NationStates Jolt Archive

A Guide to Third Spanish States Army Technology

http://www.quarry.nildram.co.uk/ARG11.jpg
Image 1: H&K G11, one of the forerunners of caseless ammunition, and the basis for the research and development of the FA-65

Historical Background

http://world.guns.ru/assault/AK-107.JPG
Image 2: AK-107 AR, used since the Second Spanish Civil War times, before the development of the FA-65 caseless AR, which external looks took a bit from it

2020

The formation of the Primera Columna de Hierro(First Iron Column), a large militia detachment with fifteen thousand men, in 27th of May of 2020, is considered the date of foundation of the Ejército Revolucionário(Revolutionary Army) and its day is an unofficial holiday in Third Spanish States, which involves the demonstration of the latest military technology, and of contests for finding peace time uses for military hardware. The small organized band of 15,000 combatants would eventually increase to much larger numbers, although the Army has always been a limited membership organization, which active numbers tended to range from 0.1 to 0.2% of the total population of Third Spanish States, while militias have always coexisted with them, and sometimes the line that divides an armed civilian from a military in Third Spanish States is becomes very blurred as it is not uncommon to see civilians driving light armored fighting vehicles and carrying what tends to be military exclusive equipment in other countries in Third Spanish States streets, and 27th of May is logically will be the best day for purchasing its homegrown technology, once the needed infrastructure is done.

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i291/Macabees/Tanks/Aircooledstealthvariant.png
Image 3: French AMX-30 "Stealth Tank" prototype. The Sino Stealth MBT features a much more angled and an apparently seamless turret-to-hull transition

2026

2026 was the year when Third Spanish States GDP had the largest growth in the entire history of the Confederacy.The automobile cooperatives started to have a massive boom with the development of new biodiesel and hydrogen engine technologies. Such boom gave the necessary infrastructure for the research and development of military mechanized technology. The MilNet Tucker Institute, a "virtual" organization composed by several military technology specialists, enthusiasts and by members of the Army, has then negotiated with the growing federation composed by several automobile cooperatives called Tienda del Coche, for a long-term cooperated research and development program for armored fighting vehicles, self-propelled artillery and general military logistics vehicles. From this cooperation came the Sino Stealth Tank, the Sino 2 Main Battle Tank, the Oso Heavy Assault Tank and many other projects which gave basis to Third Spanish States now heavily mechanized Army, combined with the common use of technicals and improvised fighting vehicles as planned basis for low intensity and unconventional warfare operations, and as a parallel result of this progress, the development of indigenous armament technologies came sponsored by several organizations, giving origin to the Light Small Arms Program, which is a project which takes advantage of the latest technologies in caseless and telescoped ammunitions, coupled with new conventional lightweight structural designs and matrix composites barrel construction to create a series of infantry arms which was designed to allow combatants to carry more ammunition with less encumbrance. Due to an much more expensive labor force than that of capitalist emerging countries with cheap labor, the use of expensive and new technological venues on military R&D of the Army, specially regarding the fields of Information Technology and new materials, was not dismissed in search of a more market competitive line of weapons which would otherwise not be able to compete with the cheapness of rifles like the still used AK-47 or of certain vehicles, instead having as thought for exports, to have a differential on bringing such care for a high quality and emergent technology line of armaments, in a so competitive market that is the arms industry.

http://www.fprado.com/armorsite/Leo2_Pics/Leo2A6-River-Crossing.jpg
Image 4: A Leopard 2A6 MBT crossing a river. The Sino 2 Main Battle Tank has a lower profile, decreased signatures, improved mobility with an advanced hydropneumatic suspension system, superior armor and electronics, besides of an improved firepower by using Electrothermal-Chemical Technology (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrothermal-chemical_technology).

2033

As decided in the latest strategic summit of the Milnet, after more than a decade of a costly buildup of Third Spanish States branches of military with mostly foreign technology, the given tendency of overall strategic plans for the progression and development of the necessary devices to ensure the defense and freedom of Third Spanish States has remained as a continual decrease on procurement funds for all the branches diverted towards other ends, primarily the ends of the infrastructure for future military exports and commercial infrastructure of the future MilNet Joint-Ventures Exports as a way to reduce the almost complete dependence from voluntary contributions of Militia, voluntary work from communist towns and from generously large sponsorships of cooperatives like Tienda del Coche in a tax-less place like Third Spanish States. Also much of these funds previously sought to be used for the purchase of vessels like Nimitz Class supercarriers and of tanks like the Abrams M1 will have as their new end a boost on the research being performed in cooperation with the TdC Tienda de Coche Confederación Cooperativa, NAVALCON Confederación de Cooperativas de la Industria Naval, AEROCON Confederación de Cooperativas de la Industria Aérea and with the FSoft Federación de Software.

This crucial boost to the funds used to research and develop Third Spanish States military technology is expected to give the first results in the next five years. Of course, as a expected result a surplus of previously used weapons and technologies will exist, although sales of these non native technologies will happen together with some native technologies as soon as the MilNet JVE infrastructure is ready. Basically, besides of being a way to upgrade Third Spanish States military to the new challenges of the 21st century, it is a "business investment" in a nation where the military must gather its own funds instead of relying on a centralized government, something that have made of the strategic officers masters of war and of business, and owners of their own technology in association with several cooperatives and confederations, a quite unusual "Military-industrial complex" where sometimes it is difficult to understand whether the cooperatives are an extension of the military or the military an extension of the cooperatives.

Were it not for the concept of "production efficiency" meaning in Third Spanish States "the cheapest and fastest way of achieving a flexible and changeable goal with the least of environmental and social negative aftermaths, and with the most possible quantity positive social and environmental consequences from the process", rather than just "the cheapest and fastest way of achieving a goal" and the lack of hierarchical businesses organizations, a dystopian setup of corporation making hostiles take-overs with military hardware would be expected, and in fact if such unusual setup for funding a military was taken by a capitalist nation that could be a possibility, considering the way it would empower monopolies to have a more aggressive marketing campaign.

http://z.about.com/d/politicalhumor/1/0/y/V/corporate_tank.jpg
Image 5: How a self-sufficient military would work in the United States and a good reason for the investment in weapons research

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bc/ZPU-1-batey-haosef-1.jpg/300px-ZPU-1-batey-haosef-1.jpg
Image 6:This is what was used before the development of the much lighter, modern and compact ZM145 heavy machinegun, dubbed as the "KPV-2"

2039(OOC: Or Timewarp because it's MT compatible)

The procurement fund have, in relative measures, reduced drastically while basically almost every infantry small arms and body armor is made of homegrown technology, from pistols to heavy machineguns and the man-portable ADATS missile. Third Spanish States finally was about to launch part of its homegrown military hardware internationally in the military technology market. The logistics, marketing and exports infrastructure of the MilNet Joint-Ventures Exports was almost finished, spearheaded by the famed MilNet Tucker Institute. However it's expected, due to the ideologically-filled nature of the military institute which controls such technology, that certain international markets shall remain unexplored.

Fusil de Asalto FA-65

http://img61.imageshack.us/img61/2130/fa65cs2yf0.png (http://img146.imageshack.us/img146/5534/fa65csux0.png)

Background:

Since its Army was born, in 2021, Third Spanish States always had a need of a lightweight and portable assault rifle for its small and efficient military force. Such rifle has existed for a long time, as a prototype: the Heckler & Koch G11 assault rifle, one of the forerunners of caseless ammunition technology. However it also presented many problems, primarily its lack of reliability due to ammunition cook-off and quick degradation through fouling. For a long time its Army used several purchased assault rifles of the AK series instead, which would later serve as inspiration for future Third Spanish States weapons as well. In 2027, Milnet Tucker Institute engineers have found a theorized way to make, based on the caseless technology started by the G11, an workable assault rifle to be used for at least the next 40 years. Their proposal was quite interesting and radical as well, and it was approved to negotiate with H&K the license of the G11 caseless technology. And after a few months of bartering, it was bought by Third Spanish States military force.

Overview:

3 years after several testings and prototypes, among then the discarded G11-S(Slow), the G11-V(Air-vented) and the G11-P(Polymer cased), focused on the development of a fast and effective enough air-venting system to prevent ammunition cook-off and of several structural improvements on its barrel to reduce fouling, finally a viable, and radically different model was developed, the G11-R(Reliable), which was internally modified and improved to resist much better to fouling than its earlier incarnations and is completely different internally from the original G11 even on its action, its only similarity with the G11 is the possibility of using caseless ammunition. In fact after those years of research and development, the only thing the G11 technology served for was to motivate the search for an effective solution to the point it was later renamed with a Third Spanish States title(FA meaning "Fusil de Asalto"). As of now it's not determined yet the life of the now renamed FA-65, though the most used of them(primarily due to testing as most Third Spanish States conflicts have been of low intensity against organized crime) have fired 20,000 rounds and are still working, though they are scheduled for preventive maintenance.

Equipped with a high heat capacity chamber of steel lining, with a drastically redesigned and highly modularized interior to increase heat transfer capability, where a bullpup design was ditched for better accuracy and to simplify internals, and also having a recoiling barrel to make its burst fire mode accurate, integrated with its short stroke gas action. It uses a simpler fire mechanism than the G11 but still quite complex by its own. Its large gas block has a piston with its own return spring, while the bolt carrier is pretty much inspired by the monolithic rotating bolt of the AK series rifles, also designed with reliability in mind. When using telescoped polymer cased ammo, each polymer case passes through a pre-ejection chamber before being ejected, ensuring that the system remain closed when using caseless ammunition and giving the user better control over its ejection.

Finally a rate of fire reducing system is installed to reduce the chamber heating from automatic fire and make its recoil more manageable in automatic fire mode. Externally it somewhat resembles a peculiar offspring of the H&K G3, H&K G11, AK series rifles and AN-94, with an unique, modular stock, horizontally and vertically bisected in four separable parts, which can be folded by pressing a small button which unattaches its lower and upper pieces from both its left and right sides and by pulling the four pieces towards the rifle body bottom and top respectively and folding them to the right, or if more convenient, folded as a whole instead by simply pressing the stock towards right without pressing the bisection lock. It also has a rail for mounting a LG40 40mm grenade launcher. Finally, according to its needs, besides its iron sight similar to that of the G3, it can be equipped with modular 2x, 3x and 4x optical scopes and night sights to expand its mission profile and be effectively used by designated marksmen or riflemen on small squads and fireteams operational level.

However it has a slower rate of fire than a G11 or even than an AN-94. Still, the logistics advantages of both caseless telescoped(CT) and telescoped polymer cased(TPC) ammunition combined with it now above average reliability and superior accuracy for its size, have granted this weapon the right to become the primary assault rifle of Third Spanish States Army.

It also uses an unique, accurate, ultra-rapid 2-rounds burst fire mode, which is similar to that of the Russian AN-94 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AN-94), instead of G11's 3 rounds burst, which improve its armor-piercing capabilities and ensures the second round actually hits the target that is being aimed with the aid of the recoiling barrel. It operates at single, 2-rounds burst or automatic fire. The overall improved and better balanced design, coupled with the advantages of the newly developed 6.5mm Grendel TP and CT ammunition types, also increased its effective range. Future ideas also exist to take advantage of the experience gained from the FA-65 development to design a caseless battle rifle, chambered for the 7.62x54mmPC, and it also served as the basis for the Lightweight Small Arms Technology project for the 6.5x39mm A-31 Light Machinegun and for the future RFA Sniper Rifle and 7.62x54mmPC firearms series.

It's commonly accepted that caseless ammo is the option for when regular maintenance would be suitable without hindering a battle like in low-intensity conflicts or when full auto use is completely unnecessary while for higher intensity conflicts or situations where logistics support would be strained, telescoped polymer case ammunition would be more adequate.

Specifications

Structure: Steel lined barrel, rugged polymer stock.
Caliber: 6.5x39mmTP telescoped polymer cased or 6.5x39mmCT caseless telescoped
Ammunition Types:
- 7.8 g FMJBT: Default
- 7.0 g Scenar (Moly)
- 8.4 g Norma
- 8.0 g Matchking
- 5.8 g TNT
Muzzle velocity: 935 m/s
Operation: Gas operated, recoiling barrel
Length(Stock Extended): 830mm
Length(Stock Folded): 645mm
Barrel length: 570mm
Weight: 3.8kg empty, 4.99kg loaded(56 rds polymer), 4.79 kg loaded(56 rds caseless)
Feed system: 26, 40 or 56 rounds detachable magazine
Effective range: 500m
Maximum range : 800m
Sights: Supports modular 2x-4x optical and night sight, detachable ghost ring iron sight as default.
Modes: Single, ultra-rapid 2-round AP burst and automatic
Supported Attachments: LG50 50mm (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=13485135&postcount=10) or M203 grenade launcher
Rates of Fire: 1,200 cyclic rpm(burst), 500 rpm(auto), 120 rpm(single)
Cost(3x night sight included): $1,500

http://imgcash2.imageshack.us/img8/2044/rbaucolorbn9.th.png http://imgcash1.imageshack.us/img8/3820/rpacolormj3.th.png (http://img8.imageshack.us/img8/2044/rbaucolorbn9.png)

Rifles Avanzados Series

The next development of the Lightweight Small Arms Program, the RA Series of rifles inaugurated a myriad of firearms with support for caseless and polymer cased ammunition chambered for the 7.62mm caliber which initial goal was to replace the Dragunov designated marksman rifle series, but later expanded into several other categories of rifles which shared almost 90% of the same components in their construction, and with most having the same type of gun barrel, allowing a high degree of interchangeability of parts between them on the field. Like previously mentioned, they inherited much of their design, operation and ideas from the FA-65 assault rifle development, resulting in a relatively lower research cost compared to the latter.

Their share of similar, standardized components in their structure is high enough to the point those of them which use the same operation and caliber are actually interchangeable by field stripping and reconfiguring them with the proper equipment and technical expertise, with even another advantage being the relative ease to exchange a heated barrel for a fresh one due to such design principle of high modularity. It can be compared in nature of development goals as a high-powered version of the U.S. M-8 Lightweight Rifle Series (http://world.guns.ru/assault/as61-e.htm), although having a much larger scope(with no pun intended).

Finally, it also served as a basis for the application of new technologies like Third Spanish States take on the lightweight and high heat resistance performance of a new type of gun barrel (http://www.dtic.mil/ndia/2005smallarms/tuesday/christou.pdf) which uses alumina fiber with aluminum metal matrix composite for the overwrap material and a ceramic matrix composite liner, where there is no abrupt interface between the liner and overwrap, initially suggested and developed as part of the U.S. Lightweight Small Arms Technologies program. However, following the future exports programs, thanks to their flexibility, every variant is also available to be fielded with cheaper steel lined barrels, and due to the ease of barrel exchange, such changes are not expensive processes.

Fast access price list

Precision

7.62x54mm RPA Advanced Precision Rifle: $1,800
RPA-BAS Bullpup, Selective-fire: $2,400

Custom Build Packages*:
- Economic Package(Steel lined barrel, 2x scope, bipod): - $100
- Export Package(Steel lined barrel, 3x night sight, bipod): $300
- Deluxe Package(CMC lined barrel, 3x night sight, bipod): $700

Individual Add-ons/modifications*:
- Build w/ steel lined barrel: - $400
- 3x night sight/scope: $700 / $500
- 2x night sight/scope: $450 / $300
- Bipod: On the house.**

*Given prices are summed over bare rifle prices
**Limited promotion

Designated Marksman

7.62x54mm RFDA Advanced Designated Marksman Rifle: $2,500
RFDA-C Folding Stock: $2,600
RFDA-B Bullpup: $2,800
RFDA-BS Bullpup, Subsonic w/ integral silencer: $3,500
RFDA-S Subsonic w/ integral silencer: $3,250

Custom Build Packages:
- Economic Package(Steel lined barrel, 3x scope, bipod): $100
- Export Package(Steel lined barrel, 4x scope, 3x night sight, bipod): $1000
- Deluxe Package(CMC lined barrel, 4x scope, 3x night sight, bipod): $1400

Individual Add-ons/modifications:
- Build w/ steel lined barrel: - $400
- 4x scope: $700
- 3x night sight/scope: $700 / $500
- 2x night sight/scope: $450 / $300
- Bipod: On the house.
- RFDA to RFDA-C field modification kit: $150
- RFDA to RFDA-S field modification kit: $800
- RFDA-B to RFDA-BS field modification kit: $800

Sniper

7.62x67mm(.300 Win) RFA Advanced Sniper Rifle: $14,000
RFA-B Bullpup: $ 17,000

Custom Build Packages:
- Economic Package(Steel lined barrel, 6x scope, 3x night sight, bipod): $700
- Export Package(Steel lined barrel, 8x scope, 3x night sight, bipod): $1200
- National Package(CMC lined barrel, 8x scope, 3x night sight, bipod): $2200
- Deluxe Package(CMC lined barrel, 4-16x scope, 3x night sight, bipod): $6700

Individual Add-ons/modifications:
- Build w/ steel lined barrel: - $1000
- 4-16x scope: $6000
- 8x scope: $1500
- 6x scope: $1000
- 3x night sight $700
- Bipod: On the house.

Battle

7.62x54mm RBA bullpup Advanced Battle Rifle: $1,700
7.62x54mm RSA bullpup Advanced Service Rifle: $1,300

Custom Build Packages:
- Economic Package(2x scope): $300
- Export Package(2x night sight): $450
- Deluxe Package(3x night sight): $700

Individual Add-ons/modifications:
- 3x night sight/scope: $700 / $500
- 2x night sight/scope: $450 / $300

Precision Rifles

A precision rifle is an intermediary between a common service or assault rifle and a designated marksman rifle, and the first weapon of the RA Series was a precision rifle which served as the foundation in the research and development of all the others.

http://imgcash1.imageshack.us/img8/3820/rpacolormj3.th.png (http://img8.imageshack.us/img8/3820/rpacolormj3.png)

Rifle de Precisión Avanzado RPA

Basis of all the "family" regarding its technology and the first try of it, the RPA is a streamlined, lightweight, cheap and reliable precision rifle, only more expensive than the RSA battle rifle. Although currently unused for being considered superfluous due to the existence of an already excessive number of different models among designated marksman, sniper and battle rifles. Actually, the RPA was an accidental development on the goal of creating a caseless replacement for the Dragunov SVD (http://world.guns.ru/sniper/sn18-e.htm), which ended with an inferior performance compared to the SVD, leading to its classification as a precision rifle instead.

Class: Precision Rifle
Structure: Ceramic Matrix Core lined barrel, rugged polymer stock.
Caliber: 7.62x54mm telescoped polymer cased (http://www.dtic.mil/ndia/2005smallarms/tuesday/gagne.pdf)(TP) or caseless telescoped(CT).
Ammunition Types (http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/army/docs/st100-7/chapter03/Chap3I.htm):
- Steel core
- Tracer
- "Rose" sniper bullet
- AT
- Incendiary
Muzzle velocity: 800 m/s
Operation: Gas operated, rotating bolt
Weight:
- 3.90/4.05/4.08 kg empty/caseless/polymer with scope
- 4.95/5.10/5.13 kg ibid with bipod
Length: 1,080mm
Barrel length: 600mm
Feed system 10-round caseless telescoped or telescoped polymer cased box magazines
Effective fire range: 650 meters(day), 250 meters(night)
Maximum fire range: 800 meters(day), 300 meters(night)
Sights: Modular, default is 3x optical scope and IR night sight
Modes: Semi-auto only
Supported Attachments: Bipod
Rate of Fire: 3-6 rpm(aimed), 30 rpm(maximum)
Cost: $2,500

http://imgcash3.imageshack.us/img53/1329/rpabasg11kd7.th.png (http://img53.imageshack.us/img53/1329/rpabasg11kd7.png)

RPA-BAS (Bullpup Automático Selectivo)

A bullpup version of the RPA with a selective fire capability, built based on the concept of the Dragunov SVU-AS (http://world.guns.ru/sniper/sn19-e.htm). Although falling into disuse, despite having a niche in weapons export for security forces, the RPA-BAS served as the basis of the RBA Advanced Battle Rifle and an already built RPA-BAS can be re-engineered into a RBA without significant losses of material due to the large quantity of shared components and similar operation.

Class: Bullpup Selective Fire Precision Rifle
Structure: Ceramic Matrix Core lined barrel, rugged polymer stock.
Caliber: 7.62x54mm telescoped polymer cased (http://www.dtic.mil/ndia/2005smallarms/tuesday/gagne.pdf)(TP) or caseless telescoped(CT).
Ammunition Types (http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/army/docs/st100-7/chapter03/Chap3I.htm):
- Steel core
- Tracer
- Sniper bullet
- AT
- Incendiary
Muzzle velocity: 800 m/s
Operation: Gas operated, rotating bolt
Weight:
- 4.03/4.25/4.30 kg empty/caseless/polymer with scope
- 5.08/5.30/5.35 kg ibid with bipod
Length: 955 mm
Barrel length: 550mm
Feed system 15-round caseless telescoped or telescoped polymer cased box magazines
Effective fire range: 600 meters(day), 200 meters(night)
Maximum fire range: 800 meters(day), 300 meters(night)
Sights: Modular, default is 3x optical scope and IR night sight
Modes: Semi-auto, selective fire
Supported Attachments: Bipod
Rate of Fire: 3-6 rpm(aimed), 30+ rpm(semi), 400 rpm(auto)
Cost: $3,100

Designated Marksman Rifles

With improvements over the structural profile of the precision rifle to increase its performance to an approximated 2 minutes of angle accuracy level, the designated marksman rifles are not much besides more accurate designs based on the RPA. With the RFDA being the primary DMR, and an effective caseless ammunition replacement for the Dragunov SVD in Third Spanish States Army, which also include lighter and suppressed variants for all sorts of different operational profiles. Re-engineering the RPA into the RFDA is a slightly expensive but relatively fast process.

http://imgcash2.imageshack.us/img519/3452/rfda1gc3.th.png (http://img519.imageshack.us/img519/3452/rfda1gc3.png)

http://imgcash4.imageshack.us/img149/5955/rfda2zs4.th.png (http://img149.imageshack.us/img149/5955/rfda2zs4.png)

Rifle de Francotirador Designado Avanzado RFDA

Class: Designated Marksman Rifle
Structure: Ceramic Matrix Core lined barrel, rugged polymer stock.
Caliber: 7.62x54mm telescoped polymer cased (http://www.dtic.mil/ndia/2005smallarms/tuesday/gagne.pdf)(TP) or caseless telescoped(CT).
Ammunition Types (http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/army/docs/st100-7/chapter03/Chap3I.htm):
- Steel core
- Tracer
- "Rose" sniper bullet
- AT
- Incendiary
Muzzle velocity: 835 m/s
Operation: Gas operated, rotating bolt
Weight:
- 4.23/4.38/4.41 kg empty/caseless/polymer with scope
- 5.28/5.43/5.46 kg ibid with bipod
Length: 1,130 m
Barrel length: 600mm
Feed system 10-round caseless telescoped or telescoped polymer cased box magazines
Effective fire range: 1,000 meters(day), 300 meters(night)
Maximum fire range: 1,200 meters(day), 450 meters(night)
Sights: Modular, default is 4x optical scope and 3x IR night sight.
Modes: Semi-auto only
Supported Attachments: Bipod
Rate of Fire: 3-6 rpm(aimed), 30 rpm(maximum)
Cost: $4,000

http://img149.imageshack.us/img149/921/rfdacsv7.png

RFDA-C (Culata Plegable)

A folding stock and smaller variant of the RFDA designed for use with airborne troops, similar in principles to the Dragunov SVDS, although it became obsolete after the development of the bullpup variant which can fulfill the same role in a better way.

Class: Designated Marksman Rifle with folding stock
Structure: Ceramic Matrix Core lined barrel, rugged polymer stock.
Caliber: 7.62x54mm telescoped polymer cased (http://www.dtic.mil/ndia/2005smallarms/tuesday/gagne.pdf)(TP) or caseless telescoped(CT).
Ammunition Types (http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/army/docs/st100-7/chapter03/Chap3I.htm):
- Steel core
- Tracer
- "Rose" sniper bullet
- AT
- Incendiary
Muzzle velocity: 835 m/s
Operation: Gas operated, rotating bolt
Weight:
- 4.30/4.45/4.48 kg empty/caseless/polymer with scope
- 5.35/5.50/5.53 kg ibid with bipod
Length: 1,130 m; 950m with stock folded
Barrel length: 600mm
Feed system 10-round caseless telescoped or telescoped polymer cased box magazines
Effective fire range: 800 meters(day), 300 meters(night)
Maximum fire range: 1,200 meters(day), 450 meters(night)
Sights: Modular, default is 4x optical scope and 3x IR night sight.
Modes: Semi-auto only
Supported Attachments: Bipod
Rate of Fire: 3-6 rpm(aimed), 30 rpm(maximum)
Cost: $4,100

http://imgcash2.imageshack.us/img141/7788/rfdabpg8.th.png (http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/7788/rfdabpg8.png)

RFDA-B (Bullpup)

One of the favorites of the Blackguards Special Forces due to its small, compact frame with a superior maneuverability compared to a conventional DMR, it is specially used with frequency by the HALO paratroopers of the Air Blackguards.

Class: Bullpup Designated Marksman Rifle
Structure: Ceramic Matrix Core lined barrel, rugged polymer stock.
Caliber: 7.62x54mm telescoped polymer cased (http://www.dtic.mil/ndia/2005smallarms/tuesday/gagne.pdf)(TP) or caseless telescoped(CT).
Ammunition Types (http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/army/docs/st100-7/chapter03/Chap3I.htm):
- Steel core
- Tracer
- "Rose" sniper bullet
- AT
- Incendiary
Muzzle velocity: 835 m/s
Operation: Gas operated, rotating bolt
Weight:
- 4.53/4.59/4.61 kg empty/caseless/polymer with scope
- 5.58/5.64/5.66 kg ibid with bipod
Length: 940 mm
Barrel length: 600mm
Feed system 5-round caseless telescoped or telescoped polymer cased box magazines
Effective fire range: 800 meters(day), 300 meters(night)
Maximum fire range: 1,000 meters(day), 400 meters(night)
Sights: Modular, default is 4x optical scope and 3x IR night sight
Modes: Semi-auto, selective fire
Supported Attachments: Bipod
Rate of Fire: 3-6 rpm(aimed), 30 rpm(maximum)
Cost: $4,300
Variant: RFDA-BS (http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/382/rfdabsip3.png) with integral suppressor and subsonic ammunition(Effective Range: 300m, Cost: $5,000)

http://img149.imageshack.us/img149/2189/rfdasle3.png]

RFDA-S(Silenciado)

The RFDA-S is an equivalent to the Artic Warfare Covert sniper rifle developed for some very specific sorts of Special Operations or high risk anti-terrorist or anti-coup d'etat missions, and by using subsonic rounds it has a significant dB and muzzle flash reduction, allowing a marksman to get much closer to its target and fire without calling immediate attention and giving away his position. Besides those two features it is basically the same design as the RFDA, allowing a RFDA to be reconfigured to such variant on the field in a few minutes. However it was supplanted mostly by the more compact RFDA-BS suppressed variant of the RFDA-B.

Class: Designated Marksman Rifle with integral suppressor
Structure: Ceramic Matrix Core lined barrel, rugged polymer stock.
Caliber: 7.62x54mm telescoped polymer cased (http://www.dtic.mil/ndia/2005smallarms/tuesday/gagne.pdf)(TP) or caseless telescoped(CT), subsonic variant.
Ammunition Types (http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/army/docs/st100-7/chapter03/Chap3I.htm):
- Steel core
- Tracer
- "Rose" sniper bullet
- AT
- Incendiary
Muzzle velocity: ~300 m/s
Operation: Gas operated, rotating bolt
Weight:
- 4.50/4.56/4.58 kg empty/caseless/polymer with scope
- 5.55/5.61/5.63 kg ibid with bipod
Length: 1,150 m
Barrel length: 600mm
Feed system 5-round caseless telescoped or telescoped polymer cased box magazines
Effective fire range: 300 meters(day and night)
Maximum fire range: 450 meters(day and night)
Sights: Modular, default is 4x optical scope and 3x IR night sight.
Modes: Semi-auto only
Supported Attachments: Bipod, integral suppressor
Rate of Fire: 3-6 rpm(aimed), 30 rpm(maximum)
Cost: $4,750

Sniper Rifles

Using a natively developed bolt-action optimized for caseless and polymer cased ammunition which includes an ejection control port chamber, and chambered for the 7.62x67mm(.300 Win) caliber, the Rifle de Francotirador Avanzado and its bullpup variant are lightweight counterparts comparable in performance to the Arctic Warfare Magnum. Besides the standard issue 8x optical scope, they can be also fielded with 6x and 4-16x scopes. The capability of controlling the polymer case ejection or of using caseless ammo avoids the problem of an eventual case accidentally alerting an enemy soldier to the sniper's position, besides the logistical weight reduction advantages inherent to those ammunition types, although the use of caseless ammo is still rare compared to the ubiquitous use of polymer cased ammunition in these sniper rifles.

http://imgcash4.imageshack.us/img367/9249/rfa3hc1.th.png (http://img367.imageshack.us/img367/9249/rfa3hc1.png)

Rifle de Francotirador Avanzado

Class: Sniper Rifle
Structure: Ceramic Matrix Core lined barrel, rugged polymer stock.
Caliber: 7.62x67mm (.300 Win) telescoped polymer cased (http://www.dtic.mil/ndia/2005smallarms/tuesday/gagne.pdf)(TP) or caseless telescoped(CT)
Ammunition Types:
-10.69 g TNP(Telescoped Nosler Partition)
-9.72 g TSP(Telescoped Soft Point)
-12.31 g TJHP(Telescoped Jacketed Hollow Point)
Muzzle velocity(10.69g TNP): 900 m/s
Operation: Bolt action
Weight:
- 5.40/5.55 kg empty/TNP polymer cased with scope
- 6.55/6.70 kg ibid with bipod
Length: 1,265 m
Barrel length: 635mm
Feed system 5-round telescoped polymer cased or caseless box magazines
Effective fire range: 1,200 meters day, 300 meters night
Maximum fire range: 1,500 meters day, 450 meters night
Sights: Modular, default is 8x optical scope and 3x IR night sight.
Modes: Bolt action only
Supported Attachments: Bipod
Rate of Fire: 3-6 rpm(aimed), 12 rpm(maximum)
Cost: $16,200

http://imgcash2.imageshack.us/img384/8574/rfab3uh6.th.png (http://img384.imageshack.us/img384/8574/rfab3uh6.png)

RFA-B(Bullpup)

This bolt-action bullpup sniper rifle is designed to be more compact than the standard, and as a logical fact, during assembly the side of the ejection can be changed for the convenience of whether who is using it is left or right handed to remove one of the major inconvenient features of a bullpup design, and a stiff sliding plate is also used to avoid a heavy and sluggish trigger pull. Although more expensive and slightly heavier due to its structural changes compared to the RFA, its smaller size offset it, putting it as a viable alternative to the conventional RFA and in fact there is still a sort of heated discussion regarding whether the RFA or RFA-B should be the standard sniper rifle of Third Spanish States Army.

Class: Bullpup Sniper Rifle
Structure: Ceramic Matrix Core lined barrel, rugged polymer stock.
Caliber: 7.62x67mm (.300 Win) telescoped polymer cased (http://www.dtic.mil/ndia/2005smallarms/tuesday/gagne.pdf)(TP) or caseless telescoped(CT)
Ammunition Types:
-10.69 g TNP(Telescoped Nosler Partition)
-9.72 g TSP(Telescoped Soft Point)
-12.31 g TJHP(Telescoped Jacketed Hollow Point)
Muzzle velocity(10.69g TNP): 900 m/s
Operation: Bolt action
Weight:
- 5.60/5.75 kg empty/TNP with scope
- 6.65/6.80 kg ibid with bipod
Length: 1,050 m
Barrel length: 635mm
Feed system 5-round telescoped polymer cased or caseless box magazines
Effective fire range: 1,200 meters day, 300 meters night
Maximum fire range: 1,500 meters day, 450 meters night
Sights: Modular, default is 8x optical scope and 3x IR night sight.
Modes: Bolt action only
Supported Attachments: Bipod
Rate of Fire: 3-6 rpm(aimed), 12 rpm(maximum)
Cost: $19,200

Battle Rifles

The line of 7.62x54mm Battle Rifles based on the RA(Rifles Avanzados) family is intended to bring a new degree of firepower for when the accuracy and capabilities of the 6.5mm Grendel caliber are not enough.

http://imgcash6.imageshack.us/img388/9883/rbactdo6.png (http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/6272/rbacolorap3.png)

Rifle de Batalla Avanzado

The RBA, which development was a design branching and reconfiguration over the RPA-BAS development, is a selective-fire, gas operated bullpup battle rifle chambered for the 7.62x54mm caliber, which shares similarities in its principles with the lighter Fusil de Asalto 65. Unlike than the precision-focused RPA-BAS, it was designed to be a battle rifle with comparable accuracy to that of a 7.62x51mm G3A3 AR.

Class: Bullpup Battle Rifle
Structure: Ceramic Matrix Core lined barrel, rugged polymer stock.
Caliber: 7.62x54mm telescoped polymer cased (http://www.dtic.mil/ndia/2005smallarms/tuesday/gagne.pdf)(TP) or caseless telescoped(CT).
Ammunition Types (http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/army/docs/st100-7/chapter03/Chap3I.htm):
- Steel core
- Tracer
- AT

- Incendiary
Muzzle velocity: 800 m/s
Operation: Gas operated, rotating bolt
Weight: 4.14/4.77/4.91 kg empty/caseless/polymer with scope.
Length: 915 mm
Barrel length: 550mm
Feed system 25-round caseless telescoped or telescoped polymer cased box magazines.
Effective fire range: 600 meters(day), 200 meters(night)
Maximum fire range: 800 meters(day), 300 meters(night)
Sights: Modular, default is 2x optical scope with optional IR night sight
Modes: Semi-auto, selective fire
Supported Attachments: M203 or LG50 50mm grenade launcher (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=13485135&postcount=10)
Rate of Fire: 3-6 rpm(aimed), 45 rpm(semi), 400-500 rpm(auto)
Cost: $2,150
Variant: RSA Battle Rifle - does not come with scope as standard and uses conventional steel lined barrel instead on its production, reflecting on its lower production cost, although it weighs due to over-engineering, when empty, 4.8 kg. Otherwise it is basically the same weapon as the RBA. Cost: $1,750

PS: Individual costs mentioned on specifications based on default configurations.

P70 Standard Pistol

http://imgcash6.imageshack.us/img147/5512/p70suk3.th.png

Overview:

The continual tendency of diminishing procurement funds in Third Spanish States and increasing funds for research and development of native technology have brought, parallel to the development of a Personal Defense Weapon which served as a replacement to the FN P90, the development of a new pistol, sought to serve as a replacement to the FN Five-seveN.

The 5.7mm caliber used by the mentioned firearms always had its effectiveness questioned regarding its armor piercing capabilities, and considering the evolution of bullet proof vests in the latest decades, it was soon deemed as obsolete for the needs of Third Spanish States, although it remains a popular caliber for civilian use. Also, the common practice of using locally developed caseless and polymer cased ammunition has shaped much of a radical view regarding the use of conventional brass cases, considered "relics" among the military. These reasons brought the new P70 pistol, built around a 10mm caliber.

Description:

The large-framed P70 pistol, rather than being a simple indigenous take on the Five-seveN, is a flexible, closed bolt semi-automatic firearm which was designed to be chambered with a barrel for either the self-developed caseless 10x20mmC caliber, which tests have demonstrated that it offers an superior stopping power than that of a 9x19mm and better external ballistics than those of a .45 ACP, or for the much more tried and tested caseless version of the 9x19mm caliber. Designed as a short recoil operated semi-automatic pistol, its frame supports conventional heat-resistant steel lined barrels for increased reliability. Using a pre-set hybrid action trigger which allows the firearm to be operated as a double action only even after a malfunction, it also is built with a rugged polymer frame to further reduce weight, and its internals are built to be capable of operating even in underwater if equipped with a proper underwater kit. Due to its modular design, two variants do exist: The 9x19mmC P70A and the 10x20mmC P70, all projected with the same barrel length. Although slightly larger than a typical 9mm caliber sidearm, the P70 offers superior accuracy and stopping power. Magazine loads include 12-round or 20-round detachable box magazines for the 10x20mmC variants and 16-round or 25-round for the 9x19mmC variants. Finally, its frame modularity allows it to be equipped with a silencer, with several different sorts of iron sights, including the locally popular ghost ring sight, with a small flashlight, with a green laser sight and with a 1.2x single ring attached scope as well.

P70

Caliber: 10x20mmC caseless
Structure: Steel lined barrel, rugged polymer frame.
Ammunition Types:
- 8.3g FMJ
- 9.8g Subsonic FMJ
- 8.6g JHP
Muzzle velocity: Depends on round
Operation: Short recoil, pre-set hybrid action trigger, closed bolt.
Length: 225mm
Barrel Length: 125mm
Weight: 800g empty
Feed system: 12-round or 20-round detachable box magazines
Effective range: 50m
Maximum range: 100m with 1.2x scope
Sights: Supports several modular iron sights, default is ghost ring sight
Modes: Semi-auto only
Supported Attachments: Small Tactical Flashlight, Laser sight, 1.2x scope
Rates of Fire: 120 rpm(cyclic), 60 rpm(effective)
Cost: $600(bare), $850(w/ scope), $1,000(scope, flashlight and laser sight)

P70A

Caliber: 9x19mmC caseless
Structure: Steel lined barrel, rugged polymer frame.
Ammunition Types:
- 7.5g FMJ(phased out)
- 8 g FMJ
- 9.5 g subsonic FMJ
- 8.1 g JHP
Muzzle velocity: Depends on round
Operation: Short recoil, pre-set hybrid action trigger, closed bolt.
Length: 225mm
Barrel Length: 125mm
Weight: 760g empty(P70AC)
Feed system: 16-round or 25-round detachable box magazines
Effective range: 50m
Maximum range: 100m with 1.2x scope
Sights: Supports several modular iron sights, default is ghost ring sight
Modes: Semi-auto only
Supported Attachments: Small Tactical Flashlight, Laser sight, 1.2x scope
Rates of Fire: 120 rpm(cyclic), 60 rpm(effective)
Cost: $500(bare), $750(w/ scope), $900(scope, flashlight and laser sight)

Note: Most iron sights will be on the house, should it be preferable other sight than ghost ring, then, once the JVE is opened, you will have to inform what type of iron sight you would like to have it fitted with.

(OOC: I know it's a sort of copy&paste of the P70 write-up, but both were developed more or less together)

SF27 Personal Defense Weapon

http://img223.imageshack.us/img223/1897/sf27rcbb6.png

Overview:

The continual tendency of diminishing procurement funds in Third Spanish States and increasing funds for research and development of native technology have brought, parallel to the development of a Standard Pistol which served as a replacement to the FN Five-Seven, the development of a new personal defense weapon, sought to serve as a replacement to the FN P90 and potential successor for the MP5 as well.

The 5.7mm caliber used by the mentioned firearms always had its effectiveness questioned regarding its armor piercing capabilities, and considering the evolution of bullet proof vests in the latest decades, it was soon deemed as obsolete for the needs of Third Spanish States, although it remains a popular caliber for civilian use. Also, the common practice of using locally developed caseless and polymer cased ammunition has shaped much of a radical view regarding the use of conventional brass cases, considered "relics" among the military. These reasons brought the new SF27 PDW, built around a 10mm caliber.

Description:

The Subfusil 27(SF27), rather than being a simple indigenous take on the P90, is a flexible, bullpup, automatic firearm which was designed to be chambered with a barrel for either the self-developed caseless 10x20mmC or 10x20mmP polymer cased calibers, which tests have demonstrated that it offers a superior stopping power than that of a 9x19mm and slightly better external ballistics than those of a .45 ACP, or for the much more tried and tested caseless and polymer cased versions of the 9x19mm caliber. Designed as a short stroke gas operated automatic submachinegun, its frame supports conventional heat-resistant steel lined barrels for increased reliability. Using a rotating barbrel and an ejection control chamber designed based on the same principles of the FA-65 ejection control system, it also is built with a rugged polymer frame to further reduce weight, and its internals are built to have an increased ruggedness to answer to the structural challenges of caseless and polymer cased ammunition technologies. Due to its modular design, two variants do exist: The cheaper 9x19mmC or P SF27A, due to the lack of certain recoil reducing mechanisms internally, and the 10x20mmC or P SF27, all projected with the same barrel length. The SF27, performance-wise is somewhat better than the 5.7mm FN P90 and 4.6mm H&K PDWs, specially on the subject of stopping power. Magazine loads include 15-round, 30-round or 50-round detachable box magazines for the 10x20mm variants and 20-round, 40-round or 60-round for the 9x19mm variants. Finally, its frame modularity allows it to be equipped with a silencer, with several different sorts of iron sights, including a ghost ring sight, with a small flashlight, with a green laser sight and with a 1.2x or 1.4x double ring attached scope as well. As a weapon which design process was very close to that of the P70 Standard Pistol, it shares a few common features, particularly the used calibers, with it.

SF27

Caliber: 10x20mmC or 10x20mmP
Structure: Bullpup, Steel lined barrel, rugged polymer frame, collapsible stock.
Ammunition Types:
- 8.3g FMJ
- 9.8g Subsonic FMJ
- 8.6g JHP
Muzzle velocity: Depends on round
Operation: Short stroke gas operated, rotating bolt
Length: 520mm(Stock extended)
Barrel Length: 320mm
Weight: 2.2 kg empty
Feed system: 15-round, 30-round or 50-round detachable box magazines
Effective range: 100m
Maximum range: 250m with 1.4x scope
Sights: Supports several modular iron sights, default is ghost ring sight
Modes: Semi-auto and Automatic
Supported Attachments: Small Tactical Flashlight, Laser sight, 1.2x or 1.4x scope
Rates of Fire: 500 rpm(auto), 120 rpm(semi)
Cost: $1,200(bare) $1,450(1.2x scope), $1,500(1.4x scope), $1,600(scope, flashlight and laser sight)

SF27A

Caliber: 9x19mmC
Structure: Bullpup, Steel lined barrel, rugged polymer frame, collapsible stock.
Ammunition Types:
- 7.5g FMJ(phased out)
- 8 g FMJ
- 9.5 g subsonic FMJ
- 8.1 g JHP
Muzzle velocity: Depends on round
Operation: Short stroke gas operated, rotating bolt.
Length: 520mm(stock extended)
Barrel Length: 320mm
Weight: 2.1 kg empty
Feed system: 20-round, 40-round or 60-round detachable box magazines
Effective range: 100m
Maximum range: 250m with 1.4x scope
Sights: Supports several modular iron sights, default is ghost ring sight
Modes: Semi-auto and Automatic
Supported Attachments: Small Tactical Flashlight, Laser sight, 1.2x or 1.4x scope
Rates of Fire: 500 rpm(auto), 120 rpm(semi)
Cost: $1,000(bare), $1,250(1.2x scope), $1,300 (1.4x scope), $1450(scope, flashlight and laser sight)

A-31 Light Machinegun

Description

Being to the FA-65 what the RPK is to the AK-47 as a machinegun developed in parallel with the first mentioned assault rifle, and as a replacement to the RPK itself, the A-31 uses the same principles and shares some standardized components with the FA-65 to make manufacture simpler while also inheriting design principles from the larger caliber Rifles Avanzados Series and logically, from the U.S. Lightweight Small Arms Technologies program. It is a sturdy, reliable short stroke gas operated 6.5mm Grendel light machinegun with a ejection control port capable of accepting both caseless and polymer cased ammunition despite the overall preference for the latter due to the reduced need of barrel exchange due to overheat and increased sustained rate of fire. The primary difference being, asides from a logically larger barrel, the fact it lacks a recoiling barrel and lacks a burst mode, operating only at full automatic or semi automatic modes, and logically it features a folding bipod integrated to its frame like other LMGs, with the difference it is a removable modular bipod built of CFRP, while on another question it has a collapsible rather than folding stock like the FA-65 to increase its portability.

It also innovates with the use of the already mentioned carbon fiber reinforced polymer for its lightweight frame and like the RA Series, with the use of a ceramic matrix composite lining in its metal matrix composite overwrap that makes its gun barrel, trading cheapness, despite overall cost reductions with further development and scale economy of this new technology, for increased resistance to heat and fouling and an overall lighter weight, making from it even lighter than the RPK, which was part of its development goals, while at the same time having a much better effective range compared to the LSAT due to having its center of gravity slightly further to its front to counter its recoil and increase overall accuracy, coupled with the superior precision of the production of grooves on its rifled barrel, as part of the new method of manufacture involved with its specific CMC lined barrel, while a rate of fire limiting system can be employed to reduce barrel heating and recoil, and be adjusted for rates of fire from 400 to 600 rounds per minute, accepting the feed of either a standardized 50-round box magazine, slightly smaller than the 56-round magazine of the FA-65, which could also technically be employed on it as both weapons use a similar feed system, with the difference the feed system of the A-31 supports link belts, including also support for 40-round and 26-round magazines, and although the utility of those in a machinegun would be very limited, this logistical advantage is very important. Or it can also accept 100 or 200-round disintegrating link belts in a more standard configuration for machineguns.

Attachments that might be mounted include optical scopes ranging from 2 to 6x, or a 3x night sight, to allow a slight extension of its suppressive fire range up to 1000 meters, but only for the role of suppressive fire, while it, as most Third Spanish States weapons, uses a retractable ghost ring iron sight as default, although it can be fielded with other forms of iron sights as well. With these features, the A-31 has become the standard light machinegun of the Third Spanish States Army and the favorite light support weapon of the Blackguards Special Forces.

Specifications

Structure: Ceramic Matrix Composite lined barrel, Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer frame, collapsible stock.
Caliber: 6.5x39mmTP telescoped polymer cased or 6.5x39mmCT caseless telescoped.
Ammunition Types:
- 7.8 g FMJBT: Default
- 7.0 g Scenar (Moly)
- 8.4 g Norma
- 8.0 g Matchking
- 5.8 g TNT
Muzzle velocity: 950 m/s
Operation: Gas operated, rotating bolt
Length(Stock Extended): 925 mm
Length(Stock Collapsed): 780 mm
Barrel Length: 520 mm
Weight: 4.5 kg empty
Feed system: 50-round box magazine and 100 to 200-round disintegrating link belt
Effective range: 600m
Maximum range: 1000m
Sights: Modular iron sights, default is ghost ring sight
Modes: Single and automatic
Supported Attachments: Bipod, up to 6x optical scope and 3x night sight.
Rates of fire: 400-600 rpm(auto), 120 rpm(single)
Cost:
-CMC lined Barrel, bipod: $ 2,700
-Ibid, 3x night sight + 6x scope: $ 4,400
-Ibid, 3x night sight only: $3400
-Steel lined Barrel: $400 off final price

http://www.gamebanshee.com/fallout2/equipment/images/lightsupportweapon.gif
AA-70 Advanced Machinegun

Description

The AA-70 Advanced Machinegun is the selective-fire general purpose machinegun that was in 2038 developed as a replacement to the logistical gap of the M240x, an inconvenient 7.62x51mm machinegun which caliber was an exception to the much widely used 7.62x54mmPC and 7.62x54mmCT, while on the other hand, the Russian PKM machinegun would soon make its 85th anniversary and it would be impossible to use it with the caseless and telescoped polymer cased ammunitions typically manufactured in Third Spanish States, and to finish the issue, a military vision that resorting the least possible in foreign technology was critical for sovereignty was becoming commonplace in the Army, Navy and Air Force, motivating the research and development of native technologies at the cost of decreasing procurement funds.

With its production based on the design layout of the Rifle the Batalla Avanzado(RBA) from the Rifles Avanzados Series of the Lightweight Small Arms Research and Development, it relates to it in a similar way the H&K HK21E3 general purpose machinegun relates to the H&K G3A3 assault rifle.The first feature of notice is the fact it, like the RBA, uses a bullpup design, sacrificing its maximum effective range and a bit of accuracy for improved maneuverability and smaller length and lighter weight compared to other GPMGs, including for a standing soldier, with the receiving chamber located slightly behind the trigger group in a configuration engineered to make of the box magazine or boxed link belt an auxiliary counterweight and stabilizer coupled with its collapsible stock which was built, like its trigger guard, based on the changes of ergonomics and recoil that a bullpup machinegun has.

The primary difference however, besides a larger and heavier frame, is the use of a new carbon fiber reinforced polymer in its frame, to increase structural strength, while on the apparent opposite path, it was chosen to use a conventional high heat resistant steel lined barrel for several reasons, primarily the still recent nature of Ceramic/Metal Matrix Composites technology, the issue of cost-efficiency and the fearsome possibility of machinegun jamming in the middle of the battlefield because the CMC technology was not yet tested under the strains of a weapon like a machinegun. Another very important change is the implementation of a three-round burst, putting it closer in equivalence to a HK21E3, and which offers a cyclic rate of fire of 2,000 rounds per minute. Similar to all the Rifles Avanzados, the AA-70 "Ametralladora Avanzada 70" barrel is also modularly built over its frame, allowing it to be replaced on the field

Similar to the A-31, it also uses telescoped polymer cased ammunition to reduce its weight and allow a soldier to carry more ammunition than he could otherwise. Finally, it offers an entirely modular sights system and can be fielded with several different iron sights, the ghost ring being the default, while it also supports up to 6x scopes and logically comes with a dismountable bipod, and can also be fielded with a tripod, becoming a light Anti-Air gun and support weapon, which is another meaning of its name, although it was designed with the first goal of being a flexible, fast deployment and capable machinegun, with an improved recoil management which justifies it relatively slow 400 rounds per minute rate of fire achieved through a limiter system, which can also be configured on the field to be quite less restrictive, reaching a cyclic rate of fire of 600 rpm.

Its primary variant is the AA-70T, a 8.7 kg weight version for use in armored fighting vehicles completely compatible with Third Spanish States remotely operated weapon systems and with the CROWS. These features brought the AA-70 as the next standard-issue GPMG of Third Spanish States Army.

Specifications

Class: Bullpup General Purpose Machinegun
Structure: Steel lined barrel, CFRP frame, collapsible stock.
Caliber: 7.62x54mm telescoped polymer cased (http://www.dtic.mil/ndia/2005smallarms/tuesday/gagne.pdf)(TP) or caseless telescoped(CT).
Ammunition Types (http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/army/docs/st100-7/chapter03/Chap3I.htm):
- Steel core
- Tracer
- AT
- Incendiary
Muzzle velocity: 815 m/s
Operation: Gas operated, rotating bolt
Weight:
- 6.80kg empty with bipod
- 11.30kg empty with tripod
Length: 970mm
Barrel length: 580mm
Feed system: 50-round box magazine and 100-round/150-round disintegrating link belt
Effective fire range: 900 meters(day), 250 meters(night)
Maximum fire range: 3,500 meters(day), 300 meters(night)
Sights: Modular, default is rectratable ghost ring iron sight.
Modes: Selective fire, three round burst.
Supported Attachments: Bipod, tripod, up to 6x optical scope or up to 3x IR night sight
Rate of Fire: 45 rpm(single), 2000 rpm(burst), 400-600 rpm(auto)
Cost:
-Steel lined barrel, Bipod and tripod: $2400
-Ibid, 6x scope and 3x night sight: $4100
-Ibid, 3x night sight only: $3100
-CMC lined barrel: $400 addition to final price

ZM145 Heavy Machinegun and ZM300 MPAC

Description

The ZM145 Heavy Machinegun, also dubbed as the "KPV-2", was in 2039 developed as a replacement to the almost 100 years old KPV, which also was optimized for the new, lighter than brass, steel cased 14.5mm ammunition manufactured in Third Spanish States and modular enough to be fielded with larger calibers, following also the trend of seeking fully native arms technology in all ranges of military and civilian uses.

Inheriting the caliber from the Russian KPV, the design principles from the American M312 and the principles of the Third Spanish States Lightweight Arms Program, the ZM145 was projected with a goal in mind: a balance between accuracy and flexibility. To achieve such goal, the ZM145 was built with an entirely modular frame and this time, instead of relying on a steel lined barrel like AA-70, the MilNet Tucker Institute, with the data of a year of tests of use of the innovative technology of the alumina fiber with aluminum metal matrix composite for the overwrap material of the barrel and of the ceramic matrix composite liners with no abrupt interface between them on high caliber arms, and have sacrificed cost-efficiency to allow it to have an increased heat resistance and sustained rate of fire, while at the same time packing an incredibly light weight for a weapon of its caliber, even though a cheaper steel-lined version, taking advantage of the design overall modularity, was developed as an export and civilian market variant. This expensive technology gives it a sustained rate of fire of 100 rounds per minute without barrel exchange, and regarding this so common activity on machineguns, its modularity allows it to be refitted on the field with a new and cool barrel when necessary. While its internal structure allows it to be field stripped and refitted with a 30mm barrel in a more powerful equivalent of the M307 Advanced Crew Served Weapon: the ZM300 Man-portable autocannon(MPAC), although its name is slightly misleading because it's only 2-man portable, and also developed for use on fast attack vehicles and technicals, and due to technological limitations and exorbitant costs of building barrels for such a large caliber with CMC, is fitted only with a steel lined barrel.

By using a "recoil-reducing action" similar in principles to the short recoil action of the M312 HMG, and a considerably effective muzzle brake, its perceived recoil is reduced to about 450 Joules, much less than that of the KPV and only about 40 Joules more than the recoil of a M240, allowing it to be effectively used as a man-portable weapon as well, while its relatively long bolt travel ensures it the needed accuracy for being effectively capable of suppressive and lethal fire up to 2,000 meters and for taking down hostile close air support aircrafts efficiently.

Similar to the AA-70, it also uses a carbon fiber reinforced polymer structure on its frame, giving it, together with its overall shape, a slightly "futuristic" look which can be described in style by that look of the Pancor Jackhammer prototype, of the Steyr AUG or of the M312 HMG itself. Finally, similarly to the AA-70 it offers an entirely modular sights system and can be fielded with several different iron sights, the ghost ring being the default, while it also supports up to 10x scopes and logically comes with a dismountable bipod, and can also be fielded with a tripod, becoming an Anti-Air gun and support weapon, its improved recoil management which justifies it slow 200 rounds per minute cyclic rate of fire achieved through a limiter system, which can also be configured on the field to be quite less restrictive, reaching a cyclic rate of fire of 500 rpm.

Its primary variant with significant differences is the already previously mentioned ZM300, sought to be an effective replacement for any automatic grenade launchers as a 26 kg lightweight two man portable 30mm multipurpose autocannon characterized by the use of air burst, armor piercing incendiary and self-propelled ammunition, a design focused on preventing to the maximum degree possible accidents, a day/night integrated fire control system and significant recoil attenuation systems, while in theory, guided ammunition can be a expensive possibility as well, the ZM300 is completely compatible with Third Spanish States remotely operated weapon systems and with the CROWS, being particularly suggested for being the secondary turret system of the planned L40 135mm ETC smoothbore Cáscara 2 Assault Main Battle Tank instead of the ZM145 of the Cáscara, while also having the advantage of being lightweight enough for use by fast attack vehicles and technicals. 60 meters is the minimal safe range for firing the air burst and self-propelled ammunitions.

ZM145 HMG

Class: Heavy Machinegun
Portability: Man-portable and vehicle-mounted.
Structure: Ceramic Matrix Core lined barrel, CFRP frame.
Caliber: 14.5x114mm steel cased
Ammunition Types:
- BP(Tungsten-carbide Core)
- BPT(ibid w/ Tracer)
- AEI(HE Incendiary)
- IT(Incendiary Tracer)
Muzzle velocity: 1000 m/s
Operation: Short recoil, "recoil-reducing action"
Weight:
- 18 kg empty w/ bipod
- 24 kg empty w/ tripod
- 80 kg ZM145 ROWS
Length: 1400mm
Barrel length: 1000mm
Feed system: 50 and 100-round disintegrating link belt ammunition can
Effective fire range: 2,000 meters(day), 250 meters(night)
Maximum fire range: 4,000 meters(day), 300 meters(night)
Sights: Modular, default is rectratable ghost ring iron sight.
Modes: Selective fire, three round burst.
Supported Attachments: Bipod, tripod, up to 10x optical scope or up to 3x IR night sight
Rate of Fire: 100 rpm(sustained, without barrel change), 200-500rpm(cyclic)
Variants: ZM145E - Steel lined with over-engineered short recoil action, weighs 22 kg empty and is about 15% larger in Height x Width average area.
Cost:
-ZM145: Currently not for sale
-ZM145E: $4,500(bipod and tripod only) $7,500(10x scope and 3x night sight included)


ZM300 MPAC

Class: Lightweight Autocannon
Portability: 2-Man portable and vehicle-mounted.
Structure: Steel lined barrel, CFRP frame.
Caliber: 30x135mm
Ammunition Types:
- HEAT Gyrojet
- HEDP Air-burst
- API
- API-T
Operation: Short recoil, "recoil-reducing action"
Weight:
- 26 kg empty
- 140 kg ZM300 ROWS
Length: 1600mm
Barrel length: 1200mm
Feed system: 50-round disintegrating link belt ammunition can
Effective fire range: 2,000 meters(day), 250 meters(night)
Maximum fire range: 4,000 meters(day), 300 meters(night)
Sights: Modular, default is rectratable ghost ring iron sight.
Modes: Automatic only
Supported Attachments: tripod, up to 10x optical scope or up to 3x IR night sight
Rate of Fire: 50 rpm(sustained, without barrel change), 200 rpm(cyclic)
Cost: $8,000(tripod), $11,000(10x scope and 3x night sight included)

Durruti Man Portable Air Defense Anti-Tank System


Overview


Several logistics and tactical advantages of having a single type of missile for both low altitude anti-air defense and anti-tank roles, coupled with the limitations that the separation between those two categories of defense gave to the the effective deployment of Heavy Assault Fireteams with their own anti-tank and anti-air capabilities, and as part of the Man Portable Air Defense Anti-Tank System Program, were reasons to motivate the development of a new type of missile.

Taking advantage of the already existing technology of the 135mmx2.2m ADATS missile deployed by the Librecielo Multimission Effects Vehicle, it was developed a new, man portable version of it for use on the GEM self-propelled MANPADATS launcher, a considerable re-engineering process being then started to build a new missile based on it.

Featuring a cut on quantity of propellant and of warhead besides several modifications over its structure, including the more ubiquitous use of carbon fiber reinforced polymers on its tip in replacement of alloys, the measures taken on the creation of the man-portable version of the ADATS sought to establish features that would influence negatively the least possible regarding the armor piercing capability of the ADATS. The length of the MANPADATS is of 1.25 meters compared to the 2.2 meters of its "father" and its launch weight is 15 kg compared to 55 kg, with a slower burning propellant and an warhead composed by a high explosive fragmentation/shaped charge, weighs 3.5kg in comparison to the 16 kg of the 135mm ADATS. The laser-beam riding guided system still remains the same with a few modifications to reflect the reduction on the maximum range by replacing the laser beam of the ADATS to the two lesser range laser beams that are attached to the GEM launcher and meticulously aligned for both to simultaneously "paint" the same 2cm² region of a target, operated manually through a SALH system as well rather than automatically by an armored fighting vehicle like in the case of the ADATS. Neither it can establish uplink to external radars to further its range like the Librecielo system.

As expected, certain concessions had to be done to allow such missile to be effectively feasible as a man portable ammunition. Whereas a successful indirect fire of an ADATS can destroy virtually every known armored fighting vehicles once it impacted with their tops, the warhead from the MANPADATS is only effective against the vulnerable rear and tracks of most main battle tanks, and has less than half of the ceiling of the ADATS, which can technically be used even against fighters at a lower altitude flight for their standards, whereas the MANPADATS is able to target only low altitude aircrafts like helicopters and slow aircrafts. It is not a weapon that can replace integrally the capabilities of the ADATS, but an adequate compromise for small squads tactics.

Specifications

Length: 1.25 m
Diameter: 135 mm
Launch weight: 15 kg
Launcher weight: 4.5 kg
Speed: Mach 3+
Propellant: Two-stage Solid fuel rocket
Range: 80m - 5.5 km
Ceiling: 4 km
Guidance Semi-active laser homing.
Warhead: 3.57 kg High Explosive Fragmentation/Shaped Charge
Detonation mechanism: Laser Optical Sensing Proximity fuze.
Penetration: ~700mm RHAe at 15º
Launcher's supported attachments: up to 8x optical scope or 3x IR night sight
Counter-countermeasures: Dual Single-point painting Laser beams. Guidance deactivation on command during the middle of the trajectory of a missile. Skilled operators might launch unguided projectiles with high efficiency against ground targets.
Cost:
- Launcher: $3,250
- Scope: $1,500
- Missile: $4,800

LG50 50mm Grenade Launcher

http://img209.imageshack.us/img209/209/fa656av8.png

Description

Borrowing some concepts from the M320 grenade launcher, having some features of its own and taking full advantage of the high modularity methodologies established for weapons design during the development of the Rifles Avanzados Series, the Lanza Granadas modelo 50(LG50) started as a risky gambit over a much less common caliber than the common 40mm caliber of most known grenade launchers, including the famed M203 of the United States Army. A long process happened, seeking to create a more powerful grenade round with a slightly longer range. Built over an aluminum frame to ensure an improved heat transfer, the 50mm grenade is a staple of Third Spanish States military which has become the standard caliber for infantry and vehicle launched grenades. Although logically having a semi-automatic variant for use with armored fighting vehicles, its default, underbarrel grenade launcher is commonplace, and considering the focus on infantry technology here, will be the one currently demonstrated.

Taking the trigger action from the P70 Standard Pistol, it strangely uses a stiff sliding plate on its trigger group and also features a pre-set hybrid action trigger, giving it the important capability of being operated as a double action only even after a malfunction of trigger group, and like the P70, the LG50 is built with a rugged polymer frame. The similarities end here, however it has some unique features of its own, the most notable being the presence of a removable modular breech rear end and several empty spaces in its internal infrastructure which seem to be for the installation of a part of the components needed for an additional or substitutive action, while the overall design gives hints of the purposeful development of the LG50 as a single-shot breech loaded underbarrel launcher built with the possibility of serving as a component for a bullpup semi-automatic grenade launcher in mind, and optimized to increase the rate at which a soldier can exchange from bullet fire to grenade fire by having its pistol trigger as close as possible from the trigger of the rifle it's attached to, to the point that although a generic all-around version do exist for rifles from 800 to 1,000mm in length including the M4 carbine, there are commonly manufactured variants specifically made for the FA-65 Assault Rifle(the LGFA50), RBA and RSA Battle Rifles(the LGRB50), while in the latter these variants are built to allow the pistol trigger of the launcher to be attached almost seamlessly right ahead of the RBA or RSA trigger, a possibility given thanks to their bullpup design, and also having the advantage that the LGRB variant supports some longer high velocity grenade rounds like the 50x71mm thanks to its larger barrel.

All grenades use steel cartridges, chosen due to their lighter weight compared to brass and which are standard for all heavier caliber weapons in Third Spanish States, aware of the exorbitant costs and engineering challenges a caseless autocannon or grenade round of such caliber would offer. Spent cartridges are discarded in a particularly effective form similar to the M320, because the flexible layout of its design allow several ways of moving the barrel for these operation to be performed: it can either have its breech opened to the right or to the left for the ejection of the spent cartridge and load of a new round.

Precision is the primary objective of its either left or right-sided relatively complex modular adjustable iron sights, which are actually besides a standard sight on the center, a couple of differently aligned and height sights at positions placed to give the estimated point of impact for rounds fired at 75, 60, 45, 30 and 15 degrees respectively. A switchable mechanism will slightly shift the heights and positions of the sights to point the estimated area of impact, whether on the ground or not, for the distances of 50, 100, 150 and 200 meters respectively, allowing a well trained trooper to fire grenades with a much superior accuracy, although it can be fielded with a simpler sight system, or more exactly, with several different modular sights as well for those not used to the peculiarities of Third Spanish States technologies or for when such relatively delicate mechanism will be harmful due to tactical needs.

Lastly its firing system is slightly improved compared to that of a M320, considering the larger caliber of the grenade it fires, and gives a welcome boost to its muzzle velocity. Its standard grenades are the 50x51mm and 50x60mm grenades, besides even buckshot, should it be tactically interesting for use. Among the variety of 50mm grenades in Third Spanish States are smoke, illuminating, high explosive dual purpose, stun, the always needed training duds and the infamous white phosphorous and napalm grenades.

Specifications

LG50

Class: Modular Underbarrel Grenade Launcher
Structure: Rugged polymer frame
Caliber: 50x51mm and 50x60mm grenades
Ammunition Types:
- High Explosive Dual Purpose
- Stun
- Smoke
- Illuminating
- White Phosphorous
- Napalm
- Buckshot
- Training
Muzzle velocity: 95 m/s
Operation: Single shot, pre-set hybrid action
Weight: 1.6kg
Length: 350mm
Barrel length: 300mm
Feed system: Breech-loaded
Effective range: 200m
Maximum range: 400m
Sights: Modular, default is a angular targeting adjustable iron sight.
Modes: Single shot only
Rate of Fire: Up to 12 rpm, depending on operator's skill
Cost: $750($100 off if bought coupled with FA-65 assault rifle, RBA or RSA battle rifles)
Variants:
-LGFA50: Tailored for the FA-65, it has a lengthened frame to put its trigger as close from the trigger of the FA-65 as possible.
Weight: 1.7kg
Length: 370mm
-LGRB50: Tailored for the RBA and RSA from the Rifles Avanzados Series, it's the largest single shot underbarrel grenade launcher of Third Spanish States arsenal, featuring a larger barrel length, its trigger straight ahead of the RBA or RSA trigger and the powerful 50x71mm high velocity grenade.
Caliber: Ibid and 50x71mm
Weight: 1.9kg
Length: 430mm
Barrel Length: 350mm

LGA50 Advanced Grenade Launcher

Description

The LG50 underbarrel grenade launcher has a quite peculiar feature, which is the way its internals were apparently designed to be modular enough to the point it could serve as a component for a bullpup semi-automatic grenade launcher, specially the removable breech rear end which would allow the insertion of a top mounted rear feeding system into it and several spacious gaps in its internal built which technically could allow its refitted industrially to work into an entirely different action.

A parallel project to the LG50, the Lanza-Granadas Avanzado Modelo 50 is a short stroke, gas operated semi-automatic grenade launcher with a rotating bolt, which is basically a completely refitted and re-engineered version of the LGRB50 variant fitted with an additional segment of frame behind its grip which contains the bullpup above barrel ammunition feed system and additional components of its action, which integrates into the now refitted segment with the trigger group and barrel, forming an entirely new, semi-automatic and equally modular grenade launcher built for the role of serving as a potential replacement for the LG50 of the grenadier in missions where having a faster, more accurate and longer ranged dedicated grenade launcher is more important than the flexibility of an underbarrel grenade launcher attached to an assault or battle rifle. As expected, it inherits the same pre-set hybrid action trigger of the LG50 and its stiff sliding plate which was used having in mind the possibility of conventing its smaller brother into the LGA50. And finally, it has a spacious 75mm through which its barrel recoils inside the frame to further reduce its recoil.

Through a series of flexible springs inside its magazine, it can be adjusted to store grenades from the low velocity 50x51mm caliber to the long range low pressure 50x71mm developed to be launched at a muzzle velocity of 130 meters per second without a significant increase on its chamber pressure. Besides, not ignoring the flexibility of the LG50, accepting a myriad of different ammunition types, which allows it for example, to hold consecutively a high explosive dual purpose, a napalm and a buckshot. With a total of 3 rails, it supports telescopic sights of up to 4x for optical and 3x for night sight besides a laser sight and despite the questionable utility, a tactical flashlight, just as a demonstration of its capability of having several tools attached to it. While its polymer frame and above-barrel bullpup feed system make it resemble an H&K G11 much more than the FA-65 which was supposedly built over it.

Proposals to create an integrated system inspired on the Objective Infantry Combat Weapon also came later, but the weight that combining a LGA50 with a RBA would make it a completely unwieldy weaponry despite both weapons having comparatively light weights for their calibers, and thus the current configuration continues and the LG50 is the only grenade launcher that is attachable to rifles due to its much lighter weight and compact frame compared to the LGA50.

Specifications

Class: Bullpup semi-automatic grenade launcher
Structure: Steel lined barrel, carbon reinforced fiber and rugged polymer frame.
Caliber: 50x51mm, 50x60mm and 50x71mm
Ammunition Types:
- High Explosive Dual Purpose
- Stun
- Smoke
- Illuminating
- White Phosphorous
- Napalm
- Buckshot
- Training
Muzzle velocity: 95 m/s(50x51mm), 110 m/s(50x60mm), 130 m/s(50x71mm)
Operation: Gas operated, rotating bolt
Weight: 5.3kg empty
Length: 840mm
Barrel length: 350mm
Feed system: Above-barrel 3-round detachable box magazine
Effective range: 200m
Maximum range: 400m(50x60mm), 800m(50x71mm)
Sights: Modular, default is a angular targeting adjustable iron sight.
Supported Attachments: Laser sight, up to 4x optical sight and 3x night sight.
Modes: Semi-auto
Rate of Fire: 60 rpm(cyclic), 20 rpm(sustained)
Cost:
- Weapon: $1,250
- Laser Sight: $100
- 4x scope: $700
- 3x night sight: $700

ECU-95 Urban Combat Shotgun

Description

The Escopeta de Combate Urbano 95(ECU-95) is another of the many weapons developments motivated by an urge of having every single technology controlled at national level, including ammunition, coupled with the constant need of funds by the Army, which in most part come from the sales of guns to civilians. As a concept, it was developed with one feature in mind: Urban Warfare, and is a weapon which defies conventions, due to the fact that, not being critical for the military, its designers felt more free to take unconventional approaches beyond the already calculatedly risky ventures of the MTI regarding military technology.

Developed in 2039, it inherited the best features from the latest shotguns like the SPAS 12 and even concepts pioneered by innovative ideas like the NeoStead 2000, but its primary feature is the fact it uses the simpler inertia recoil action based on the pioneer works of Benelli on such weapons technology instead of a gas operated action like in the case of Confederacy rifles, where nearly its entire frame serves as the recoiling component to pull the inertia spring, and even the empty reinforced polymer case into the ejection port, with only its long, monolithic rotating bolt, similar to that of the FA-65 in principles, remaining stationary during the firing operation, allowing a lighter weight, simpler, more balanced frame, increased reliability and easier barrel cleaning at the expense of requiring proper practice and an adequate shooting position to give the weapon space for recoiling, making thus it not suitable for firing from a secure position in a rest or with its stock against the ground, and the lack of possible expansion of development to future automatic models, which is not actually necessary for the intended roles of this firearm, commonly used in complement of a SF27 submachinegun or another firearm optimized for urban warfare and close quarters combat.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/cc/Inertia_op_v2.png
Image 1: Inertia Recoil Action Diagram

Asides from taking the recent inertia recoil action as its operation, it features a conventional layout, due to the fact a bullpup would make the recoil unwieldy, with its ammunition feed loaded in a chamber as close to the trigger group as possible, resembling in ways the setup of a M4 carbine or G3A3 battle rifle, with the ubiquitous rails for attachment of all sorts of sights and add-ons, with its unique dual 6 to 10-round box magazines, using the tried and tested 12 ga. rounds, while being capable due its action of being fed with a wide range of shotshells as long as they provide the minimum recoil level to compress its spring, and with a selector, allowing it to be loaded with two different, selectable ammunition types at the same time. And like the Benelli M4 Super 90, it also features a collapsible stock, also fine tuned to the dimensions adequate for its inertia operation. Its entire frame was built from a combination of rugged polymer and carbon fiber reinforced polymer to further reduce its weight, and featuring also, due to a focus on modularity, the possibility of being chambered with either a steel lined barrel or with a ceramic matrix composite lined and metal matrix composite overwrap barrel, according specific needs, although due to cost-efficiency, the first tends to be more commonly manufactured.

Featuring a very compact frame for a conventional rather than bullpup weapon coupled with its overall light weight without sacrificing into recoil mechanism and overall structural strength, the ECU-95 is a sturdy, reliable shotgun popular among civilian militias, shooting range competitions, hunters and enthusiasts and also the standard issue of the Confederacy Army.

Specifications

Class: Semi-automatic Urban Warfare Shotgun
Structure: Steel lined barrel, carbon reinforced fiber and rugged polymer frame.
Caliber: 12 ga.
Ammunition Types:
- Buckshot
- Sabot
- Magnum
- Rubber
- Training
Muzzle velocity: 500 m/s
Operation: Inertial recoil operated, rotating bolt
Weight:
- Steel barrel: 3.3 kg empty, 4.2 kg w/ dual 8-round mag.
- CMC barrel: 2.9kg empty, 3.8 kg w/ 8-round mag.
Length(Stock Extended): 700mm
Length(Stock Collapsed): 660mm
Barrel length: 450mm
Feed system: 10-round detachable box magazine
Effective range: 140m
Maximum range: 200m
Sights: Modular, default is a ghost ring retractable iron sight
Supported Attachments: Tactical flashlight, laser sight, up to 4x optical sight and 3x night sight, 25 cm standard bayonet.
Modes: Semi-auto
Rate of Fire: 75 rpm(cyclic), 40 rpm(sustained)
Cost:
-Steel barrel: $1,500
-CMC barrel: $2,250
-4x scope: $700
-3x night sight: $700
-Laser sight: $100
-Flashlight: $50

Further Info on Inertia Recoil Action

Benelli's page about inertia recoil action (http://www.benelliusa.com/firearms/inertia.tpl)
A patent of another inertia recoil system (http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=4,604,942.PN.&OS=PN/4,604,942&RS=PN/4,604,942)

http://www.gamebanshee.com/fallout2/equipment/images/combatshotgun.gif
Escopeta de Liberación Urbana 4

Description

The Escopeta de Liberación Urbana 4(ELU-4) is basically the automatic brother of the Escopeta de Combate Urbano 95, built to be the "Street cleaner" of Third Spanish States arsenal, as an extension of the Rifles Avanzados program, thus logically an extension of Third Spanish States Lightweight Smalls Arms Program as well, and was developed sharing much in common with the Rifle de Batalla Avanzado regarding its frame and operation, as equally a bullpup, short stroke gas operated firearm with selective fire capabilities, designed to offer sustained firepower at squad level for close combat situations, and specially built for urban warfare considering its main features. Its name, Urban Liberation Shotgun, is not much asides from a local ideologically filled title, and does not compute in its export version, instead named USS-4(Urban Selective-fire Shotgun) Sledgehammer.

Developed in 2037 in the city of Nova Lisboa, where its was dubbed as the "Marretta"(Sledgehammer), uniquely away from the center of most military tech of Third Spanish States which is the city of Tucker, it was initially sought as a derivative of the RBA battle rifle, in a similar way the Saiga 12 is a derivative from the AK Series rifles, although it eventually inherited features of its own, thanks to the lack of bureaucracy and conservative restraints to new, challenging and innovative concepts, which also was helpful to the development of works like the LGA-50 bullpup grenade launcher or the bullpup SF-27 submachinegun and AA-70 advanced machinegun.

It is in certain ways an inheritor from both the USAS-12 and from the best elements of an innovative but commercially unsuccessful weapon: the Pancor Jackhammer, specially the fact it also uses a bullpup configuration and the overprevalence of lightweight polymers over a more traditional frame, while on the other hand, with the goal of reliability in mind, it inherited an as reliable bolt travel group as that of the RBA, coupled with a monolithic bolt carrier with a sturdy rotating bolt, and an equally sturdy gas block's piston with its own return spring, while the ejected polymer case goes through a pre-ejection chamber to allow its ejection to be controlled by the shooter, specially on single fire mode, while technically allowing the use of a theoretical caseless 12 gauge shell, although a reliable caseless ammunition of such caliber has not yet been developed, thus limiting its use for polymer cased ammunition. Finally, its modular design allows it to be fielded with either a conventional, cheaper steel-lined barrel or with a more expensive barrel of larger heat resistance with a lining of ceramic matrix composite overwrapped by a alumina fiber with aluminum metal matrix composite, like in the barrel used by the RBA battle rifle, both which, like in the Jackhammer can be easily replaced on the field by removing the muzzle cover and return spring, rotating the barrel at ninety degrees either clockwise or counter-clockwise to disconnect it from the action rod, by then simply pulling it out, with the opposite process logically being employed to insert a fresh new barrel in it, while field stripping is a relatively fast and easy process for a weapon of its size.

Its ammunition feed chamber supports 10-round rugged polymer box magazines containing either buckshot, sabot or magnum shells, or 20-round spiraled drum magazines which rear sides are made of translucent polymer, allowing a fast check of remaining shots, these drums are in principle similar to an helical feed system, but do not have an helix-shaped pattern of load, but instead an spiraled pattern inside the barrel, built with every consideration into avoid jamming, like for example, the existence of a multitude of springs which are aligned to push the shells exactly towards the outer region of the spiral, allowing the barrel to be slightly more compact than with a circular or revolving internal layout. Some people suggested the idea of the Jackhammer's Cassette, which could be triggered as a proximity or timed mine However, the primary feature it contains on ammunition is its flexible design capable of accepting buckshot, sabot and magnum shells according to present tactical needs. To fire such ammunition, it is packed with a stiff sliding plate, which solves one of the primary problems of bullpup designs, the typical unwieldy and bulky operation of their triggers, while on the other hand, it is properly balanced to allow a minimally trained soldier to correctly press the trigger to each of its fire modes, avoiding any involuntary bypass of the firing pin's primary sear and engagement of the auto sear which happens when the trigger is pulled on its entirety.

Featuring a collapsible rugged polymer stock, it allows the user of this shotgun to safely operate at most indoors spaces, least the most cramped corridors, for which a prototype of a very short length shotgun with similar capabilities to a MAG-7 is being developed instead. But with its length reduced to only 700mm when its stock is collapsed, it then trades sustainability for further maneuverability, while with its extended stock it offers an increased sustainable fire capability and is still less lengthy than a Pancor Jackhammer, while stable enough to effectively stop an unarmored target 140 meters away from the shooter's position, and although it lacks the spread of a sawed-off shotgun due to a longer barrel, the increased accuracy and range which is on the limits for a weapon of its class are viable trade-offs for its intended role as what could be considered, in layman terms, a "machinegun for indoors combat".

Despite featuring both single and automatic fire modes, its increased weight and costs, coupled with the incapability, despite all innovations and modular build, of a gas operated system being as easy to perform maintenance on as the inertia recoil used by the ECU-95, asides from its incapability of working with rubber bullets, have stopped it from replacing the ECU-95 due to its additional capability and effective semi-automatic firepower.

However, its incredibly light weight coupled with its maneuverability have made from the Marretta, or Sledgehammer Assault Shotgun, the standard issue automatic shotgun of Third Spanish States civilian self-policing and, like intended, the "replacement" of a machinegun for close quarters combat and effective urban warfare weapon, while to further its capabilities, a generous quantity of rails allow it to be fielded with several different add-ons, including scopes and even a bipod, while it has as standard issue an attachable and retractable ghost ring iron sight.

Specifications

Export Name: USS-4 Sledgehammer
Class: Bullpup Automatic Assault Shotgun
Structure: Steel lined barrel, carbon reinforced fiber and rugged polymer frame.
Caliber: 12 ga.
Ammunition Types:
- Buckshot
- Sabot
- Magnum
- Training
Muzzle velocity: 500 m/s*
Operation: Gas operated, rotating bolt
Weight:
- Steel barrel: 4.5 kg empty, 5.1 kg w/ 10-round, 6.5kg with 20-round.
- CMC barrel: 4.2 kg empty, 4.8 kg w/ 10-round, 6.2kg with 20-round
Length(Stock Extended): 740mm
Length(Stock Collapsed): 700mm
Barrel length: 500mm
Feed system: 10-round detachable box magazine or 20-round drum magazine
Effective range: 140m*
Maximum range: 200m
Sights: Modular, default is a ghost ring retractable iron sight
Supported Attachments: Bipod, tactical flashlight, laser sight, up to 4x optical sight and 3x night sight
Modes: Selective fire
Rate of Fire: 45 rpm(semi-auto), 90 rpm(sustained), 180 rpm(maximum)
Cost:
-Steel barrel(bipod included): $2,350
-CMC barrel(bipod included): $3,000
-Laser sight: $100
-Flashlight: $50
-4x scope: $700
-3x night sight: $700

*With magnum shot

Escopeta Compacta 3

http://img368.imageshack.us/img368/527/ec3jy9.png

Write-up and further details available here. (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=551599)

Specifications

Class: Compact Pump-action Shotgun
Structure: Steel lined barrel, carbon reinforced fiber and rugged polymer frame.
Caliber: 50mm long 12 ga. and 28 ga.
Ammunition Types:
- Buckshot
- Sabot
- Rubber
- Training
Muzzle velocity: 300 m/s
Operation: Pump-action
Weight:
- Steel barrel: 3.1 kg empty, 3.7 kg w/ 5-round mag.
- CMC barrel: 2.8kg empty, 3.5 kg w/ 5-round mag.
28 ga.
- Steel barrel: 3kg empty, 3.5kg w/ 7-round mag.
- CMC barrel: 2.7kg empty, 3.2kg w/ 7-round mag.
Length(Stock Extended): 550mm
Length(Stock Collapsed): 500mm
Barrel length: 300mm
Feed system: 5-round detachable box magazine, 7-round extended mag.
Effective range: 32m
Maximum range: 70m
Sights: Modular, default is a ghost ring retractable iron sight
Supported Attachments: Tactical flashlight, laser sight, up to 1.4x scope, foregrip, S-3 reflex shotgun suppressor, ST-3 tactical suppressor "bucket".
Modes: Pump-action
Rate of Fire: 30 rpm(cyclic), 20 rpm(sustained)
Variants:
EC-3S, built with integrated, specifically tailored reflex shotgun suppressor to reduce noise to a level which is healthy to human ears.
-Length(Stock Extended): 670mm
-Length(Stock Collapsed): 620mm
EC-3T, 28 gauge variant.
-Length(Stock Extended): 550mm
-Length(Stock Collapsed): 500mm
EC-3ST, 28 gauge variant built with integrated, specifically tailored suppressor capable of effectively turning it into a "silenced" weapon.
-Length(Stock Extended): 700mm
-Length(Stock Collapsed): 650mm
Cost:
EC-3
-Steel barrel: $800
-CMC barrel: $1,400
EC-3S
-Steel barrel: $900
-CMC barrel: $1,500
EC-3T
-Steel barrel: $700
-CMC barrel: $1,300
EC-3ST
-Steel barrel: $1,300
- CMC barrel: $2,100

Add-ons Costs:
- S-3 Reflex Suppressor(Compatible with EC-3 only): $150
- ST-3 Tactical Suppressor(ibid with EC-3T only): $700
- 1.2x scope: $250
- 1.4x scope: $300
- Laser sight: $100
- Tactical Flashlight: $50

Rifle de Asalto Anfibio 2039

Overview:

When it was stated that every single piece of Third Spanish States technology would have to originate from their own efforts until 2045, it was not actually a mere fancy statement for political interests, for a man is worth his word, and the MilNet wouldn't let their promises unaccomplished, every weapon and military technology, from the most generalist to the most specialist would be developed indigenously, and underwater assault rifles were no exception, plus they were just that, underwater assault rifles. Having to carry two different rifles for both underwater and ground operations isn't something that a frogman from the Blackguards Amphibious Assault Special Forces, or also known simply as Blackmarines, would consider tactically wise and adequate, and the ASM-DT, despite offering an average performance in surface thanks to being capable of accepting both standard 5.45x39mm surface ammunition and an underwater 5.45mm ammunition, was not enough, plus all assault rifles currently in use were chambered instead for the 6.5x39mm caliber. From the technological limitations these specialized underwater forces had, very significant due to the extensive naval focus of Third Spanish States military, came the solution in the form of the concept of a truly Amphibious Assault Rifle, the bullpup, gas operated Rifle de Asalto Anfibio 2039(RAA-39), chambered for both 6.5x39mm surface ammunition and its much longer 6.5x135mm underwater dart version, capable of being almost as effective in surface combat performance to an FA-65 and excelling in underwater against other frogmen and trained dolphins(in despite of the Animal Liberation Front), and designed from the ground for the role of underwater and amphibious infantry forces assault and infiltration.

Description:

Frame and Configuration

The RAA-39 was developed as a derivative of the FA-65 assault rifle which came as the final, definite result of the Proyecto Rifle Anfibio, a very ambitious military research and development program which sought to create a new take on amphibious warfare, an assault rifle capable of operating effectively at both underwater and ground, purported as the service rifle of the Blackmarines Frogmen and overall underwater assault and infiltration commandos. The first, noticeable difference it has compared to its father is the fact the it has an overall smaller height, more closely resembling the Russian AKs, lacks a pre-ejection chamber to simplify its firing mechanism due to the more demanding nature of the environment it was designed for, and thus it cannot operate with caseless ammunition, which does not present itself as a significant limitation due to its specialized operational roles. Its external appearance is basically that of the FA-65, but which a bullpup configuration and a much larger, stamped steel receiver with two feeding chambers, for the special magazines developed for it, which is one the reasons behind the choice of a bullpup design, for a conventional configuration would drastically increase its length compared to a FA-65, besides, it reduces the time it takes for a frogman to maneuver it, despite reducing its overall accuracy. Unlike the old APS, it packs a rifling similar to that of the FA-65 and uses a closed bolt as well, for it was never engineered as an exclusively underwater firearm but as a replacement of the previously used ASM-DT underwater assault rifle, which served as the minimum line for the intended performance.

It was intentionally built as a much more lightweight weapon than usual by intensive use of reinforced polymers in almost the entirety of the components, to reduce further the required effort and time to maneuver it beneath the waves. However, a compromise was sought between underwater and surface performance, reliability and recoil, and in fact it is heavier when empty compared to an APS, for the long recoiling barrel was preserved, and the 2-round armor-piercing burst fire mode maintained and upgraded for both surface and underwater combat, thanks to a heavily modified action group based on an intensively over-engineered and more sturdy version of the short stroke gas operated and rotating bolt action of the FA-65, to allow it to operate reliably underwater and in several different coastal environments and also to allow two darts to be quickly loaded sequentially inside the chamber and burst fired at a cyclic rate of fire of about 600 rounds per minute, presenting a deadly and sufficiently accurate option for underwater combat, while it can also fire, in surface, a burst of 2 conventional rounds at a higher cyclic rate of fire of 1,100 rounds per minute, slightly less than that of the original FA-65, while in full auto it can reach a cyclic rate of fire of 180 rounds per minute underwater and of, when limited during field stripping configuration, 300 rounds per minute in the surface, which although inferior to that of the FA-65, offers a better recoil management compared to it, although it can be adjusted to up to 500 rounds per minute.

Its primary feature however is its receiver, which, inspired by the dual-feed system of the Neostead 2000 shotgun and of Third Spanish States ECU-95 shotgun, has two, side by side, distinct feeding chambers, a larger one designed for holding its larger underwater ammunition magazine and a smaller one designed for holding its surface ammunition, which are coupled together at the gun front, and can be switched through a magazine selector which can be manually set, allowing the frogman to quickly change between surface and underwater optimized ammunitions if necessary, and which mechanism automatically switches to the loaded ammunition if only one of them is loaded in the receiver.

Barrel

Featuring a right-handed rifling twist similar to that of the FA-65, the RAA-39 barrel is featured by being slightly longer and by the fact that, due to the now acquired experience with the use of metal matrix and ceramic matrix composites in the production of more expensive, but reliable and lighter weight barrels, and due to the need of further increasing maneuverability, it logically is usually deployed with a ceramic matrix composite lined barrel overwrapped by an alumina-silica Al metal matrix composite, which, through a quite complex industrial process, is cut with shallow grooves running through its length to allow some of the gas to blow ahead of the bullet and water out of it, as a form of avoiding accidental bursting when surfacing and firing outside the water, not unlikely the barrel of the ASM-DT, while the overall thicker barrel construction grants it a better reliability it requires due to the stresses it will be continually put into during operation.

Modularity

The Amphibious Assault Rifle is, like all latest Third Spanish States developments, as modular as it can be without damaging its reliability, to allow an easy field stripping and barrel exchange, although it packs an additional, emergency feature besides a relatively easy barrel exchange procedure not unlikely that of many of the more modern Confederacy weapons: it was engineered and structured to be able, under very skilled hands, to have its barrel exchanged underwater and even, theoretically, to be entirely field stripped underwater, although the constant probabilities of components like its hammer sliding from the hands of the operator and sinking into the depths of the ocean make of it little more than a curiousity for most, if not all practical situations it will be used on.

Ammunition

Like the FA-65, it uses for surface combat purposes the now tried and tested 6.5x39mm Grendel caliber which is an excellent intermediary between a 5mm and a 7mm caliber rifle, however only featured in either as a steel or polymer cased round, with no support given or required to caseless ammunition due to its operational needs, usually in either 20 or 26-round detachable magazines. While on the other hand, for underwater combat, it can be loaded with an additional 14-round or 20-round detachable magazines, not much different in shape from the ASM-DT and APS magazines except for being larger, chambered for indigenously developed 6.5x135mm fin-stabilized steel darts, which like the Frag-12 and High Explosive Fin Stabilized shotgun ammunitions, have retractable fins which are released upon leaving the barrel to allow its length and reduce drag when inside the rifle and are effectively capable of damaging seriously certain small underwater vehicles, having a conical section of about 15mm, which in turn logically offers a poor performance in surface as the conventional 6.5x39mm round offers a poor performance underwater.

Add-ons

Similar to the Russian ASM-DT, its modular design and myriad of internally mounted rails allows it to be fielded with a retractable iron sight, being compatible with most classes of these sights, with an optical sight up to 3x, although 1.4x or 2x is the standard, and also can be fielded with a 2x night sight, considering the nature of the operations it was designed for, while it has a removable bayonet lug capable of being fitted with the multipurpose 25cm combat knife of the Confederacy or with something larger according to necessity, a barrel which supports a reflex suppressor to reduce its noise level considerably to a sufficient level for safely taking down some targets of opportunity from a 70 meters or more distance, and enough rails for fitting several additional accessories of dubious utility or very specific necessity, except for the always useful LG50 or M203 underbarrel grenade launcher it can also be fitted with.

Performance

Tests to determine its effective range under different depths, using samples from several production lots and monitored by third party auditing groups, have given the results of 50 meters, 30 meters and 15 meters for depths of 5, 20 and 40 meters respectively, which is quite superior to the performance of the APS, thanks to a more balanced dart round with improved underwater ballistics compared to the 5.66x120mm dart of the APS and to its over-engineered action, while it has a technical maximum range of 100 meters underwater.

For surface combat, it has achieved an effective range of 400 meters, 100 meters less than that of the FA-65 but more than enough for its intended purposes, considering that most modern infantry conflicts happen at most in a distance of 300 meters and the overall mission profile of the RAA-39. Maximum attainable range was confirmed at 600 meters, while it has, due to an usually lower rate of fire and to increased loaded weight compared to a FA-65, 60% of the already manageable recoil of the FA-65, which in turns makes it much more controllable to special units, specially when underwater.

Regarding reliability, 30,000 rounds were fired at a limited automatic rate of fire from it in a stress test without maintenance, and it did not jam during the test, which was repeated 10 times, from which only twice it did jam, which is a quite feat considering the stresses it was submitted to, while underwater it was tested with only a maintenance-less cycle of 10,000 rounds, considering the increased strain an underwater environment provokes, and from the 10 times the test was performed, it only jammed once.

Conclusion

The reliable RAA-39 Amphibious Assault Rifle allows a frogman to effectively operate at both underwater and surface combat, specially for infiltration and assault missions against coastal targets of opportunity, while being superior in performance to both the APS and ASM-DT rifles in underwater combat, offering a performance almost comparable to that of the FA-65 assault rifle and superior in certain aspects to it in surface combat, and packing the advantage of allowing a frogman to quickly switch between its dual magazine fed 6.5x39mm and 6.5x135mm ammunitions when needing to counter an imminent threat in the opposite environment of which he was operating his firearm in before, in a fast, effective manner. It is possibly one of the best available choices for marines and special forces with underwater training specialized in infiltration or fast assault of coastal targets, like for example the United States Navy SEALs.


Specifications

Class: Amphibious Assault Rifle
Structure: CMC lined barrel, carbon reinforced fiber and rugged polymer frame, .
Caliber: 6.5x39mm and 6.5x135mm
Ammunition Types:
- FMJBT
- Scenar (Moly)
- Norma
- Matchking
- TNT
- Fin Stabilized Steel Dart
Muzzle velocity: ~800 m/s(air), 300 m/s(underwater)
Operation: Short stroke gas-operated, rotating bolt
Weight:
- Steel barrel: 3.4 kg empty, 4.7 kg w/ 6.5x39mm 20-round polymer cased and 6.5x135mm 20-round
- CMC barrel: 3.1 kg empty, 4.4 kg w/ both mentioned magazines.
28 ga.
Length: 720mm
Barrel length: 590mm
Feed system: Dual, two 20-round detachable box magazines for 6.5x39 and 6.5x135mm respectively
Effective range:
- Underwater(5m): 50m
- Underwater(20m): 30m
- Underwater(40m): 15m
- Surface: 400m
Maximum range:
- Underwater: 100m
- Surface: 600m
Sights: Modular, default is a ghost ring retractable iron sight
Supported Attachments: LG50 or M203 grenade launcher, Tactical flashlight, laser sight, up to 3x scope or 2x night sight, reflex rifle suppressor, 25cm multipurpose knife/bayonet.
Modes: Semi-auto, 2-round ultrarapid burst, automatic
Rates of Fire:
- Surface: 30 rpm(semi), 1100 rpm(burst), 300-500 rpm(auto)
- Underwater: 15 rpm(semi), 600 rpm(burst, 180 rpm(auto)
Cost:
-Steel barrel: $1,000
-CMC barrel: $1,500

Add-ons Costs:
- AA-39 Reflex Suppressor: $450
- 1.2x scope: $250
- 1.4x scope: $300
- 2x scope: $350
- 3x scope: $500
- 2x night sight: $450
- Laser sight: $100
- Tactical flashlight: $50
- 25cm multipurpose knife: $25

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Multi-Ametralladora 65 "Rambo"


Specifications

Class: Four-barreled Gatling machinegun
Structure: Parkerized steel lined barrels, carbon fiber reinforced polymer and rugged polymer frame.
Caliber: 6.5x55mm Super-Grendel
Ammunition Types:
- Full Metal Jacket - Tracer
- Armor Piercing Incendiary - Tracer
- Saboted Light Armor Piercing - Tracer
Muzzle velocity: 900 m/s
Operation: Gas operated, gatling gun
Weight:
- Steel barrels: 26 kg empty, 34 kg or more loaded
- CMC barrels: 22 kg empty, 30 kg or more loaded
Length: 830mm
Barrel length: 570mm each
Feed system: Disintegrating link belt, 150-round box case
Effective range: 800m*
Maximum range: 1,300m*
Sights: Optical/IR in ROWS and red dot sight standard in MA-65C variant
Supported Attachments: Tripod and laser sight
Modes: Full automatic only
Rate of Fire: Cyclic is adjustable from 1,500 to 7,000 rounds per minute. Sustainable is around 200-450 rounds per minute, with a higher cyclic rate of fire reducing it.
Versions:
-MA-65: Standard, optimized for being mounted as a remotely operated weapon system in gun pods of helicopters or close air support aircrafts.
-MA-65T: Ground based version, for being mounted in remotely operated turrets or secondary weapon systems of armored fighting vehicles or in emplacements in static defenses.
-MA65C: Crew-served version, comes with red dot sight and recoil-reducing tripod, may be used as a man-portable weapon.

Cost:
-MA-65 and T, Steel barrels: $9,000
-MA-65 and T, CMC barrels: $11,000

-MA-65C, Steel barrels: $6,000
-MA-65C, CMC barrels: $8,000


Description

The MA-65 is an "exception to the rule" in certain ways, as the only minigun developed and used by the Confederacy. It is a self-powered, air cooled, short stroke gas-operated 4-barreled machinegun with its operation based on a complex take over the FA-65 original operation known as the "quad-gas" and also inspired by the former Shipunov GShG-7.62 used in the Mil Mi-24 helicopter. It was specifically, and initially only tailored for helicopters to be used against fast moving targets in remotely operated gun pods, usually used in complement to high caliber, more conventional autocannons to engage light-armored targets which would otherwise be difficult to target with it alone, or to add an additional destructive capability and save the autocannon ammunition for more armored targets. Nonetheless aware of the great potential of miniguns that have been improperly explored before for ground combat, while also seeking new niches of market, the MilNet has decided to soon create two variants, while the conventional MA-65 would be attractive to army aviation centric military forces as an airborne weapon or remotely operated ground system, these variants would be interesting for those who employ static defenses, or who wish to have an unparalleled firepower in the hands of their infantrymen.

The MA-65T is a remotely operated system for armored fighting vehicles, which can be fitted as a main gun of an AFV as well, or even be placed into an static emplacement for defense as a semi-automated and remotely operated weapon system, which is particularly interesting for static defenses, recommended for private security forces, for military bases and even for the most paranoid civilians in the Confederacy as the ultimate anti-theft system, while the MA-65C, perhaps the more interesting of the group, is a crew-served minigun with its included red dot sight, tripod and support for being affixed to manned static emplacements, capable of being man-portable, thanks to, no matter how counter-productive it might seem, it having more than 65% of its weight consisting into integrated recoil reducing mechanisms, making it adequate for human handling with the same capabilities of an heavy machinegun, even when not in a fixed emplacement, although of course, like HMGs, it requires individuals with a well-trained physique, something which most modern military forces provide, to allow it to be a mobile crew-served and even man-portable weapon, being dubbed as the "Rambo" because of its sheer firepower and sensation of empowerment it gives to their wielders in face of asymmetric threats. To avoid the nuisance of batteries or extra weight, it uses a short stroke gas operated action, instead of relying on external power sources, a choice done to make it capable of surviving electromagnetic pulses and to make their maintenance easier. It is a known fact that there is a difference between cyclic and sustained rate of fire, and the MA-65 is superior to conventional machineguns in both. Its airborne version was sought for allowing shorter bursts to fire the same quantity than longer ones, for close air support role, specially in geographical scenarios like that of the Vietnam War, is a viable choice of a secondary weapon system to a main helicopter gun, while its other versions offer excellent ground strike capability against infantry and LAVs, where cumulative damage can usually seriously damage even the best protected among the latter. Its barrels were designed to be quickly exchangeable, which can be removed from the action rod by simply twisting each of them counter-clockwise after removing the modularly built support beams for the barrels and their shared muzzle brake.

One of its primary differences to most existing miniguns is that it was mirrored in all modern versions of Confederacy small caliber armament, and thus able to be fielded with both conventional steel lined barrels, or, with the more expensive but even more lightweight and more heat resistant barrels built of a ceramic matrix composite lining with a Al-alumina silica metal matrix composite overwrap, which were originated from the Lightweight Small Arms Program. The reduction in barrel weight might not be much for a conventional weapon, but for a four-barreled gun made bulky by large quantities of recoil-reducing and heat-dissipating systems, it has four times more significance in its weight.

The choice of a 6.5x55mm caliber over a 7.62mm for its role was considered a necessary decision to sacrifice the individual firepower of each bullet, but on the other hand reduce the perceived recoil to make of it an effective heavy infantry weapon, while at the same time, allowing increased stowages of ammunitions in the remotely operated gun pods it comes integrated with in its standard, airborne version, which also includes an specific "hose" ejection system for its spent polymer cases and links, and on its ground based ROWS versions. A 6.5x39mm caliber was considered ineffective for air-to-ground strikes, and thus dismissed and exchanged by a larger 6.5mm round which was based on the 6.5mm Grendel caliber, and not on the 6.5x55mm Swedish Mauser, being thus named as the 6.5mm Super-Grendel.

As the biggest feature of all miniguns, the MA-65 offers also a superb cyclic rate of fire, although, depending on the mission profile, it can be adjusted from something close to a Gast gun at 1,500 rounds per minute to 7,000 rounds per minute. It is preferable to operate it a lower cyclic rate of fire when possible, as it reduces barrel heating and wear, as expected from any firearm with adjustable cyclic rate of fire.

Thus, the MA-65 has three primary utilities: as an anti-personell and anti-materiel weapon to complement the capabilities of autocannons in helicopters allowing shorter bursts to deliver the same of longer bursts in conventional guns with lower cyclic rates of fire, against fast targets, as a general purpose anti-personell remotely operated weapon system for ground based forces, specially as an additional element to AFVs, base security and private security, and as something to be fielded as a potential replacement or complement to heavy machineguns in heavy infantry companies or platoons.

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Special thanks to RRoan for lineart

ST120-A Sino Stealth Tank


Overview

The ST120-A Sino is an unique-looking, highly mobile, fast tank focused on providing excellent informational awareness to its crew and unsurpassed signature reduction through it's purportedly "stealth" design, at the expense of heavier armor plating, even though its armor is comparable to the plating of earlier Abrams M1 tanks, albeit more weight-efficient, or excessively powerful engine systems, while at the same time offering the needed firepower to perform ambushes and function to a extent as a main battle tank if necessary, being a sort of modern, more flexible embodiment of the S-Tank (http://science.howstuffworks.com/stridsvagn-103-main-battle-tank.htm) even though not turretless, armed with a L44 120mm, smoothbore, trapezoidal barrel tank gun which uses electrothermal-chemical technology (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrothermal-chemical_technology) and with a remotely operated AA-70 general purpose machinegun (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=13483310&postcount=7) as a close-in weapon system. It is equipped with a permanent camouflage and infrared reducing netting, among several other features sought to reduce its profile to the most possible, making of it one of the few truly stealth tanks in the market.

Specifications

Manufacturer: Tienda del Coche/Milnet Tucker Institute Joint-venture
Class: Stealth Battle Tank
Dimensions: 3.40m (width) x 6.80m (length) x 2.17m
Weight: 44,000kg
Weight of Turret: 3,400kg
Weight of Transmission: 1,200kg
Weight of Tracks: est. 950 kg each
Motor: M12-mod 1200 12 cylinder water-cooled biodiesel. 1,200 hp at 2,500 rpm
Velocity (on-road): 75km/h
Velocity (off-road): 65km/h*
Transmission: MTI 245 automatic transmission
Suspension: Torsion bar & advanced hydropneumatic suspension
Armament:
- MTI Light 120mm ETC cannon w/ autoloader, caliber 44
- AA-70 7.62x54mm general purpose machinegun
- MTI Standard smoke discharger
120mm Ammunition (ETC):
- MTI.120AP: Armor piercing fin stabilized discarding sabot, 9kg penetrator.
- MTI.120HE: High explosive anti-tank, tandem charge.
- MTI.120CA: Canister shot, for use against buildings and entrenched infantry.
Ammunition:
- 25 120AP, 10 120HE and 15 120CA rounds
- 2,000 7.62x54 mm polymer cased ammo
- 20 smoke discharges
Maximum angles of fire: 20º +/- vertical(only at 35 km/h or less) , 360º horizontal
Rate of Fire: 30 rpm
Armor:
NBC layers:
- First: 1mm Internal paper cover/decoration vs. Alpha radiation
- Second: 30mm aluminum flat armor vs. Beta radiation
- Third: 10 mm steel plates vs. Gamma radiation
Weight: 900 kg
Conventional:
- Frontal arc: 70mm Multi-layered Titanium/Ceramics Matrix Composite @ 10º vs. 40mm APFSDS fired from a Hacha IFV.
- All around: 27mm ML Titanium/Ceramics Matrix Composite vs. 12.7mm API fired from a XM312 HMG.
- Weight: 13,000kg
Reactive armor:
- Frontal arc: Explosive reactive armor adding roughly 400 mm RHAe against kinetic energy and 550mm RHAe against chemical energy at 15º.
- All-around: Lightweight explosive reactive armor (ERA) adding roughly 70mm RHAe against KE and 150mm RHAe against shaped charges.
- Weight: 3,900kg
Stealth Features:
- Fixed IR signature reducing camouflage netting
- Compact low height gun turret with moving mantlet
- Overall Hull Shape designed to reduce signature(Same angle components, re-entrant triangles)
- Stealth gun turret with angled trapezoidal shape
- Engine "buried" deep within the armor, cooling adapted to reduce thermal signature.
Active Protection System: Shtora soft-kill and Iron Fist hard kill systems.
NBC Defense: Air conditioning system with air filter, fully enclosed, plus armor.
Sensor Equipment:
- 2 independent FSoft Intelliview computerized displays collecting data from cameras.
- Milnet LPI Datalink
- Ballistic fire control system with trajectory and effectiveness calculator.
- Override emergencial main sight and targetting periscope.
- 5 driving cameras at front, sides, rear and coaxial w/ turret.
Crew: 1 pilot, 1 commander/gunner

Cost: 6,200,000

*Under plain dry dirt roads or trails


History:

The Armored Forces, a branch of the Revolutionary Army, needed urgently a Main Battle Tank capable of fitting with the operational needs of the Third Spanish States: with enough firepower to wreak havoc and provoke significant damage in a short period of time, enough low profile to surprise the enemy with such attack, enough speed and mobility to retreat once the advantage of surprise is lost and sturdy enough to resist most infantry, light armored vehicles and previous generation tanks fire, or briefly: a "hit and run" MBT. Results came later in comparison to other Armored projects due to its needs: five years of intensive and efficient research with the cooperation between the large automobile cooperative federation Tienda del Coche and the Milnet Tucker Institute, coupled with the purchase of Iron Fist hard-kill active protection system from Israel, Shtora soft-kill APS from the Russians and additional research over those which leaded to their further improvement with additional network-centric warfare capabilities and datalinked operation. Plus research into national electrothermal-chemical 120mm tank guns brought the light ETC 120mm tank gun.

Those efforts were vital for the creation of the ST120 Sino, which naming is derived from its caliber 44 120mm tank gun, while ST stands for "Stealth Tank". Although four hundreds of them are on the way to be divided into organic groups combined with other armored vehicles, the foreign policies of the Confederacy aren't warlike, and they have yet to prove their worth in a real battlefield rather than in computerized simulations, something which might happen soon due to a new wave of militarization in communist Party-controlled Spain.


Description:

Its turret was built based in the German moving mantlet concept, which means it can't aim down without support of the tank suspension system, and due to its compact shape, no ammunition is stored on it, but instead in 3 spreaded compartments near the turret and connected to the advanced autoloader, with a total(in standard loadout) of 10 120AP(APFDS), 3 120HE(HEAT) and 7 120CA(Canister shot) rounds ready to fire each, while extra stored 15 120AP, 12 120HE and 8 120CA can be loaded by request in about 10 seconds. The gun uses self-researched ETC technology which gives it enough stopping power to detain most tanks of its age and damage buildings seriously, while its rate of fire, not counting the 10 seconds reloading time, allows it to strike fast enough for hit and run tactics. It cannot aim down while moving faster than 35 km/h, which is already a feat of its suspension system. The choice of a trapezoidal barrel was done as one of the several features intended to reduce its signatures, leading to a lower radar cross section and at the same time reducing the heat signature of the gun to an extent.

The whole system, including its ETIPPS power source, weighs only about 3,400 kg without armor and is built mainly from reinforced steel and thermal dissipating fibers, with some components built from carbon fiber reinforced polymers to reduce weight, and can hold well even without armor against any infantry gun except modern anti-tank rockets. The shape of the turret is slightly trapezoidal, asymmetric and angled with low-angle diagonal borders, slightly resembling the silhouette of a F-117 from cockpit above viewed from afar, where the turret and the rest the tank seem to be built as a whole rather than separated components when it is standing still, and it houses fire control systems and a camera, while a AA-70 GPMG, is mounted over a depression of the turret located at its left, on what could be considered a secondary turret system, and can cover its front, all its left flank and anything not close enough at its right flank.

In the middle of its development process, it was suggested to implement some reasonable NBC protection besides air-conditioning which includes radioactivity through most internal 3 layers which would protect against most alpha, beta and gamma radiation, respectively. Whether it's a funny curiousity or something to consider, its crew compartment is entirely covered by a thick decorated paper painted upon recommendations of a chromotheraphist, and can hold alpha radiation. The other 2 components also contribute to protect the Sino against enemy infantry fire, and are respectively a layer of aluminum to block beta and a layer of steel to block gamma radiation. After them, the "actual" armor of the tank is composed by multiple layers of titanium and ceramics matrix composite(CMC) armor which is intended to protect against even some of the most powerful autocannons at the front and against heavier machineguns around. Finally it uses a developed heavy explosive reactive armor at its front, capable of detaining 105mm APFSDS round fired from a Stryker tank gun and anything lower than them, while its other sides are covered by a lighter reactive armor which can protect it against even the heaviest autocannons of its time.

Finally, a fixed camouflage and IR signature reducing netting covers the tank to improve its stealth capabilities, while its hull shape, like of its turret, shares a few features with some stealth ships, resembling a bit of the sillhouette of Sea Shadow front from its windows to top, while being apparently seamless the transition from the lower hull to the treads for those without keen eyes and having similar angled traces in comparison with its turret. Its design is also supposed to have some kind of psychological impact.

The ST120 gunner and driver also are graced with two personal resistant monitors using FSoft Intelliview technology, which display a recreation of the outside through the corrected input of five wide-angle cameras with infrared, four positioned around the tank and one coaxial and in the same height of the turret, giving them a field of view tanks of the previous century would never have achieved. An additional space was on purpose given to allow the allocation of an additional seat if necessary for a commander, although that isn't a common configuration of crew in Confederacy light tanks. Also, its internal computers can store the data about different targets and calculate trajectory of fire, opening many possibilities for the tactically wise. And in case of emergencies, a hatch can open a traditional view for the driver while a periscope, usually inactive, can replace the screen for the gunner should it fail. Finally, as a final element over its electronics, it has the basis of what makes it operational as tank designed for ambush: an electric auxiliary power unit based on a cell of 40 capacitors which allows the Sino to fire its guns even when its diesel engines are turned off to reduce even further its signature.

Although obviously not being able to stand a barrage of fire from the most powerful main battle tanks through anything but pure luck and incapable of aiming vertically at higher speeds, the Sino has its own strengths, and its different operational procedure might be another advantage when tangling with conventional military armored divisions. Also, it lacks a commander seat due to the nature of Confederacy military, which is based on spontaneous and natural charisma/talent-based elected leadership rather than formal authoritarian hierarchies, for better or worse and obviously require a pair of persons which has a quite good relationship to drive it or is very professional. Usually the gunner replace most of the commander roles, and when both weapons are needed, the driver usually assumes control of the cannon while the gunner controls the machinegun.

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ST120-B Sino 2A1 Main Battle Tank

Quick Overview

The Sino 2A1 Main Battle Tank is a fast, mobile armored fighting vehicle which emphasizes information, mobility, active protection systems and a low profile over armor, armed with a MTI Standard smoothbore L55 120mm high pressure electrothermal-chemical gun, with a coaxial ZM300 30mm portable autocannon capable of firing both air-burst, gyrojet and conventional ammunitions, by a pair of remotely operated AA-70 7.62x54mm machineguns and by two 50mm grenade launchers which also serve as smoke dispensers. It has limited indirect fire and anti-air capabilities and can track targets through "Eyeball MK-II" optical targeting of 5 driving/aiming IR cameras and of 4 IR cameras integrated with its protection systems, a low-range passive radar, a low-range AESA system and through third party feed from its low probability of intercept datalink. It is also an upgrade over the original Sino 2 (http://z4.invisionfree.com/NSDraftroom/index.php?showtopic=1650&st=15) to match new caliber standards of the Confederacy and to improve its mobility and information awareness rather than its armor.


Specifications

Manufacturer: Tienda del Coche/Milnet Tucker Institute Joint-venture
Class: Main Battle Tank
Dimensions: 3.64m (width) x 7.67m (length) x 2.47m (height)
Ground Clearance: Variable, normal is 0.45m
Weight:59,500kg
Weight of Turret: 4,500 kg
Weight of Transmission: 1,200kg
Weight of Tracks: est. 950 kg each
Motor: M12-mod 1800 12 cylinder water-cooled, twin-turbocharger biodiesel. 1,500 hp at 2,500 rpm. Displacement: 50L
Kilograms per horsepower ratio: 39.67
Velocity (on-road): 75 km/h
Velocity (off-road): 65 km/h*
Transmission: MTI 245 automatic transmission
Suspension: Active hydropneumatic suspension
Armament:
- MTI Standard 120mm ETC cannon w/ autoloader, caliber 55
- Coaxial ZM-300 30mm Portable Autocannon (http://z4.invisionfree.com/NSDraftroom/index.php?showtopic=2280)
- 2 AA-70 7.62x54mm polymer cased general purpose machineguns (http://z4.invisionfree.com/NSDraftroom/index.php?showtopic=2247) ROWS
- 2 MTI 50mm multi-purpose grenade launchers
120mm Ammunition (ETC):
- MTI.120AP2: Armor piercing fin stabilized discarding sabot, 9.3kg penetrator.
- MTI.120HE2: High explosive anti-tank, triple tandem charge.
- MTI.120CA: Canister shot, for use against buildings and entrenched infantry.
Ammunition:
- 25 120AP2, 10 120HE2 and 15 120CA rounds in turret
- 80 30x135mm HEDP and 60 WP Air-burst grenades, 180 APFSDS rounds, 30 HEAT gyrojet rounds.
- 4,000 7.62x54mm polymer cased WHA cored SLAP ammo
- 8 smoke grenades
- 32 50x70mm HEDP grenades
Maximum angles of fire: 360º horizontal, 45º +, 20º- vertical(only at 35 km/h or less)
Rate of Fire: 30 rpm
Armor:
NBC layers:
- First: 1mm Internal paper cover/decoration vs. Alpha radiation
- Second: 30mm aluminum flat armor vs. Beta radiation
- Third: 10 mm steel plates vs. Gamma radiation
Weight: 1,300 kg
Conventional:
- Frontal arc: 70mm Multi-layered Titanium/Ceramics Matrix Composite @ 10º vs. 40mm APFSDS fired from a Hacha IFV.
- All around: 27mm ML Titanium/Ceramics Composite vs. 12.7mm API fired from a XM312 HMG.
- Weight: 15,000kg
Reactive armor:
- Turret front: Explosive reactive armor improving the armor to roughly 1000 mm RHAe against kinetic energy and 1,650mm RHAe against chemical energy at 15º oblique shot
- Hull Glacis: Explosive reactive armor improving the armor to roughly 700mm RHAe against KE and 900mm RHAe against CE.
- Lower Frontal Hull: Explosive reactive armor improving the armor to roughly 650mm RHAe against KE and 800mm RHAe against CE
- All-around hull and turret rear: lightweight explosive reactive armor (ERA) adding roughly 70mm RHAe against KE and 150mm RHAe against CE.
- Turret sides: Explosive reactive armor adding roughly 200mm RHAe against KE and 340mm RHAe againt CE.
- Roof: ERA boxes capable of stopping a kinetic energy 60mm high velocity fin stabilized piercing shot or a chemical energy fin stabilized shaped charge bomb fired from a 60mm Brandt gun mortar.
- Weight: 13,000kg
Stealth Features:
- Fixed IR signature reducing camouflage netting
- Compact low height gun turret with moving mantlet
- Overall Hull Shape designed to reduce signature(Same angle components, re-entrant triangles)
- Partial stealth gun turret with rounded trapezoidal shape
- Engine "buried" deep within the armor, cooling adapted to reduce thermal signature.
- Passive and LPI Active sensor systems
- Low Probability of Intercept Datalink
Active Protection System: Shtora soft-kill and Iron Fist hard kill systems with FSoft INDFire Upgrade
NBC Defense: Air conditioning system with air filter, fully enclosed, plus armor.
Fire Control System: FSoft INDFire Upgrade
Sensor Equipment:
- 3 independent FSoft Intelliview tactical computerized displays collecting and filtering data from cameras, passive radar and Datalink.
- Milnet LPI Datalink
- Ballistic fire control system with trajectory and effectiveness calculator.
- Override emergencial main sight and targetting periscope.
- 5 driving cameras at front, sides, rear, coaxial w/ turret.
- OJO-1A1 AFV Passive Radar. Targeting Range: 15 km
- BUHO-1D Automatic Target Classification System. Range: 12 km
- ECO-2A2 Active Phased Array Secondary Radar. Range: ~15 km
- FSoft INDFire Top-attack APS upgrade
- FSoft AirDefense AA ROWS fire control modules.
- 4 artillery early warning infrared cameras.
Crew: 1 pilot, 1 gunner, 1 commander/gunner

Cost: $9,000,000
Upgrade Cost: $2,000,000

*Only for relatively plain dirt/gravel roads or grasslands under dry weather conditions.

Operational History

Early Combined Arms Combats during the liberation of Mallorca, in the Anarcho-Stalinist War (http://forums3.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=14029550&postcount=32)

Introduction

The original ST120-B Sino 2 Main Battle Tank, despite having several excellent features, soon became problematic due to a certain logistics problem, for it used two 7.62x51mm M240x general purpose machineguns at its two remotely operated weapon systems, part of a time where there were still significant procurement funds and reliance on foreign technologies. With the development of the homegrown, 7.62x54mm caliber, AA-70 Advanced General Purpose Machinegun (http://z4.invisionfree.com/NSDraftroom/index.php?showtopic=2247) and of its AA-70T variant for armored fighting vehicles, compatible with both homegrown remotely operated weapon systems and with the CROWS, meant that there was an immediate need of a minor upgrade to make it compatible with new technologies, because the 7.62x51mm ammunition and M240x were already in a phase out process and due to their specific nature of the domestic production rights purchased for such M240 variant to be developed, would probably be scrapped due to export restrictions, or maybe end in the black market because of utilitarian world views. Even before having any combat record or of even being liberated for exports, the Sino was to receive a logistics adaptation for the new standard 7.62x54mm caliber of the Confederacy, whereas its original version would probably have been useful as an export model due to the common use of the 7.62x51mm caliber in western nations, if not for the restricting rules regarding the export of the M240x.

However, as expected in the sort of "Large Skunkworks" that is the Milnet Tucker Institute, spending some millions just to replace machineguns of the tank in such almost insignificant update was not considered a good or cost-effective idea. Such necessity of standardizing calibers gave to the Milnet military engineers the opportunity of proposing what would consist not only in a mere swap of machineguns, but in an upgrade package based on the analysis of threat profiles which have arisen in the last eight years, while seeking to overcome certain perceived limitations without major sacrifices of the primary focus of the Sino 2 MBT: protection through the element of surprise first and through armor second, and a heavily computerized and network-centric warfare integrated electronics solution with Low Probability of Intercept and heavily encrypted communications systems, although limiting and making communications more efficient continues being the best solution.

Crew compartment and Protection

Compared to the original Sino 2, very little changes happened regarding its crew compartment regarding the role of protection, or even to the rest of its frame, which only suffered changes in the way of additions of armor to some new external components against infantry arms. The previous combination of spall liners in the interior, and of an 3-layer NBC armor, which allows it to operate even in glassed nuclear wastelands, composed of paper, aluminum and steel, specially due to the fact it is behind a layer of metallic matrix composite armor with titanium, which is further covered by explosive reactive armor, makes from the NBC armor also capable of detaining small caliber projectiles, and ensures an adequate chance of crew survival for all except top-attack ammunitions, which threat was taken into account as requiring too heavy protection to be stopped by the conventional approach of adding more armor, instead, the concept of protection systems is expanded to allow its proper implementation in a more lightweight package which allows the probability of multiple hits being detained. Although nonetheless, the crew compartment, and the tank as a whole, is effectively protected against many crew-served anti-tank weapons, except for a few weak spots at the rear and sides of the hull, as the Sino 2A1 is not optimized for the needs of urban warfare, where cheap, lightweight and fast vehicles with high fire coverage and mobility are preferred over tanks by the Confederacy Revolutionary Army.

The major change in the crew compartment was the addition of further crew comforts besides from its "relaxing, but alertness-inducing" decoration of the paper cover used also as protection against alpha radiation. It was a response of possible jealousness to the way the CL-32 fighter cockpit was built, and in certain ways it is excessive, however expectable due to the elitist nature of Third Spanish States Army which, unlike some nations, has an active force with a percentage of the population below 1%, even during wars, allowing things like the highly comfortable foamed seats with real leather cover of the Sino 2A1 to be accepted into plans, among a MP3 player connected to the electronics, where it is advised to insert musics which "motivate and keep the crew alert and aware", leading to an informal rule that new age songs aren't allowed. This was little more than a part of a "who is the best" competition with the Air Force regarding crew comfort.

Other more relevant and useful changes consisted into the implementation of a new layout for the three screens of the F-Soft Intelliview system, which could be in certain ways considered as the equivalent in tanks of a "glass cockpit", to reduce the space they occupy inside the crew compartment without negative ergonomic consequences. A triple-screen configuration was chosen to be placed in a lightweight carbon-fiber reinforced polymer frame, with each screen facing one of the crew members. To accompany the inclination of the screens to the left and right, the seats of the commander and of the gunner were slightly turned to left and right , perpendicularly to the screens, to ensure maximum field of view for each of them. Each screen uses digital plasma display technology and is 45 inches large, and through a touchscreen technology allows a quick access to controls, from where they can be set in an human friendly layout regarding the manner the feed of the cameras is distributed, with typical configurations consisting into the tank gun coaxial view being highlighted in the gunner display, including the display of a crosshair to aid into aiming, the front view being highlighted in the pilot display, with a frame-less "window" generated by software making a sort of virtual rear-view mirror with the rear camera feed and the left and right corners having spots with their respective feeds. At last, the command Intelliview display highlights a tactical 360 degrees filtered camera feed at the sides, while its center contains relevant information from the early warning cameras designed to capture sufficient visual data to be further processed to identify potential incoming top-attack ammunition threats, and to also calculate indirect fire arc of trajectory for the primary gunner to use the grenade launchers or the main tank gun in such such role while also contains a "top-head" display which can be updated through a datalink with the Sistema de LocalisAcion Global(SLAG) and also pinpoint the estimated location of targets detected by its beyond visual range sensors. The concept of maximum awareness is basically what was taken considering such systems, which have removed the concept of the "blind spot" of armored fighting vehicles in the Confederacy.

However it is well known that, should such systems be knocked out, unless a reduntant, more mechanical and rugged option to survey the environment would still give to the crew of the Sino 2A1 a chance of at least not being completely defenseless and blind regarding the outside. Although in these situations it will inevitably end being necessary for the commander to get outside the hatch, the Sino 2A1 also contains a targeting periscope and a "main sight", which is nothing but an additional wide-angle optical device which is located at a heavily protected position of the tank glacis to allow its driving without necessarily putting the commander in such a risky position of being outside immediately after the incident, and a reduced need of such action will increase the survival chances of the commander, and of the crew as a whole.

A more significant measure to increase not only protection, but also mobility in a more weight-efficient manner than simply adding more armor to the Sino 2A1 upgrade was an upgrade over its active hydropneumatic suspension system which was little more than a lift of the hull and modification over its tracks to increase the ground clearance by about 10 centimeters, which allows it to have a ground clearance a few centimeters above current standards, but also included a more drastic "crouched" position of the suspension to allow it to reduce temporarily its ground clearance and profile for ambushes or increased stealth in safe, plainer terrains. Although this have hindered slightly the low profile of the Sino 2A1 compared to the original Sino 2, the increased protection against land mines and improvement over its obstacle clearing capabilities were considered enough advantages to offset such sacrifice over its "stealth", and putting it a bit more closer in performance to some main battle tanks of nations which do not prioritize low profile over protection. The ruggedness of some of Third Spanish States landscape and existence of a significant amount of small, smooth terrain elevations and depressions, particularly hills and valleys, were one of the reasons for such decision to be made. On another hand, the new layout of the drive wheels following such changes have effectively allowed the Sino 2A1 to be capable of being fitted with six 30'' tires or eight smaller tires and drive without tracks, although even being relatively lightweight compared to other tanks of its time, many are skeptical whether such capability would ever be useful in the battlefield.

Engine Upgrade

Into yet another evidence that the Sino 2A1 upgrade is much more focused on agility than protection, different from the armor which remained unchanged, the Tienda del Coche's M12-mod 1400 12 cylinder water-cooled biodiesel engine, with a displacement of 40 liters, used by the original Sino 2 was deemed as not adequate for the tactical need of having an agile main battle tank capable of outrunning, or at least outmaneuvering most of its opponents, for the original platform of the M12-mod 1200, the Sino Stealth Tank (http://z4.invisionfree.com/NSDraftroom/index.php?showtopic=1650&st=0), weighed only 44 metric tons due to its low profile and agility requirements, compared to the 58 tons of the Sino 2, which difference has done significant impacts over its agility. Equally, as a measure to reduce the chances of engine fouling due to the constant use of pure biofuels over regular diesel, as a political and economical choice of relying the least possible on fossil fuels, all engines work below their full potential according to a safety limit, and the 1200hp engine of the original Sino have proven to not be adequate for its main battle tank version. With this in mind the new M12-mod 1800 12 cylinder engine, with a 50 liters displacement and a forced induction system through dual turbochargers, was developed, tailored specifically for the Sino 2A1. One of its parallel features is a specially tailored transmission and drivetrain system to optimize acceleration and torque over top speed to further add to its overall mobility, at the expense of restricting it to a maximum speed of 75 kilometers per hour on-road due to its larger axle ratio.

Another feature it still brings, modified compared to the Sino Stealth Battle Tank is its auxiliary power unit, a necessary system to allow for effectively setting up ambushes, permitting the Sino 2A1 to keep its weapons and electronics operational even with its engines turned down, although a new option, with better storage capability, was chosen for such role. The UEA-515 APU is composed by a cell of 40 supercapacitors built of carbon nanotubes, in yet another small example of the "silent revolution" of first generation nanotechnology around the Confederacy, for although activated charcoal, like used in former systems, was more easily obtained, it wasn't the perfect material for the needs of such systems due to lacking enough suitable surface area for storage of energy due to some of its nanopores being smaller than the free electrons to be stored inside it. The move to a carbon nanotube supercapacitor was yet another action similar to the adoption of ceramic and metal matrix composites in what was essentially a venture into the formerly bleeding-edge. Being capable of staying in a strategically hidden position for much more time than the previous Sino 2, while also serving as an effective secondary power source for its electrothermal-chemical tank gun are considered enough advantages to offset the costs of this new system.

New Coaxial Gun: The ZM300 30mm Portable Autocannon

The ZM300 two-Man Portable AutoCannon is a variant of the ZM145 heavy machinegun used by the Cáscara "Land Fortress" heavy assault tank, designed as both a lightweight autocannon and as an effective replacement for any automatic grenade launcher, due to its capability of using High Explosive Dual Purpose and White-Phosphorous air burst ammunition, while having also an innovative concepts on its designed ammunition in the form of a High Explosive Anti-Tank gyrojet ammunition, and finally also supporting conventional armor-piercing incendiary and armor piercing fin-stabilized discarding sabot ammunition. It's closely related to the United States M307 Advanced Crew Served Weapon (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XM307), and like it it relies in a short recoil action optimized for recoil reduction, with a muzzle brake and a cyclic rate of fire of 200 rounds per minute. Coupled with its remotely operated system and coaxial mount to the left of the main L55 120mm electrothermal-chemical tank gun, the total weight is of roughly 140 kilograms, which was considered sufficiently light for not putting too much strain into the Sino 2A1 moving mantlet. It is effectively capable of taking down soldiers, helicopters, light armored vehicles, most troop transports and many other targets on which the Sino 2A1 main tank gun would have to otherwise waste its precious ammunition against, because there was a lack of an intermediary firepower autocannon for taking down targets enoughly armored to stand against its 7.62mm machineguns but where a 120mm APFSDS round would be wasteful.

Other changes were purely mechanical, which included the optimization of the actuators of the tank turret to increase the elevation capability of its without relying on the inclination capabilities of the tank suspension, and to also give to its L55 120mm gun effective indirect fire capabilities, thanks to its capability of now raising up to 45 degrees by combining the capabilities of both its suspension system and of the turret actuators, although, being a moving mantlet to reduce its profile, it still relies entirely on the supension for lowering the gun. Also, instead of only a single grenade launcher located at the left of the tank turret, and additional 50mm grenade launcher was installed to the other side, which fire control system is integrated with its twin, in a choice to boost its suppressive and anti-personell capabilities. As expected, additional autoloading systems had to be installed in both inside the turret and in the main hull, with the proper stowages of ammunitions in the hull for the new armaments properly located into tactically chosen positions based on both proximity to their weapons and on lower chances of being damaged. The difference between the 7.62x54 and 7.62x51mm calibers wasn't sufficiently significant to require major changes into its stowages and autoloaders, which are one of the least modified aspects in this upgrade.

Major Electronics Upgrade: Passive Radar and Cáscara's Anti-air and Anti-artillery active protection systems

The large degree of information that is offered to the crew of the Sino 2A1 and flowing through its electronics is one of the ways to indirectly improve the main alternatives to increasing its armor, and indeed, such is the most advanced feature of the Sino, compared to its other capabilities, although it is notable more by its software component than by the relatively simple but reliable hardware it relies to. A pair of units of five industrial-grade i386 Quantix Integrated Processors each, underclocked at 400 MHz, is the primary responsible for operating the FSoft Intelliview systems, the active protection systems, the radar/optical feed filtering, targeting and automatic target classification systems. Like with all electronic systems of the Confederacy, its software component was built upon existing open-source softwares and libraries to avoid waste of funds with proprietary software, or with attempts of "reinventing the wheel" regarding tools which require only adaptations rather than design from scratch, while a generous amount of backup systems do exist.

Most of the own detection systems of the Sino 2A1 are passive and simply capture information from the environment rather than sending signals for the role of detection, first, the simplest system, integrated with its fire control, is the Intelliview infrared/optical targeting module which allows it to effectively target anything at visual range, including algorithms which attempt to match the visual profile of tanks with the given database . The OJO-1A1 AFV passive covert radar consists into an array of spread out Receive modules, which also contain normally inactive Transmit functions, positioned in around rather than at the top of the tank turret, which collect raw data from the environment based in third party illuminators, sampling and digitizing the signal due to its need of capturing small signatures amidst significant interference, for passing through a complex filtering process similar to that of the passive radar used by the CL-32 Buitre, although much more limited in scope as a way to cut down costs to allow capabilities which would be unnecessary for the role of the Sino 2A1, which limits its effective bistatic range to 15 kilometers. The choice of a passive radar was also done to reduce the radar signatures which certain systems rely at for targeting and detection, while for other signature types like infrared and visual, it still contains many of the features that the original Sino design was tailored to counter.

Combined with it, the BUHO 3.01d is a suite of softwares operating as an automatic target recognition system, composed in hardware by an integrated, fully independent virtual storage unit with the data of radar cross sections patterns for virtually all aspect angles of every known armored vehicles, military installations and low altitude aircrafts and helicopters by the Confederacy, and which can also store unknown filtered estimate RCS patterns from the raw data from the environment by the passive radar for post-facto attribution to their respective sources. The ATR also includes its own target position and speed estimation softwares, which in turn are used as variables in the Bayesian probabilistic algorithm that is the core of the system. Based on a modification of the Instant Signature Solver Program(ISSP) developed at the Polytechnic University of Tucker, it can generate on-the-fly a look-up matrix of all the possible RCS of each class of target stored in its library, which is crossed with the recognized signatures given by the passive radar. In certain ways, it also is inferior in capabilities compared to the BUHO 3.0 used in the CL-32 Buitre to be less costlier, and specialized in land-based target recognition. Its range is limited to roughly 12 kilometers, and varies according to the landscape elevations. It also can identify targets detected by third party sensors.

The ECO-2A2 active phased array targeting radar, which consists into a software override to its conventional passive radar system that can be activated on demand, putting the otherwise idle transmit modules of its hardware shared with the passive radar system into activity, was implemented to give to the Sino 2A1 the effective capability of detecting threats beyond visual range and of allowing the targeting of such threats beyond the field of view, making of the Sino 2A1 capable of limited indirect fire capabilities, not much different from the capability of the larger Cáscara Heavy Assault Tank. However, when active, it also serves as a potential illumination source for radar based top-attack anti-tank ammunitions like the Javelin, despite its employment of low probability of intercept methodology. Thus, it's usually preferable to use it only when utterly necessary for the success of an operation.

The Milnet LPI Datalink, installed in the Sino 2 series in accordance to the network-centric warfare doctrine, is merely an adaptation of LPI radar technologies for communications roles. One of its components, when used alone in a very specific manner and individually, ensures a virtually null probability of intercept of the receiver of any transmission, in this case, the Sino 2A1. The receiver module is nothing but an additional algorithm linked to its passive radar which allows it to filter and identify encrypted transmissions from allied forces which are usually transmitted towards the battlefield at multiple, random directions, but not specifically towards any allied unit, allowing multiple units to receive it simultaneously without giving any hint of the actual location of them. Of course, such technique also implies that the enemy will have a facility of intercepting the transmission itself while only a very large area can be ascertained to be the location of the receiver, and that's exactly why the integrated operating systems of each component contain support for both high-priority and quantum encryption, and why keys are renewed at a per-mission basis. However, there is a secondary option, which might put in risk the low detectability of the Sino 2A1 but make the transmission more difficult to be intercepted. By using multiple randomly chosen wideband frequencies from a frequency-hopping spread spectrum, while also resorting to pulse compression and a continuous wave signal, and logically, transmitting as little as possible, it becomes possible to signal for an ally the location of the tank, and also to share sensor data with them rather than only receiving it, through the communications suite included, which relies on the transmitters of the ECO-2A2, sending thin, fast moving beams of energy.

The FSoft INDFire consist into an optical targeting system and upgrade over its Iron Fist and Shtora licensed active protection systems against incoming artillery shells and top-attack ammunitions, which then calculates on-the-fly the estimated arc of trajectory of an still flying projectile and cross it with the positioning of the tank, while guiding its active protection systems and its both coaxial machineguns towards the estimated arc of trajectory to either deflect or destroy the threat, which also is transmitted to the Intelliview tactical display system and visually informing, in usual settings, to the commander display the arc of trajectory and the impact point of the projectile. It also constitutes into an upgrade over the fire control system of the Sino 2, which, just like it can, after capturing enough optical data, estimate the arc of an hostile indirect fire and also direct its remotely operated grenade launchers to target a single area and partially automates their operation. It also contains systems which are connected to its main tank gun to allow the calculation of the closest possible estimation of the trajectory of its projectile when fired at any angle its gun can aim at, and when supported by the ECO-2A2, by the SLAG or by telemetry feed received through its datalink, effectively determine the estimated impact point of the projectile with a circular error probable of 10 meters at its maximum effective range of 4.5 kilometers, which can be particularly useful for allowing the Sino 2A1 to be capable of top-attack in tactically advantageous situations, specially ambushes, to take full advantage of the hills and mounds existing in Third Spanish States landscape for defense.

The FSoft AirDefense fully dedicated fire control module, on the other hand, inherited from the Cáscara Heavy Assault Tank, takes full advantage of its passive radar feed as well to target low-altitude aerial threats, specially with its coaxial general purpose machineguns, and can also use the optical feed of the sky facing cameras of the INDFire system for its needs and the feed received from other units through the datalink. Based on its own physics algorithms, it can calculate the exact trajectory of the rounds fired by the AA-70 machineguns independently from the processing of the primary fire control system and give to the Intelliview system the imaging of the point of impact in the sky by drawing a large line in the display as a type of virtual sight, although technically, the AA-70 machineguns of the remotely operated weapon systems can be fitted with laser sights at the expense of offering an excellent illuminator for anti-tank guided missiles. It also allows both machineguns to target a single "point" in the sky and to be fired simultaneously. Proposals for a fully automated air defense were made, but considered too inefficient compared to a trained gunner with visual aid. It allow both machineguns to be operated against a different target by the commander while the main gunner operates the primary tank gun and its coaxial gun, while being also capable of assuming control of the grenade launchers to accompany the machineguns targets rather than the main gun targets.

Other features, already existing before this upgrade, include besides the ubiquitous coaxial targeting camera which provides optical feed for its fire control system, a system which, following the proper identification of a target, can identify the effectiveness of each weapon system and of each ammunition type of the Sino 2A1 for the gunner against it with a percentage based on a probabilistic algorithm and in an update over the Lanz-Odermatt equation and on information on variables like blast radius. The crew of a Sino 2A1 should be aware that such percentage of effectiveness is not an absolute, but only a way to guide in a more ample manner the operational procedures during battle to reduce inefficient usage of its firepower. The effectiveness rating is inversely proportional to the needed quantity of shots to take down a target, while a rating below 10% will in most situations imply that the given weapon cannot penetrate the target armor.

The communications suite also includes three infantry phones on the rear side of the tank to allow immediate communications of nearby support units in close support of the Sino 2A1s located into the highly organic ultra-light brigades or more specialized companies, without the need of wireless telecommunications technologies which would be prone to interception by ELINT, a measure taken despite the common reliance on cryptography, for if not decrypted, an interception would at least break the element of surprise in an operation, something which seem as a "crippling disadvantage" considering the long traditions and experience of the Ejército Revolucionario in guerrilla warfare and other forms of unconventional warfare, from the time it still was an irregular military force, which shaped as well their fundamental values and modus operandi.

With these new upgrades, the Sino 2A1 constitutes into a tank which relies more on agility, protection and multiple sources information than on armor to ensure its survival on the battlefield, while also being optimized for the terrain features and strategic principles of Third Spanish States, and also for the terrain features of mainland Spain itself.

HIFV40-B Hacha Infantry Fighting Vehicle

Quick Overview

The Hacha is fast, low-profile, large infantry fighting vehicle intended as part of a program of heavy mechanization of armed forces, which also was built to complement to combat capabilities of the Sino and Sino 2 series of battle tanks. It can carry up to 10 soldiers and is armored against many autocannon calibers. Currently it is being replaced by the HIFV-50 Sucuri IFV in the Confederacy Army.

Specifications

Manufacturer: TdC/MTI joint-venture
Class: Heavy Infantry Fighting Vehicle
Dimensions: 3.80m (width), 7.60m (length) 2.40m (height)
Weight: 39,000kg
Weight of turret: 750kg
Weight of transmission: 1,400kg
Weight of tracks: est 1,200kg each
Motor: M12-mod 1400 12 cylinder water-cooled biodiesel. 1,400 hp at 2,500 rpm
Velocity(on-road): 80 km/h
Velocity(off-road): 70 km/h
Transmission: MTI 245 automatic
Suspension: Torsion bar
Armament:
- MTI Standard 40mm ETI autocannon w/ autoloader, caliber 80
- M240x 7.62mm polymer cased general purpose machinegun
- MTI multipurpose 50mm grenade launcher
Ammunition:
- 800 40mm APFDS rounds
- 2,000 7.62mmPC rounds
- 15 smoke grenades
- 25 HEDP grenades
Maximum angles of fire: 70º+ 15º- vertical, 360º horizontal
Rate of fire: 150 rpm
Armor:
Conventional:
- Frontal arc: 70mm Multi-layered Titanium/Ceramics matrix Composite @ 10º vs. 40mm APFDS
- All around: 27mm ML Titanum/Ceramics composite vs. 15mm API
Weight: 8,000kg
Reactive:
- Frontal arc: Lightweight Explosive reactive armor (ERA) adding roughly 185 mm RHAe vs kinetic energy and 250mm RHAe vs. chemical energy.
Weight: 500kg
Stealth Features:
- Fixed IR signature reducing camouflage netting
- Shape designed to reduce signature(Same angle components)
- Cooling system adapted to reduce thermal signature.
Active Protection System: Shtora soft-kill and Iron Fist hard-kill systems.
NBC Defense: Air conditioning system with air filter, fully enclosed.
Sensor Equipment(Note: it's actually going to be a standard for most AFVs):
- 2 independent FSoft Intelliview computerized displays collecting data from cameras.
- Ballistic fire control system with trajectory and effectiveness calculator and FSoft AirDefense module.
- Override emergencial main sight and targetting periscope.
- 5 driving cameras at front, sides, rear and coaxial w/ turret.
Cost: 6,200,000

History:

The Armored, a branch of the Army, always had a peculiar doctrine on how important protection should be to the soldiers, how those operate much more efficiently coupled with AFVs and a focus on being fast, sneaky and decisive. From these aspects and from the ST120-A project came the idea of developing a large, relatively low-profile and consistently armored infantry fighting vehicle to transport troops and accompany the Confederacy main battle tanks and give them fire support against light armored vehicles and infantry. After four years of research and development done with the cooperation of TdC and MTI, coupled with the development of the Standard 40mm ETI autocannon, the HIFV40-B Hacha was born. HIFV stands for Heavy Infantry Fighting Vehicle while 40-B represents its main armament. Although 1,500 of them are on the way to be divided into 30 vehicles groups combined with other armored vehicles, the foreign policies of the Confederacy aren't warlike, and they have yet to prove their worth in a real battlefield rather than in computerized simulations. Although they never participated of battle before a newer model was found to replace them, the current dark storms of war coming from Spain might finally put it to test together with its successor.

Description:

Its turret is mounted closer to the front than to the rear and is compartmentalized, being shared by 3 different weapons: 1 caliber 80 MTI Standard 40mm ETI autocannon, 1 coaxial 7.62mmPC(polymer cased) M240x with independent vertical movement of minus 20 degrees range and 1 independent 50mm grenade launcher located at a depression at the right of the turret and having its own mechanic-hydraulic system which allows it to turn around 360 degrees and change its inclination down to 30º below its standard 60º inclination and 10º above. Ammunition is stowed below it, close to each of its three weapons and the HE grenades give it an edge against most infantry, while its autocannon is effective against many IFVs of its age and against ordnances and smaller buildings, while being theoretically able to take down an helicopter as well.

The whole system, including it power source, weighs about 750 kg without armor and is built primarily of reinforced steel and thermal dissipating fibers, and can hold very well against most general purpose machineguns even without armor. The shape of the turret is hexagonal and angled with low-angle diagonal borders, where the turret and the rest the tank seem to be built as a whole rather than separated components when it is standing still, and it houses fire control systems and a camera.

Developed at the front to stand most autocannons fire, its thick 70mm armor uses the same composite ceramics matrix/titanium multi-layered technology of the ST102-A Sino, while its other regions are covered to stand against heavy machineguns. To improve frontal protection and allow it to stand against some of the more modern autocannons, a lightweight explosive reactive armor was added which, under certain circumstances, could also stand the fire of older 105mm tank guns.

Finally, a fixed camouflage and IR signature reducing netting covers the tank to give it a relatively good low profile, while its hull shape shares a few features with some stealth ships, having similar angled traces in comparison with its turret and a large hatch at its back which opens to load or unload troops. Internally it has 10 seats for soldiers which fill its whole capacity: 2 at the back and 4 at each side. NBC protection includes a internal enclosure system and air condition and filter system for both driver/gunner and transported troops.

The HIFV40-B gunner and driver also are graced with two personal resistant monitors using FSoft Intelliview technology, which display a recreation of the outside through the corrected input of five wide-angle cameras with infrared, four positioned around the tank and one coaxial and in the same height of the turret, giving them a field of view tanks of the previous century would never have achieved. Also its internal computers can store the data about different targets and calculate trajectory of fire, opening many possibilities for the tactically wise, plus they are complemented by the FSoft AirDefense module, a system developed to aid at aiming against low altitude aircrafts like helicopters. And in case of emergencies, a hatch can open a traditional view for the driver while a periscope, usually inactive, can replace the screen for the gunner should it fail.

It lacks a commander seat due to the nature of Confederacy military, which is based on spontaneous and natural charisma/talent-based elected leadership rather than formal authoritarian hierarchies, for better or worse and obviously require a pair of persons which has a quite good relationship to drive it or is very professional. Usually the gunner replace most of the commander roles, and when all weapons are needed, the driver usually assumes control of the autocannon while the gunner controls the machinegun and grenade launcher.

http://i1.tinypic.com/xggxfk.jpg
HIFV-50 Sucuri Heavy Infantry Fighting Vehicle


Overview

The Sucuri is a polemic replacement and concept because of some of the weapons it employs, this time over the former Hacha heavy infantry fighting vehicle (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=13768672&postcount=19), designed to support the Sino series battle tanks, which instead of using its own chassis was built over the Sino 2A1 (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=13702061&postcount=18) chassis, consisting into a fast, but significantly armored vehicle offering a relatively low profile, which supports both wheels and tracks, and consists into the staple of mechanized warfare in the Confederacy, being adapted for the demands of its hilly landscape. As the heaviest vehicle other than tanks in the Confederacy, it is armed with an heavy L60 60mm Cotarm ACC-17 electrothermal-chemical smoothbore autocannon, the heaviest autocannon in the Confederacy arsenal, with a coaxial and a remotely operated 7.62x54mm AA-70 machineguns, with a pair of MTI 50mm multipurpose grenade launchers and with a single remotely operated 135mm MilNet GEIFM-2 indirect fire missile launcher, based on the Durruti MANPADATS, for anti-tank, limited anti-air capability, and additional anti-personell power through WP missiles, specially on ambushes, which also have non line of sight support capability but limited range compared to the dedicated, larger ADATS of the M135 MacGavin (www.combatreform.com/lavdanger.htm). Instead of a targeting periscope, it usually relies into 6 driving/targeting switchable IR cameras integrated with its protection systems. It can carry a total of 10 fully armed soldiers and is protected against all infantry ballistic arms, and was designed to support modular amphibious add-ons. A LIDAR is used for target acquisition.

Specifications

Manufacturer: Tienda del Coche, MilNet, Cotarm, Engesa
Class: Heavy Infantry Fighting Vehicle
Length: 7.67m
Width: 3.64m
Height: 2.57m
Ground clearance: 0.55m
Weight: 43,000kg
Weight of turret: 1,200kg
Weight of transmission: 1,200kg
Weight of tracks: est 950kg each
Motor: M12-mod 1600 12 cylinder water-cooled biodiesel. 1,600 hp at 3,000 rpm. Displacement: 45L
Kilograms per horsepower ratio: 26.87
Velocity (on-road): 83 km/h
Velocity (off-road): 72 km/h
Transmission: MTI 245 automatic, 4 forward gears, 2 reversal
Axle ratio: 5.3
Suspension: Torsion bar
Armament:
Main Gun
- L60 60mm Cotarm ACC-17 ETC autocannon
Cotarm ACC-17 specifications

Gun weight: 700kg
Barrel length: 3.6m
Caliber: 60x375mm
Action: electric operated, electrothermal ignited
Power source: ETIPPS
Power to Muzzle efficiency: 85%

Muzzle velocity: ~1,750 m/s
Rate of fire: 120 rpm
Maximum angles of fire: -20º to 45º vertical, 360º horizontal
Effective range: 4,000m
Maximum range: 7,500m
Coaxial
- AA-70 7.62x54mm general purpose machinegun (http://z4.invisionfree.com/NSDraftroom/index.php?showtopic=2247)
ROWS
- 1 AA-70 7.62x54mm general purpose machinegun
- 2 MTI 50mm multi-purpose grenade launchers
- 1 MilNet GEIFM-2 indirect fire missile launcher
GEIFM Specifications:

Length: 1.40m
Diameter: 135mm
Launch weight: 18kg
Warhead: 6.57kg High explosive fragmentation/shaped charge

Detonation mechanism: Impact and laser optical sensing proximity fuze
Penetration: ~800 RHAe at 15º
Guidance: Digital laser-guidance, optical, inertial
Counter-countermeasures: Dual single-point painting laser beams

Rate of fire: 20 rpm(cyclic), 4 rpm(effective)
Maximum angles of fire: 360º horizontal, vertical through tracking
Maximum fire range: 5.5km
Ceiling: 4,000m
Ammunition:
- 450 60x375mm APFSDS rounds
- 4,000 7.62x54mm polymer cased WHA cored SLAP ammo
- 4 135x1,400mm GEIF missiles
- 6 smoke grenades
- 20 50x70mm HEDP grenades
- 14 50x70mm WP grenades
Armor:
NBC Layers:
- First: 1mm Internal paper cover/decoration vs. Alpha radiation
- Second: 30mm aluminum flat armor vs. Beta radiation
- Third: 10 mm steel plates vs. Gamma radiation
Weight: 2,500 kg
Conventional: Multi-layered Titanium/Ceramics Matrix Composite
- Threat profile: frontal, crew, transport and engine compartments protection against 40mm autocannons, lateral protection against all infantry machineguns, rear protection against GPMGs, roof protection against HEDP grenades
- Turret front: 75mm
- Turret sides: 50mm
- Turret rear: 30mm
- Mantlet: 90mm
- Hull glacis: 115mm LoS
- Lower frontal hull: 60mm
- Hull sides: 40mm
- Hull rear: 20mm
- Roof: 15mm
- Weight: 12,000 kg
Reactive: Explosive Reactive Armor
- Threat profile: Incremental frontal, crew, transport and engine compartments protection against 105mm cannons, lateral protection against 20mm autocannons, rear protection against machineguns, roof protection against light 60mm artillery
- Turret front: 250mm
- Turret sides: 150mm
- Turret rear: 90mm
- Mantlet: 280mm
- Hull glacis: 320mm LoS
- Lower frontal hull: 200mm
- Hull sides: 130mm
- Hull rear: 80mm
- Roof: 65mm
- Weight: 8,000kg
Total RHAe:
- Turret front: 500mm vs. KE, 700mm vs. CE
- Turret sides: 315mm vs. KE, 430mm vs. CE
- Turret rear: 190mm vs. KE, 245mm vs. CE
- Mantlet: 585mm vs. KE, 850mm vs. CE
- Hull glacis: 685mm vs. KE, 950mm vs. CE
- Lower frontal hull: 410mm vs. KE, 575mm vs. CE
- Hull sides: 270mm vs. KE, 465mm vs. CE
- Hull rear: 160mm vs. KE, 200mm vs. CE
- Roof: 125mm vs. KE, 165mm vs. CE
Stealth Features:
- Fixed IR signature reducing camouflage netting
- Cooling system adapted to reduce thermal signature
- Low probability of intercept datalink
Active Protection System: Shtora soft-kill and Iron Fist hard kill systems
NBC Defense: Air conditioning system with air filter, fully enclosed, plus armor.
Fire Control System: MTI Standard FCS
Electronics/Sensors:
- 3 independent FSoft Intelliview tactical computerized displays collecting and filtering data from cameras, LIDAR and Datalink.
- Milnet LPI Datalink
- Ballistic fire control system with trajectory and effectiveness calculator.
- Override emergencial main sight and targeting periscope.
- 6 driving cameras at front, sides, rear, coaxial w/ turret, top.
- ECO-0A2 LIDAR. Range: ~15 km
- BUHO-1C Automatic Target Classification System. Range: 10 km

Crew: 1 pilot, 1 gunner, 1 commander
Transport Capacity: 10 infantrymen

Cost: $6,500,000

Operational History

Early Combined Arms Combats during the liberation of Mallorca, in the Anarcho-Stalinist War (http://forums3.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=14029550&postcount=32)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/84/Adatsfire.jpg/300px-Adatsfire.jpg
Canadian ADATS, similar but superseded by the Librecielo

Video on the Canadian Multimission Effects Vehicle, also superseded by the Librecielo (http://www.science.gc.ca/default.asp?lang=en&n=0F86BA59-1)

MEV-135 "Librecielo" Multimission Effects Vehicle


Overview

The Librecielo Multimission Effects Vehicle, also dubbed the "MacGavin" by English-speaking people in a pun with the M113 "Gavin" and the fictional character known as MacGyver, is the "Swiss Army Knife" of the Confederacy armors, an either wheeled or tracked lightly armored but very agile and mobile airborne armored support vehicle which serves both as an Air Defense Anti-Tank System to protect infantry forces, paratroopers and armored vehicles, as rocket artillery and as a communications suite for integrating all the allied forces and air defense systems nearby, both airborne and terrestrial, including feed from unmanned aerial vehicles in target acquisition, and serving as the primary anti-tank support for paratroopers as well. It's equipped with 135mm missile launchers, which missiles, either as ADATS or as White-Phosphorous for anti-personell roles, have full beyond line of sight capabilities and can hit targets as far as 12 kilometers away in both ground and air, coupled with it an electrothermal ignited, twin-barreled L70 40mm autocannon operating under the Gast gun principle, also capable of targeting both terrestrial and aerial targets. It also has a total of 9 IR cameras, one of them coaxial with its guns for aiming, and the same Intelliview and TVR targeting technology of the Sino series of tanks. Finally it also can be used to control a single unmanned ground vehicle, usually the unmanned version of the resupply vehicle that accompanies it.

It's primary variant is the larger Librecielo CCM, which is also an effective tactical command center for combined arms, allowing a commander to coordinate the actions of military forces in an entire local battlefield through speech recognition and touchscreen and also more tried and tested approaches like the access console, allowing instantaneous coordination and communications. Its received recon data is translated into an interactive 3D rendered view in the Tactical Theater display, while it also has support for controlling unmanned aerial vehicles.

Another variant, using the same chassis of the CCM, is the Librecielo IFV, which is the favorite armored personal carrier for airborne forces, specially for the fact it maintains the same weaponry of all its other versions, allowing it to be an effective tank destroyer, while also offering a higher flexibility than the heavier infantry fighting vehicles due to its lighter weight. It can carry a total of 4 soldiers.


Specifications

Manufacturer: Tienda del Coche/Milnet Tucker Institute Joint-venture
Class: Multimission Effects Vehicle
Dimensions: 2.85m (width), 5.05m (length), 3.2m(height)
Ground Clearance: 0.50m
Weight: 18,000kg
Weight of Turret: 2,500kg
Weight of Transmission: 1,000kg
Weight of Tracks: est. 800 kg each
Motor: M12-mod 700 12 cylinder twin turbocharger water-cooled biodiesel, 700 hp at 1,500 rpm. Displacement: 40L
Kilograms per horsepower ratio: 25.71
Velocity(on-road): 90 km/h
Velocity(off-road): 75 km/h*
Transmission: MTI 225 automatic, 4 forward gears, 3 reversal
Axle Ratio: 5.9
Suspension: Christie MK-II hydropneumatic suspension
Armament:
- 8 MTI Standard ADATS 135mm laser-guidance missile launchers
Third Spanish States ADATS Specifications:

Length: 2.2m
Diameter: 135mm
Launch weight: 55kg
Warhead: 16kg High explosive fragmentation/shaped charge

Detonation mechanism: Impact and laser optical sensing proximity fuze
Penetration: 1,150 RHAe
Guidance: Digital laser-guidance, optical, inertial
Counter-countermeasures: Dual single-point painting laser beams

Rate of fire: 8 rpm, 16 rpm with resupply vehicle's support
Maximum angles of fire: 360º horizontal, vertical through tracking
Maximum fire range: 12km
Ceiling: 8,000m
- 1 twin-barreled MTI Light 40mm ETI Gast gun w/ autoloader, caliber 70
Specifications:

Gun weight: 450kg
Barrel length: 2.8m
Caliber: 40mm
Action: Dual-breech Gast recoil operated, electrothermal ignited
Power source: ETIPPS
Power to Muzzle efficiency: 85%

Muzzle velocity: ~2,000 m/s
Rate of fire: 300 rpm
Maximum angles of fire: -20º to 70º vertical, 360º horizontal
Effective range: 4,000m
Maximum range: 8,350m (AA)

Ammunition:
- 8 135mm ADATS or White-phosphorous missiles
WP Missiles Specifications:

Guidance and detonation mechanism are the same of ADATS
Role: Anti-personell, psychological warfare, smoke screening and defensive
Launch Weight: 49kg
Warhead: 10kg white-phosphorous
Bursting radius: 60m
Burning Temp: 5,000ºC
Duration: 180 seconds
- 1,500 40mm telescoped rounds
Armor:
NBC Layers:
- First: 1mm Internal paper cover/decoration vs. Alpha radiation
- Second: 30mm aluminum flat armor vs. Beta radiation
- Third: 10 mm steel plates vs. Gamma radiation
Weight: 1,100 kg
Conventional: Grade 38 titanium armor
- Threat profile: frontal, crew and engine compartments protection against 14.5mm HMGs, lateral protection against all infantry battle rifles, rear protection against intermediary 5-6mm calibers, roof protection against HEDP grenades
- Turret front: 45mm
- Turret sides: 26mm
- Turret rear: 18mm
- Missile tubes: 34mm
- Hull Glacis: 60mm LoS
- Lower Frontal Hull: 38mm
- Hull sides: 16mm
- Hull rear: 12mm
- Roof: 10mm
- Weight: 4,000 kg
RHAe of Titanium Armor:
- Turret front: 42mm
- Turret sides: 25mm
- Turret rear: 17mm
- Missile tubes: 32mm
- Hull Glacis: 57mm
- Lower Frontal Hull: 36mm
- Hull sides: 15mm
- Hull rear: 11mm
- Roof: 10mm
Stealth Features:
- Fixed IR signature reducing camouflage netting
- Cooling system adapted to reduce thermal signature
- Low Probability of Intercept Datalink
Active Protection System: Shtora soft-kill and Iron Fist hard kill systems
NBC Defense: Air conditioning system with air filter, fully enclosed, plus armor.
Fire Control System: MTI Standard FCS, FSoft INDFire and AirDefense subsystems
Electronics/Sensors:
- 4 independent FSoft Intelliview tactical computerized displays collecting and filtering data from cameras, radar and Datalink.
- Milnet LPI Datalink
- Ballistic fire control system with trajectory and effectiveness calculator.
- Override emergencial main sight and targeting periscope.
- 5 driving cameras at front, sides, rear, coaxial w/ turret.
- 4 artillery early warning infrared cameras.
- ECO-2A3 Active 3D Radar. Range: ~30 km
- BUHO-1C Automatic Target Classification System. Range: 15 km
- FSoft AirDefense AA fire control module.
- FSoft INDFire Top-attack APS upgrade.
- 1 FSoft Portable UGV control unit

Crew: 1 pilot, 1 gunner, 1 system operator, 1 commander
Troop transport: 2 soldiers.

Cost: $7,500,000

Variants:

Librecielo CCM Mobile Command Center
Differences:
- Vehicle length: 5.6m
- Vehicle weight: 19,000 kg
- Kg:Hp Ratio: 27.14
- Velocity(on-road): 85 km/h
- Velocity(off-road): 71 km/h*
- Additional Electronics:
-- 1 FSoft Tactical command and control display with full telemetry support, speech-to-text and touchscreen technology.
-- 1 FSoft Portable UAV control unit
- Additional Crew: 1 battlefield commander
Cost: $13,000,000


Librecielo IFV
Differences:
- Vehicle length: 5.6m
- Vehicle weight: 19,000 kg
- Kg:Hp Ratio: 27.14
- Velocity(on-road): 85 km/h
- Velocity(off-road): 71 km/h*
- Troop transport: 6
Cost: $8,000,000

*Only for relatively plain dirt/gravel roads or grasslands under dry weather conditions.

Crew compartment

The Librecielo was, like all armored fighting vehicles of the Confederacy, designed to comply with the needs of the "Fallout Doctrine" or "Post-nuclear Power Projection", which is basically the capability of operating safely even in nuclear wastelands and an attempt to remove the concept of "mutually" assured destruction in the case of an exchange of nuclear weapons. It is thus expected that like the Sino, it also contains an inner armor plating for anti-radioactive purposes composed by three different layers to protect against three different types of radiation. The first layer is not exactly an armor, but a thick 1mm paper cover which also was built as a comfortable decoration to psychologically create a better climate among its crew, although at the same time being indicative of alertness rather than of relaxing, if chromotherapy is correct rather than pseudo-science. Finally 30mm of aluminum and 10mm of steel also offer a barrier against the dangerous beta and gamma radiations. For weight savings, this entire protection is only surrounding the crew compartment and the engine compartment, as a form to increase its survivability beyond the protection offered by its lightweight titanium armor, effectively allowing its crew to survive fire from most infantry arms.

As it is usual with all Third Spanish States military armored vehicles, the Librecielo, although effectively offering the needed survivability in accordance to its profile as a support vehicle to be operated behind the front lines(or behind enemy lines in a covert manner), is more featured by the quantity of electronic input and output devices the crew has direct access to than by its armor. Nonetheless, its design has features to increase to the maximum possible the chances of survival without a steep sacrifice in more weight. First, its engine placement ensures that in the case of severe damage, it will not collide with the crew compartment, but instead away of it. Second, the air conditioning system of the Librecielo also serves as an wide fire extinguishing system through reserves of CO2 which have the same concentrated capability of a sprinkler, and of course, there are always oxygen masks in the crew compartment readily available if necessary to employ such measure, and also a Class D portable fire extinguisher for use on possibly burning metals. Finally it offers a different access through the crew compartment compared to most vehicles of its class, for it possess a rear access "bridge" like those of infantry fighting vehicles, to facilitate evacuation of a damaged vehicle, although it does not offer enough space to make of the Librecielo an effective troop transport, having only enough to fit two soldiers at best internally, although that still makes of it adequate as a vehicle for giving fire support to paratroopers and transporting them behind enemy lines. Furthermore, it also has a hatch like all vehicles of its class as a secondary way of leaving it, should the rear access be damaged, while at the same time allowing the carbon used to erase any possible initial flame in it to be expelled through the atmosphere. And at last, the inner is sufficiently spacious to allow the crew to always carry either carbines or submachineguns with them. A longer variant called Librecielo IFV makes of the Librecielo an effective Infantry Fighting Vehicle, allowing the light load of 6 soldiers per vehicle, and effectively mechanizing airborne troops. It uses a pair of long foamed benches, sought to provide some moments of comfort during their travels, believed to help soldiers to regain their stamina faster than uncomfortable conditions, and equally, like the rest of the crew compartment, air conditioned and entirely NBC shielded.

On the impending threat of anti-tank weaponry, the choice was simple. Although the design of the Librecielo was optimized to avoid implosion through a placement of armor which leads most of its fragments to be pulled outwards rather than inwards when penetrated, and with its roof surrounding its hatch built with kinetic energy absorbing tiles of lightweight ceramics composites and shaped to increase structural stiffness and reduce the chances of the roof "falling" over the crew, with these features thus ensuring that even should the vehicle become completely totaled, its crew would still have a significant chance of surviving, there is no passive protection applied to ensure its resistance against such weapons, and instead, for the integrity of the vehicle itself, which is much cheaper to replace than its crew trained for many years and which requires military college degree theoretical or practical education to operate effectively some of its systems, the effective line of defense against such threats lie into its highly computerized, "total awareness" and network-centric emphasized active protection systems and on its reduced infrared and radar signatures to difficult tracking, while the element of surprise also contributes for the situations when it will not be behind the front lines, and finally, this also allows it a chance in the unwanted possibility of an ambush from rear against a front.

Regarding the much greater focus given to the needs of operating effectively a multiple air defense, artillery and communications suite, it is no surprise that the Librecielo crew is issued with the latest version of the FSoft Intelliview system, with included support for expansion into a full tactical command system. In fact, the entire layout of the crew chamber was done around the FSoft Intelliview needs, being developed to save as much space as possible. Taking advantage of the fact there is no determined direction of view thanks to the capability of such system of filtering the image from the nine optical and infrared devices spread through some of the less vulnerable regions of its armor, coupled with the feed received through its datalink and 3D Radar, it was decided to create an "around table" pattern of its four ergonomic and adjustable power seats, which usually face the opposite direction of the direction the vehicle is heading to and facing each other as well, like if the crew was sitting around a table, as the Intelliview does not make it for a pilot necessary to be facing the same direction of the vehicle, nor for the gunner or for operator of its missiles and communications, neither for the commander to keep an eye through a conventional line of sight with their targets. The controls of the vehicle are located in the middle of the four seats, where four 42'' digital plasma computer screens lined to each of them are kept stable through a lightweight carbon-fiber reinforced polymer frame, all of which also can be used to interface directly with the redundant modular operating system through touchscreen technology, while at the same time a conventional, highly compact and specialized keyboard is also available for allowing quick inputs from the crew to change the configurations of how the Intelliview filters the feed from its cameras, or target locking commands from the gunner or system operator among a myriad of different functions, all designed to, in usual circumstances, dismiss the need of the commander getting into a vulnerable position to offer visual data for the crew. It was once suggested to employ a new, 3D graphical user interface to create the impression of perspective for the driver where "windows" could be panned and turned around 360 degrees in the desktop where the multiple camera feeds of the Intelliview were positioned according to the specific needs and specializations of each crew member, including for example the communications interface software and a primitive bi-dimensional tactical-operational view with radar and datalink recon signals indicators for the commander. However such sort of interface would be prohibitively resource consuming and inefficient, and there was a limit to how much of comforts a crew was to be provided with, despite the bias of the contributors to the design who would in many circumstances be the users of them.

The quality and softness of the materials used to build the seats coupled with the air conditioning system and "chromotherapic decoration" where more than enough of comfortable conditions to allow the crew to operate at maximum efficiency and with the slowest possible progression of natual tiredness, although cut offs were done compared to the previous takes of TdC and MilNet on such features. No longer MP3 players were issued with alertness-enticing martial tunes, although that would obviously only mean a major increase in the sales of i-Pods and similar products to the military. The reason for a cut off into the usually applied superfluous was very simple, the infantry people "who get into the real fray and really risk their skin for everyone" were slowly resenting the crews of armored vehicles and aircrafts as "pampered pussies", and as such emotions have severe negative influences on performance, not only vehicles would have only practical comforts to boost the endurance of its crew, but also crews would all receive and participate of infantry activities at least once a week to demonstrate the simple fact such preemptive views were wrong about the stamina and willingness of those who weren't right into the front lines.

However it is well known that, should such systems be knocked out, unless a redundant, more mechanical and rugged option to survey the environment would still give to the crew of the Librecielo a chance of at least not being completely defenseless and blind regarding the outside. Although in these situations it will inevitably end being necessary for the commander to get outside the hatch, the MacGavin also contains a targeting periscope and a "main sight", which is nothing but an additional wide-angle optical device which is located at a heavily protected position of the tank glacis to allow its driving without necessarily putting the commander in such a risky position of being outside immediately after the incident, and a reduced need of such action will increase the survival chances of the commander, and of the crew as a whole, and as the seats can be turned 360 degrees through entirely mechanical ways, facing also four tertiary input devices, it is thus possible to turn them around to properly face the direction of the vehicle should such emergency situation come to make of these override systems effectively useful. Although the damage of its electronic display and input systems would severely hamper its anti-air capabilities, being thus recommendable to head as soon as possible to somewhere where maintenance and repairs can be applied.

Drivetrain, Engine, Suspension

The Librecielo drivetrain is composed by technologies which have been otherwise an exclusivity for off-road dedicated vehicles, adapted for military uses, to improve its off-road performance significantly on maneuverability and stability, including an active differential system. By taking as input the feed from sensors regarding yaw rate, the angle of steering, the inclination of the vehicle on different axises and the lateral acceleration, coupled with ground clearance, which are in turn used to make adjustments on the way torque is distributed between the eight axises with drive wheels to balance it, increasing both stability and steering capability. Other highlights include a fully programmable modular electronic injection system, which allows its specialized engine to work properly and more efficiently coupled with its heavily modified transmission system which allows it to be almost as agile on reverse speed as it is on normal forward speed, featuring 4 forward gears and 3 reversals. Finally, it has a quite high axle ratio, which coupled with its active differential, allows it to have an excellent torque and acceleration, at the expense of top speed, which is considered irrelevant, due to its intended additional role as an all-terrain vehicle. Asides from some improvised fighting vehicles, the Librecielo is by far the fastest vehicle of the Confederacy armored forces, and can even outperform some civilian sports cars in acceleration. Another very important feature, for strategic rather than tactical reasons, is how the entire drivetrain of the Librecielo, although supporting conventional diesel, was optimized for both biodiesel and for the about to come, much more efficient biomass to liquid fuel combustion system the Librecielo was already designed for being easily upgraded with a new biomass-to-liquid engine once the first models become available, as such combustion system, which relies on the entire transformation of biomass into liquid, and is also being researched for supporting even fuel derivatives from trash processing, shall provide a truly renewable and sustainable source of energy for vehicles in the next three years of its final stages of development, serve as an important step into the transformation of Third Spanish States economy into a fully fossil fuels independent one, while at the same time serving as a potentially definitive solution to the trash issue in environment, for even Third Spanish States fractional orbital MaIRVs use fuels which don't contribute to global warming, regardless of the irony of such specific case.

It packs a particularly powerful engine for its weight, which was not only a consideration for its need of compensating its lightly armored hull with mobility and agility, but also a potential choice to allow its chassis to serve as a basis for future armored vehicles as well beyond its original role, making of it a potential design for multiple applications, including even perhaps an effectively "stealth" infantry fighting vehicle in replacement of the large Hacha IFV which features a too low ground clearance, and had its production discontinued a while ago in the wake of a new project to replace it. The M12-mod 700 engine, developed by Tienda del Coche, is an 12-cylinder biodiesel engine with actually a total shaft power of 800 hp, although only 700hp are effectively used of its full power to avoid problems with gunk from biodiesel, leading it to be technically classified as a 700 hp engine. Its displacement is of 40 liters to give the Librecielo an increased operational range, and to further boost its overall power focused on acceleration and torque, it also features a twin turbocharger system, and is stabilized by an air-to-air and by an air-to-water intercoolers, which are spread through the vehicle in a pattern intended to dissipate the heat in an widely distributed form through its frame, with the goal of reducing the heat signature from its engine to a level which can be significantly suppressed by an infrared reducing camouflage net like the one it is covered with as an standard issue.

Besides its engine, to allow it to fire when having its engines turned down to contribute with the low profile of ambushes performed by the Sino 1 and Sino 2 battle tanks among other armored vehicles in combined arms with infantry and low pass flight close air support aircrafts further behind, the Librecielo is also equipped with an auxiliary power unit, the UEA-315 APU, developed in tandem with the UEA-514 and its 515 upgrade from the Sino 2 main battle tank, composed by a cell of 20 supercapacitors built of carbon nanotubes, due to their large nano-scale surface area for storage of free electrons, which also serves as a secondary source of power for its electrothermal-chemical ignited gast gun.

The suspension used by the MacGavin consists into basically what could be considered an active hydropneumatic version of the Christie suspension, and is perhaps one of its most interesting features of the Librecielo regarding flexibility, while also at the same time having, as standard, one of the highest ground clearances of all Confederacy armored vehicles. It have been for a long time discussed, both seriously, and less seriously, the merits of tracked armored vehicles compared to wheeled ones and vice-versa, to the point the Stryker MGS, built for a time when all the significant threats faced were terrorists, tinpot dictators and insurgencies, was considered inferior to the M113 "airborne" vehicle. On certain ways, although lacking a tank gun replaced by its top-attack guided ammunitions on the role of tank busting, the Librecielo, or MacGavin, combines some of the best basic real and deluded premises of both the M113 "Gavin" and of the Canadian LAV-III which served as basis for the Stryker and was also used for their Multimission Effects Vehicle project which was filed due to hippie-liberal politics, and also provides airborne capability which neither of these were actually designed for, regardless of what some have claimed. Putting an end to discussions among the Milnet, like the ground-touching drive wheels of the active hydropneumatic suspension of the Sino 1, and even of the Sino 2, the suspension and drive wheels of the Librecielo can be fitted with tracks, or with eight tires from 32 to 60 centimeters of diameter depending on the profile of its mission terrain, for larger tire offer better ground clearance at the expense of theoretically reduced acceleration, which is untrue for rough and bumpy terrains where a larger tire will provide better adherence to the ground than an smaller one. Finally, in a glance to increasing safety in airborne deployments, its hydropneumatic suspension is also stiffened with some highly tensile, heavy duty springs to stand and absorb a greater fall impact than most, should for some unfortunate reason a parachute fail while it was a few meters from ground.

Armor and Protection

Like previously mentioned, the Librecielo was designed as a lightweight platform first, and thus the first and foremost need was to provide it with an armor which wouldn't make from it something anyone with an AK-47 could take down, but at the same time it couldn't simply be fitted with five-digit heavy reactive armors. The established limit was given as somewhere around five tons of armor at most, which was roughly the mass of armor the Librecielo ended with in its final test model, for its designers considered it very important that the already mentioned NBC armor system covering crew and engine was maintained at all costs, regardless of whether its weight could be replaced by more mass-efficient armor. Although more mass-efficient ceramic and composite solutions did exist, an highly sloped armor plating of variable line of sight thickness built of grade 38 titanium was preferred over them for its maintenance-friendly nature in comparison and for its cheaper costs, plus it was more than enough to offer the needed frontal protection, and coupled with the NBC armor, making the crew and engine compartment fully protected against, according to theoretical calculations, up to a theoretical 19x170mm heavy machinegun with a muzzle velocity of 1,200 meters per second, while tests have proved its crew is entirely safe against 14.5mm heavy machineguns, and its combination of titanium, steel and aluminum at different slope angles to absorb kinetic energy even managed to hold some rounds from a Rheinmetall MK 20 Rh 202 20mm autocannon from penetrating through the crew compartment.

However, the most important element of protection for the Librecielo, which offers a significant survival chance for what otherwise this vehicle would have little against certain threats, is its active protection systems, which consist into a combination of soft-kill counter-measures of the Shtora, designed to disrupt with laser(LADAR or LIDAR) targeting of incoming threats, although rather than simply taking advantage of the full production rights purchased from Russia and using it as it is, the engineers of the Confederacy MilNet have decided to make major improvements over it, to the point it perhaps would be better called with a different name as a derivative of the original Shtora, although it is simply called Shtora for simplicity, and to make its additional capabilities unexpected, and thus counter-countermeasures would not be preemptively deployed against it. Its primary complement are disposable countermeasures to make from it a countermeasure package for multiple different guidance systems, through the presence of four 4-cell short range chaff/flare launchers specifically designed for armored fighting vehicles against radar-guided or infrared warheads to complement the capabilities of its laser guidance disruptor.

Should the passive countermeasures be somehow bypassed, then the responsibility of protecting the vehicle falls under its "Iron Fist" active protection system and active countermeasures with the INDFire and Air Defense upgrades. Taking information from several different sources, which also are used by the "Shtora", including its radar, its switchable infrared cameras and the datalink which allows its softwares to integrate operations with the active protection systems of other nearby AFVs, this heavily modified version of the original Iron Fist APS, specially software-wise, offers full coverage against incoming threats from any directions, except for land mines, and is built upon six 6-cell interceptor launchers, which rely on fully concussion projectiles to deflect close by incoming threats with least possible risk of detonating them or fragmentation, and also, with the support of its systems, allow for the simultaneous tracking and interception of up to 3 multiple incoming targets, with a relatively small interval between firings ensured by its efficient recoil action, and the projectiles have up to 12 meters of range to engage a multitude of targets from artillery shells and HEAT projectiles to anti-tank grenades, RPGs and guided missiles. Considering the strategic importance of the Librecielo as the primary communications suite for nearby forces, thus it was found a good compromise between protection and light weight, although it should not be fully entrusted to ensure interception, for all active protection systems are far from perfect, and designed to offer a chance of stopping a projectile and not the certainty such projectile will be stopped, for mobility and low profile still stand as the most effective manners of ensuring survival.

Armament

As expected, its primary armament consists into the natively developed Air Defense Anti-Tank System, which mirrored at the Canadian ADATS, still packs considerable differences compared to the original idea. Consisting into four launchers per side organized into 4-cell, breech loaded, modular missile launch pods to increase their structural stability while at the same time offering independence from each launch cell, the Librecielo launchers also employ a larger, 135mm missile which packs a larger mass of either white-phosphorous or ADATS warhead, designed to be effectively capable of defeating the new armor technologies for roof protection being applied to modern tanks, as it was built to be an all-around top attack ammunition. The presence of two different missiles makes from the Librecielo an effective multi-role platform, considering its launchers alone, for anti-personell, anti-tank and anti-air roles. Another difference is that besides a digitally encoded laser guidance system which is reinforced through the use of two different green laser designators aligned to paint the same target, it also packs an inertial guidance system and an optical sensing targeting system with infrared support, giving it full non line of sight targeting capability, something which is extremely important for its artillery role. All loaded missiles can be launched in a volley if needed, although it is tactically more advisable to avoid such maneuver, as the reloading, with the support of its resupply vehicle, takes at least 30 seconds, ensuring an effective rate of fire of 16 rounds per minute, and without it, it could effectively take a couple of precious minutes, and about a minute with a highly trained and well equipped support group. The missiles are loaded through breeches in the rear of the launch pods, designed to allow them to telescoped open by the mere action of pushing the missile on their direction, something which allows the robotic arms of its resupply vehicle to load the rockets at such relatively fast manner.

Another recent development is also the countermeasure cluster decoy missile that can be fitted into the ADATS to serve as a countermeasure, both as an additional component of the active protection system and as a way to defeat guided anti-ballistic interceptors and keep unguided protection systems busy. Its warhead is a cluster of 3 chaffs and 3 flares which is dropped close to the incoming target, or kept inside until it is about to reach the range of the hard kill active protection systems of a target as a manner to deceive them while the real threat is incoming behind. As the ADATS support multiple guidances, through a vote logic component the optical and inertial guidance contradicting the effect of flares on its IR guidance allows it to dismiss them altogether, also meaning that an effective passive countermeasure requires an integrated solution like the LADAR, IR and Radar countering system of the ADATS itself.

Coupled with its launcher, in a configuration similar to that of the Tunguska, a twin-barreled autocannon operating under the Gast principle, which action located on its dual breeches also are ignited through an electrothermal chemical process with an ETIPPS power source, is placed between the lateral launch pods. The MTI Light L70, 40mm Gast autocannon provides an effective anti-air and anti-personell solution thanks to its complex actuators and pneumatics, which give to it an excellent capability of changing their angle from an anti-air 70 degrees inclination to a 0 degrees one, making of them guns for use both against light armored vehicles and personell, and for targeting low altitude flight aircrafts like helicopters in combination with its missiles. Its rate of fire is relatively low due to its heavy caliber and due to governors established to increase the duration of sustainable bursts, each autocannon individually would have a 150 rounds per minute rate of fire, although coupled they offer a decent 300 rpm which suffices for its roles, specially considering the muzzle velocity its ETI system allows to be achieved, which coupled with precision algorithms of the AirDefense module, give it an effective range of four kilometers and a maximum range exceeding eight kilometers for suppressive fire. Following recent developments taken from the ZM300 MPAC, a new air-bursting 40x345mm ammunition, with its 216mm long actual projectile which supports both HEDP and white-phosphorous, is currently being developed for both the Librecielo and the next Hacha IFV to be used together with WP missiles as a powerful anti-personell and suppression tool.

The MacGavin doesn't pack any general purpose remotely operated weapon system, its resupply vehicle actually offers it a single AA-70 7.62x54mm machinegun for cover, which can be directly linked to be operated remotely by the commander of the Librecielo through his interface, while also allowing the same unmanned resupply vehicle, known as the Libertad to have space savings and not require a crew compartment.

Electronics

For its role as a mobile communications center on the battlefield, the Librecielo provides to its crew an wide array of top-grade electronics beyond the mentioned Intelliview system. For the sake of inter-operation capability and shared maintenance and software components, it also uses a pair of units of five industrial-grade i386 Quantix Integrated Processors similar to those of the Sino 2A1 main battle tank, although with their clock rate slightly increased in accordance to additional processing needs of its missile guidance system software. With each instead having an effective speed of 500 MHz, and being in usual circumstance responsible for processing all functions of the multimission effects vehicle. On the other hand, several open-source physics and academic softwares were adapted and used to create its targeting, detection and communications software suite.

The simplest system, integrated with its fire control, is the Intelliview infrared/optical targeting module which allows it to effectively target anything at visual range, including algorithms which attempt to match the visual profile of tanks with the given database.

It would not be truly a multimission effects vehicle without the capability of illuminating targets by itself, thus instead of a passive radar system, it is packed with a full-fledged 3D radar, also capable of transmitting telemetric data to the Intelliview systems for the commander's tactical "bird eye" 2D rendered view which offers basic information from known enemy locations, terrain elevations, nearby friends and also provides with indicators for detected incoming projectiles in the form of small dots. It can use the entire shared feed of all nearby vehicles through their LPI datalinks to create such tactical image, coupled with a complex software piece.

The ECO-2A3 Active 3D Radar operates through both a conventional, rotating active electronically scanned array for defining range and azimuth only, and with a set of phased pencil beams which shift their inclination for covering an wide altitude coupled in functioning with its AESA component. Like all radars, it consist into several different transmit/receive modules which are also used for other roles. With a bistatic detection range of 30 kilometers, and a targeting range of 12 kilometers, it is one of the most effective mobile radar systems of the Confederacy bar the integrated vehicles of long-range surface-to-air anti-ballistic missiles.

Combined with it, the BUHO-1C system is composed by two elements: a suite of softwares operating as an automatic target recognition system, composed in hardware by an integrated, fully independent virtual storage unit with the data of radar cross sections patterns for virtually all aspect angles of every known armored vehicles , military installations and low altitude aircrafts and helicopters, with the influence of its illuminator over the signature also considered, by the Confederacy, and which can also store unknown filtered estimate RCS patterns from the raw data from the environment illuminated by the active radar for post-facto attribution to their respective sources. The ATR also includes its own target position and speed estimation softwares, which in turn are used as variables in the Bayesian probabilistic algorithm that is the core of the system. Based on a modification of the Instant Signature Solver Program(ISSP) developed at the Polytechnic University of Tucker, it can generate on-the-fly a look-up matrix of all the possible RCS of each class of target stored in its library, which is crossed with the recognized signatures given by the passive radar. In certain ways, it also is inferior in capabilities compared to the BUHO 3.0 used in the CL-32 Buitre to be less costlier, and specialized in land-based target recognition optimized for operating with active radar systems. Its range is limited to roughly 15 kilometers, and varies according to the landscape elevations. It also can identify targets detected by third party sensors. Its other component is a LADAR illuminator module used for guiding its missiles towards their destination, coupled with their inertial, optical and infrared guidance, which also contributes as an additional source of raw data for target identification.


The Milnet LPI Datalink, not much different at all from all other datalinks used by armored vehicles in the Confederacy, is merely an adaptation of LPI radar technologies for communications roles. One of its components, when used alone in a very specific manner and individually, ensures a virtually null probability of intercept of the receiver of any transmission, in this case, the Librecielo. The receiver module is nothing but an additional algorithm linked to its radar which allows it to filter and identify encrypted transmissions from allied forces which are usually transmitted towards the battlefield at multiple, random directions, but not specifically towards any allied unit, allowing multiple units to receive it simultaneously without giving any hint of the actual location of them. Of course, such technique also implies that the enemy will have a facility of intercepting the transmission itself while only a very large area can be ascertained to be the location of the receiver, and that's exactly why the integrated operating systems of each component contain support for both high-priority and quantum encryption, and why keys are renewed at a per-mission basis. However, there is a secondary option, which might put in risk the low detectability aspect but make the transmission more difficult to be intercepted. By using multiple randomly chosen wideband frequencies from a frequency-hopping spread spectrum, while also resorting to pulse compression and a continuous wave signal, and logically, transmitting as little as possible, it becomes possible to signal for an ally the location of the tank, and also to share sensor data with them rather than only receiving it, through the communications suite included, which relies on the transmitters of the ECO-2A3, sending thin, fast moving beams of energy.

Coupled with it, a comprehensive communications suite is offered which allows the commander of the Sino to address an entire platoon of armored vehicles, or an squadron of close air support aircrafts nearby, and also several automated information transmission procedures are integrated to allow other vehicles to receive the comprehensive sensor feed from the Librecielo to boost their own range. Serving as an intermediary to transmit reconaissance data from unmanned aerial vehicles and AEW&C and AWACS aircrafts, and to communicate with them to a certain extent, the presence of a single MacGavin ensures and excellent awareness of the environment by those forces nearby, which in turns contributes to provide more precise and in depth input for their fire control systems, making of it in certain ways the Librecielo as a ground equivalent of an AWACS in one of its many roles.

The FSoft INDFire consist into an optical targeting system and upgrade over its Iron Fist and Shtora licensed active protection systems against incoming artillery shells and top-attack ammunitions, which then calculates on-the-fly the estimated arc of trajectory of an still flying projectile and cross it with the positioning of the tank, while guiding its active protection systems and its decoy missiles towards the estimated arc of trajectory to either deflect or destroy the threat, which also is transmitted to the Intelliview tactical display system and visually informing, in usual settings, to the commander display the arc of trajectory and the impact point of the projectile in a bird's eye view, while allowing the estimated location of the artillery vehicle which fired it to be located. It also constitutes into an upgrade over the standard fire control system, which, just like it can, after capturing enough optical data, estimate the arc of an hostile indirect fire and also program the inertial guidance of its missiles. Supported by the ECO-2A3 or by the SLAG global positioning system, it can effectively determine the estimated impact point of an unguided missile with a circular error probable of 6 meters at its maximum effective range of 8 kilometers, which can be particularly useful for allowing the Librecielo to fire missiles with inertial guidance only against countermeasures-ridden static defenses and targets.

The FSoft AirDefense fully dedicated fire control module, on the other hand, improved drastically from the Cáscara Heavy Assault Tank version, takes full advantage of its radar feed as well to target low-altitude aerial threats and guide the BUHO into illuminating them with laser designators, for both locking ADATS missiles and for aiding the gunner of the 40mm Gast autocannon, and can also use the optical feed of the sky facing cameras of the INDFire system for its needs and the feed received from other units through the datalink. Based on its own physics algorithms, it can calculate the exact trajectory of the rounds fired by the Gast autocannon
independently from the processing of the primary fire control system and give to the Intelliview system the imaging of the point of impact in the sky by drawing a large line in the display as a type of virtual sight which is then compared with the point of the laser designators. As usual proposals for a fully automated air defense gun dismissed. Where the gunner is usually employing only his attention on aiming the guns with visual aid, unless when the systems operator is too busy with communications or controlling an UGV, for most of the targeting process of the ADATS is automated requiring only the input for the launch command, the system operator takes control in normal situation of the ADATS system, allowing it to target a different target from that tracked by the dual purpose guns as both are independent, but have integrated fire control systems.

Other features include besides the ubiquitous coaxial targeting camera with its gun which provides optical feed for its fire control system, an equally commonly used system which, following the proper identification of a target, can identify the effectiveness of each weapon system and of each ammunition type of the MacGavin for both the gunner and system operator against it with a percentage based on a probabilistic algorithm and in an update over the Lanz-Odermatt equation and on information on variables like blast radius. The crew of a Librecielo should be aware that such percentage of effectiveness is not an absolute, but only a way to guide in a more ample manner the operational procedures during battle to reduce inefficient usage of its firepower. The effectiveness rating is inversely proportional to the needed quantity of shots to take down a target, while a rating below 10% will in most situations imply that the given weapon cannot penetrate the target armor. Of course, such system relies on intelligence or public domain knowledge over a given technology, and thus won't work at all on unknown threats.

The communications suite also includes three infantry phones on the rear side of the tank, next to its thick exit ramp, to allow immediate communications of nearby support units in close support of the Librecielo located into the highly organic ultra-light brigades or more specialized companies, without the need of wireless telecommunications technologies which would be prone to interception by ELINT.

However, the real groundwork of electronics lie with its longer Centro de Comando Móvil variant which consist into a crew of five rather than four men. An upgrade over the usual FSoft systems, the vertically inclined MilNet tactical command and control display is a much larger additional interface installed for the new crew member it was designed for. For it is a vehicle built as a mobile command center for companies' Majors to operate into large-scale theaters of war, offering an unequaled level of information awareness made possible by both the capability of receiving information and of filtering and shaping it into a readable and understandable form. The image given by the large 80x60 inches widescreen display, which also supports touchscreen technology, from where an abstract, fully three-dimensional abstraction of the battlefield coupled with tactical and strategic maps which also indicate the status and ETA of supply convoys compete for space into a full fledged strategic suite, which also contains a text-to-speech engine and can be used to set or change waypoints and objectives for nearby platoons to converge through on-the-fly, in a manner of conveying visual information only possible before between "armchair generals" having fun with virtual military simulations, although it is an entirely professional display system. There is no fluff on its hardware renderer, and vehicles and detected objects, including terrain and static buildings, are displayed into a 3D wireframe mode with no textures to avoid unnecessary consumption of processing power. Through touchscreen, coordinates informed verbally or an user interface, the commander can thus set missions, waypoints and objectives for several platoons, fireteams and squads with little delay, while receiving equally several informational updates on the situation of the battlefield as a whole, allowing thus critical decisions to be made with more screen of time before the "it's too late" situation comes due to the rapidness information can be conveyed, relayed and transmitted through this manner.

At last, the CCM also contains an interface for operating an unmanned aerial vehicle, or a group of them through shared standardized flight formation systems, which in turns means that the M135 MacGavin CCM can be used also to coordinate and operate directly close air support, hunter-killer and aerial reconaissance missions to further increase its operational reach, including even the capability of controlling Airborne Early Warning drones, and of communicating directly with satellites through relay uplinks and downlinks.

WARNING: "Fancy" tactical theater displays (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ik21W-XKA3k) like or fancier than those of the CCM cannot solve the problem of sheer incompetence (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/HollywoodTactics).

DR-135 Libertad Unmanned Resupply Vehicle

Overview

The Libertad is the pinnacle of automation in Confederacy military technology, as one of the first large scale unmanned ground vehicles to be developed across the world, being mostly credited by the efforts of the FSoft cooperative Computer Engineering division regarding its systems. It is an agile take on the original chassis of the MEV-135 Librecielo, which crew compartment was entirely removed and converted into an ammunition stowage to increase its volumetric storage capability and thus its capability of prolonging the combat capability of the M135 as support vehicle. It also possess a remotely operated 14.5mm ZM145 heavy machinegun for self-defense against infantry, and can be towed by the Librecielo, creating a sort of twin-engine two-segmented vehicle when terrain conditions are favorable. The Libertad uses a a pair of programmed robotic arms to load extra 135mm missiles from behind its barrels to the Librecielo and the change magazines behind the Librecielo turret for the 40mm ammunition simultaneously. It was designed to achieve the fastest feasible reloading rate for the missiles using the best available technology, and is usually remotely operated by the system operator or commander of the Librecielo it is attached to, allowing either to also assume control of its heavy machinegun, although having limited capability of moving in formations with other Libertads by command. Through cameras and telemetry information besides their own sensors, its arms can adjust to different distances between the resupply vehicle and the Librecielo as long as they are at their reach. As expected, such system does come with a price to pay. And a steep one.

Specifications

Manufacturer: TdC/MTI joint-venture
Class: Dedicated Resupplier UGV
Dimensions: 2.85m (width), 5.05m (length), 2.3m(height), 2.70(height with robotic arm at maximum elevation)
Weight: 13,000kg
Weight of turret: 350kg
Weight of transmission: 1,000 kg
Weight of tracks: Est. 800 kg each
Motor: M12-mod 600 12 cylinder twin turbocharger water-cooled biodiesel, 600 hp at 1,500 rpm
Velocity(on-road): 90 km/h
Velocity(off-road): 80 km/h*
Transmission: MTI 225 automatic
Suspension: Christie MK-II hydropneumatic suspension
Armament/Equipment:
- 1 ZM145 14.5mm heavy machinegun remotely operated weapon system
- 2 Reloading robotic arms
Ammunition/Stored ammunition:
- 1,500 14.5mm rounds
- 80 135mm ADATS missiles
- 6,400 40mm telescoped rounds
Maximum angles of fire(14.5mm): 360º horizontal, 65º to -10º vertical
Rate of reloading(135mm): 16 rpm
Rate of fire(14.5mm): 200 rpm
Armor:
Conventional:
Note: Frontal, Top, Sides and Rear also include the armor applied to glacis and turret's front, top, sides and rear respectively.
- Frontal arc: 38mm titanium vs. ZM145 HMG 14.5mm FMJ
- Top: 12mm titanium vs. M4 AR 5.56mm FMJ and M203 GL 40mm HEG
- Sides: 16mm titanium vs. M240x GPMG 7.62mm FMJ
- Rear: 12mm titanium vs. M4 AR 5.56mm FMJ
Weight: 3,300 kg
Stealth Features
- Fixed IR signature reducing camouflage netting
- Shape designed to reduce signature(Same angle components)
- Cooling system adapted to reduce thermal signature.
NBC Defense: Unnecessary
Electronics:
- Ballistic fire control system with trajectory calculator
- 1 link to remaining ammo data input of supported Librecielo.
- MilNet LPI datalink
- Override emergencial main sight and targetting periscope coaxial to turret.
- 5 optical acquisition cameras at front, sides, rear and coaxial to turret
- Multiple sensors in robotic arms.
- FSoft EngComp CM-689 missile autoloading programming
- FSoft EngComp CP-717 autocannon ammo autoloading programming
- Advanced servomechanics and actuators control unit.
Crew: None

Cost: 9,000,000

Veículo Blindado Modular 47 Capivara

http://img182.imageshack.us/img182/9571/capivaranv4.jpg


Quick Overview:

The Capivara is a low profile, very mobile, extremely lightweight modular armored car based on the Brazilian EE-T4 Ogum and by extension also related to the German Wiesel, which can run on both tracks or in four 35'' wheels according to mission needs, has its crew compartment, engine and troop transport areas protected against heavy machineguns of up to 16.5mm and can be fitted with several different platforms and roles, giving the necessary capabilities to military forces which focus on mobility over sheer firepower, while offering the needed off-road performance to be useful in some of the terrains which are otherwise exclusive domain of infantry. It can be used as an airborne vehicle and also can be relatively easy converted into an amphibious vehicle with proper modifications.

Specifications

Manufacturer: Engesa, Tienda del Coche, MilNet, Cotarm
Class: Modular Armored Car
Length: 4m
Width: 2.35m
Height: 2.15m
Ground clearance: 0.45m

Weight: 6,500kg - 7,500kg, depending on configuration
Weight of turret: Varies
Weight of transmission: 400kg
Weight of tracks: est 500kg each

Motor: M12-mod 500 12 cylinder water-cooled biodiesel. 500 hp at 3,200 rpm. Displacement: 25L
Kilograms per horsepower ratio: 13 - 15
Velocity (on-road): 120 km/h
Velocity (off-road): 90 km/h*

Transmission: MTI 135 automatic, 4 forward gears, 4 reversal
Axle ratio: 5.7
Suspension: Christie MK-2 Hydropneumatic

Armament:
Main Gun options:
- Infantry Support: 7.62x54mm AG-70 Gast machinegun
- APC: AA-70E general purpose machinegun
- ADATS: 2 135mm MilNet GEIFM-2 indirect fire missile launchers
- Recon: 14.5mm ZM145 Heavy Machinegun
- Anti-personell: 30mm ZM300 Portable Autocannon/Automatic Grenade Launcher
Support: 5 smoke grenades

Armor:
NBC Layers:
- First: 1mm Internal paper cover/decoration vs. Alpha radiation
- Second: 30mm aluminum flat armor vs. Beta radiation
- Third: 10 mm steel plates vs. Gamma radiation
Weight: 750 kg
Conventional: Grade 38 titanium armor
- Threat profile: frontal, crew and engine compartments protection against 12.7mm HMGs, lateral protection against all infantry battle rifles, rear protection against intermediary 5-6mm calibers, roof protection against HEDP grenades
- Turret front: 20mm
- Turret sides: 18mm
- Turret rear: 14mm
- Missile tubes(when applicable): 26mm
- Hull Glacis: 35mm LoS
- Lower Frontal Hull: 28mm
- Hull sides: 15mm
- Hull rear: 12mm
- Roof: 10mm
- Weight: 1,000 - 1,500 kg
RHAe of Titanium Armor:
- Turret front: 19mm
- Turret sides: 17mm
- Turret rear: 13mm
- Missile tubes: 25mm
- Hull Glacis: 33mm
- Lower Frontal Hull: 27mm
- Hull sides: 14mm
- Hull rear: 11mm
- Roof: 10mm

Stealth Features:
- Fixed IR signature reducing camouflage netting
- Cooling system adapted to reduce thermal signature
- Low Probability of Intercept Datalink

Active Protection System: Iron Finger hard kill system, chaff/flare launcher.
NBC Defense: Air conditioning system with air filter, fully enclosed, plus armor.

Fire Control System: MTI Standard FCS, FSoft INDFire(on ADATS) and AirDefense subsystems
Electronics/Sensors:
- 3 independent FSoft Intelliview tactical computerized displays collecting and filtering data from cameras, radar and Datalink.
- Milnet LPI Datalink
- Ballistic fire control system with trajectory and effectiveness calculator.
- Override emergencial main sight and targeting periscope.
- 5 driving cameras at front, sides, rear, coaxial w/ turret.
- 4 artillery early warning infrared cameras.
- ECO-2A3 Active 3D Radar(Only Deployed in ADATS). Range: ~20 km
- BUHO-1C Automatic Target Classification System. Range: 5 km
- FSoft AirDefense AA fire control module.
- FSoft INDFire Top-attack APS upgrade.

Crew: 1 pilot, 1 gunner, 1 commander
Troop transport: None, 2 soldiers(Recon) or 4 soldiers(APC).

Cost: $700,000 - 1,500,000, depending on configuration

*Only on relatively plain landscapes.

History

The project began in 2034 in the recently expanded Alcântara Base in the federation of Maranhão and the first final version vehicle was built in December of 2035. Third Spanish States organizations have supported the project since its beginning with their armor and information technologies, while local groups gave their expertise in automobile manufacturing and strategic knowledge of the requirements for vehicles to operate in cities, forests and jungles.

In October of 2036 the vehicle was officially approved for use in the Confederacy military as in replacement of poorly armored and less reliable technicals formerly used by some of the reserves in forest patrols

There were those who once said that it would be easier for a snake to smoke than for a military armored design from the isolationist and pacifist Anarkilópolis(English: Anarchilopolis) in South America to be successfully integrated into the ranks of the Confederación. They were completely wrong. First, the mostly Engesa designed Veículo Pesado de Combate de Infantaria HIFV-50 (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=13768682&postcount=20) Sucuri came as an effective replacement over the poorly expansible HIFV-40 Hacha designed by the Confederacy, and second, coupled with the electronics expertise of the Confederacy of Third Spanish States and their expertise of rough terrains like the Amazon rainforest, the Projeto de Veículo Blindado Modular de Alta Mobilidade(PVBMAM - High Mobility Modular Armored Car Project), intended for the development of a lightweight multimission vehicle capable of operating even in the roughest of terrains, while being fully optimized for the needs of urban warfare, and particularly as a last, decisive effort to ensure a high degree of mobility and mechanization at a reasonable cost. The end result was a new vehicle based on the reported experiences on the development of the EE-T4 Ogum vehicle, and on the information technology and modern capabilities of Third Spanish States.

Engesa was once the name of a former Brazilian military company which had some ill-fated strokes of bad luck which led it to a fate of bankrupcy, after its Osório Main Battle Tank has lacked successful procurements as their main market was blocked by the Gulf War of 1991. Other than the same acronym and area of activity, the new Engesa formed a few years after the establishment of the anarchist community of Anarkilópolis was first an portmanteau of Engenheiros Especializados em Sistemas de Ataque (Engineers Specialized in Attack Systems), and was a cooperative rather than a corporation, only using the name as a nostalgic reference to the former company. It has for much time developed ground vehicles exclusively for Anarchilopolis, something which made some fear it could end like the former Engesa, until the joint-development of the successful HIFV-60 Sucuri Infantry Fighting Vehicle.

The design goals on performance were to offer a highly mobile, fast accelerating vehicle capable of being fitted with either wheels or tracks, with enough torque and power-to-weight ratio to overcome rough terrains which would be particularly unforgiving for larger and heavier platforms. Desired maximum speed was of 140 kilometers per hour in-road, although driver guidelines were to suggest to avoid reaching such point in most circumstances. Desired steering capability was to be at least comparable, when wheeled, to that of off-road vehicles like the Jeep. Most of the goals were accomplished, except for maximum speed.

The design goals on modularity were for it to have space and compatibility to be fitted with autocannons, a portable Air Defense Anti-Tank System, twin-machinegun turrets, fast attack command and control centers, armored personell carriers modules among a myriad of different useful purposes and configurations with a much easier and less timely process compared to the needed measures of zeroing to fit new calibers into larger tanks and AFVs. To a certain extent, it was also accomplished, allowing it to be re-fitted with not much of dedicated facilities.

The design goals on protection were to have at least enough crew protection against up to 16.5mm heavy machineguns and to provide sufficient protection against NBC threats for its crew and possible passengers, and if not deterrent to its capabilities, add a self-developed, compact hard-kill active protection system to it as well. It was made possible, at the expense of it being somewhat heavier compared to an Wiesel, or to the Ogum.

The capability of deploying them extremely fast compared to heavier vehicles is essential for a dynamic defense or offense, and even more important for mobile warfare, making of it usually the first mobile line of defense of the Confederacy. Prepared as an APC, it can effectively be used to increase the speed of troop deployment, something which is essential for modern warfare, while their support for amphibious and airborne modifications make of them also favored among special forces when the heavier armor, armament, active protection systems, weight and higher profile of the M135 MacGavin (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=13768704&postcount=21) are not necessary.

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/aircraft/images/mh-90-notar-fly.gif
NO TAil Rotor system

HA-1 Qijote (Helicóptero de Ataque)

Quick Overview

The HA-1 Qijote was a risky but now successful bid on a tandem seat attack helicopter specialized as a gunship to complement the anti-tank close air support capabilities of the CB-1 Miaja fighter-bomber as a more anti-personell and anti-materiel focused CAS aircraft, while having air-to-air capabilities against other helicopters. It uses an intermeshing configuration of four blades in two contra-rotating rotors in a flexible rotor system using flextures and elastomeric bearings which was, together with its airframe, designed to be able to continue working even without its NOTAR primary anti-torque system, while packing explosive charges capable of ejecting rotor blades individually to increase its and crew survivability together with ejection seats. It's driven by a pair of TSH-133 turboshafts, optimized for biofuels and offering an excellent power:mass ratio due to their dual flight capability for working either with contra-rotating intermeshed rotors and with NOTAR for anti-torque according to its condition during battle, and even with both used simultaneously to provide excellent yawing capabilities. It can carry up to 3,000kg of armament into its seven external hardpoints. Its primary gun system is the 30x135mm ZMA300 chaingun, an airborne chaingun mounted in a semi-rigid manner based on the recoil-operated ZM300 Portable Autocannon, sought specially because of its capability of using air-bursting grenade rounds. It features a short range LIDAR for detection, glass cockpit avionics based on a more economically attractive version of the Intelliview technology which lacks the more extra features the systems of fixed wing aircrafts have, and it uses disruptive painting to difficult laser tracking.

Specifications

Type: Heavy Air Support Gunship
Length: 18m
Wingspan: 8m
Rotor diameter: 15m
Height: 5m
Rotor configuration: 4 Intermeshing rotor blades, secondary NOTAR
Rotor system: Flexible modular hub with flextures and elastomeric bearings
Stealth: Not applicable
Propulsion:
- 2 TSH-133 turboshafts, 2000 kW(2,680 shp) each
Empty weight: 8,000kg
Normal load weight: 10,750kg
Maximum weight: 12,750kg
Minimum fuel weight: 1,250kg
Maximum fuel weight: 3,000kg
Power/mass ratio: 0.37 - 0.31 kW/kg
Armament(Standard):
ZMA-300 30mm chaingun
1 underbelly gun-pod tailored hardpoint with:
- MA-65 6.5x55mm self powered minigun (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=13701942&postcount=16) semi-rigid pod
2 wingtip hardpoints with:
- 2 SDA-08 countermeasures deployment pods
4 wet underwing hardpoints with:
- 2 BLA-19 APKWS (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_Precision_Kill_Weapon_System) rocket pods w/ 11 guided rockets each
- 2 SMI-14 PARS 3 LR (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trigat) anti-tank missile pods with 4 missiles each
Combat radius: 450km
Ferry range: 1,750km
Detection range: 50km
Limit per pylon: 750kg on underwing, 500kg on wingtips and 1,000kg underbelly
Normal payload: 1,500kg
Maximum payload: 3,000kg
Hover ceiling: 3,000m
Service ceiling: 3,500m
Maximum altitude: 6,000m
Cruising speed: 300 km/h
Maximum speed: 420 km/h in dive
Rate of climb: 11 m/s
Crew:
- Pilot
- Co-pilot/Gunner
Avionics:
- ECO-0A1 LIDAR
- 1 FSoft Quantix Integrated Processor(QIP) units w/ 3 processors.
- FSoft HelicopterView computerized displays
- 6 infrared complementary electro-optical targeting cameras
- AirLinux 3.0ch Integrated Operating System
- MTI/FSoft Airforce Standard Low Probability of Intercept Datalink

Price: US$ 25,000,000

Examples of Operational History

Anarcho-Stalinist War: Liberation of Mallorca(Part 1) (http://forums3.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=14623687&postcount=44)

HT135-B Cáscara 2A1 Heavy Assault Tank



Quick Overview

The Cáscara 2A1 is the heaviest tank of the Confederacy, packing formidable firepower and protection at the expense of a very limited maximum speed, and is featured by a package of several different guns which justify the existence of two gunners in the same: its 135mm electrothermal-chemical propelled dual-purpose gun (http://z4.invisionfree.com/NSDraftroom/index.php?showtopic=3632&view=findpost&p=3150106), which can serve both as an artillery and tank gun through the smart adjustment of muzzle, which is coaxial to an unusual choice of a ZM300 MPAC 30mm, portable autocannon, a remotely operated ZM300 MPAC autocannon (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=13483320&postcount=8) low profile secondary "turret", or dual-gun remotely operated weapon system, above the main turret which, to add to the mass of firepower, packs a coaxial 7.62x54mm AA-70T machinegun (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=13483310&postcount=7), four 50mm dual-purpose grenade launchers at the corners of the turret and finally, a pair of barrel-based launchers for the GEIFM-2 Guided Explosive Indirect Fire Missile (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=13944683&postcount=27) with full Non line-of-sight support.

Coupled it such firepower, the vehicle packs almost 40 metric tons of armor, from the explosive reactive armor to the NBC protection inner layers of steel and aluminum protecting its crew, further augmented by the same upgrades that were done in the APS of the Sino 2A1 and of the M135 Librecielo. And finally, as expected, the same focus on network-centric warfare and information awareness of its lightweight brothers.


Specifications

Manufacturer: Tienda del Coche/Milnet Tucker Institute Joint-venture
Class: Heavy Assault Tank

Dimensions: 4.5m (width) x 9.5m (length) x 3.1m (height)
Ground Clearance: Variable, normal is 0.50m

Weight: 85,000 kg
Weight of Turret: 7,000 kg
Weight of Transmission: 1,600kg
Weight of Tracks: est. 1,400 kg each

Motor: M14-mod 2200 14 cylinder twin turbocharger water-cooled biodiesel. 2,200 hp at 3,200 rpm. Displacement: 55L
Kilograms per horsepower ratio: 38.36
Velocity (on-road): 65 km/h
Velocity (off-road): 50km/h*
Transmission: MTI 275 automatic transmission, 4 forward and 3 rear gears
Suspension: Active hydropneumatic suspension

Armament:
- MTIS-M135 135mm ETC cannon w/ autoloader, caliber 52 (http://z4.invisionfree.com/NSDraftroom/index.php?showtopic=3632&view=findpost&p=3150106)
- ZM-300 30mm Portable Autocannon coaxial w/ main gun
- ZM-300 30mm Portable Autocannon in secondary "turret" / dual-gun ROWS
- 1 AA-70 7.62x54mm polymer cased general purpose machinegun coaxial ROWS gun
- 4 MTI multipurpose 50mm grenade launchers
- 2 MTI GEIFM-2 launchers
135mm Ammunition (ETC):
- MTI.135APN: Armor piercing fin stabilized discarding sabot, 11.2kg penetrator.
- MTI.135HE4: High explosive anti-tank, indirect fire optimized, quad tandem charge.
- MTI.135CA: Canister shot, for use against buildings and entrenched infantry

Ammunition(Standard load):
- 25 135APN, 10 135HE4 and 5 135CA
- 250 30x135mm HEDP and 100 WP Air-burst grenades, 600 APFSDS rounds, 50 HEAT gyrojet rounds.
- 2,000 7.62x54mm polymer cased WHA cored SLAP ammo
- 30 smoke grenades
- 60 50x70mm HEDP grenades
- 10 50x70mm WP grenades
- 8 Durruti 2 Portable ADATS missile

Maximum angles of fire(135mm): 360 degrees traverse, 65 degrees up, 3 degrees down. While moving, only 40 degrees up
Max. angle of fire(30mm ROWS): full turret-independent traverse, up to 80 degrees up
Rate of Fire(135mm): 25 rpm

Armor:

NBC layers:
- First: 1mm Internal paper cover/decoration vs. Alpha radiation
- Second: 30mm aluminum flat armor vs. Beta radiation
- Third: 10 mm steel plates vs. Gamma radiation
Weight: 1,300 kg

Conventional:
- Frontal arc: 75mm Multi-layered Steel/Ceramics Matrix Composite vs. MTI 40mm/L80 ETI autocannon w/ APFSDS ammo.
- All around: 39mm ML Titanium/Ceramics Composite vs. Oerlikon 25mm tungsten APFSDS
- Weight: 20,000kg

Reactive armor:
- Turret front: Explosive reactive armor improving the armor to roughly 2,000 mm RHAe against kinetic energy and 2,280mm RHAe against chemical energy at 15º oblique shot.
- Hull Glacis: Explosive reactive armor improving the armor to roughly 2,240mm RHAe LoS against KE and 2,550mm RHAe against CE.
- Lower Frontal Hull: Explosive reactive armor improving the armor to roughly 1,600mm RHAe against KE and 1,820mm RHAe against CE
- All-around hull and turret rear: Explosive reactive armor (ERA) improving armor to roughly 800mm RHAe against KE and 1,400mm against CE.
- Turret sides: Explosive reactive armor improving the armor to roughly 1,200mm RHAe against KE and 1,500mm RHAe againt CE.
- Roof: ERA boxes capable of stopping a kinetic energy 60mm high velocity fin stabilized piercing shot or a chemical energy fin stabilized shaped charge bomb fired from a 60mm Brandt gun mortar. Est. 600mm RHAe against KE and 750mm RHAe against CE
- Weight: 19,000kg

Stealth Features:
- Low Probability of Intercept Datalink

Active Protection System: Shtora soft-kill and Iron Fist hard kill systems w/ FSoft INDFire Upgrade
NBC Defense: Air conditioning system with air filter, fully enclosed, plus armor.
Fire Control System: MTI Standard FCS w/ FSoft INDFire Upgrade

Sensor Equipment:
- 5 independent FSoft Intelliview tactical computerized displays collecting and filtering data from cameras, passive radar and Datalink.
- Milnet LPI Datalink
- Ballistic fire control system with trajectory and effectiveness calculator.
- Override emergencial main sight and targetting periscope.
- 6 driving cameras at front, sides, rear, coaxial w/ turret and ROWS
- OJO-1A1 AFV Passive Radar. Targeting Range: 15 km
- BUHO-1D Automatic Target Classification System. Range: 12 km
- ECO-2A2 Active Phased Array Secondary Radar. Range: ~15 km
- FSoft INDFire Top-attack APS upgrade
- FSoft AirDefense AA ROWS fire control modules.
- 4 artillery early warning infrared cameras.

Crew: 1 pilot, 2 gunners, 1 system operator, 1 commander

Cost: $20,000,000


*Only for relatively plain dirt/gravel roads or grasslands under dry weather conditions.

Basic Description

Designed as an upgrade over the HT120-C Cáscara "Land Fortress" Main Battle Tank (http://z4.invisionfree.com/NSDraftroom/index.php?showtopic=1697) which was developed to complement the capabilities of the highly mobile Sino series of tanks with the objective of being the vehicle that would be responsible for the frontal assault while the Sino would hit the flanks, or the vehicle to secure conquered land in a large front and push it forward slowly while the Sino would quickly make formations to encircle enemy forces in both tactical and strategic levels by exploiting less defended areas and breaking supply chains, in a sort of strategic and tactical doctrine that combines the German tactics attributed to blitzkrieg, the Soviet deep operations doctrine and guerrilla warfare.

Unfortunately, the same presented accuracy issues due to its too long 120mm gun, while its coaxial weapon, designed in a time where the doctrine of firepower was different, was inferior to the coaxial weapon of the new Sino 2A1 Main Battle Tank, while at the same time, while all its frontal arc, from mantlet to lower hull, was formidably armored, any heavy machinegun could easily pierce through the meek side and rear armor of the same, a trade-off that was eventually considered to not be worthy, specially as it created the additional need of much of its weight be made of its own suspension as a counterweight to the manner that such concentrated frontal arc armor mass disrupted its center of gravity.

As expected for such needs, it is a vehicle that sacrifices speed, and to an extent mobility, in exchange of a focus on both firepower and high protection, of both passive(its armor) and active types, with the goal of being the necessary vehicle to storm enemy strongholds, when an encirclement to force them to surrender due to lack of supplies is impractical or unachievable besides aforementioned capabilities. And thus, it is no wonder it packs the highest caliber gun of all Confederacy tanks, the [url=http://z4.invisionfree.com/NSDraftroom/index.php?showtopic=3632&MTIS-M135, which also allows it to have a formidable capability of serving as both a heavy assault tank and self-propelled artillery, coupled with an almost insane quantity of secondary weapons, without the same leading to something of the same caliber of uselessness of ideas like the Ratte or of many napkin stage heavy tank concepts that emerged in World War Two. To reduce ground pressure, it is a quite long vehicle compared to the Sino series, which in turns help to distribute its weight over a wider area.

The primary disadvantage of the Cáscara, other than the expected inferior mobility and speed compared to more lightweight vehicles, is the fact that it is maintenance intensive and costly, and is a vehicle that requires in its crew a "system operator", which is actually nothing more than a dedicated technician and mechanic, just in case, for such firepower and protection come at a cost, and in many ways, and the Sino 2A1 MBT is a more flexible vehicle than the Cáscara 2A1, which on the other hand, excels at its very specialized role and can survive conditions where a main battle tank would be turned into rubble.

http://www.vam.ac.uk/images/image/16355-large.jpg
Rubikampfer Würfelgranaten

Quick Overview

An insane idea turned into an amalgamation of new technologies and concepts, the RW is basically a contact fuzed hand grenade with an unique compartmentalized set of explosives and shrapnel detonated in a chain reaction, which can also serve as a proximity device, shaped like a Rubik Cube. Thanks to a modular construction, it can be attached to throwing handles and to fixing devices to facilitate its set up as a tripwire, although leaving it on the floor might be a much more effective manner of setting up traps against enemy forces, specially in urban environments.

Specifications

Designer: Anonymous, currently decided to go to a drugs rehabilitation clinic.
Manufacturer: MilNet
Class: Hand grenade and proximity device

Length, width and depth: 57 mm
Miniature cube LWD: 19 mm
Mass: 450 g
Shrapnel mass: 150 g
Filling mass: 250 g

Fragment: Steel linings and 1 mm microballs
Filler: RDX
Fuze: Contact and Timed activation Proximity Fuze

Kill radius: 3 meters
Casualty radius: 12 meters
Maximum fragment dispersion radius: 100 meters

Effective throwing range: 30 meters

Cost: $800

Operational History:

Used to soften Soviet Spain's diversionary attack attempt during liberation of Mallorca (http://forums3.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=14196218&postcount=38)

Instructions:

FOR THROWING
Attach a throwing handle to the modular cubic slots
Make sure you have a safe place to take cover at
Throw the grenade against the overall location of the target, pressing the release trigger of the handle while it is on its direction, or throwing it with the handle attached if safer.
Get behind cover
FOR SETTING PROXIMITY TRAPS
Lay the explosive on the ground, if possible putting a few children toys together with it to aid the disguise.
Either use the pre-set code, or solve the Rubik Cube puzzle to activate the proximity fuze.
Run away before the three seconds are over, hide somewhere and wait for the unaware enemy to fall into the trap.


Description

Consumption of marijuana and psychotropic drugs is officially forbidden in Third Spanish States military forces. However, in an anarchic place like the Confederacy, the enforcement of rules like this is less than optimal, and the idea of a grenade shaped like a Rubik Cube a direct consequence.

Being an unusual set of multiple compartmentalized explosives and shards in each cube of the cube, it basically consists into a both proximity and contact fuzed fragmentation grenade made of a cluster of mini-grenades designed to detonate into a chain reaction, following two methods of triggering its detonation mechanism, the "ridiculous" and the "too slow" ways, which are respectively solving the puzzle like if it was a simple Rubik Cube or using a very simple preset combination of twists and turns, after which the same has a three second timer to allow the soldier to get away and avoid being caught by his own grenade. However, like certain grenades, it can also be detonated upon contact if threw with enough force, which has already brought certain incidents with frustrated soldiers forgetting it was a grenade based on a cluster of "mini-bombs" and not a Rubik cube.

The manner such detonation mechanism works is somewhere between geniality and schizophrenia. The contact fuze is basically achieved through the presence of an inner glass of sulphuric acid which serves to melt certain impermeability walls which cover the small tubes connecting the central cube with the previously isolated reactive agent, while its acid catalysis ensure an extremely fast reaction, coupled with the concussion of the impact which provoke its detonation. Now regarding the proximity fuze, which makes of it an interesting boobytrap, it is a very simple and passive mechanism, which is based on the same basis concept earlier optical sensing of world war two. It involves small clusters of photovoltaic cells, which are coincidentally the innocent black borders of the cube, and a very simple spark igniter. The spark igniter few millimeters of combustible is stored in a separated compartment of the central cube, which access to the explosives is restrained due to the manner that the multiple tubes connecting each cube interlock. As a sort of puzzling and esoteric mechanism, there are only two manners to ensure an open path through the small tubes for the liquid fuel to reach the igniter, where both were already mentioned. A pressure sensor also is used in the end of the tubes, ensuring that it will not immediately detonate after the liquid reaches the igniter, for it uses a delayed mechanism through springs to open another of the tiny walls blocking the liquid from reaching the igniter.

The photovoltaic cell current is measured by perhaps the most compact amperimeter ever built, which in turn is conveniently analog with a ridiculously tiny pointer. Now one would ask, why would a pointer be needed in a device no electrician is going to use for checking a household plug? The pothead genius behind this idea concluded that the pointer could serve to pull the trigger of the igniter system if the exact current needed to trigger the process was reached! Of course, such system would be tricky during night, when doodads like this are truly deadly. Now what is to think that there is an invisible spectrum laser sensing fuze with the same coming out from the tiny gaps of the cube! With all of it occupying 40% of the space that could be used to make it a much more efficient and powerful grenade. And when the photovoltaic cell current drops, the laser automatically turns on.

It has in no way replaced the standard 50mm hand grenade of the Confederacy, but however, despite how wacky it seems to be, it has served to demonstrate the practicality of a simple idea: to have a grenade that can serve both as a proximity trap and as a hand grenade, something which could make of it a very interesting device in well trained hands. Despite, its psychological value, which could lead an enemy force to underestimate the Confederacy, is also a plus to the major utilities of it.

The only problem is humanitarian, considering that it is shaped like a toy. But instructions are pretty clear on how to avoid letting it alone, while defusal requires a specific frequency code to be emitted to temporarily disable the proximity sensing of the same.

It uses heavily compressed RDX combined with 1mm balls and shards in each "cube", with the central piece connecting to all the others as the actual device that ensures the almost simultaneous chain reaction. Tests have proved it is a sufficiently lethal weapon, although its design makes it less effective than conventional hand grenades, and packs a much smaller kill radius, although sufficient for its main role of a sort of bizarre tripwire disguised as a toy.

Durruti 2 MANPADATS

Quick Overview

The Durruti 2 is a major upgrade over the original Durruti Man-portable ADATS, which primary features are a fire-and-forget guidance system providing three different network-centric sensor feed(electro-optical, infrared and datalink), working through voting logic as a form of electronic counter-countermeasure and allowing the operator to reposition after firing, a switchable top-attack mode to target the most vulnerable region of all AFVs in a programmed flight trajectory intended to reduce the effectiveness of active protection systems, and a more powerful tandem charge warhead intended to offer sufficient penetration capability to defeat both reactive and conventional roof armors of all armored vehicles cataloged in the Confederacy database, although proper empirical tests must happen to confirm such capability, improved ceiling due to new aerodynamic designing, and the same efficiency against close air support aircrafts of its previous version. All of these new features however, come at a cost as the new system is more expensive, and also requires portable supercapacitor batteries to work properly, and thus it did not push the first MANPADATS into obsolescence due to weighing and costing more than it, although it is still not too costly for its role as a $6,000 missile against at least a $6 millions tank


Specifications

Length: 1.25 m missile , 1.35m launcher
Diameter: 135 mm missile, 150mm launcher
Launch weight: 16 kg
Launcher weight: 3.5 kg
Speed: Mach 3+
Propellant: Two-stage solid fuel rocket
Range: 80m - 5.5 km
Ceiling: 5 km
Guidance: "Fire and forget" automatic electro-optical, IR homing and datalink.
Warhead: 4.2 kg High Explosive Fragmentation/Shaped Charge
Detonation mechanism: Contact fuze.
Penetration: ~800 RHAe line of sight at 15º
Flight profile: lo-lo(AP), lo-hi-lo (AT), lo-hi (AA)
Launcher's supported attachments: up to 8x optical scope or 3x IR night sight
Counter-countermeasures:
- Sensor voting logic, where the datalink feed, when available, is always the first priority when feed data does not match.
- "Straight down with slight angular changes" final flight trajectory intended to reduce the efficiency of active protection systems.
Cost:
- Launcher: 4,250
- Scope: 1,000
- Missile: 6,500

Proposal Overview

One of the things to notice when designing anti-tank solutions is that ATGMs are becoming less and less effective when, for example, the popular Nakil 1A3 has a given rear hull protection of 1,387mm RHAe against chemical energy, which pretty much makes most except for the heaviest anti-tank ammunitions incapable of penetrating its rear. However there is a region of any tank which will always have the least protection, the roof, and comparatively, if a Stinger could be used as a top-attack ammunition, provided the active protection system have failed to deflect it, it would be able to penetrate the 715mm RHAe against chemical energy of the same Nakil 1A3 used here as a benchmark.

With this in mind, it was soon considered that the Durruti ADATS, no matter how innovative as a concept it was, would become obsolete for most except against low altitude aircraft, infantry fighting vehicles and light armored vehicles. With this it was proposed the development of what would probably consist in the next generation of crew-served guided missiles for infantry forces, a proposal which consisted in the development of an indirect fire missile system from a missile launcher capable of fire-and-forget capability and which launched missile would follow a lo-hi-lo pattern of flight before diving against the roof of the armored vehicle it targeted, while having a good enough penetration capability for defeating most if not all existing roof reactive armors of modern tanks and also being usable against low altitude aircrafts. As the engineers of the MilNet Tucker Institute have approved this idea sent by a military enthusiast who lacked the needed technical knowledge to be certain of its feasibility, research immediately followed for what would consist in the Durruti 2 Air Defense Anti-Tank System, a major upgrade over the current man-portable ADATS used by Third Spanish States.

Goals

The research goals of the proposal were the following:
Develop a portable guidance system, using the best option, be it radar or laser guided, for this need, which does not depend on any control of the operator after the missile is launched, being thus an effective "fire-and-forget" guidance for an infantry portable weapon. (Done)
Offer a balanced solution for both air defense against close air support aircrafts and terrestrial threats. (Done)
Have, at least, a penetration capability of 800mm of Rolling Homogeneous Armor equivalent. (Done)
Offer indirect fire capabilities and the possibility of operating as a top-attack ammunition, as a response to the latest improvements on armored fighting vehicles armor and protection technologies. (Done)
Have a limited degree of electronic counter-countermeasures. (Done)
Be one man portable as an individual system, requiring only an additional operator as the loader, like the Durruti. (Done)
Support for network-centric warfare equal to that of the larger ADATS of the Librecielo, with each warhead having a very compact datalink included to allow it to be guided through multiple sources. (Done)

Tank Guns of the Confederacy

OVERVIEW

In the Confederacy of Third Spanish States, a number of main guns for armored fighting vehicles have been designed in tandem with their specific targets, with the Cooperativa Tierrestre de Armas(Cotarm) among many others being contracted for their development. As a choice of optimizing performance over marketability, most of these designs were sought to be optimized for each of their intended AFVs rather than as generic solutions tactically adequate for any modern AFV of a certain class, although they might provide very specific needs of foreign projects and defense needs as well.

One of the most notable shared features of these guns, other than their full compatibility with some of the most modern fire control and targeting systems, is the fact all of them are packed with specifically tailored advanced autoloaders, capable of loading them from different stowages with different ammunition types in the field, allowing for a quick swap during an operation by the gunner whenever such action becomes tactically interesting, as long as the vehicle is loaded with more than one ammunition type. Almost the entirety of these systems are electrothermal-chemical propelled, and in most cases using solid propellants due to their superior reliability, and being entirely compatible with auxiliary power units to allow them, in an AFV designed with such capability, to be manned while the engines are turned off during ambushes among other surprise tactics.

TANK GUNS

For now, the Army has preferred to develop all their tank guns on their own, through the MilNet Tucker Institute, perhaps due to the opportunity of having the entire cake for themselves instead of sharing them with other private cooperatives once their guns become known worldwide and with enough market penetration to be added in significant procurement funds. Most tank guns(and their turrets) developed by the Confederacy follow a design doctrine that emphasizes low profile, high line of sight thickness and fast firing rates over sheer individual firepower of each projectile shot.

http://www.defense-update.com/images/NEMO.jpg
120mm mortar gun with signature reducing shroud and reduced signature turret design

MTIS-L120 Lightweight 120mm

The MTIS-L120 is the standard gun of the Sino Stealth Tank, being designed in accordance to the specific needs of the main battle tank which uses it, providing a relatively high rate of fire and a low signature rather than absolute firepower, for it is optimized for lightweight, rapid-fire ammunitions in accordance to the principle of "blowing up some fast" rather than "blowing up everything slow". Its standard turret uses a moving mantlet to further reduce the profile of the vehicle, also lacking many of the more complex actuators and servomechanics which would permit it the same inclination and partial indirect fire capability of the larger, more powerful but less "stealthier" Confederacy tank guns, although an active hydropneumatic suspension can boost its inclination capability on its own, and of course, be the only manner for its gun to incline downwards due to the short height roof of the turret. The choice of a liquid propellant to reduce needed stowage of the same was suggested, but its inherent advantages were not considered good enough to offset its advantages for the tactical needs of the Sino.

Type: Electrothermal-chemical propelled, smoothbore.
Caliber: 44
Barrel length: 5.28 m
Standard turret length: 5.85 m
Standard turret width: 3.2 m
Standard turret height: 35 cm

Barrel weight: 1,000 kg
Power source weight: 200 kg
Weight: 3,200 kg

Shaping: trapezoidal gun shroud
Indirect fire optimized: no
Stealth optimized: yes
Maximum vertical angle: 20 degrees

Power source: ETIPPS
Power to muzzle efficiency: 85%
Standard muzzle velocity: 2,000 m/s
Propellant: Solid - Low Vulnerability RDX + GAP

Muzzle velocity: 2 km/s
Rate of fire: 30 rounds per minute
Effective range: 5 km
Max. Range: 7.5 km

Cost: $1 million

< Standard ammunitions specifications >

120AP

The armor-piercing fin stabilized projectile used by the MTIS-L120 is a compact, relatively lightweight but dense ammunition for the sole intention of reducing the necessary power output for propelling it at a high muzzle velocity, thus allowing for a simpler and more lightweight tank gun due to reduced strain, while at the same time reducing the profile to an extent, improving its rate of fire by allowing a faster autoloading process, making possible for the fully trapezoidal gun shroud to be employed without any harm to its performance and providing it with a reduced atmospheric drag ratio. Although technically its penetrator kinetic energy is below a certain given minimum(~16 MJ) for piercing through modern armors, it makes it more than up thanks to the agility of the autoloader, rate of fire and increased stowage capability, for the tank the gun which fires it was designed for was built to be deployed into extremely favorable conditions of terrain and positioning, like during flanking maneuvers or small hill tops. Its unique tip has a flat section, for it is shaped like the lower half of a cone, offering something roughly between the advantages and disadvantages of conical and flat shaped penetrators.

- Class: Tungsten-carbide, variable diameter, trapezoid cylinder tip.
- Projectile length: 700 mm
- Penetrator length: 700 mm
- Projectile diameter: 120 mm
- Penetrator diameter: 25mm average

- Average density: 17.6 g/cm³
- Projectile weight: 7.89 kg
- Penetrator weight: 6.04 kg
- Propellant weight: 15.3 kg

- Penetrator energy: 12.08 MJ

120HE

This self-propelled high explosive anti-tank projectile is heavier and launched at a slower muzzle velocity compared to the 120 AP, although more lightweight than the HEAT projectiles of higher caliber 120mm guns. Although all modern tank armors are very effective against such ammunition type, making its usage limited compared to APFSDS, it still is flexible due to its capability of building up velocity even from lower pressure guns of lightweight platforms with high caliber tank guns, and can deal some serious damage against some light armored vehicles, APCs and in most cases even IFVs, saving 120AP for better armored threats. Like most of this class, it also utilizes a tandem charge to counter some of the more lightweight reactive armors.

120CA

Imagine something like a 120mm diameter giant shotgun, now imagine a conventional buckshot done for it. This is what the 120CA basically consists in, being so effective that all 120mm tank guns use the same standardized ammunition types of this category. It is deadly against infantry, particularly entrenched infantry and can deal some serious damage on poorly fortified buildings, materiel and emplacements.

Standard ammunitions performance:
-120AP: 873mm RHAe line of sight with 60º oblique shot at 1 km distance
-120HE(Tandem Charge): ~1000mm RHAe
-120CA(Canister Shot): Unknown

Platforms: Sino and Sino 1A1 Stealth Tanks

EMTIS-L120B Bursting Lightweight Experimental 120mm

An experimental(and expensive) tank gun under development to replace the current Sino and Sino 1A1 Stealth Tanks models, and because of what it is intended to offer, it is a engineering challenge due to the inherent strains and additional construction processes involved, for it is intended to use for firing accurately a rapid succession of two or three consecutive penetrators against a single target, in a manner similar to the burst firing of certain weapons, thus requiring a more resilient gun, an unmanned turret, a more optimized zeroing process, improved fire control systems, an entirely redesigned and more complex autoloader to quick load the required number of projectiles into the barrel and a system capable of reducing or at least delaying the recoil until the last projectile leaves the breech, while being able to operate under normal semi-automatic fire control as well, all while keeping at least 90% of the low profile features of the MTIS-L120 unchanged by these new capabilities. The prototypes have so far demonstrated a peculiar disadvantage to the MTIS-L120: a somewhat decreased accuracy which has driven them to be classified with inferior effective and maximum ranges.


Type: Experimental, Electrothermal-chemical propelled, smoothbore.
Caliber: 44
Barrel length: 5.28 m
Standard turret length: 5.95 m
Standard turret width: 3.3 m
Standard turret height: 37 cm


Barrel weight: 1,700 kg
Power source weight: 200 kg
Weight: 4,500 kg

Shaping: trapezoidal gun shroud
Indirect fire optimized: no
Stealth optimized: yes
Maximum vertical angle: 20 degrees

Power source: ETIPPS
Power to muzzle efficiency: 85%
Standard muzzle velocity: 2,000 m/s
Propellant: Solid - Low Vulnerability RDX + GAP

Muzzle velocity: 2 km/s
Modes of Fire: Semi-automatic, 2-round burst mode
Rate of fire: 30 rounds per minute or 45-60 rpm cyclic
Effective range: 4 km
Max. Range: 6 km

Cost: Currently N/A

<Standard ammunitions: same of the MTIS-L120>

MTIS-M120 Medium 120mm, caliber 55

The MTIS-M120 was developed for the Sino 2 Main Battle Tank, created for a more conventional main battle tank role than that of the Sino Stealth Tank, but still not simply being a mere new take of the ideas brought by previous concepts on the matter regarding more conventional tank warfare tactics, or of international references like the Díenstad-originated CB.125 L/55 "Special" tank gun or the Sumerian Type-3700 140L50. It's primary highlights are similar to those of the MITS-L120, although it emphasizes less the aspect of reduced signature, although packing more powerful rounds than its smaller brother, and being more adequate for the main battle tank more traditional role where the "one-shot, one kill" capability is much more important than for the operational needs of the Sino 1, although it still is more superior regarding rate of fire rather than firepower. Due to its role, its electrothermal-chemical system is much sturdier to allow it to fire heavier projectiles with a similar muzzle velocity or even superior to that of the MTIS-L120. Like the former, it also uses a moving mantlet to reduce turret height and thus the overall profile of the tank, and depends on an active hydropneumatic suspension to incline down. On the other hand, unlike its smaller brother, it was built with a much taller configuration, and much more spacious basket, coupled with a more complex set of servomechanics and actuators connected to the breech to allow its gun to incline up to 45 degrees, giving to it, combined with proper fire control systems like the FSoft INDFire, the capability of limited indirect fire, allowing those which are not in the first line of a tank rush to serve a fire support vehicles, asides from further behind self-propelled artillery as well. Its gun shroud is built with trapezoidal shape with rounded corners, to reduce the inherent disadvantages and additional costs of the other shaping, but still maintaining a significant part of the "stealth" of the former.

Type: Electrothermal-chemical propelled, smoothbore.
Caliber: 55
Barrel length: 6.6 m
Standard turret length: 7.5 m
Standard turret width: 3.5 m
Standard turret height: 40 cm

Barrel weight: 1,255 kg
Power source weight: 200 kg
Weight: 3,869 kg

Shaping: rounded corners trapezoidal gun shroud
Indirect fire optimized: yes
Stealth optimized: yes
Maximum vertical angle: 45 degrees up

Power source: ETIPPS
Power to muzzle efficiency: 85%
Standard muzzle velocity: 2,000 m/s
Propellant: Solid - Low Vulnerability RDX + GAP

Muzzle velocity: 2.17 km/s
Rate of fire: 30 rounds per minute
Effective range: 4.5 km
Max. Range: 9 km

< Standard ammunitions specifications >

120AP2

This APFSDS round is in many ways different from the lightweight, compact 120AP used by the Sino stealth tank, although also in many ways similar, for its penetrator is still more lightweight than the usual employed by tank guns of such dimension, a choice made to allow, together with its autoloading system, the high rate of fire of the Sino 2 to not demand serious reinforcements over its tank gun and overall structure. Manufactured with two kinetic penetrations layers, an inner layer of depleted uranium and an outer layer of tungsten carbide*, the differing densities, combined with the high muzzle velocity, are used to provide a ballistic advantage against reactive and composite armors this projectile was optimized for. The intended goal of its penetrator is to offer a 20 MJ theoretical kinetic energy damage capability, which even though is a far call from reality, the high muzzle velocity ensures a very efficient system to penetrate most modern armors with a single hit, except for the heaviest ones, as RHA equivalency is not an exact measure for the same.

- Class: Depleted Uranium + Tungsten Carbide, variable diameter, trapezoid cylinder tip.
- Projectile length: 850 mm
- Penetrator length: 850 mm
- Projectile diameter: 120 mm
- Penetrator diameter: 28mm average

- Average density: 18 g/cm³
- Projectile weight: 11.06 kg
- Penetrator weight: 8.47 kg
- Propellant weight: 23.3 kg

- Penetrator energy: 20 MJ

120HE2

Another self-propelled heat round, heavier and launched at a slower muzzle velocity compared to the 120 AP2 . To justify its existence in replacement of the smaller 120HE, its has three consecutive tandem charges that detonate upon contact, using nothing more than the simple but effective application of the third law of motion as a detonation mechanism, with each detonation triggering the subsequent one in a timely sequence that happens in about 0.1 seconds as it attempts to defeat the reactive armor of an infantry fighting vehicle or LAV.

120CA: No need was found to develop an specific canister shot ammunition for the MTIS-M120 to take advantage of its longer barrel and increased power output and used propellant loads.

Standard ammunitions performance:
-120AP2: 1,125mm RHAe line of sight with 60º oblique shot at 1 km distance
-120HE2: ~1,350mm RHAe

Platforms: Sino 2 and Sino 2A1 Main Battle Tanks

Cost: $ 1.2 million

MTIS-M135 Heavy 135mm dual-purpose gun, caliber 52

Having the same gun as an artillery and tank gun was considered impossible years ago. Unfortunately, patching KDE2 under FreeBSD still is impossible. But nonetheless, finally it was found an utility for all those seemingly useless researches into liquid propellants done by the Confederacy.

Type: Electrothermal-chemical propelled, smoothbore.
Caliber: 52
Barrel length: 7.02 m
Standard turret length: 7.92 m
Standard turret width: 3.8 m
Standard turret height: 60 cm

Barrel weight: 2,500 kg
Power source weight: 400 kg
Weight: 6,000 kg

Shaping: conventional
Indirect fire optimized: yes
Stealth optimized: no
Maximum vertical angle: 65 degrees up, 3 degrees down

Power source: ETIPPS-H
Power to muzzle efficiency: 85%
Standard muzzle velocity: 2,000 m/s
Propellant: Variable Pressure and Muzzle Liquid Propellant System(VPMLPS)
- Hydroxylammonium Nitrate(HAN) oxidizer - Triethanol Amine Nitrate(TEAN) fuel.

Muzzle velocity: 2 to 0.5 km/s
Rate of fire: 25 rounds per minute
Effective range: 10 km
Max. Range: 20 or 50* km

Platforms: Cáscara 2A1 Heavy Tank

Cost:

- $2.5 millions (standard)
- $3.5 millions (artillery turret)


*Only if built into a fully dedicated self-propelled artillery turret

Developed for the Cáscara 2A1 Heavy Assault Tank, this "behemoth" is one of the most complex guns of the Confederacy, featured by many innovations that were designed for the new goals of the Assault Tank Directives. In many ways it diverges from the traditional manner Third Spanish States tanks are projected. First, it is basically a 140mm gun with a double-walled barrel adapted for the 135mm caliber, where the thicker barrel, although increasing weight almost twice, gives to it an excellent resistance to the high pressures inherent from any attempt of developing an electrothermal-chemical propelled tank gun at such caliber. Second, unlike all the other technologies, in this case, the disadvantages of liquid propellant were offset by certain operational capabilities of a new concept in ETC technology.

The Variable Pressure and Muzzle Liquid Propellant System(VPMLPS) is a homegrown technology, fruit of decades of research into all the finer details required to the success of an old idea, that consists basically into an adjustable propellant load device that can be tuned according to a programming process done during manufacture to allow compatibility of the same for both high pressure and low pressure guns by allowing an adjustable muzzle velocity and subsequently pressure level, although the primary intention behind such technology was to allow that both low pressure and high pressure guns shared the same ETC system, something still not true as it has yet to be applied to other models, the specific reason the MTIS-M135 was chosen to be the first to employ it was to allow it to become effectively capable of serving both as a tank and as a full-fledged frontline artillery gun, with the goal of "redefining the concept of an Assault Tank", and performs adequatedly for its secondary function in the situations it was optimized for, although as a not fully dedicated artillery gun, it is not superior to one which is, although logistics simplification might compensate for that. The adjustable muzzle velocity is also one of the features that allow it, in a properly designed vehicle, to have MRSI capability. Although it would be possible to use solid propellants as well capable of MV adjustment, with liquid ones the accuracy of such adjustments and difference between the minimum and maximum MVs is larger, compensating for increased costs, as if installed a dedicated artillery turret rather than in its own dual-purpose turret, it would provide sufficient performance for its caliber.

Another significant difference lies in its standard turret, which unlike all others, is not based on a moving mantlet to allow it increased capability of indirect fire at the expense of increased profile of the vehicle, for "stealth" is completely useless for the operational goals of the tank such gun was made for, and thus it uses a more conventional turret with an elevated basket to allow a limited downwards inclination. On the other hand the choice of the turret being unmanned was not much of a choice, but of a necessity to allow it to house the more complex actuators and servomechanics it relies on to allow its superior inclination capability to be achievable, while at the same time allowing it to have its autoloader much closer to the breech of the gun, thus making for a faster rate of fire.

It is a fact due to the manner it involves setting up its servos and actuators besides turret configuration and space for housing the gun, that to achieve the same inclination capability of a dedicated artillery turret, the turret traverse capability would have to suffer severe sacrifices, being limited at best to 20 or 30 degrees to each side rather than a full 360 degrees traverse, making it no longer a tank gun but at best something arguably sufficient for a tank destroyer. The challenge of engineering a dual-purpose turret was perhaps the biggest due to this dilemma between traverse and inclination capability, although successful as the complex system that was designed on servos and actuators and the adequate placement of the gun would allow for an inclination of up to 65 degrees, quite above the 45 degrees maximum inclination of the already partially indirect fire capable MTIS-M120. Like mentioned, if installed in a dedicated artillery turret, the MTIS-M135 would be able of inclining as far as an estimated maximum angle of 78 degrees. However, as the Cáscara is not an artillery vehicle, such capability does not apply to the standard turret.

One might find it a bit excessive the width of the standard turret, however, it was a choice given due to the very specialized nature of the tank it was designed for, because it was engineered large enough to house more stowages of different individual ammunition types used by the loading mechanisms of different guns. For otherwise it can be safely reduced to 3.6 m .

< Standard ammunitions specifications >


Standard ammunitions performance:
-135APN: ~1,340mm RHAe line of sight with 60º oblique shot at 1 km distance
-135HE4: ~1,600mm RHAe

135APN"anocrusher" APFSDS round

"It is just a series of carbon nanotubes, if our computer hackers can penetrate the series of tubes, why could not the same be applied to the first regarding our tank projectiles? It can, and we don't have to build rail or gauss guns for that" - Anonymous claiming to be an scientist involved in the 135APN

- Class: Depleted Uranium + Tungsten Carbide, variable diameter, trapezoid cylinder tip.
- Projectile length: 1,056 mm
- Penetrator length: 1,056 mm
- Projectile diameter: 1,056 mm
- Penetrator diameter: 29mm average

- Average density: 18 g/cm³
- Projectile weight: 14.62 kg
- Penetrator weight: 11.2 kg
- Propellant weight: 7.71 - 30.80 kg

- Penetrator energy: 1.4 - 22.4 MJ

Where the rounds of 120mm Confederacy guns were optimized for lighter weight over sheer individual firepower, due to the own nature of the MTIS-M135, although more lightweight than most of the same caliber, it still is quite heavy compared to the 120mm ones, and was considered as one of the primary reasons to ensure many expensive engineering takes on the MTIS-M135 regarding recoil reducing techniques and structural stability and resilience, for this was projected as the "one shot, one kill" sort of projectile for most occasions except those involving combat with heavy assault tanks.

Its nickname is directly related to, the sort of passive protection it was optimized to defeat asides from reactive armors, due to an increasing popularity of such new technology in other applications besides carbon nanotube supercapacitors despite their inherent costs and still questionable utility for military purposes, and thus the Department of Applied Physics of Tucker has researched through both previously existing knowledge and empirical tests on manners to defeat this new threat as a manner to compensate offensively for the lack of application of the same into Confederacy AFVs.

The primary manner of achieving such optimization, without reducing its effectiveness against ERA and composites, is through ballistic properties intended to provoke a localized Stone Wales effect, which can severely decrease the ultimate tensile strength, and severe plastic deformation, where the latter is achieved through high peaks of tensile strain that happen upon contact, exploiting the tensile strength drop provoked by the first, which also combined with the semi-cylindrical tip with a flat end to convey a wide enough area for the penetrator to pass through, is intended to provoke enough energy to trigger the first in both oblique indirect fire and direct fire. Also, it also is built with two different high density materials like the 120AP2, although in a completely different configuration into a high density core of depleted uranium with an exposed tip into the flat end of the projectile covered by an outer layer of tungsten heavy alloy, where the inner layer is expected to exploit the deformation provoked by the outer layer for a successful penetration, and both are encased by a layer of steel.

Claims that it could pierce the frontal glacis armor of a Nakíl 1A3 heavy* main battle tank with a single shot were already made, although they are very likely pure propaganda as no real or simulated tests were yet done to confirm such fact. Of course, the best manner to defeat tank armor is to take advantage of the indirect fire capabilities of the tank gun such projectile was designed for, and thus for a competent tactician combined with an equally competent tank crew, such details on whether x can really pierce y in one shot or not are irrelevant. Anyway, likewise mentioned, Rolling Homogeneous Armor equivalency is not a very reliable manner of measuring the capability of penetrators against modern armors.

*Under Confederacy classification, any tank heavier than 60 tons is considered a "heavy tank"

135HE4

The 135HE4 is an heavy high explosive anti-tank projectile optimized for indirect fire which maximum muzzle velocity is always inferior to that of the 135APN due to its heavier weight. It could be compared in operation to a self-propelled artillery round and is optimal, specially in indirect fire, against IFVs, LAVs and APCs among other light armored vehicles, packed with a heavy amount of four tandem charges to defeat many of the most well-armored among these classes of threats. Such quadruple tandem charge design was made possible thanks to the increased volume capability of the caliber, and is completely impossible to be applied to anything of smaller caliber.

135CA

Use of canister shots in the role of indirect fire dates back from the infamous Pickett's Charge during United States Civil War and even further back in the Napoleonic Wars, and a 135mm projectile of this class is something that can be extremely effective against both infantry, certain buildings and matériel. Although it obviously lack any armor-piercing capability, having some of these into a dedicated stowage is essential for an all-around capability against all ground combat threats, something that an assault tank must have.

Sources

The basic concept of ETC liquid propellants: http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/6047541/description.html

Variable muzzle liquid propellant ETC gun: http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/Xplore/login.js...arnumber=911811 (http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/Xplore/login.jsp?url=/iel5/20/19688/00911811.pdf?arnumber=911811)

Stone Wales effect: http://cms.mse.berkeley.edu/elif/Research/CNTs.html

Mortero de Infantería 19

Quick Overview:

The MOI-19 is a smoothbore 60mm mortar used by the Confederacy as standard issue, which is featured by a highly modular build which allows the same to be fielded with the conventional muzzle loaded action or with a more exotic revolver action which allows the same to fire salvos of 3 shots at the expense of increased weight. Other unusual ideas brought with it includes remotely controlled "smart" rocket mortars with the visual aid of miniature unmanned vehicles reconnaissance

Specifications

MOI-19A

Class: Crew-served modular light mortar
Required Manpower: 2 - 3(optimal)
Caliber: 60x320mm
Ammunition Types:
- HEDP (-T)
- HEI (-T)
- WP (-T)
- Smart (for any of the above)
Muzzle velocity: 300 m/s
Operation: Muzzle-loaded smoothbore
Weight: 18 kg (conventional), 7.8 kg (handheld)
Length: 1.5 meters with baseplate
Traverse: 25 degrees
Feed system: Muzzle-loaded
Effective range: 70 - 4,000 m
Maximum range: 5,000 m
Sight Unit: Optical sight
- Weight: 1.3 kg
- Length: 150 mm
- Width: 130 mm
- Height: 250 mm
- Field of View: 27 degrees
- Magnification: 1.5x - 2x
- Light: Contained Tritium
- Other: Accessible by the gunner
Supported Attachments: Baseplates and Tripod
Mode: Single-shot
Rate of Fire:
- Maximum: 30 per minute during 1/2 minute
- Sustained: 8-15 per minute

Cost:

- Launcher: $25,000
- "Smart" rocket-mortar: $800

MOI-19B(Differences only)

Operation: Revolver action, smoothbore
Weight: 24 kg (conventional), 13.8 kg (handheld)
Length: 1.8 meters with baseplate
Feed system: 3 chambered front-loaded revolver
Mode: Semi-automatic
Rate of Fire:
- Maximum: 30 per minute during 1/2 minute or 3 shots in 2 seconds
- Sustained: 20 per minute with 3 shots in 3 seconds bursts

Cost: $30,000

Description

The MOI-19 is the standard-issue light mortar for Third Spanish States infantry forces, using the common 60mm caliber, and does not run out of what is expected from a weapon of this class, except for featuring an increased flexibility at the expense of weight thanks to a high degree of modularity. Its ammunition is usually loaded through a revolving chamber to allow the firing of fast salvos of three rounds, although such implementation remains partly experimental, and with proper equipments, the same can be field-stripped into a more conventional, muzzle-loaded mortar. Such dual capability is basically originated from their previous experiences of modular loading mechanisms created for the LG-50 and LGA-50 grenade launchers, where the LGA is basically a structurally extended and modified version of the LG-50 to support a bullpup magazine. Equally the MOI-19 exists in the A and B configurations, with the MOI-19A being very close to most existing mortars while the B is feature by a easily reachable front-loaded revolver which logically lengthens the same, without reducing its structural integrity or hampering accuracy thanks to a delicate set-up.

Regarding structure, taking advantage of the already mature industry of metal matrix composites, the components same benefits from weight decreases without reducing its effectiveness. Although further weight reductions would be possible, they would bring negative results to its accuracy and capabilities, limiting the same to bear it as having a slightly lighter weight than that of a conventionally-built 60mm mortar. The trade off, as usual, signifies an increased price for each produced unit and a higher dependency on advanced industrial infrastructure. Regardless, plans for an all-metal conventional build of the model do exist, should MMC become scarce.

The MOI-19, as the least it should be expected from a modern mortar, can be set at both handheld and conventional modes depending on the tactical considerations, with the first being quite common among fireteams where the use of a mortar at such deeply organic level is welcome, with its more dynamic and easily adjustable design allowed for the same to be operated properly by two people as the sights of the same give a proper field of view for the gunner, dismissing the need of a squad leader to define aiming, although having an additional loader will decrease the time between each salvo as faster loading and targeting becomes possible. Coupled with the CPI-300 combat helmet with its integrated datalink, which allows soldiers to receive information on-the-fly about the distance and positioning of enemy forces out of their line of sight, its capabilities are even superior.

The 60x320mm mortar is a somewhat unusual choice due to its length, but not only regarding dimensions. It is fin-stabilized like any mortar, but several interesting types of the same were built for different roles varying from anti-personell to anti-materiel and anti-armor. However, an interesting example of a simplistic but costly implementation of guidance lies with the "Smart" mortars, as yet another face of the commonly creative and trying MilNet to find new manners to optimize such technologies. Basically, they are gun-launched rocket-mortars and can be remotely controlled to change their arc by an operator taking advantage of reconaissance imagery from unmanned vehicles of nearby enemy positions. Of course, such manual guidance is quite limited, and for now, they remain as a purely experimental idea shelled, which might be more throughly implemented, if successful, in heavier calibers, provided other more efficient guidance systems are not practical for infantry use.

However, like any light mortar, it's featured by a limited range, which can be taken advantage of by knowing its limitations and capabilities, and at the same time, a smaller blast radius also ensures a smaller minimum range, which makes it a perfect indirect fire weapon for warfare in cramped environments featured by the prevalence of close quarters combat where enemies as close as a block away might have to be engaged, like cities.

http://www.frontlineswar.com/images/news/ffow1up14_sm.jpg
ACT-3 Armed with MA-65 Minigun (http://forums3.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=13701942&postcount=16)

Automata de Combate Tierrestre 3 "Miliciano"



Quick Overview

Like the US Marines have the Gladiator, all Blackguards special forces(and futurely the entire Confederacy Army) have at their disposal the new ACT-3, a compact all-terrain UGV small enough to fit into most Confederacy IFVs without reducing maximum load, fast enough to keep up with the soldiers, and built with vulcanized rubber wrap-around tracks resembling of WW1 tanks to be mobile enough, which fitted with the independent MROWS which can support weapons ranging from light to heavy machineguns. It is a semi-automated unmanned vehicle, which supports waypoint navigation instead of direct movement control, but still requires the remote operation of its weapon. It can stand against any intermediary caliber easily, and resist several shots of any infantry-served ballistic weapon besides portable autocannons, while it also packs the Bandera APS to allow it increased survivability against anti-tank weaponry and grenades.



Specifications

Manufacturer: Tienda del Coche/Milnet Tucker Institute Joint-venture
Class: Tactical Unmanned Ground Combat Vehicle
Dimensions: 0.75m (width), 1.4m (length), 0.90m(height)
Ground Clearance: 0.20m
Weight: 600 kg (w/ ZM145)
Weight of ROWS: 200 kg
Weight of Transmission: 70 kg
Weight of Tracks: est. 10 kg each
Motor: M4-mod 50 4 cylinder biodiesel, 25 hp at 2,200 rpm. Displacement: 1L
Horsepower per metric ton ratio: 41.67
Velocity(on-road): 15 km/h
Velocity(off-road): 9 km/h
Transmission: MTI 102, 2 forward gears, 1 reverse
Axle Ratio: 4.4
Suspension: Torsion bar
Armament: Each of the mentioned is one of the possible choices
- ZM-145 Heavy Machinegun
- AA-70 Advanced Machinegun
- A-31 Light Machinegun
Ammunition: Each for one of the possible choices
- 160 14x115mm rounds
- 450 7.62x54mm rounds
- 600 6.5x39mm rounds
Armor:
Conventional: Grade 38 titanium armor
- upper front: 10 mm
- sides: 5 mm
- rear: none
- ROWS: 6 mm
- glacis: 13 mm
- lower front: 7 mm
- top: 4 mm
- Weight: 200kg
Stealth Features:
- Optional IR signature reducing camouflage netting
- Extremely low profile
- Low Probability of Intercept Datalink
Active Protection System: Bandera integrated APS
NBC Defense: Useless
Fire Control System: MTI UGV 2.0 FCS
Electronics/Sensors:
- Milnet LPI Datalink
- Ballistic fire control system with basic trajectory and effectiveness calculator.
- 5 remote operation, sensory cameras at front, sides, rear, coaxial w/ turret.
- Electro-optical telescopic sensor mast

Crew: Nobody, but requires a remote operator

Cost: $1,500,000


History

Launched in 16th of September, 2039, the first month of the developing war with Stalinist Spain, the ACT-3 is a remotely operated vehicle which concept is similar to that of the United States Gladiator, but in many ways different, result of the ambitious goal of creating a reliable, cost-effective "combat robot" to become standard issue to at least squad level after its production warms up to reduce initial costs, as justified by the relatively small military force of the Confederacy, also known for being heavily mechanized. It was built to be compact enough to be fit in the middle of an infantry fighting vehicle, being always the first "soldier" to leave during deployment in the front lines, which primary goal is to provide reconaissance in areas which are improper for miniature UAVs to operate, and secondary goal is to give direct fire support to allied troops, while having as a long-term goal to serve as a semi-autonomous defense system in military bases.

Armament

It uses the new "Miniaturized" Remotely Operated Weapon System, a compact, detachable and electronics independent "turret" which can be fitted with many different weapons developed by the MilNet, from the A-31 6.5mm light machinegun (http://z4.invisionfree.com/NSDraftroom/index.php?showtopic=2604) to the ZM145 14.5mm heavy machinegun (http://z4.invisionfree.com/NSDraftroom/index.php?showtopic=2606), and which could also easily support foreign weapons which dimensions, recoil and weight are somewhere between the mentioned ones.

As an important need attended, the modular quick-change magazines built specifically for each of the guns it supports, with standardized dimensions, where ammunition is stored, can easily be accessed from its rear, allowing soldiers to reload its ammunition between each use of the vehicle.

Autonomous systems

The system is programmed with a pre-alpha pattern recognition software that has been successfully tested against enemies which uniforms are sufficiently different in patterns from the Confederacy ones, although its autonomous defense mode is still considered a heavily experimental and still under development system, and is usually turned off, for the most optimistic expect for it to only mature enough to be usable by the 2050s, although it already supports waypoint based navigation and can avoid certain pitfalls in its way through pattern recognition, allowing its operator to concentrate into controlling its gun rather than its movement. An experimental "follow mode" is another of its features, although for now it is disabled by default for tests demonstrated it could easily "get lost" at rough turns and troop maneuvers, while waypoints have been proved to work reliably enough. As with the automated targeting and firing, it is something that will take some time to be useful in the field, although research continues, and it is a bit more optimistic, for predictions expect results for such system by 2041.

Powertrain

It is powered by a compact 50 hp biodiesel engine, and like most Confederacy vehicles, also features a high axle ratio in its small powertrain. One of its most interesting features is the fact that it relies into vulcanized rubber wrap-around tracks, analogous those seen in Great War tanks, for it is optimized for mobility on rugged terrain over top speed, for it needed to only have enough to keep up with a squad at a temporary forced march at best. Thanks to its modularity, it can be packed with amphibious support, albeit at a very limited range which is only useful to reduce its chances of bogging down in wet landscapes, while obviously, airdropping it is a relatively simple process.

Its suspension is little more than a compact torsion bar, for anything more complex would bring little advantage for its role and the disadvantage of an additional thing for the operator of the vehicle to distract the same from assuming the role of gunner, besides increased maintenance.

Protection

Armor-wise, it packs sufficient frontal protection to stand against up to 8mm caliber rifle rounds, in the form of the mass efficient titanium, and anything asides from a portable autocannon would not be very efficient to take it down, meaning that the primary threat against it are rocket propelled grenades and overall anti-tank missiles. Adding some sort of compact active protection system to it seemed to be a logical choice, provided it could be developed, for provided its chances of stopping an incoming threat were high enough, the cost additions would be worth.

The Bandera Active Protection system (http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ground/images/fcs-gladiator.jpg) was the result of major studies of the field, and consist into a both soft-kill and hard-kill package, with the first being, due to the lack feasibility of a proper laser guidance disruptor being compact enough, limited to expendable electronic countermeasures against radar and infrared guided missiles. It is not much different from the chaff/flare compact launchers of the M135, except for having only 2 cells which can hold a total of 4 expendables. Its hard-kill component is also derived from the M135, but packs only 4 cells of interceptor launchers with 8 projectiles. It similarly also relies on concussion projectiles to deviate or destroy incoming threats, with an effective range of 10 meters.

Sensors and Human Interface(s)

Finally, on optical sensors, it packs a modified version of the Intelliview system, while having the same quantity of day/night cameras of larger vehicles to allow the maximum possible awareness for the operator, coupled with a telescoped electro-optical sensor mast which gives to it further awareness, although raising its technical height to 1.1 meters. The portable and rugged computer developed to receive its communications through a MilNet LPI datalink controlled by its operator in a squad or fireteam is another subject, being a sort of "museum" as being packed by a mere i386 300 MHz processor, with only 32 MB of RAM memory and an entirely optimized firmware fully dedicated for its role. Although it is unquestionable its superior reliability compared to the average civilian personal computer or laptop, while thanks to miniaturization technologies, it is only not smaller because it would affect the view of the operator. Touchscreen is dismissed and it also comes with a control stick for optimal user interface for the conditions it is intended for. Besides it, the M135 unmanned vehicle control system can also be used to direct control an ACT-3 with minor software upgrades that already are on the way.

CPI-300 Network-centric combat helmet

Quick Description: The CPI-300 is a lightweight combat helmet with integrated communications suite in accordance to network-centric warfare (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Network-centric_warfare), designed to avoid restricting the field of view of soldiers and to be comfortably wore, offering a similar level of protection to a flak vest in accordance to a view that mobility, stealth and information are always better ways of survival than relying on bulky armors, while also protecting against sonic psychological weapons like the "Banana" missile (http://forums3.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=546685), with limited anti-thermal and flame-retardant capabilities and capable of limited shielding against alpha rays.


Specifications

Weight: 780g
Protection Class: Flak, Type I
Build: Variable thickness ArmoQuepis polyethylene fiber, Nomex, polycarbonate bullet-resistant glass, paper
Average thickness: 4.3mm
Electronics:
- MTI Ultralite Datalink and two-way radio
- Removable balanced armature monoaural earphone and stereo canalphones
- Removable carbon microphone
- 10 MB compact, high-reliability virtual storage drive
- 50 MHz i386 Quantix-Z Processor
- 1 MB RAM memory

Cost: $2,000

History

The Confederacy oldschool military was experienced with fighting without no protection at all besides the element of surprise, advantageous terrain, guerrilla warfare tactics and mobility, as all of the majors and experienced among its forces have been originated from guerrillas and irregular military forces. The transition to a regular military force has brought the need of body armor. However, with their habits being passed to newer members, the military forces of the Confederacy have been used for a long time to sacrifice protection for mobility, considering body armors "futile" as they couldn't offer any effective protection against many modern assault and battle rifle rounds. Soon lightweight Class II and Class I concealed Kevlar vests over uniforms became favored rather than full body armors, specially among special forces, and many simply wore no helmets, but instead caps or nothing at all. The cost of an human life is not to be understated. For the full training of a soldier capable of assuming or volunteering himself to a position of command at any time if their peers wish him for it is much beyond the costs that a full protection would offer, specially due to the elitist nature of the Confederacy infantry forces which make little more than 0.05% of the entire local population, as a fully professional military. Something had to be designed to attend to the needs of this unique military.

Then in a fateful Sunday in the year of 2027, a group of infantrymen on vacation were discussing about body armors in an EDDNet message board, and strangely, from such discussion the concept of a new, lightweight, modular infantry protection. Thus the Chaleco Antibalas and the Casco de Protección y Información from the Protección de Infantería Leve modelo 300(PIL-300), were originated, among several other modular protection components of protection which were chosen over a full body armor, still maintaining the principle that the best protection is mobility, terrain and surprise, and more than ever, something which has changed the fate of many battles: Information, a major consideration in the design of this system, thus the name of the helmet translates literally as "Protection and Information Helmet".

Description

The CPI-300 role regarding protection is not to protect against direct bullets, but for the same role of a flak vest and a personal protective equipment in situations with high decibels of sound or of high heat and flammable materials. After some tests, none of the existing synthetic fibers have been able of offering the needed protection:mass efficiency for the demands of an helmet that should not weigh more than 800 grams. Although Dyneema already offered about 40% of improved efficiency over aramids, it was considered not sufficient, or maybe some people were looking for an pretext to grab funds of the MilNet through research, as a new project started in parallel, to create a new synthetic fabric derived from ultra high molecular weight polyethylene(UHMWP) fiber. Thus the ArmoQuepis was born. Literally designed to be applied in the construction of kepis, it also became standard in Third Spanish States for all body armors. It is basically a less dense fiber similar to Dyneema, at about 0.78 g/l(~50% more efficient than aramids), but which offers the same protection capabilities of it through a combination of complex kinetics calculations done to optimize its tensile strength and deflective capability, and which when applied in variable thickness, allows the possibility of projectiles being deflected more effectively from vital points in human body, giving origin to the concept of "lethality reduction".

Applied in a distributed way, the fabric used in the CPI-300 combat helmet is sloped in a manner which might seem morbid in certain ways. Although it is not thick enough to stop a bullet, following many ballistics tests to determine the exact points where to add thicker layers, variable thickness was applied to points of trajectory leading to the most vital parts of the human brain, to provoke minor alterations in estimated ballistic trajectories intended to reduce the lethality of an headshot on an wounded soldier by trailing a projectile towards the "path of least resistance" to its kinetic impact located at less critical points of the head, rather than to avoid the bullet from penetrating. It also has a layer of 1mm thick paper, which actually offers protection against alpha rays, making it independent from CBRN suits

The CPI-300 is shaped in a similar way to the SPECTRA Helmet, with the difference the covered region which would otherwise block the field of view of a soldier is covered by an unique combination of ArmoQuepis within a layer of 5mm thick laminated polycarbonate, giving its peculiar appearance of a transparent layer to the forehead just above the eyes, while it also contains support for fitting an additional similar layer to the eyes, although it is not usually recommended for although designed to not break inwards, it could actually be more noxious than no protection at all in such region. However, future plans to expand visual information to datalinks in the form of ultra-compact heads-up displays were taken into account to allow for it this specific addition, although nothing groundbreaking enough is expected to allow such degree of information awareness in the next 25 years.

It also logically includes helmet covers to allow a single helmet to be fielded with different camouflages, and comes into four different sizes for specific head diameters, while being strapped to the head in a similar manner to the MICH TC-2000. The main difference however are its retractable and removable canalphones, which were devised in a glance to the future threat of sonic weapons, and also function as additional communications receiving devices, besides the standard left earphone, automatically disable when the larger earphones are inserted, which does not block the entrance of sound to the left ear. Another mobile and also removable piece is the compact carbon microphone it can be fielded with, chosen for its resistance to electromagnetic pulses, which allows soldiers to directly communicate among themselves without need of the still used, as emergency, radios, which would force a trooper to lower his weapon to use them.

Electronics-wise, in accordance to the mentioned doctrines, it is a fact that a helmet does not offer too much space for issuing complex devices, and that sensitive equipments could be knocked out easily by mere concussion. To reduce costs, its hardware relies on the tried and tested two-way radio datalink for communications, featuring a compact transmitter/receiver unit and an accessible storage drive with little more than a cryptographic key, which are connected to both the microphone and the earphones. The entire region of the helmet where such in-bound components are installed is covered by a combination of ArmoQuepis with Nomex built to reduce the perceived impact on its electronics, at the expense of offering even more limited ballistic protection than the rest of the helmet, although its location was strategically placed to ensure, should enemy forces be aware of its vulnerability, that most possible ballistic trajectories would not hit vital regions of the brain.

It is entirely compatible with the Low Probability of Intercept datalink used by Third Spanish States armored vehicles, vessels and aircrafts, thus giving an excellent information awareness to all soldiers and the possibility of instantaneous receiving of situational updates, and it can also be made compatible with datalink technologies of other nations. The same principle of transmitting an encrypted message to an wide area rather than to an specific point can be applied as well to difficult the detection of the exact position of the receiver, although the simple transmitter of the helmet doesn't support such feature capable of difficulting SIGInt tracing, and nonetheless, whenever such systems are used a soldier will inevitably trade the stealth of all involved parts in the communication for increased awareness of the battlefield.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/ce/XM2001_Crusader.jpg
CA-155A Oso Self Propelled MRSI Gun Artillery

Quick Overview

The CA-155A Oso was the standard gun artillery vehicle of the Confederacy prior to the development of the new MTIS-M135 dual-purpose gun which has superseded its capabilities. Nonetheless it remains as an economically viable self-propelled artillery, and as the bearer of the most powerful artillery gun of the Confederacy at 155mm, capable of multiple rounds simultaneous impact capability and which potential can even be further improved by the presence of its dedicated resupply vehicle, the Pescado. Tactically, its primary technical capabilities lie with it being able to quickly move after firing a rapid succession of three rounds thanks to its autoloading system to prevent counter-battery fire that its active protection system might fail at stopping, a hull design inspired by the Sino Stealth which reduces its signature emissions, thus improving its survivability and chance of surprising enemy forces and by the commonplace focus on awareness and computerization coupled with its datalink which gives it an unparalleled accuracy and feed from recon vehicles, infantry voice-overs, UAVs and many other possible sources that is filtered and processed by its internal computers.

Specifications

Manufacturer: TdC/MTI joint-venture
Class: Self-propelled Artillery
Dimensions(Including ground tracks to gun elevation heights): 3.10m (width), 7.30m (length), 1.90m(track to top of hull height), 2.75m(standard 45º elevation), 3.10m (total height with gun at maximum elevation angle),
Weight: 37,000kg
Weight of turret: 6,500kg
Weight of transmission: 1,300 kg
Weight of tracks: Est. 1,000 kg each
Motor: M12-mod 1500 12 cylinder twin turbocharger water-cooled biodiesel, 1500 hp at 2,500 rpm. Displacement: 30L
Velocity(on-road): 70 km/h
Velocity(off-road): 55 km/h
Transmission: MTI 245 automatic
Suspension: Torsion bar
Armament:
- 1 MTI Light cooled 155mm/L44 ETC MRSI artillery gun
Ammunition:
- 19 155mm self-propelled shells
- 19 155mm air-burst shells
Maximum angles of fire(155mm): 20º horizontal traverse, 70º to 30º vertical
Rate of fire/resupply(155mm): 15 rpm through 5 volleys of 3 rounds, each fired in 3 seconds intervals, per minute*
Maximum fire range: 35km.
Armor:
Conventional:
Note: Frontal, Top, Sides and Rear also include the armor applied to glacis and turret's front, top, sides and rear respectively.
- Frontal arc: 38mm titanium vs. ZM145 HMG 14.5mm
- Top: 12mm titanium vs. M4 AR 5.56mm FMJ and M203 GL 40mm HEG
- Sides: 16mm titanium vs. M240x GPMG 7.62mm FMJ
- Rear: 12mm titanium vs. M4 AR 5.56mm FMJ
Weight: 5,200 kg
Stealth Features
- Fixed IR signature reducing camouflage netting
- Shape designed to reduce signature(Same angle components)
- Cooling system adapted to reduce thermal signature.
- Low probability of intercept Datalink
Active Protection System: Iron Fist ASK(Artillery Shell Killer) with INDFire module
NBC Defense: Air conditioning system with air filter.
Sensor Equipment:
- 2 independent FSoft Intelliview computerized displays collecting data from cameras
- Ballistic fire control system with trajectory and effectiveness calculator and FSoft INDFire module.
- MilNet Standard LPI Datalink with telemetry Uplink support.
- Override emergencial main sight and periscope.
- 4 driving cameras at front, sides, rear
- 4 artillery early warning infrared cameras.
Crew: Commander, driver, gunner, system operator

Cost: $ 8.5 million

http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/land/97crusader.jpg
DR155-A Pescado Resupply Vehicle

Quick Overview:

Built from the same chassis of the Oso, the Pescado is an automated resupply vehicle intended to increase the operational capabilities of the Oso self-propelled artillery and its effective rate of fire by providing through a much simpler resupply ports rather than through robotic arms like the Libertad of the Librecielo. With the resupplying process being fully automated, all it requires is a system operator to maintain its smooth operation. However instead of wasting the space that would be fitted with the loader, the Pescado packs a gunner and its own ZM145 heavy machinegun for defensive purposes against infantry, making of the artillery it resupplies less vulnerable than it would otherwise be.

Specifications

Manufacturer: TdC/MTI joint-venture
Class: Dedicated Resupplier
Dimensions: 3.10m (width), 7.30m (length), 2.65m (height)
Weight: 32,000kg
Weight of turret: 350kg
Weight of transmission: 1,300 kg
Weight of tracks: Est. 1,000 kg each
Motor: M12-mod 1500 12 cylinder twin turbocharger water-cooled biodiesel, 1500 hp at 2,500 rpm. Displacement: 30L
Velocity(on-road): 80 km/h
Velocity(off-road): 65 km/h
Transmission: MTI 245 automatic
Suspension: Torsion bar
Armament/Equipment:
- 1 ZM145 14.5mm heavy machinegun remotely operated weapon system
Ammunition/Stored ammunition:
- 3,000 14.5mm rounds
- 60 155mm self-propelled shells
- 60 155mm air-burst shells
Maximum angles of fire(14.5mm): 360º horizontal, 65º to -10º vertical
Rate of fire/resupply(155mm): 6 rpm
Rate of fire(14.5mm): 200 rpm
Armor:
Conventional:
Note: Frontal, Top, Sides and Rear also include the armor applied to glacis and turret's front, top, sides and rear respectively.
- Frontal arc: 38mm titanium vs. ZM145 HMG 14.5mm
- Top: 12mm titanium vs. M4 AR 5.56mm FMJ and M203 GL 40mm HEG
- Sides: 16mm titanium vs. M240x GPMG 7.62mm FMJ
- Rear: 12mm titanium vs. M4 AR 5.56mm FMJ
Weight: 1205 kg front + 1870 kg sides + 961 kg top + 388 kg rear ~ 4,800 kg
Stealth Features
- Fixed IR signature reducing camouflage netting
- Shape designed to reduce signature(Same angle components)
- Cooling system adapted to reduce thermal signature.
- Low Probability of Intercept Datalink
NBC Defense: Air conditioning system with air filter.
Sensor Equipment:
- 2 independent FSoft Intelliview computerized displays collecting data from cameras
- Ballistic fire control system with trajectory calculator
- 1 link to remaining ammo data input of supported Oso.
- MilNet LPI Datalink
- Override emergencial main sight and targetting periscope coaxial to turret.
- 5 driving cameras at front, sides, rear and coaxial to turret
Crew: 1 system operator, 1 driver and 1 gunner

Cost: $ 5.5 million

Chaleco Antibalas 300

Quick Overview:

The CA-300 is an extremely light and unrestraining Type I ballistic armor set with a significant abrasive capability for its weight, built of a highly mass efficient, lightweight fiber in accordance to the specific needs of land warfare doctrines where speed is vital, like blitzkrieg, elastic defense and People's War, and thus focused to allow increased mobility and speed for foot soldiers rather than for the sheer passive physical protection of an armor, which in turns make easier and faster for them to change the direction their guns are aimed at, crouch or run behind cover, thus increasing indirectly their survivability through a not so obvious manner than a set developed on conventional and obvious assumptions that more passive protection is better than the caliber-independent protection of mobility .

Specifications

Weight: 2.22 kg
- Flak vest: 850 g
- Gloves: 30g
- Boots: 1.3 kg

Protection Class: Flak, Type I
Build: Variable thickness ArmoQuepis polyethylene fiber, Nomex
Average thickness: 4.8mm
Electronics:
- MTI LPI IFF transmitter
- Heartbeat sensor
- 35 MB compact, high-reliability flash memory
- 150 MHz i386 Quantix-Z2 Processor
- 5 MB RAM memory

Cost: $5,000

Description

In a time where advanced assault rifles and high calibers are increasingly commonplace, circumstances force the discerning strategist to choose between maximum protection at the expense of mobility and increased logistical dependence, for the weight of bulky body armors could be instead occupied by additional magazines, for example, and where even then, if defeated by further improvements in weapons technologies, the same body armor would increase the wound and kill a soldier that if unarmored would survive, like proved by the ballistic tests of the FA-65 assault rifle against unarmored and armored dummies in its high accuracy 2-round burst mode.

The Confederacy has chosen the path of increasing infantry survivability through mobility, flexibility, lethality reduction and increased awareness given by the network-centric capabilities of the CPI-300 combat helmet which increments the CA-300, while packing network-centric capabilities of its own to make the possibility of friendly fire completely null and allow commanders to be aware of the exact positioning of the soldiers, and also of casualties at the exact moment they happen, as explained further ahead.

Technically, it consists into a light underclothes flak vest, coupled with highly flexible and durable Armoquepis/Nomex gloves and boots, with the latter packing sectioned metal inserts as well for protection. As a complement for the same, it was designed with similar features to those of the CPI-300 Combat Helmet regarding the limited capability of diverting the trajectory of incoming projects away from vital organs to provoke less than lethal wounds based on extensive testing and development. Equally, as one of its most innovative aspects, it is, like the CPI-300, focused on network centric warfare and packs a compact electronic system which contains a switchable IFF system with low probability of intercept transmission features and is also fed by an optional heartbeat sensor. The same allows for a commander to have a precise knowledge of the battlefield, like mentioned before, as long as risking the element of surprise is acceptable, although other than a significant focus on ELINT, the likelihood of the datalink being intercepted is quite small and only with a risk that requires trade-offs in decision making for operations like ambushes. Whether to choose for information awareness or total stealth depends on the discretion of the tactician.

Mortero de Infantería 20

Quick Overview:

The MOI-20, the bigger brother of the MOI-19, is a smoothbore 85mm mortar used by the Confederacy as standard issue, which like its cousin, packs a highly modular build which allows the same to be fielded with the conventional muzzle loaded action or with a more exotic revolver action which allows it to fire salvos of 2 shots by trading off a lighter weight. Unlike the MOI-19, it packs a much more flexible, semi-automatic command non-line of sight guidance system supported by a compact and resilient Intelliview system which allows for a telemetric projection of the field to be given, allowing for a less direct and more precise control of projectile direction as the gunner or squad leader uses it to point the direction the mortar should head to, and for calculations of the point of impact of an unguided projectile to be given on-the-fly.

Specifications

MOI-20A

Class: Crew-served modular medium mortar
Required Manpower: 4 - 5(optimal)
Caliber: 85x540mm
Ammunition Types:
- HEDP (-T)
- HEI (-T)
- WP (-T)
- Smart (for any of the above)
Muzzle velocity: 300 m/s
Operation: Muzzle-loaded smoothbore
Weight: 50 kg
Length: 1.7 meters with baseplate
Traverse: 16 degrees
Feed system: Muzzle-loaded
Effective range: 90 - 6,250 m
Maximum range: 7,000 m
Sight Unit: AMI-1 Optical sight
- Weight: 1.3 kg
- Length: 150 mm
- Width: 130 mm
- Height: 250 mm
- Field of View: 27 degrees
- Magnification: 1.5x - 2x
- Light: Contained Tritium
- Other: Accessible by the gunner
Fire Control Unit: FSoft SII-29 Intelliview Mortar Targeting System
- Weight: 1.5 kg
- Display type: Vacuum Fluorescent Display
- Display size: 7''
- Processing unit: Multineuron 50 MHz military-grade processor
- Storage unit: TuckerTech 500 MB flash memory
- Memory: 8 MB RAM, 2 MB ROM
- Firmwares: MilNet LPI Datalink, FSoft INDFire Lite System
- Input Interface: 8 keys for display configuration and telemetry map panning/zooming.
- Guidance Interface: 1 control stick for semi-automatic command non line of sight
- Other: Accessible by the gunner
Supported Attachments: Baseplates and Tripod
Mode: Single-shot
Rate of Fire:
- Maximum: 20 per minute during 1/2 minute
- Sustained: 8-15 per minute

Cost: $40,000 mortar launcher, average $1600 for smart mortars

MOI-20B(Differences only)

Operation: Revolver action, smoothbore
Weight: 60 kg
Length: 2.2 meters with baseplate
Feed system: 3 chambered front-loaded revolver
Mode: Semi-automatic
Rate of Fire:
- Maximum: 30 per minute during 1/2 minute or 3 shots in 2 seconds
- Sustained: 20 per minute with 3 shots in 3 seconds bursts


Cost: $45,000 mortar launcher.

Description

The MOI-20 is the standard-issue medium mortar for Third Spanish States infantry forces, using the indigenous 85mm caliber, featuring an increased flexibility at the expense of weight thanks to a high degree of modularity, as it was created from the MOI-19 basic premises. Its ammunition is usually loaded through a revolving chamber to allow the firing of fast salvos of three rounds, although such implementation remains partly experimental, and with proper equipments, the same can be field-stripped into a more conventional, muzzle-loaded mortar. Such dual capability is basically originated from their previous experiences of modular loading mechanisms created for the MOI-19 light mortar, LG-50 and LGA-50 grenade launchers, where the LGA is basically a structurally extended and modified version of the LG-50 to support a bullpup magazine. Like the MOI-19, it exists in the A and B configurations, with the MOI-20A being very close to most existing mortars except for its unusual caliber while the B is featured by an easily reachable front-loaded revolver which logically lengthens the same, without reducing its structural integrity or hampering accuracy thanks to a precise set-up.

Unlike the smaller MOI-19, it uses a more conventional set of materials in its construction, with the majority of the weapon built of Parkerized steel, with a few components like the standard sight unit and the Intelliview System frame also packing carbon microfiber reinforced polymer, while the barrel is built with chrome-lining, and the baseplate is constructed of A514 steel, being slightly less thick than conventional ones because of its increased hardness. With the combination of theses factors, the MOI-20 still have a relatively light weight for all it packs.

As certain technologies do not scale down, the MOI-20 is equipped with a better network-centric support compared to the MOI-19, and does not depend on the human interpretation of voice transmissions to be used against spotted enemies. Instead it packs a simplified version of the FSoft Intelliview technology, previously used in targeting systems of tanks, ships and airplanes. The SII-29 Mortar Targeting System is based into two interface components: a simple but rugged Vacuum Fluorescent Display of only seven inches and a set with eight keys and a control stick. Such interface, powered by a simple, but rugged and dedicated military grade integrated processing unit, can receive input through the MilNet LPI Datalink on the terrain ahead of the location of the mortar squad and convert it into the output of a simple black and white displa, and also indicate, based on input given by recon units, and with a switchable speech-to-text support, the position of hostile forces, indicating them with a set of symbols based on NATO military symbols for different types of small and individual units. With such information the system will also calculate the estimated point of impact for the mortar, based on its measurements of angle, and also supporting inputs of wind speed and direction, and of altitude for non line of sight engagements, and will indicate through a crosshair symbol such point, with a circular error probable of three meters, which allows for a much higher level of accuracy than that of an average mortar, also contributing to its superior range, but as always, such advantages come at a cost.

However, the real deal of the mortar Intelliview targeting system lies with its semi automatic command non line of sight guidance system. Based on complex calculations of necessary fin angle shift and thrust, the smart rocket mortars will follow up at the direction of the crosshair, which can be changed through a control stick embedded with the Intelliview system, which makes guidance much more effective than that of the limited manual command line of sight from the MOI-19. It can be inserted into the frame, allowing for the gunner to operate it, which can also be removed should there be no necessity of dismissing a squad leader, or work as a stand-alone system able of controlling guided projectiles and calculation impact points of unguided mortars used by the squad leader. Needless to say, the addition of squad leader increases the efficiency of the device operation.

The 85x540mm mortar is fin-stabilized like any mortar, packing several variants built for different roles, from anti-personell to anti-materiel and anti-armor. Its guided mortars have movable fins to change their direction, which however are secondary to their limited solid fuel load, as they are basically little more than radio-controlled mortar launched rockets with a secondary datalink-based guidance.

The MOI-20 is the heaviest mortar that can be disassembled and carried by infantry over tactically significant distances without motorized or mechanized support, having a better range than its smaller cousin without the more significant mobility disadvantages of a heavy mortar. It is a preferred by airborne forces, which are significantly limited in regards of self-propelled artillery, and is a good choice for both open and cramped environments.

AMT-4 Hidalgo Airborne SPG

Quick Overview

A native technology from the allied Community of Anarchilopolis, as part of the ambitious program to form a fully mechanized airborne force, the AMT-4 is a relatively lightweight, minimalist self-propelled 120mm howitzer based on a tracked, lightly armored vehicle which hull is built from a space frame instead of more conventional structures as part of the radical measures taken to ensure its airborne capability. Using a simpler low recoil howitzer, and as a highly specialized vehicle, it lacks the capabilities of dedicated self-propelled howitzers, which are also unsuitable for airdropping, making of it, unlike in the case of the Modular Armored Car, a nearly completely dedicated vehicle for the specific needs of paratroopers, able to complement the rocket artillery capabilities of the MEV-135 Librecielo.


Specifications

Manufacturer(s): Engesa and Cotarm
Class: Airborne Self-propelled Artillery
Dimensions: 2.60m (width), 6.50m (length), 1.80m(track to top of hull height), 2.60m (total height)
Weight: 15,000 kg
Weight of turret: 3,000 kg
Weight of transmission: 700 kg
Weight of tracks: Est. 600 kg each
Motor: M8-mod 500 8 cylinder water-cooled biodiesel, 500 hp at 3,000 rpm. Displacement: 15L
Velocity(on-road): 50 km/h
Velocity(off-road): 35 km/h
Transmission: MTI 137 automatic
Suspension: Torsion bar
Armament:
- 1 Cotarm L120A Lightweight 120mm howitzer
Ammunition:
- 10 120mm HEDP shells
- 10 120mm air-burst shells
Traverse[b]: 10º horizontal, 60º to 45º vertical
[b]Rate of fire: 6 rpm
Maximum fire range: 15km.
Armor:
Conventional:
Note: Frontal, Top, Sides and Rear also include the armor applied to glacis and turret's front, top, sides and rear respectively.
- Frontal arc: 25mm titanium
- Top: 12mm titanium
- Sides: 16mm titanium vs. M240x GPMG 7.62mm FMJ
- Rear: None
Weight: 2,000 kg
Stealth Features
- Relatively low profile
- Low probability of intercept Datalink
Active Protection System: Iron Fist ASK(Artillery Shell Killer) with INDFire module
NBC Defense: Air conditioning system with air filter.
Sensor Equipment:
- 1 FSoft Intelliview computerized display
- FSoft INDFire Lite Fire Control System
- MilNet LPI Datalink
Crew: Commander, driver, gunner

Cost: $ 5 million

http://www.gamebanshee.com/fallout2/equipment/images/bozar.gif
Rifle Anti Materiel, modelo 2037

Overview

With the development of ordnance protection procedures of the last decades, encouraged by the rise of unconventional warfare in the early 21st century, and with the advances over armor technologies for many light armored vehicles, the anti-materiel rifles of the last century became particularly less efficient in their given role, and coupled with the need of the Confederacy to have every weapon and military technology built locally and independent from foreign contractions, the RAM-37 was developed as an answer to become one of the most powerful anti-materiel rifles in existence, developed as an offspring of the interchangeable ZM145 Heavy Machinegun and ZM-300 Man Portable Autocannon in many principles. Like the forerunner of its paradigm, the Steyr IWS 2000, it's not a true rifle, but a smoothbore, short recoil operated gun developed with a significant focus over firepower, which albeit expectedly heavy, despite modern techniques inherited from the Lightweight Small Arms research, can easily overcome many of the improvements over the resilience of the typical targets of AMRs. Like the Denel NTW-20, it can be switched of caliber in the field depending on the target profile. For soft and particularly flammable targets at a relatively short range, the 20mm caliber can be employed with its specialized rounds like HE and HEI, while that for armored targets, the gun can have its modularly built bolt, barrel, magazine and scope replaced without specialized field stripping equipment to retool it for a 16.5mm caliber, used by its more accurate APFSDS rounds.

Specifications

Class: Anti-materiel rifle
Structure: Steel lined smoothbore, CFRP and stamped steel frame
Caliber: 20x110mm - 16.5x140mm
Ammunition Types:
- 25g APFSDS
- 35g HE
- 40g HEI
- 45g HEDP
Muzzle velocity: 750 - 1,000 m/s
Operation: Short recoil operated
Weight:
- 20mm: 22kg empty, 26kg loaded
- 16.5mm: 25kg empty, 28kg loaded
Length: 1,600m - 1,800m
Barrel Length: 1,000m - 1,200m
Feed system: 4-round detachable magazine
Effective range: 600m - 1,000m
Maximum range: 1,400m - 2,500m
Sights: 3-8x scope, 2-3x night sight
Supported Attachments: Bipod or Tripod
Modes: Semi-automatic only
Rate of Fire: 3-6 rounds per minute aimed, 20 rounds per minute cyclic

Cost: $15,000