M36A3 Vanderkore MBT (Main Battle Tank)
Power Generation
There are two variants of the Vanderkore when it comes to power generation, reactor powered and battery powered. This is incorporated into naming conventions by a dash mark followed by either an R for reactor or B for battery (I.E. M36A3-R). In addition, weather the tank is the in or out of atmosphere model is denoted after this by V if it is the model designed to operate in a vacuum and nothing if not. It is worth noting that any regular model can quickly and easily be converted to function in a vacuum with just a few mostly automated adjustments. Either power generation system supplements the drive engine, reducing the power and size as well as fuel needed for it. In addition, weather reactor or batteries power the tank, they are located in the front as the engine is in the back and act as additional shielding to the crew for penetrating frontal impacts. The generator variant is slightly lighter and is typically used when the tank needs to operate for an extended period of time without returning to base which the downside of being more expensive than batteries as well as needing occasional resuply of reactor fuel. Battery variants have a shorter operational range of operating at full power for only around 10 hours on a full charge as apposed to the several days if not weeks of a reactor. Charging stations for these vehicles are set up at FOBs during deployment to recharge the cells between deployments. The only other advantage to battery variants is that the densely packed numerous cell blocks act as suprisnsgly effective armor and work quite well from stopping incoming rounds from the front. The batteries are also designed to not ingnite or explode if compromised, as this would be very bad for the crew.
Propulsion
A triple turbine hybrid engine located in the rear of the vehicle is aided by power supplied by either the reactor or batteries to power both a front and rear drive gear with a combined horsepower of over 2,200. This allows the tank to keep moving even if 1-2 of its drive gears are disabeled for any reason. In addition, the Vanderkore can still move, albeit far more poorly, when it's track is entirely removed as both drive wheels manage enough traction to propel the vehicle. This speed tops out at only around 20 mph in the best of conditions, but it is far better than being immobilized after running over an anti-tank mine or some such. Exhaust from the engine is expelled via an exhaust grate located on the side rear of the tank, and has internal separation locks that prevent things like first or chemical weapons from entering the cabin of the vehicle or disabling the engine. In a vacuum, exhaust is collected and compressed in storage canisters until the fumes reach proper pressure, when they are then expelled out the exhaust port in an intense rapid burst. This feature also serves to reduce the IR signature of the vehicle as hot gas is not constantly leaving to exhaust vent. Lastly, 3 drill-like extendable screws are located in each trade section as well as magnetic locks. The magnetic plates allow for better cohesion to metallic surfaces and the screws rapidly screw into rock and then unscrew to allow for removal. This allows the tank to be used in very low or theoretically 0G environments.
Weapons & Armament
Main Gun: A 105mm rifled main gun is set into the turret of this tank, scaled down from larger calibers of previous generations due to increases in technology yielding more destructive capability from smaller packages. These smaller size shells also allow Vanderkores to carry more rounds that larger caliber weapons, with a maximum ammunition capacity of 52 rounds. These rounds are most often VPGSMs that are fed into the breach of the main cannon via an autloader. Rounds are stored in two seperate magazines, one located in the turret with blowout panels on top allowing the explosion to escape relatively harmlessly if the compartment is compromised and the other in the main body of the tank that feeds more shells into the turret magazine via a pneumatic actuator when needed. The largest weakness of this system is that the turret must remain in a static forward position when reloading the turret magazine, but as the majority of the rounds are already stored there this does not happen too often. The autmated loading and firing system allows Vanderkores to fire their main gun around once every 2.5-3 seconds.
Coaxial: Mounted to the right of the main gun is a coaxial 20mm chaingun. While it is fixed directionally so that it can only aim in the direction the main gun is facing, its horizontal axis is independent, which allows for a greater angle of attack for targeting things either high above the tank like drones, or up close like infantry that managed to get too close for comfort. The 20mm ammunition this gun fires is programmable, allowing for penetration through walls or other cover preceded by detonation and elimination of enemy infantry on the other side as well as for targeting troops in defilade via overhead detonation.
Armor and defense
Physical Armor: First, the hull of the Vanderkore is made of a classified incredibly lightweight and durable steel alloy. This allows for much more weight allowances in electronic and other systems. In between steel alloy, ceramic, and rubber layers is a special semi-liquid polymer that allows the hull of the tank to self seal after being penetrated. This is proves very useful when operating in a vacuum so that the cabin does not rapidly depressurize. The second line of defense for these vehicles is their encasing double layered reactive armor. Each armor panel has 2 sections that activate independently, with a second layer of reactive armor panels underneath to allow for multiple hit durability. To reduce weight and due to reactive armor's inherent bulk, cage armor is located around the back half of the tank's turret to protect from things like rockets, tandem charges, and HEAT rounds, although it provides essentially no protection from sabot rounds and similar penetrators.
Hard Kill: A laser turret is also affixed to the top of the turret and moves independently of the turret itself. It is made primarily for taking out airborne threats like drones so that top armor doesn't have to greatly increased to deal with that kind of threat. In an emergency the laser can also be used to target slower moving missiles and rockets, with a greater range than the tank's hard kill defenses but being far less effective to not at all against faster moving missiles or tank rounds. Lastly, the laser can target infantry fairly effectively, though the coaxial gun seems to be more efficient in atmosphere while in a vacuum the laser's range is greatly extended, making it more effective. It is worth noting that the laser has inbuilt optics that can be used to aid the tank commander's situational awareness.
In addition to the hard kill laser, 4 H-KITE (Hard-Kill Incoming Threat Elimination) points are mounted in the four corners of the tank's turret. Essentially, this system acts as a sort of explosive shotgun that eliminates incoming projectile threats at close range by firing a blast of small explosives at the missile. Each of these kites has an internal magazine which it can use to replenish its payload up to 12 times.
Other Defenses: The Vanderkore has 3 additional formed of indect defense. The first of which is 10 smoke canister launchers (5 on each side) that can vector their thrust to land as the crew desires to obscure them (chemical compounds have been intigrated into the smoke to also block thermal signatures). Next is an inbuilt mine removal system mounted to the rear of the vehicle which can extend its thick metal spikes into the ground to dig them up without triggering detonation. Last, the tank's entire body is coated in a special paint that great reduces thermal and IR signatures.
Sensors
Many small optical sensors are located 360° around the tank, allowing crewmen to see a full view of their surroundings via their HUD as if the hull of the tank wasn't even there. These cameras are each protected by 3 bulletproof glass disks that can be ejected one by one if they are cracked, covered in dirt, or are obfuscating view in some other way. Radar and LiDAR sensors also supplement the crew's situational awareness. The main optic used for firing the main gun is capable of viewing in standard, IR, and thermal spectrums as well as being able to zoom up to 100x in HD resolution.
Additional & auxiliary systems
First, inbuilt water pumps allow for water to be pushed out of the recess of the tank and have the dual purpose of being capable of venting internal atmosphere for any reason. As the cabin is entirely sealed, Vanderkores can actually submerge themselves entirely underwater, which is especially useful for crossing deep bodies of water, although the crew must be very careful to keep an eye on their radar detection systems so they do not get stuck in especially deep silt or mud. If the vehicle does get stuck somehwere for any reason, two heavy duty metal hitches are located at the front and rear.
Two front facing headlight-like fixtures are actually IR floodlights, capable of illumating an area, blinding enemy IR optics, and possibly scrambling IR tracking systems.
Hangars & docked vessels
2 boxes in the back of the tank or capable of holding 6 D18 Darter Drones each for a total of 12. The drones are stored folded up and are launched out when needed, where they then deploy and then can either operate autonomously or be controlled directly by a crewman via AR headset.
Manufacturer
Creation Date
First entered service in 2293
Owning Organization
Price
$9,064,000
Rarity
6,134 currently in service (all variants)
Weight
77.5 tons
Speed
65 mph (97 kph), 45 mph (72 kph) in reverse with a range of ~1,650 miles (2,655 kilometers)
Complement / Crew
1 commander, 1 driver, 1 gunner (or entirely unmanned)
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