NationStates Jolt Archive


LY7 Rottweiler medium tank

Lyras
22-05-2008, 06:38
Specifications – LY7 Rottweiler Medium Tank, Lyran Arms/Krupp Industries



LY7 Rottweiler
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb62/28...7Rottweiler.png (http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb62/2821090/LY7Rottweiler.png)


LY7 (Sumerian demonstrator)
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb62/28...ianvariant2.png (http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb62/2821090/LY7Sumerianvariant2.png)

LY7 Rottweiler of the 8th Mechanised Division
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb62/28...yranvariant.png (http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb62/2821090/LY7Lyranvariant.png)





Key Data
Crew 3 (Driver, Commander, Gunner)

Dimensions
Length (not including gun); 7.2m
Height; 2.6m
Width; 3.2m
Weight; 60 tonnes
Ground Clearance; Variable. Default at 50cm

Performance
Maximum (Governed) Speed; 88 kph (55mph)
Cross Country Speed; 65 kph
Speed, 10% Slope; 35 kph
Speed, 60% slope; 18 kph
Acceleration; 0kph to 32 kph in 6.8 seconds
Range; 650 km (525 km at operational cruising speed)

Manoeuvrability
Vertical Obstacle Crossing; 108cm
Trench; 295cm
Suspension; Hydropneumatic

Armament
Main Armament; Modular – Most weapons in the 105 – 140mm range
Coaxial (Left) Weapon; Modular – Most weapons up to 35mm. Standard options include; KWF PAK2 25mm automatic cannon (550 rnds) OR 15mm AGH-32 HMG (700rnds) OR 14.7mm LY60 HMG (700rnds) OR 7.62mm LY64 (2,400rnds) OR 7.5mm Lagash MG (2,400rnds)
Coaxial (Right) Weapon; Modular – Most weapons up to 35mm. Standard options include; KWF PAK2 25mm automatic cannon (550 rnds) OR 15mm AGH-32 HMG (700rnds) OR 14.7mm LY60 HMG (700rnds) OR 7.62mm LY64 (2,400rnds) OR 7.5mm Lagash MG (2,400rnds)
Commander's Weapon; Modular on powered remote rotary platform. Standard options include; KWF PAK2 25mm automatic cannon (550 rnds) OR 15mm AGH-32 HMG (700rnds) OR 14.7mm LY60 HMG (700rnds) OR 7.62mm LY64 (2,400rnds) OR 7.5mm Lagash MG (2,400rnds)
Additional Laterally mounted 4 barrelled multi-purpose grenade launchers


Power
Propulsion; Modular – default powerplant 40L LY665 V10 multi-fuel propane-injected twin-turbo diesel 1600 HP at 2500RPM [OR] 10L Guarita DO86-2S03, opposed-8 twin-supercharged, high- pressure six-stroke diesel.
Transmission; Hydropneumatic automatic transmission (5 fwd gears, 2 rvse)
Power-to-Weight Ratio; ~26.6hp/ton (weight and power variable depending on configuration)
APU; 2 (underarmour)

Armour and Protection
Armour; Highly modularised. Base includes IRHA, titanium-ceramic, 4th Generation Composite, HERA blocks, slat attachments, North Point applique armour.
NBC Protection; SCFM, clean cooled air, LYMkII CBRN overpressure system.
Missile Countermeasures; Modular. Standard options include WATCHKEEPER, GOLIATH, GOLIATH II, ENLIL III. Other APS also compatible.







Background

For a number of years, the LY4 and LY4A1 Wolfhound have been at the cutting edge of tank warfare. It has, to date, been one of the most mass produced tanks in the world, with over a million sold to foreign militaries and private military concerns, and gross export revenues in the trillions. Further to that, even today, nearly 12 years after it was first deployed, it continues to win awards as well as firefights, and has been selected as the main battle tank of choice in numerous trials and concept tests.

From this distinguished lineage, and following on the heels of the aborted multi-national LY5 “Coyote” MBT, the LY7 Rottweiler medium tank was conceptualised.

It has been no secret that the tank, in a number of its forms, has been a critical piece of equipment for both the Reich and Lyras' militaries. Both forces revolved around manoeuver elements, of which the tank was itself the primary entity. Indeed, in the Prussian military nearly every other unit in the ground forces revolved around supporting the main battle tank in its breakthrough operations.

The main doctrine that both the Lyrans and Prussians adhered to was the theory of manoeuver warfare, a doctrine which lends itself very readily to mechanised warfare in its many incarnations. Taking this into account, Krupp Industries and the Lyran Protectorate Research and Development Commission Arms began research into a tank able to complete a variety of roles and excel in each. Such a tank needed to be heavily armed and armored to attack strike a sufficiently weighted blow (schwerpunkt) at the focal point of a conflict. Whatever the level of force required, the new tank needed to be able to breakthrough concerted and determined resistance and still remain able to effectively conduct ensuing phases of the battle and campaign. Such a platform must, for that following phase, be fast, tactically, operationally and strategically, have cutting-edge communications capabilities, and be logistically sustainable. High mobility and networking allows a mechanised force to operate with geometrically greater effect, allowing such a force to create chaos amongst hostile elements, and dislocate an enemy from the critical requirements that enable the continuation of the opposing centre of gravity. Such a tank must also be able to integrate with its combined arms forces in order to facilitate an aggressive and mobile campaign, and also to provide for the rapid application of supporting firepower on behalf of manoeuver forces should the need arise.

It was no doubt a lofty objective, and in pursuit of these requirements designers hit a conceptual brick wall as solutions diverged. It became increasingly evident that any single manifestation would, by necessity, be a compromise solution at best. Thus, the project goal shifted from an attempt to squeeze the best solution from a one-size-fits-all platform to a completely modular vehicle, able to take on a wide array of differing roles, as the strategic or operational task required.

Rottweiler was not initially designed to supersede, but rather to supplement the LY4A1 Wolfhound in roles for which the heavier and more logistically intensive platform was deemed excessive. Protectorate Research and Development has, throughout the LY7's development, examined methods of reducing weight, increasing deployability, adding world-benchmark levels of modularity, and expanding upon the Wolfhound's ground-breaking battlespace integration and information-network commonality (However, as time went on, the development of the LY7 increasingly made apparent that the platform's capability was going to exceed initial expectations, and debate has raged within the senior ranks of the Lyran Protectorate regarding whether or not to completely replace the earlier series. The discussion is ongoing, but so is production of the LY7).

The LY4 series, in particular the heavily upgraded LY4A1, remains more than sufficient to counter any known non-Lyran alternate, but the work was begun to develop and field the advanced, flexible and modularly adaptable tank detailed above. Heavy emphasis was placed on networking-informational integration, signature reduction, combat accuracy and engagement speed. In conjunction with the LY4's international success, the LY7 seeks to expand Lyran Arms and Krupp Industries' combined share of the international arms trade.

Spurred on in no small part by the Sumerian medium tank procurement initiative, the Rottweiler's modularity allows for a vast number of potential weapons fits and equipment loadouts, which can themselves be changed if circumstances warrant. This modularity allows a major client state, such as Sumer, to fulfil domestic content requirements without limiting or compromising options available to other operators. Where the LY4 showed the effectiveness of Lyran and TPFian hardware, the LY7 does more. While retaining the distinctive design signature of the Lyran Protectorate, and benefitting from the centuries of experience of Krupp, the Rottweiler also allows client states or entities to select the configuration that best suits their needs. Local hardware, or Lyran, or any number of alternates, all combine to make the LY7 a truly unique machine.

As in the LY4 serries, the Protectorate Research and Development Commission was the first charged with the task of developing a new tank, utilising state-of-the-art technologies, deriving those technologies from anywhere, and continuing the extremely successful trend of not restricting themselves to purely Lyran designs. Where the Wolfhound boasted of 25% co-operative technology, the Rottweiler pushes 50%, with TPF, the Commonwealth of Varessa, Holy Empire of Verenberg, Nianacio, the Federal Republic of Hamilay and Asgarnieu all co-operating on aspects of the LY7's development. Having cost nearly NS$3bn in development, the design was finally confirmed as production-ready. As with the LY4, Lyran examples of the LY7 are manufactured at the Bredubar, Eastcudgel and Castlegate Manufacturing Zones. However, strong international demand is expected, and facilities at Osmouth and Honour are in construction exclusively to service the anticipated export market.

The Rottweiler is intended as the world-leader in adaptable, flexible, responsive and lethal medium armour, able to interract intuitively with the most advanced combat systems, as fielded by the most technologically sophisticated states, in order to deliver the optimum in combat performance and thereby ensure the successful completion of objectives.

Main Armament
The main armament to the LY7 is fitted to the turret of the vehicle, as is standard. However, what is not standard is the modular nature of the platform, and the unmanned low-profile, high-survivability turret. Any of a number of main gun systems in the 105mm to 140mm range can be fitted, with the system's modularity enabling the primary weapon to be altered as the tactical, operational or strategic situation warrants, as new or better weapons become available, or as military doctrine changes.
Given the size of the principle parts to a tank's main gun, however, the alteration of the main weapon is not a small undertaking, and will usually require the services of a level 3 facility, and take at least 6 hours per vehicle. This factor notwithstanding, the ability of the LY7 to field any main gun, whether it be 103mm, 105mm, 115mm, 120mm, 122mm, 125mm or 140mm, allows the vehicle to transition easily into any modern military, and also allows the platform to continually evolve to meet the constantly changing requirements of the modern battlefield.
On Lyran and Prussian vehicles, the main gun is the 120mm/140mm dual-breech high-pressure electrothermal chemically fired smoothbore LY407, a slightly modified version of the LY402 fitted to the LY4-series. As with its LY402 predecessor, the LY407 is autofrettaged and stress-hardened to increase durability over extended periods of firing.
For some time, tanks throughout the world over have been rapidly increasing in speed, armour protection and lethality, and it was becoming more and more evident that the conventionally propelled main gun had reaching its peak. Main gun bore diameter and projectile sizes can only get so large before the size of the projectile limits the amount of ammunition carried, making the vehicle combat ineffective.
There have been several attempts to circumvent this difficulty. The first of them was in the form of the LY2A3-2 Bull Mastiff, a tank destroyer fielding the LY366 155mm, 65 calibre gun. A highly effective weapon, the LY366 was however extremely heavy, and the sacrifices made, in terms of mobility and armour protection, on the LY2A3-2 in order to field it were what forced the platform into the role of tank destroyer, rather than MBT in the true sense. While the LY3 series, which fielded the same LY366 primary armament, sidestepped the issue, in part, by the simple recourse of making the entirety of the platform notably larger, allowing for greater armour and a far more powerful engine, that was always seen as an interim solution at best, due to the borderline impractical strain that the vehicle placed on logistics and the issue of technological advancement continued. So while the simple answer may have been to go with a bigger gun, because it had the very real advantage of being available immediately and generating the required first-round lethality, it was generally accepted within the Protectorate that alternate means of delivering increased muzzle energy had to be considered.
Prolonged testing, carried out in parallel to the development of the LY3 series lead to several divergent paths, all of which the Protectorate is involved in examining. Various technologies, in which research does continue, were examined and put aside into the medium term. Such technological concepts include (but are not limited) to railguns, coilguns, kinetic harpoons and directed-energy weapons. As a result, the electrothermal chemical system was adopted, almost more as an affirmation of the limits of current understanding than anything else. Nevertheless, trials of several ETC-based weapons systems were conducted at the Lughenti Testing Range, with differing but generally positive results, most of which were utilised as part of the development of the LY402, which was eventually developed with a bore of 120mm, mainly due to high parts commonality with already existing 120mm rounds.
While still not as powerful as the LY366, the notably lighter weight of the LY402 (lighter in the order of several tonnes) allowed for a substantially lighter tank, despite upgrades to armour and a far more extensive integrated electronics suite, without sacrificing platform lethality.
In order to handle the dramatically increased recoil force brought about by the adoption of ETC technology, a muzzle brake was fitted, in addition to the installation of a new 550mm recoil mechanism.
These innovations continued in service with the LY407, with the primary differential being the dual-breech, allowing for still-easier conversion to 140mm, should the need arise, or the move be judged beneficial.
Vehicles intended to fulfil the Sumerian medium tank contract are fitted with the 115mm/60 calibre smoothbore Type-3660, itself towards the top end of contemporary tank armament. While fractionally smaller in bore than the Lyran systems, the extra five calibres of length allows for a longer gas-expansion and smoother power-transfer curve, delivering higher muzzle velocity than most equivalent conventional systems. Furthermore, by being a high-pressure system, higher-powered propellants can be used, itself a generator of higher muzzle velocity. With Sumer's world-renowned stockpiles of tanks (in particular the MCA-3, upon which the Type-3660 is fielded), tank weapons, and ammunition, the amount of ammunition and spare parts available for the Type-3660 is immense, and this factor alone ensures that the Type-3660 will remain in service for some time to come.
The Type-3660, when fitted to the LY7 turret, utilises the same recoil mechanism as the LY407.
The LY7 autoloader is integral to the turret, and constitutes a major component of the mechanics. With the turret of the Rottweiler being designed around the autoloader, many problems systemic to other tanks fielding autoloaders have been avoided. As with the LY4-series, the LY7's compact autoloader allows a rate of fire of 15 shots per minute and holds 40 rounds of ready ammunition; it can accommodate up to seven different types of ammunition at once, and unlike many autoloader systems it can change ammunition types after a round has been loaded into the breech. The most common types of round carried on Lyran vehicles are the armour piercing fin-stabilised discarding sabot (APFSDS) with a depleted uranium core and the high explosive anti-tank (HEAT) round, although Lyran-modified examples of the M1028 canister rounds using liquid propellant are also available in large quantities.
Once the LY7's main gun magazine is depleted, the entire magazine can be removed, and a fresh one inserted, a process not dissimilar to changing magazines on a rifle, only on a larger scale. This does require the presence of a dedicated service vehicle, but takes less than 4 minutes. Should such a vehicle be unavailable, the system can be reloaded manually/conventionally.

Additional armament
As with other primary elements of the LY7's makeup, the additional armament (armament other than main gun, in this context) is highly modularised. Three slots are available in which to fit weapon systems, one above the unmanned turret (generally slated for operation by the vehicle's commander), and one on either side of the main gun, mounted coaxially (and generally controlled by the vehicle's gunner).
The coaxial stations are designed to be able to fit weapons generally of up to 35mm, while the turret-mounted station can field a wider variety, including, but not limited to, light anti-aircraft missiles, automatic grenade launchers, BVR anti-tank missiles and HMGs.
Weapons options on Lyran vehicles on the turret mount (and thus available to nations seeking to purchase the LY7) include a quartet of SALY28 short-to-medium range AA missiles, LY60 14.7mm HMG, LY64 7.62mm MMG, Helios II BVRATGM and PAK2 25mm automatic cannon. Weapons of most types are compatible, though of course those produced by states other than those contributing to the LY7 cannot be exported by or through Lyran Arms. Such weapons are easily integrated into the LY7 after purchase, and include such well known systems as the Sumerian AGH-32 HMG and AGS-5 LMG, Yanitarian “Hag” HMG, Former Soviet KPV and RPK machine guns, AGL-19s and Koronet ATGMs, and such systems as the MG-3, M2 .50 cal HMG and Javelin.

Coaxial stations are a little more restricted, by virtue of their limited independent traverse and more rigid alignment, however the modularity in this section remains second to none. Lyran examples are generally fitted with a PAK2 25mm cannon on the left coaxial station, an LY64 7.62mm MG on the right coaxial station, and either a SALY28 pod, automatic grenade launcher, LY60 14.7mm HMG or pair of Helios II BVR ATGMs.

Whatever the preferred armament, the LY7 can cater for it.



Networking, integration, electronics and fire control
As with all Lyran designed vehicles, the LY7 is designed to integrate seemlessly and easily into the most sophisticated of military forces. The vehicle is fitted with a highly extensive sensor suite so as to enable the transmission of as much information as possible into any extant battlenet, while possessing internal computational facilities so as to handle required downloads from it.
While designed to slot into any existing battlespace architecture, the LY7 by default utilises the world-benchmark Cromwell II. Cromwell II is an integrated and adaptive battlespace network that maximises combat lethality, performance, and output and enables command and control on an unprecedented scale. Information is sourced not only from multiple sources on the individual platform, but from every Cromwell II equipped friendly vehicle within the battlespace, which provides constant informational updates across a broad spectrum of sources, both known to the operators, and operating below their awareness.
The Cromwell II system utilises this information to compute a firing solution for the gunner, based upon analysis of the target beneath the reticle. This is achieved in less time than it would take the gunner to depress the firing stud. The firing solution that Cromwell II generates ensures a near-perfect hit percent at standard ranges, across all conditions.

At the most basic level, the Cromwell II system aims to accelerate engagement cycles and increase operational tempo at all levels of the warfighting system. This acceleration is achieved by providing a mechanism to rapidly gather and distribute targeting information, and rapidly issue directives. Cromwell II's ultra-high speed networking permits high integrity transmission in a bare fraction of the time required for voice-based transmission, and permits transfer of a wide range of data formats, from a multitude of compatible sources.

Borrowing from fire control measures designed by the Koreans for the K2 Black Panther, Lyran Arms and the Varessan Commonwealth's VMRDB developed a built-in trigger-delay mechanism. Other contemporary tanks, up to and including the LY4A1, but not including the K2, can be found to, despite all other fire control methods, miss their target when they fire their gun and hit a slight bump at the same time, a problem exacerbated, as would be expected, by movement at high speeds and/or across uneven terrain. The designers of the K2 anticipated this situation, and generated a solution for it by installing a laser emitter-receiver assembly linked to the FCS, a concept that has been brought across for implementation in the main gun, whatever that main gun may be, on the LY7.
The emitter is fitted near the top of the gun barrel, with the receiver being placed at the barrel's base. The gun can only be fired when the laser receiver array is exactly aligned with the emitted laser. By means of example, if at the point of firing, when the gunner presses the trigger, linked as it is to the fire control system, the vehicle comes upon an irregularity in the terrain at the same moment, the laser will find itself pushed off the reciever by the sudden movement, and the FCS will delay the round's ignition until the beam reorients to the receiver again. As the barrel shakes up and down, the FCS will automatically fire off the gun when the laser finds its mark, and the barrel is judged to be on target. This system, combined with both an advanced stabiliser and powerful fire control system, dramatically improves the tank's capacity to engage targets while moving at speed, even when moving across broken terrain.
In case of an emergency, the vehicle can be operated by only two, or even a single, member of its three crew. The FCS can autonomously locate and track visible targets, comparing them both to known hostiles (identified by datalink) or targets established by image recognition (again as available via information uplink), avoid blue-on-blue engagements and fire its main gun without needing any input from a human operator, although the absence of a human operator will adversely affect engagement tempo.

The LY7 crew-stations, on Lyran and Lyran-allied vehicles only, utilise a far more advanced and adaptive control interface than standard, by displaying sensor data from the vehicle's external sensors directly onto the HUD inside the crew's headset-visor. As the crewman turns his head, the view pans, and either physical or voice activated controls are then used as required. By way of example, the crew commander may look left, with the weapon mounted on the commander's weapon station following his movement (if the function is activated). As required, the commander simply has to look at the target, and press the firing stud. Alternatively, he could look at a target, and designate it for engagement by the gunner by either voice command or toggle. Targets can be sequenced for engagement, and the gunner may target and fire in a similar manner using the vehicle's main gun, or either of the two co-axials. The gunner's station is identical to, and interchangeable with, the commander's, and either can take on additional roles if the situation requires. This feature is only available to LY7s in Lyran or allied service. When used in conjunction with Cromwell II, and the fast-traversing low-signature falcon-type turret, the engagement speeds of the LY7 are almost twice as fast as any previously designed Lyran vehicle – a crucial element to AFV survivability.

A developed on the LY6 series, and subsequently retrofitted to all Lyran-operated AFVs, the electrics of the LY7, more specifically the circuitry, are composed of Gallium Arsenide (GaAs), rendering the vehicle proof against electromagnetic interference or EMP-based attack, although the GaAs is itself a highly expensive addition. It was quickly reasoned, however, that when operating in an environment which may include anti-strategic platforms such as the LY4032 “Rampart”, the chances of the platform encountering high levels of electromagnetic interference goes up dramatically, and the dangers this presents far outweigh the relatively modest (though expensive in absolute terms) cost of the implementation of GaAs components.

Propulsion and mobility
The LY7 further adds to its modularity by a new first among armoured fighting vehicles; modular engines. Capable of accepting an extremely wide variety of engines, as long as they are both able to generate electrical power and fit in the engine bay, the LY7 allows for a new benchmark in force sustainment and domestic integration of non-indigenous components.
The armoured engine bay is designed for easy access and expedient removal, which also flows on to notably easier maintenance, and the LY7's flexibility enables any given battleforce to continue, if desired, its extant logistics practices with the aim of greatly enhanced battleforce sustainment.
The LY7, borrowing from features first demonstrated on the LY219 and later on the LY6, uses an electric transmission system, where the drive shafts have been replaced by cable and the power from the engines is transferred by cable throughput, which delivers a number of advantages, including volume efficiency, very high fuel efficiency (reliant, of course, on the engine used), reduced lifecycle costs, and reduced environmental impacts.
The electric drive has also greatly improved low observability characteristics in terms of thermal and acoustic signatures as well as low visual and radar signatures.
Borrowing again from the LY219, and LY6 Werewolf, the LY7's suspension is mounted on the underframe and not on the side frames, so the suspension is separated from the hull. A result of using a decoupled suspension in conjunction with the spall liners is that the internal noise level is as low as 75dB which is well below civilian vehicle noise acceptability standards, and 4dB below the previously benchmark LY6, the difference due to the LY7's chassis being 38 tonnes lighter .
The engine, whatever it may be, is further decoupled from the final drives allowing flexibility in the placing of systems in the vehicle and also easily allows two smaller engines to be installed instead of one, should smaller engines be preferred for export purposes. Batteries are integrated into the electric drive system, which when considered in combination with the suspension, allow the vehicle to be driven near-silently for several hours with the engines shut down, a factor very likely to increase psychological strain on forces fighting against it in close terrain or poor visibilty.
The final drives are connected by a cross-shaft which gives higher power efficiency in turning manoeuvres by transferring the power regenerated at the inner track during a turn to the outer track.
Any engine fitted will, like its predecessors (bar the LY663), be linked to the Cromwell system, which keeps track of the temperatures of each individual segment of the engine, and both monitors and records engine stresses. The system then notifies both the operators and higher command when replacement or repair is required for components, as well as when the engine or parts of it are coming due for routine maintenance. This contributes to greatly reduced attrition, and total combat readiness is markedly improved as a result, while lowering maintenance workloads. The Cromwell system is also responsible for monitoring the active cooling of the vehicle's exhaust, as a means of reducing the vehicle's already low thermal signature, further enhancing the vehicle's low observability characteristics.
The entire assembly is, as per existing Lyran and TPF-standards, also fitted with deployable sand filters for use in high-sand environments, such as deserts or certain parts of the littoral.
As is also the standard with Lyran armoured vehicles, and now has been for some time, the Rottweiler is fitted with rear-vision cameras for manoeuvering in close country or urban environments, a factor which, in other vehicles, has prevented a tremendous number of accidents and eased the psychological load on personnel responsible for moving the vehicles in less-than-optimal conditions.
Tracks are shrouded as standard to increase resilience to battle damage, and have seven road wheels and two drive rollers, with only the forward roller on each side partially unshrouded.


Active Protection System options
In keeping with the LY7's focus on modularity, the platform is able to be fitted with one of any number of active protection systems. At the time of release, three have been specifically tested, but the system infrastructure is in place to ensure maximum possible adaptability and compatibility with alternate or upgraded active protection suites.

The first is the still-new GOLIATH system, itself a co-operative venture between Krupp and Lyran Arms, derived from the highly regarded, well known and effective WATCHKEEPER active protection systems, which itself, owes much of its renown to the tremendous export success of the LY4 Wolfhound MBT, LY219 Ironheart series of combat vehicles, and LY6 Werewolf assault gun. Originally an interim solution by TPF to Lyran requirements for an APS suite, Krupp, despite the system's success, continued to consider it as such, and constantly attempted to improve it.

Responsible for a great number of saved vehicles, especially amongst the LY219s fighting on the Cancun peninsula during the Mokan Civil War WATCHKEEPER nevertheless proved to have some trouble targeting and destroying multiple threats that originated from greater than 30 degrees elevation. Thus, designers began work on the GOLIATH, which was to be a multi-tiered system that could combat multiple threat natures effectively, quickly, reliably and flexibly.

GOLIATH detects incoming missiles by two means, one by millimeter wavelength radar (mounted on seven flat-panel antennae with a combined field of 360°/6400mils), and the other by LIDAR. This dual-mode sensor input provides a higher degree of redundancy against any failures or jamming methods, and has raised reliability against a number of active anti-countermeasure systems. The system has a reaction time of 0.4 seconds.

The first defensive mechanism GOLIATH employs is a soft-kill suite. The suite includes a number of features designed to confuse or misdirect enemy guided anti-tank systems. Primarily, the system uses the 'Gold' targeting program, interlinked to the databanks of the Cromwell II, which identifies incoming projectiles, classifies and prioritises them for intercept. By way of illustration, the system would engage a Helios II, Koronet and Javelin, most likely in that order, while ignoring the three incoming RPGs, given the latter's inability to cause damage to the armour. In addition, the Gold computer automatically deploys applicable alternate counter-measures including IR-suppressant smoke grenades and electro-optical jammers.

In addition to the soft-kill suite, GOLIATH also features an advanced and layered hard-kill suite. The first layer employs four 2.5 inch kinetic kill rockets. These rockets are designed to engage and destroy incoming targets out to 600 meters. This allows the tank to eliminate threats before they become of concern to the shorter ranged systems. The rockets also have an increased proportional effectiveness against air-launched ATGMs.

The second tier of the hard-kill suite is the most widely used system, and consists of four bundles of grenades, each consisting of four grenades a piece. This allows the GOLIATH to engage many multiple targets at the same time, while still providing a firm degree of protective target neutralisation. The second tier system can reach out to just over 100 meters.

The final tier is based more directly on the system's WATCHKEEPER predecessor, and is rarely employed, and generally only in the case of ammunition expenditure in the previous two tiers. The Cromwell fire control computer detects the incoming weapons system and calculates an approach vector. Once the attack is fully classified, the Cromwell system determines, if required, the best time and angle to fire the 3rd tier of GOLIATH. The response comes from four launchers installed on the vehicle, two on each side of the turret. The launchers can pivot/rotate on x and y axes, and can therefore engage targets in any direction that the fire control computer deems necessary. The launchers fire a spread of tungsten balls, similar to the projectiles of an M18A1 Claymore anti-personnel weapon, at the target at ranges out to 25 meters. The system is reloadable and there is a total of eight spreads.

The LY7, as with a great number of its predecessors, also sports an impressive suite of active ECM as a means of defeating incoming radar guided missiles, and the suite is usually activated if detection equipment determines that multiple radar signatures are illuminating the vehicle in question.

The second default option is the recently designed GOLIATH II. GOLIATH II differs from its predecessor by means of a more powerful and responsive detection system, simplified system architecture and more potent soft-kill suite.

Krupp Industries soon contracted out the design and production of an upgraded APS to Landmark Systems of Northern Prussia. It was quickly determined by Landmark that the most cost- and combat-effective (to say nothing of time) avenue was to generate an upgrade the current GOLIATH system that was being fielded on (and retrofitted to) the LY4A1 Wolfhound MBT and LY6 Werewolf assault gun, to say nothing of a host of other AFVs.

GOLIATH II relies on a phased radar array to detect, acquire, and track targets. The detection systems has five radar panels providing 360 degree protection. These panels are located on the frontal turret and hull, the hull sides, and the rear hull and turret, providing complete protection against enemy threats. The phased panel array allows for little ground clutter to interfere with targeting, especially in more built-up areas or forested locations.

GOLIATH II also makes use of a sophisticated soft-kill system for use against threats. Firstly, the system uses a Radar Waring Receiver, commonly on aircraft to detect if there is a hostile radar lock, but very rare on internationally successful tanks. The RWR gives (where possible) crews time to react and possibly evade or engage the threat. At the very least, the RWR's activation puts the APS online, and dramatically reduces system reaction time to hostile action. The RWR also allows for the active ECM suite to lock onto and possibly disrupt the enemy targetting or guidance systems, especially if the enemy forces are using less-powerful or more susceptible radars, such as the millimeter wavelength radars common to most tanks and UCAV's.

Secondly, GOLIATH II utilises a laser warning receiver and electro-optical jammer to help detect and engage enemy threats. Finally, the turret has eight different grenade launchers, each stacked with 60mm four grenades that are electronically fired. These grenades can fire chaff, IR-suppressant smoke, decoys, or illumination grenades.
A hard-kill mechanism is easily as important if not more important than the soft-kill system, and GOLIATH II introduces a new system for this role. This consists of a four barreled grenade launcher system mounted on a motor that allows the launchers to rotate a full 360 degrees twice in a second. The launchers are each equipped with grenades that use combustionable housing. This allows for the grenades to engage the enemy missiles with their blast power alone, allowing for no deadly shrapnel to remain for any friendly infantry nearby. Each grenade launcher is equipped with eight grenades that fire electronically and can engage at a range out out to 50 meters.
Additionally, Cromwell II is able to network with other tank allowing other tanks to “network” with each other and “cover” other tanks, providing integrated active protection for the formation, rather than simply for individual vehicles.
Also featured is the Enlil III active protection system, a system which is on its account both self-contained and modular, and a highly effective solution when dealing with a platform lacking an intrinsic active self-defence mechanism. In the case of states already fielding Sumerian hardware, the Enlil III provides for a logistics continuity which is both highly attractive and extremely effective, particularly with an eye towards force sustainment and cross-force commonality.
Lyras
22-05-2008, 06:39
Armour
The LY7 continues the emphasis on modularity by means of a highly adaptable modular armour package.
While structurally steel, far and away the base armour of the chassis is titanium, which in general terms offers considerably higher protection per unit of weight. Given the premium placed on weight within the LY7, titanium was exceptionally attractive, with projected increased per-unit costs expected to come down greatly with the projected size of the production run.
The primary external armour is titanium-chobham, a form of composite armor composed of multiple layers of titanium and ceramic. The titanium plates hold the ceramic in position and the ceramic maintains its resistance to shock even when fragmented, as long as it remains held together. Explosive reactive armour is fitted as standard (though can be removed) to the turret and major hull areas. Fireproof armoured bulkheads seperate the crew compartment from the engine bay, which itself forms part of the forward passive protection suite.
Fuel and ammunition are located within armoured sub-compartments with anti-spalling layers, and those self-same antispalling systems are also used to protect the internals of the crew compartment. The spall lining is also designed to provide a high degree of noise and thermal insulation, making the Rottweiler, like its two heavier predecessors, extremely quiet for its operators, analagous, to the operators, to a civilian vehicle.
The most important feature of the LY7's armour composition, however, and in keeping with the vehicle's conceptualisation, is the emphasis on applique armour as a means of providing variable levels of protection, appropriate to threat level and weight restrictions. Extensive use of heavy explosive reactive armour on multiple surfaces, or non-explosive reactive armour if operating in close-proximity to infantry, and each of varying types, is integral and expected. The vehicle's heavy use of titanium (especially on the sides and rear, where surfaces generally have the least slope) to keep weight to an absolute minimum while not sacrificing protection, and allowing for easy operator up-armouring is calculated as part of its standard operating circumstances. As is generally the case, titanium is considerably more expensive than an equivalent volume of steel, but it is anticipated that the extremely large production runs will bring the price down on a per-unit basis, and Lyran Arms will subsidise production until that point is reached. It is expected that, as new or more effective forms of modular armour are developed, users will be easily able to integrate the packages into the chassis with a bare minimum of effort.
Available from the Lyran Protectorate, at no extra cost, is the North Point applique armour system, designed for the LY4A1 and very much in mind during the LY7's design process. In response to burst-firing main guns being fielded by several nations, Lyran personnel enquired of Krupp Industries as to the possibility of developing a new form of armour suitable for up-armouring the LY4 series. After an extensive design and implementation process, the Bismarck armour, for which Krupp Industries had purchased rights to, was selected as the basis. Given that, from the outset, the new armour would be appliqué in nature (allowing for extensive retrofitting), emphasis was placed on creating effective armour that would not drastically increase the weight of the LY4 which was already heavy at just over seventy tons. The new armour system for the LY4A1 came to be known as 'North Point'.

Designers decided that there would be three primary layers added to the glacis and turret of the LY4. The first layer was a thick plate of approximately 80mm in actual thickness which correlated to an additional 350mm of RHAe equivalence. This plate consists of ceramic backed up significantly by heavy metals. First layer North Point relies primarily on boron carbide sandwiched between layers of Improved Rolled Homogenous Armour (IRHA). This plate is slanted at 45 degrees to further assist the defeat of kinetic penetrators and chemical energy (ie HEAT) threats.

The second layers is a backing to the first, and serves to utilise heavy metals to help defeat kinetic penetrators and explosively formed plasma jets. Due to weight limitations, this layering is only 20mm in actual thickness and consists of a IRHA plate embedded with depleted uranium pellets.

The third layer consists mainly of a specially designed Heavy Explosive Reactive Armor set [HERA] which is meant to provide high levels of protection for the tank with (proportionally) little gain in weight. The HERA, named “Rainmaker” uses a system of operation whereupon the offending projectile in engaged by the “rays” [Small EFPs] of the HERA and thus deflecting the projectile or (in some cases) actually destroying LRPs, thus drastically reducing penetrating ability of the offensive system.
North Point is composed of “bricks” making each “brick” easily replaceable once used and allowing the system to be fitted to AFVs already in service. The “bricks” are lightweight (at around 3kg) and this allows them to be positioned on as many areas of the tank as needs require. On the LY4A1 and LY7 these are not only positioned on the frontal glacis and turret front and sides, but also on the sides of the vehicle, thus providing a high degree of protection against threats originating from that axis.
The bricks are smaller than the armour plates on which they sit, and as such it is extremely unlikely that, in the advent of engagement by a vehicle employing a burst-fire main gun, the burst will strike the same brick. As a consequence, the chances of penetration being scored by a burst firing weapon against a North Point equipped vehicle is substantially lowered relative to its unaugmented counterpart. North Point has added a total of 5.6 tons to the overall weight of the original LY4, and 5.2 tons will be added to an LY7 similarly equipped.

Finally, the LY7's falcon turret roof, as part of the North Point upgrade, can be mounted with non-explosive reactive armor [NERA] bricks. These thick bricks grant the tank multiple hit capability against threats such as explosively formed penetrators, and thus is the most effective lightweight solution that can be provided to an area not condusive to HERA employment.
Lyran, TPF, and selected other states are also eligible to utilise the North Point A1 restricted armour upgrade package. This package, while generally very similar to the North Point system indicated above, differs in a number of crucial respects. First, and perhaps most notably, is the shift from boron carbide to tungsten disulfide (WS2) in the first layer of HERA. WS2 is an inorganic fullerene; a tubular or spherical nanocomposites. First proposed as a ballistic protection by the Israeli-based ApNano corporation, research into tungsten disulfide had proceeded independently for some time, despite considerable interest from a large number of national military and police forces. The Protectorate Research and Development Commission entering into an information-sharing agreement with the group in late 2006. A manufacturer of other high-strength armour-ceramic materials, such as boron carbide and silicon carbide, ApNano's research showed tungsten disulfide granting at least twice the protection level of equivalent mass boron carbide, between 4 and 5 times stronger than steel, and 6 times the strength of kevlar.
In contrast to organic (carbon-based) Fullerenes, WS2 is easier and much less expensive to produce, is chemically stable and is dramatically less reactive and less flammable. Organic fullerenes are also considered to be highly toxic, whereas WS2, like most other inorganic fullerenes, is not. As WS2 forms, it does so in layers, much like graphite, which is - along with diamond - one of two common forms carbon takes in nature. In WS2, molecules are bonded in trigonal prismatic layers, similar to MoS2. These form flat layers that are stacked on top of one another like sheets of paper.
When making nanotubes, the process, in essence, takes individual layers and folds them over so they join at either edge to form cylinders. Illustration is provided below.

http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb62/2821090/Nanotube.jpg

In an interview recorded in late 2005, Dr. Menachem Genut, ApNano CEO, explained that the company was moving into semi-industrial manufacturing within the next six months producing between 100-200 kilograms of the material per day, gradually moving to full-scale industrial production by 2007, which lead to the production of several tons each day. Although it was difficult to determine the exact price of the "nano-armor" when in full industrial production, given the cost of the original materials and the relatively low production costs, Dr. Genut stated (in 2005) that a kilogram of the new material will cost considerably less than a similar amount of the carbon-based Fullerenes. As at the time of interview, the company was optimistic that with some external financial backing it will be possible to have the first product ready in less then three years.
The Lyran Protectorate was more than happy to provide such backing, which it did to the tune of NS$18 billion. That investment has reaped the requisite rewards, with multiple manufacturing complexes now devoted to production of the materials required for the production of “Dauntless” body armour, in addition to the North Point A1 applique armour package. The investment was recovered within days of the export release of 'Dauntless', due to the sale of over a million units of the ballistic armour to the Zinarian military and Griffencrest Corporation.

In mid-2005, research into WS2 was conducted at the University of Nottingham, England. A sample of the material was subjected to severe shocks, from a steel projectile moving at speeds of up to 1.5 km/second. The tungsten disulfide withstood the impacts of up to 250 tons per square centimeter. This is approximately equivalent to dropping four diesel locomotives onto an area the size of ones fingernail. During the test the material proved to be so strong that after the impact the samples remained essentially unchanged, when compared to the original material. Additionally, a recent study by Prof. J. M. Martin from Ecole Centrale de Lyon in France tested the new material under isostatic pressure and found it to be stable up to at least 350 tons/cm2.

While it is acknowledged that WS2 is three times the weight of boron carbide, and grants only twice the protection, it has been judged that in a large number of cases the additional total weight will not be of great concern to the tank, with the additional two tons of weight being well worth the extra protection against KE and HEAT threats. In either case, by virtue of the system's modular nature, the armour can be applied or removed as circumstances warrant.

Internal spalling layers are, by default, kevlar, a long-accepted international standard in the field. Should additional protection be sought, the kevlar can be removed and replaced with any number of materials, of which steltexolites of a variety of forms are popular choices. Steltexolites have been traditionally chosen by Lyras, due to its greater resilience to KE and HE based armour piercing AT weapons than kevlar.

Now, however, another option has become available for the anti-spalling layer, to those states eligible to acquire the North Point A1 armour upgrade. Also derived from research undertaken in conjunction with the 'Dauntless' body armour project, Lyran vehicles utilise anciniform spider silk as anti-spalling protection.

Once threads are manufactured, the silk is woven in the same manner as fibrous material anywhere. The fibres mesh well, and fibrous internal friction is low while elasticity and tensile strength both remain very high, allowing for exceptionally good resistance, particularly so when compared to other similar substances, such as aramids. The fibres, unusually, become proportionally stronger as they get thinner, and research and implementation quickly established what spiders established millions of years ago, that weaving 100 thin fibres into a silken strand is almost 60% stronger than an equivalent width single strand, while utilising (approximately) only 80% of the material mass. Also, critically, spider silk has a biphasic modulus – when initially subjected to force it is very stiff, like Kevlar, but just before the yield point it becomes very elastic. It also undergoes hysteresis, so if released from tension it comes back into shape.
In essence, while offering slightly improved protection-to-weight ratios than kevlar, anciniform spider silk is dramatically thinner, allowing notably more material to be packed into the same space. As a consequence, while the protection per unit weight may be similar to kevlar, the protection per unit volume is considerably higher, and it is this consideration that lead to its adoption as anti-spalling on most Lyran vehicles, at the cost of an additional 400kg of weight. Again, this option is modular, and some units do not utilise it.

Signature Reduction
A great number of active and passive signature reduction methods have been implemented in the LY7, making it the AFV with the lowest detection footprint of any yet produced by the Lyran Protectorate. Signature reduction techniques on the LY7 are employed to minimise detectability by radar, infra-red, direct line-of-sight visibility and acoustic means.
The first method by which the LY7s detection signature is reduced is through use of the Lyran-designed and manufactured 'Warshroud' advanced multi-spectral camouflage netting system. Based heavily on the Ukrainian 'Kontrast', 'Warshroud' dramatically reduces the detection ranges against known radar, infra-red and visible-band methods. The 'Kontrast' system was developed at the Institute of Automated Systems in late 2002, and was designed to address a notable and growing problem. High-potency modern weapons are able to engage ground vehicles at any angle, from great ranges, by day or by night, irrespective of weather, and with a potency that was becoming increasingly difficult to counter. The Institute's researchers faced a real challenge and, moreover, it was decided to develop a single solution, one that would take into account all noted factors and be implemented within the weight and size limitations.

In approaching this task specialists at the Institute of Automated Systems decided to proceed from the key idea behind the design of high precision weapons. High-precision, high-lethality systems universally require integration with means of detection, which of necessity requires the design of sensor sets and target locators, and the implementation of effective scanning capabilities across several adjacent or near-adjacent visible and invisible spectra, including visible light, close and long infra-red waves, and laser scans(in the infrared, millimeter and centimeter wave bands).
The developers of Kontrast took an ordinary camouflage net as the base and, utilising the latest technological innovations, turned it into a new generation signature-reduction product to combat the sophistication of modern radar systems and other contemporary military reconnaissance means. The result was the development of a surprisingly effective solution.

Developed countries traditionally have utilised a wide variety of signature reduction technologies, many of which include various after-manufacture coatings. The technical requirements of such coating are very high - their reflection capacity must be below 20 dB in a wide range of bands. This factor forced the Ukrainian – and later Lyran – research teams to examine new physical methods for reducing or amplifying reflection of radar waves to achieve effective electromagnetic concealment. With this goal in mind, the 'Kontrast' developers tried to find materials with absorptive and reflective characteristics for attenuating and amplifying electromagnetic waves. Experiments generated a series of composite materials with superb characteristics for greatly diminishing the wave reflection contrast between the protected object and its background.

'Kontrast' simultaneously employed both absorption and targetted reflection of electromagnetic waves. The array of material used within the netting the product, each of which featured at least one of the said qualities, allowed protection from a great range of known target location means. 'Kontrast' tests have repeatedly shown its superiority across a wide range of battlefield conditions to analogues from Sweden and Britain, whether the concealed unit is moving or stationary.

'Warshroud' built on 'Kontrast' by the integration of signature reduction techniques in the IR spectrum pioneered by the LDPCU multi-spectral camouflage. The resultant product takes nearly twice as long to produce, due to the difficulty in applying a coating (which had been done away with under 'Kontrast') to the camouflage netting. Attempts are being made to shorten the 'Warshroud' manufacturing process, but it is somewhat of a moot point. Production as it stands is more than capable of keeping up with the manufacture of the vehicles utilising 'Warshroud'. 'Warshroud''s visible suppression includes, as with most camouflage nets, terrain-appropriate textile strips, soaked in a dielectric polymer that can absorb and scatter electromagnetic waves. The textile pieces are made of non-reactive, radar transparent fabric.

In 2002, tests run using 'Kontrast' on a T-84 determined that the ability of hostile weapons to lock onto a vehicle dropped nine-fold compared to an unshrouded vehicle. It was further established that T-84 MBTs fielding 'Kontrast' dropped out of visibility range of viewing devices at distances over and including 500m.

'Warshroud' builds on this, with additional substantial reduction in detectability of targets in infra-red, radio-thermal and radio wave bands. Improvements in synthetic and parasynthetic textiles have also reduced the inherent radar return in the material which binds the net together, along all detection envelopes.

'Warshroud' has repeatedly demonstrated excellent resistance to various external factors while keeping its camouflaging characteristics intact – a factor very quickly determined to be a critical capability of the system. Tests had tanks equipped with a 'Warshroud' run at their tops speeds in off-road conditions, in woods and deserts, while similarly equipped IFVs conducted amphibious landings. In all cases, the signature reduction capabilities of the equipment were unreduced to any appreciable degree. All elements of 'Warshroud' are resistant to fuels, lubricants (gasoline, diesel fuel, lube oil) and detergents. Furthermore, spinning off from research conducted into the LDPCU once again, the shroud is made of self-extinguishing materials, ensuring that flames cease to burn free of subsequent glowing, once the fire source is removed.

'Warshroud' itself consists of a number of modular components that can be put together to create a masking surface of any size and shape, with colors matching any field environment in any season.
It is currently expected that existing AFV stocks will be retrospectively fitted with 'Warshroud', as a means of contributing to the ongoing attempts to reduce detection footprints across all relevant bands.

The second primary means of signature reduction is focused on the engine and drive systems of the LY7. While already alluded to above in the analysis of the LY7's propulsion and mobility, relevant points will be reiterated here for ease of reference.

The LY7's electric drive differs from conventional AFV drive system arrangements by utilising a hybrid powerplant. This essentially means that the engine generates electric power which in turn powers the batteries which propel the vehicle. The electric drive, has, importantly, implemented a suite of features designed to mitigate its detectability, both acoustically and thermally. Moreover, the presence of dual APUs and the primary and secondary battery banks allow the LY7 to be driven for several hours with the main engines off, which pushes the sound generated to below that of a conventional civilian motor vehicle.

As with a number of earlier marks of AFV, the Rottweiler's decoupled suspension is seperated from the hull, and similarly seperated from the final section which turns the drive wheels, a factor which considerably lowers audibility in itself.

Acoustically, the LY7 is phenomenally quiet in most circumstaces, and preliminary manoeuvers conducted with early Lyran vehicles have demonstrated the potential that this low-observability can manifest, providing a tremendous advantage in low-visibility scenarios, by day or by night.

By utilising the Cromwell system to actively monitor the engine and propulsion systems, the crew are able to remain constantly aware of the amount of noise being generated, and also the amount of heat being radiated. Furthermore, as indicated in the propulsion and mobility section, the LY7, like the LY6, utilises active cooling of its own exhaust, a further means of suppressing thermal and infra-red signature. When this is taken in conjunction with 'Warshroud', the thermal and IR footprint of the LY7 is a bare fraction of what its weight and power would suggest.


Crew amenities
It has been a well-known fact in most militaries that well-rested and alert soldiers with a high morale and a high degree of confidence in themselves and their equipment will perform faster, more effectively and with fewer avoidable errors than those who fall short in any of the above categories. To that end, for a number of years Lyran vehicles have put a strong emphasis on designing and manufacturing hardware that can effectively cater for the comfort needs of personnel that fight from that hardware.

To that end, Lyran vehicles from the LY4 onwards featured crew amenities designed to optimise performance of personnel and maintain morale. This, in the LY7, manifests in a number of ways.

The Rottweiler fields the commonplace hot and cold water drink point, which provides hot water, cold water, and with two further compartments that can be filled with hot or cold drinks of the crew or unit's choice. As well as being morale boosting, hot water in particular can be of direct military value, with it being used to brew tea or coffee, produce other hot beverages and, most importantly, it is used for dehydrated ration packs common to many armies and armed services.

Situated immediately below the drink point is a small bar fridge, which can either carry spare rations, 'jack' rations, or approximately two cases of soft-drinks or equivalent.

The NBC system follows Lyran standard, and features quite adequately as a climate control system, making for working temperatures easily adjustable to every national or personal need (operating temperature range -40C to 55C). The NBC system on the LY7, however, can be removed and/or replaced with alternate systems, should the operating entity so desire.

Seat warmers/coolers are also fitted, to ensure greater comfort and optimise combat endurance and deployability of both crew and personnel being transported. The seats can also be adjusted, manually or electronically, to ensure optimum comfort and control access for any shape or size.

New to the LY7 is the provision of a small toilet located to the rear, on the left of the main door. This addresses a major stressor identified to continuous closed-down armoured operations – the requirement to urinate. Personnel can be in combat situations or near-combat situations for days at a time, and while sleep is also in short supply, other body requirements, generally speaking, cannot be put off that long. Thus, given the LY7's emphasis on operational and strategic mobility, the vehicle was designed with a latrine in mind. While limited in capacity, the system allows the vehicle, and thus its unit, to continuously manoeuver or remain under armour for far longer than would otherwise be expected.

Rottweilers, as with the Wolfhounds, Ironhearts, Manticores and Werewolves are also equipped, as standard, with integral high-speed wireless (satellite) broadband internet connections, allowing the crew to surf the internet, check their emails, or correspond with family. It is worth noting, however, that personnel surfing the net while on the move or on duty is to be strongly discouraged, and some tank commanders within LY4 and LY6 units have taken to locking the system, such that only they can allow access, an adjustment that has met with great success. The provision of insulated external connections allows accompanying or transported personnel to simply plug in to the side of the vehicle, and then they to can go online. Vehicles with this feature, at this point approximately 50% of the Lyran arsenal, are invariably popular with the units that field them, or are attached to them, as they not only ensure vastly improved fire support, but also mean that personnel are going to get, hot (or cold) drinks, snacks and a way to talk to home, all of which ensures dramatically higher morale and the notably higher performance that such morale generates.


Export
Whatever the battlespace situation, whatever the available domestic infrastructure, whatever the extant taskforce ORBAT, whatever the nature of newly designed technology, the LY7 Rottweiler can slide seemlessly into it, adapting and responding to best meet the operator's requirements in firepower, mobility and protection. Like perhaps no other platform before it, the LY7 represents the cutting edge of adaptable multirole combatant hardware.
Upon purchase of an LY7, the purchaser is entitled to the following, in addition;
DPR to the LY64 7.62mm MMG for use with that vehicle only
DPR to the LY60 14.7mm HMG for use with that vehicle only.
DPR to the PAK2 25mm automatic cannon, for use with that vehicle only.
DPR to the LY407 120/140mm ETC smoothbore main gun, for use with that vehicle only
DPR to the SALY28 S/MR SAM, for use with that vehicle only.
DPR to the Helios II BVR ATGM, for use with that vehicle only.
DPR to the North Point applique armour package, for use with the LY7 series only.
DPR to 'Warshroud', for use on the LY7 series only.
DPR and useage is NOT granted to North Point, Enlil II, GOLIATH or GOLIATH II, unless confirmed through TPF. WATCHKEEPER is authorised, however, and the LY7 is compatible with most APS systems.
DPR to stocks, spare parts, ammunition and resupply examples of the above, to maintain suitable reserves and hardware redundancy, for use with the LY7 series only.


The North Point A1 restricted armour upgrade package is available, for use on the LY7, as a part of the purchase deal, but only to states who have entered into formal alliance agreements with the Lyran Protectorate or The People's Freedom.
DPR to the LY7 are only available to states cleared by Executive Command, which retains oversight of all operations of the Lyran Governmental Trade Department.
Production lines have been established with an intent to manufacture the LY7 in large quantities. Lyras expects to produce, for its own use, reserve stockpiles numbered in the millions. With the potential for strong export sale as well, a great deal of manufacturing space has been set aside for the LY7. It is this scale of production that enables the platform to be exported at the surprisingly affordable price that it is available for.
In development at the time of release are a number of variants on the LY7 chassis, including the LY7/366 'Lammasu' self-propelled howitzer, LY222 'King Shepherd' anti-aircraft system, and LY7-1 'Arkela' armoured recovery vehicle. More information will be provided regarding these, and other variants, as it becomes available. Nations to which the LY7 is exported are encouraged to submit designs or concepts to the Lyran Protectorate Research and Development Commission for review, or clarification, when determining if unusual or unique weapons systems are adaptable to the LY7 platform.

Each LY7 is available from Lyran Arms (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=541320), at a total cost per unit of NS$10m.
To states so authorised, DPRs to the LY7 are available at NS$75bn.
Orbath
22-05-2008, 06:49
http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff216/PhotoOrbath/orbathdiploheader.png
Once again Lyran Arms develops a piece of cutting edge military technology which the nation of Orbath is interested in. Firstly we must inquire about a few things. What is the parts commodity between this and the LY4A1 or LY6? Could an amphibious version of this be produced? What role could this play alongside LY4A1 tanks as I understand it is meant to supplement rather than replace them?
Lyras
22-05-2008, 06:59
TO: Orbath
FROM: Lyran Governmental Trade Department

RE: LY7

Parts commonality between the LY7 and LY6 is fairly low. The two machines are quite different. One is a 60-odd ton tank, the other a 98.5 ton assault gun/tank destroyer. Similar systems are utilised, but adjusted to fit.

The LY4 series has a much higher parts commonality, especially with reference to elements of the chassis. Other elements will also gel well, for instance the LY402 would work just fine in lieu of the LY407. APS systems are very compatible, not just with WATCHKEEPER but also GOLIATH.

Electronics are very compatible, although the current incarnation of the LY7s are more advanced, although the LY4A1 does not differ by much.

Amphibious versions of the LY7 are unlikely, although the possibility will be investigated.

The LY7 is indeed designed to operate alongside the LY4 series, and the LY4 is still easily one of the more capable MBTs available. The LY7 is simply another step in the Protectorate's ongoing attempt to push the boundaries of military advancement, and is designed to operate in conjunction with existing systems, of which the LY4 series is an intrinsic and well established part.

Regards

Lieutenant-General Aleksandr
Director
Lyran Governmental Trade Department
Bredubar
Protectorate of Lyras
The Saiyan People
22-05-2008, 07:04
OOC: Nice! I think the detail and obvious care to detail in this is awesome. I plan to look into some of your other stuff. You rock!
The PeoplesFreedom
22-05-2008, 07:49
OOC: Lyras, you do not have permission to use GOLIATH, GOLIATH II, or North Point on this design.
Varessa
24-05-2008, 04:07
OOC: I am very glad to see that my input has been well recieved. Expect large orders shortly.
Asgarnieu
25-05-2008, 01:18
Office 5
1217 Government Way
Balkan City, 85546
Balkan City S.A.R., United Democratic Empire of Asgarnieu

To: Lyran Arms
From: Office of the 5-Star General of the Asgarnian Armed Forces Command
Subject: Purchase of DPR's

Greetings, loyal friends.

We require a lighter duty tank such as the LY7 "Rottweiler" tank for use with our Marines and Airborne army elements.

That said, we wish to procure the DPR's to not only the LY7, but each of the component weapons unique to the LY7.

We understand that the minimum cost will be $75,000,000,000.00 USD, and are willing to pay for each of the component weapons' DPR's.

We thank you for your time in this matter.

Respectfully,

(G5) James Austin Hodnett
5-Star General of the Asgarnian Armed Forces Command
Lyras
29-05-2008, 04:33
TO: Office of the 5-Star General of the Asgarnian Armed Forces Command
FROM: Lyran Governmental Trade Department
Subject: Purchase of DPR's

Sir

We thank you for the honour you do us by this request, and do formally accept your request. NS$75bn has been creditted to your account, and requisite weapons system authorisations and specification has been provided.

Should further information be required, please let us know.

Stand undaunted

Lieutenant-General Aleksandr
Director
Lyran Governmental Trade Department
Bredubar
Protectorate of Lyras
United Elsweyr
28-06-2008, 12:26
Allied States of United Elsweyr
Official Message

Having reviewed a number of vehicles for acquisition for the military of United Elsweyr, we have found that your LY7 Rottweiler is the most acceptable, and flexible, and also allows greatest compatibility with other weapon systems.

We therefore request 100, configured with LY406 main guns, PAK2 and LY60 coaxials, and with LY60s on the turret station.

We also request discussions about whether extended payment is feasible.

General S'Rakdar C'Raht
Allied States of United Elsweyr
Lyras
29-06-2008, 02:03
TO: General S'Rakdar C'Raht, Allied States of United Elsweyr
FROM: Lyran Governmental Trade Department

RE: LY7 purchase

Sir

Your request for 100 examples of the LY7 medium tank is approved, and will be shipped to you in the configuration requested. Be advised that altering that configuration is very easy, and will require no input from us... it is entirely up to you.

Payment, after consultation with Executive Command, can be extended out over a five year period, more if you require.

Regards

Lieutenant-General Aleksandr
Director
Lyran Governmental Trade Department
Bredubar
Protectorate of Lyras


OOC: But use the storefront :)