Legion Sketch Files: The Main Battle Tank
Even before man took to the stars, one of the pivotal areas of weapon’s development was the creation of the armored vehicle. Using dense and hardened materials, the first AR-Vs were developed as a means to cross trenches in World War I, while delivering much needed cover and firepower to lines forward of the fighting positions. Engineers embraced the idea, designing a vehicle with a long body supported by continuous tracks on the outboard armor for support through the muddy conditions, over wide-bellied trenches. As the use of trench warfare came to a close after the first world war, the concept for the armored fighting vehicle would see future refinement into the main battle tank.
Centuries into man’s trek toward galaxy’s edge, as they hammered out a slew of colonies, the use of tracks on vehicles would eventually be replaced by repulsors, but not before main battle tanks on tracks saw Savage fighting during the Battle of New Vega. In the brutal street-to-street combat the conflict was known for, Espanian Sentinel tanks loosed ferocious levels of thunder against a Savage force, providing crucial cover for Spilursan forces. Sporting the latest in heavy blasters, automatic grenade launchers, and the ground-chewing hexagonal quad-treads, the Sentinel was a brawler for its time.
Over centuries of fighting Savages, tank tech evolved, replacing the tracks with repulsors, main guns with heavy blast-pack cannons, and reactive armor with shield hardened impervisteel. While the Legion adopted the vehicle for combat support against mechs and other heavy weapons, they went to a dual locomotive system, having both tracks and repulsors in the event one system failed.
Two is one. One is none.
By the Battle of Kublar, Republic Armorworks had developed a main battle tank that is the pinnacle of mounted armored warfare, with a main gun that could hurl 300mm energy shells at its enemies while gliding across the battlefield, leaving destruction in its wake.
If you had to ride in an armored death dealer like an MBT, what position would you hold? Driver, gunner, or tank commander?
Probably would be a Tank Commander (TC).
Initial training in the Army was at Fort Knox, KY in armor school learning to be a driver, loader, and gunner.
Then on to Mechanized Infantry as a Rifle, Mortar, and Anti-Tank Platoon Leader.
Military Advisor to a Saudi Motorized Infantry Battalion during the Battle of al-Khafji.
As a former C-DAT (computerized, dumb a$$ tanker), I was driver, loader, and gunner before hanging up my overalls at the close of the Cold War. I would like to sit in the Commander's station for a stint.
Though, having followed my MBT experience with Navy helicopter CSAR and SOF support, I think I would like to stick to supporting Dark Ops and feather head recovery.