that had increased more than a hundredfold. On June 1, 2015, the Labhekistani Army Tank Replacement Program (LATRP) was initiated. More than a dozen designs were submitted by various contractors, each of which featured radical new advancements in defense and armaments technology. Out of the LATRP was born the M5A1 Stormcrow.
The M5A1 was truly an effective and deadly machine. The Army’s requirements for the design, including a newer, more powerful gun, and much more effective armor, were all met and exceeded. However, the M5A1 had one fatal flaw which became apparent during combat trials. The large gap between the turret and the glacis became a “shell trap”; an incoming shell would ricochet downward off the turret – directly into the crew section. Seeing this flaw, the Labhekistan Design Bureau began work on a modified version of the original design with an entirely reworked turret - the M5A2. The M5A2 used a hull that was essentially the same as the M2A1, but the turret was entirely redesigned. The “shell trap” was eliminated by sloping the armor of the turret nearly to the hull, preventing a possible ricochet. This new incarnation of the Stormcrow was now ready to take its place in the Labhekistan Armed Forces.
Overview:
The M5A2 was designed with two things in mind: firepower and survivability. Designers went to great lengths to create a tank which could provide heavy firepower, and upon sustaining damage, could be easily repaired in the field by the crew. Although enemy tanks were one of the main concerns to Labhekistan’s designers, it was also noted that in the 21st century tanks faced increasing threats from attack helicopters and low-flying aircraft. Early tanks, which lacked the weaponry and sophisticated fire control systems to engage aircraft, but a new tank would have to be able to counter this threat without compromising its ability to combat land vehicles. The M5A2, in addition to being well-suited to combat enemy tanks, is also a potent anti-aircraft platform.
With survivability in mind, designers incorporated many features which would allow the M5A2 to survive and excel on the modern battlefield. The tank’s armor comes in “modules”, which can be disconnected and replaced if damaged. The M5A2 also features Enhanced Durability and Manuevaerability Tracks (EDMTs), which are constructed out of high-strength materials to allow for maneuverability over almost any terrain. Along with the EDMTs, the M5A2 features a new, adjustable hydraulic suspension, which further enhances the tank’s effectiveness over a wide variety of terrain.
The M5A2 also features a new Avtomat United BD-6670 engine, which is set between the crew and the tank’s frontal armor, granting them additional protection. This also served to create an empty space near the rear of the tank, which can be used for additional storage. The BD-6670 is contained within a module (much like the armor), allowing it to be replaced with ease in the field, should it sustain damage.
Armament:
The original Rheinmetall L55 120 mm gun of the T-96 has been replaced by the much more effective Labhekistan Design Bureau E2 125 mm ETC gun. The gun, which used ETC technology, actually takes up less space than the original gun, because the liquid propellant tanks up less space than the solid propellant of a standard round. The muzzle energy of the L55 (7.5 MJ) has been almost tripled to 20 MJ, and the range increased to 5000 meters.
The M5A2 is armed with a wide variety of ammunition, but its main “punch” comes from the new TA-500 Armor Piercing Fin Stabilized Discarding Sabot Ramjet Assisted (APFSDSRA) round. The TA-500 is machined from high-density depleted uranium with a tungsten core for maximum penetration at long range. The TA-500 is just 60 centimeters long, but extends during flight to 85 centimeters. During flight, the TA-500 can achieve a velocity of more than 2000 m/s, which has proven to be uniformly lethal against a wide variety of armor. Finally, the TA-500 is assisted by a small ramjet engine which helps the round to maintain a consistent lethal velocity during flight, as well as boosting the overall range of the projectile. The ramjet does have some maneuvering capabilities, which can actually help to “steer” the round, making it more effective against moving targets at long range. Because of these features, the TA-500 has actually been compared to a kinetic “missile”, rather than a tank shell.
The M5A2 is also capable of firing a wide variety of ammunition, including the A-500B High Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT) round, the A-500C Anti-Infantry Saboted Flechette (AISF) round, and the A-500D Tank-Fired Anti-Aircraft Missile (TFAAM), as well as smoke and illuminating rounds.
The barrel of the LDI E2 ETC gun is manufactured from high-strength steel, which has a longer survivability versus more traditional solid-propellant guns. The gun is fed by a “revolver” type system, which holds ten rounds in a rotating drum. The drum is armored to prevent premature detonation of the rounds; however, because HEAT rounds are rarely used and the liquid propellant is non-combustible, the threat of an ammunition cook-off is negligible. The drum is constantly fed by an advanced autoloader, which eliminates the need for a fourth crewman to load the gun.
The M5A2 is armed with several additional weapons. The first is a 12.7 mm machinegun mounted on the turret, which can be fired remotely or manually by the gunner when unbuttoned. Within the turret is also contained a 60 mm remotely-fired mortar, which has proven to be highly effective against enemy infantry. Finally, the M5A2 has 12 dischargers (six on either side of the turret), which can fired a wide variety of grenades, including smoke, aerosol, flares, and anti-infantry fragmentation. This system is controlled by the tank commander. The M5A2 is also able to mount two additional 7.65 mm machineguns; however, this is rarely done because of the additional space needed to store the ammunition.
Protection:
The main physical protection of the Stormcrow comes from two layers of highly advanced armor which is designed in small, modular sections to be easily replaced. The first layer; furthest from the hull, is a layer of an advanced Chobham derivative, known as Safeguard. Safeguard consists of extremely dense ceramic (a combination of boron carbide and synthetic diamond) tiles, contained within a hexagonal steel matrix. The ceramic tiles are held in constant compression by the steel matrix, which vastly improves their ability to disrupt kinetic penetrators. Between various layers of ceramic tiles are layers of a highly resistant resin combined with high-strength polymer fibers, which further boosts their stopping power. Backing the armor matrices are a layer of depleted uranium and a layer of steel, which acts as a “mirror”, reflecting the force up impact back into the ceramic tiles, dissipating the energy and preventing the ceramic from cracking. Safeguard is designed to act alone; however, it is coupled with a second layer to even further boost the protective capabilities of the Stromcrow’s armor.
The second layer of armor (closest to the hull) is a newly developed technology known as Electrically Reactive Armor (ELRA). Electrically Reactive Armor is designed with the principle that a very powerful electrical charge will full disrupt a conductive projectile, such as a tungsten penetrator or a molten-metal jet from a HEAT round. ELRA consists of two thin conductive layers, which are separated by an insulator. The inner shell acts as a ground, while the out shell contains an extremely powerful electric charge. When an incoming projectile penetrates the outer shell, a bridge is formed and the massively powerful charge runs through the projectile, either disrupting it, or vaporizing it entirely. The layer of ELRA acts as a final line of defense, proving to be highly effective against a wide variety of ammunition.
The Stormcrow, in addition to its armor, comes with the latest in active protection systems, of both the hard and soft-kill varieties. The soft-kill system, known as Vanguard, is based around an electro-optical jammer, which is located near the main gun. Vanguard detects an incoming missile using a very precise laser detection system, and then activates the pulsed-infrared jammer, which is designed to “blind” an incoming anti-tank missile. The Vanguard system also includes twelve aerosol launchers located around the turret, which can deploy a “screen” which further masks the tank from incoming missiles.
Coupled with the Vanguard system is a hard-kill system known as Tower. Tower uses a millimeter-wavelength Doppler radar mounted within the turret to detect an incoming projectile, such an anti-tank guided missile, shaped charge, or rocket propelled grenade. Once a projectile is detected, an explosive interceptor is launched. The interceptor is designed to explode in close proximity to the target, destroying it or disrupting its flight path. Only the blast effect of the explosive is used, there is no fragmentation because the interceptor is created from combustible materials. Because there is little danger from fragmentation, infantry are able to operate in close proximity to the Stormcrow, most often a necessity in modern warfare.
Statistics:
General:
• Crew: 3
• Suspension: Adjustable hydraulic
Dimensions:
• Length: 8.02m
• Width: 3.65m
• Height: 2.5m (turret roof)
• Weight: 79,510 kg.
Armament:
• Primary: Labhekistani Defense Industries E2 125mm Electrothermal Chemical gun
• Secondary: 12.7mm machinegun, 60mm mortar
• Dischargers: 12 (Six on either side of the turret)
Powerplant:
• Type: Avtomat United BD-6670 diesel engine
• Max. Road Speed: 82 km/h
• Max. Off-Road Speed: 67.2 km/h
• Operational Range: 630 km. (standard)
• Power/Weight Ratio: 22.0 hp/ton
• Displacement: 20.25 Liters
• Layout: Horizontally Opposed 8 Cylinder
Protection: RHAe KE/CE thickness
• Hull Glacis: 2,750mm/3,450mm
• Hull Front: 1,400mm/1,800mm
• Hull Sides: 1,380mm/1,780mm
• Hull Rear: 590mm/740mm
• Hull Top: 310mm/430mm
• Turret Front: 2,750mm/3,450mm
• Turret Sides: 1,300mm/1,600mm
• Turret Rear: 600mm/750mm
• Turret Top: 310mm/450mm
• Turret Mantlet: 3,050mm/3,750mm
Price: $12,500,000 USD
Domestic Production Rights: $120,500,000,000
Tanks in Service:
Labhekistan (65,000 Planned)
Kampfers (50,000 ordered)
Vandaheim (2000 ordered, redesignated M5A2VMOUT)
Central Prestonia (1000 ordered, redesignated M5A2 Hellraiser)
Total: 119,000
OOC: May be edited soon upon Draftroom reply.