Noah Corek
Cocked, Locked and a Smoking Barrel
Image Source: http://i.imgur.com/VDEY4kZ.jpg
Intent: To create a main battle tank that Hekler'Kok can market
Development Thread: N/A
Manufacturer: Hekler'Kok Defense Industries
Model: Sand Panther-class Main Battle Tank Mk. I
Affiliation: Open Market and whoever HK is willing to sell to
Modularity: Yes, Explosive Reactive Armor, Rocket Cages, Various Different Weapons Mounted on the Cupola and Different Types of Canisters in the Canister Launchers
Production: Minor
Material: Layered Titanum-Alusteel Alloy, Durasteel, Ceramics and Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer
Role: Main Battle Tank
Height: 2.2 Meters
Length: 7.3 Meters (Hull Length) 10.5 Meters (With Cannon facing forward)
Width: 3.4 Meters
Weight: 62.3 Tonnes
Minimum Crew: 1x Driver, 1x Loader and 1x Commander/Gunner
Optimal Crew: 1x Driver, 1x Loader, 1x Gunner, 1x Commander and 1x Radio Operator
Propulsion: Tracks
Top Speed: 85 KM/H
Armaments:
- Primary Weapon: 1x AV-7 Anti-Vehicle Cannon (with a shortened barrel and a muzzle brake)
- Secondary Weapon: 1x Co-Axial Heavy Repeater or Medium Repeater
- Tertiary Weapon: Cupola Mounted 1x Heavy Repeater Or Medium Repeater or Grenade Launcher or 2x 90mm TOW Missiles
- Tertiary Weapon: 1x Forward Mounted Heavy or Medium Repeater (for the Radio Operator)
- Tertiary Weapon: 12x Canister Launchers, Two Canisters Per Launchers, Canisters can be Smoke, Incendiary, Teargas, Nerve Agents etc.
Passenger Capacity: Ten can ride on top of the tank at their own peril
Cargo Capacity: N/A
Misc. Equipment:
- Military Grade Radio and Encryption Device
- Standard Sensor Array
- Standard Targeting Systems
- IFF Transmitter
- Backup Manual Turret Controls
- Automated Turret Controls
- Military Grade On-Board Computer Systems
- Damage Control Systems
- Weapon Racks for storing handheld weapons in case of a bail out
- NBC Protection Systems
- EMP Hardening
- Three Periscopes (1 for the Driver, 1 for the Gunner and 1 for the Commander)
The first thing the development teams had to work on was finding or developing a main armament that would be sufficient enough for the Sand Panther to be both a effective alternative to the Skocha for clients and for it to be effective at taking out enemy vehicles, fortifications and personnel. Originally the idea was to use the Skocha main armament, the J-1 Semi-Autonomous Proton Cannon but this was seen as too much like ripping of the Skocha and so the search for a different type of main armament started. Eventually after searching for weeks the developers settled of the J-1's Clone Wars counterpart, the AV-7 Anti-Vehicle Cannon. The AV-7 was originally mounted on a four legged walker support but with some modifications to the weapons design it was made to fit inside the turret of the tank. This along with a muzzle brake to reduce recoil and a gyroscopic stabilizer to allow for more accurate firing while moving. But due to the shortened barrel of the modified AV-7 its range is significantly reduced.
Next that needed worked on was the armor of the tank itself. At first the development team was divided on whether to use straight durasteel with a alusteel outer lining or to use a titanium-alusteel alloy. Both were very effective against energy weapons but it was found that they were vulnerable to high velocity armor piercing shells from ECP cannons and Railguns and the development team tried to find a way to counter. They finally came up with the idea of layered armor. The idea was to put a centimeters of the titanium-alusteel alloy and then a centimeter of durasteel to help defend against energy weapons and then a centimeter of ceramics and centimeter of carbon fiber reinforced polymer to help defend against projectile. In tests this proved to be effective, the projectiles would go through the titanium-alusteel alloy and then durasteel only to be stopped by the ceramics and carbon fiber reinforced polymer. Of course for there to be even less of a chance that projectiles and energy weapons to penetrate it the armor on all sides are sloped at a pretty good angle.
After all that all the secondary and tertiary weapon system were added on to give it a good anti-infantry capability as well. Other equipment were added as well military grade radio and encryption device, a sensor array, targeting systems, a Identify-Friend-or-Foe transmitter, electronic turret controls and backup manual controls in case of electronic failure, on-board computer systems, damage controls systems, weapon racks for hanging weapons in case the crew needs to bail, a Nuclear, Biological and Chemical protection system to protect from radiation from nuclear weapons and biological materials and chemicals from biological and chemical weapons and EMP hardening that adds a resistance in case of a EMP attack.
Primary Source: Skocha-class Main Battle Tank
