Fenrir Dynamics GV-77 'Monarch'
Hail to the King! Hail to the one! Kneel to the crown!
The Monarch, also known as the Warlord by imperial troops, is a command tank used by the Vestan Ground Defense Force. The Monarch is designed and produced by Fenrir Dynamics, sharing many features and components with the Warden and Ravager vehicles.
Ever since its first public appearance in 377, the Monarch has been a controversial vehicle, both politically and technically. Its adoption doesn't answer any major deficiencies in the Vestan military, while its use of experimental miniaturized fusion technology has led to a multitude of critics and safety concerns from the scientific community.
History
Development
The Monarch was first drafted in the 360s when research on portable nuclear energies showed promising results. Not much is known from these early drafts except some components which were tested for no other product. After spending years in the shadows, the Monarch was first publicly announced in October 377 by Fenrir Dynamics as the next-generation armored assault vehicle. Praising its novel power source and unmatched firepower, the company hoped to spark the interest of military contractors from both the Federation, for direct purchases, and the Empire, for deeper studies.
Fenrir ultimately failed both objectives, as the vehicle was deemed unpractical and unnecessary by both. Still, after several months of difficult negotiations, the Monarch was eventually adopted in May 378 as a new command tank for the GDF's armored divisions. This adoption, months after showing no interest, sparked various controversial debates on Fenrir's influence on the Vestan defense industry. Still, the Monarch proved to be as good as advertised during its numerous exercises, even if overengineered and excessively armed.
Recent history
Due to their rarity, the Monarchs are crewed by the best, who quickly earned the moniker of "Armored Royalty" by their peers. This "tradition" even goes as far as to refer to the vehicle's commander as King, the driver as Queen, the gunner as Ace and the assistant gunner as Jack. Surprisingly, these terms were applied no matter the recipient's presented sex, with these "royal" crews referring to their peers as Rooks or Knights in return. As an indirect result of this crew repartition, and because of their dedicated gunnery crew, Monarchs are often used as command vehicles for armored groups.
Fenrir Dynamics
Unit cost
97.2 million
No. Built
~2.600
In service
378-present
Mass
167.6 tons
Length
14.25m
Width
5.67m
Height
3.6m
Crew
4 (Driver, Gunner, Assistant Gunner, Commander)
Armor
Class VI - Non-explosive reactive armor
Main Armament
C116 152mm gun (96 rounds)
Coaxial RF8 60mm autocannon (600 rounds)
Secondary Armament
2x "Shredder" 8kJ machine gun, 48x SGL52 52mm grenade launchers
Propulsion
4*1200hp permanent magnet synchronous motors / 20 multi-vector maneuvering thrusters
Operational Range
930-1800 km
Maximum Speed
76 km/h
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