Mark I Main Battle Tank

From Beyond the Frontier
Mark I Grizzly Main Battle Tank
Overview
Designation: M1 Main Battle Tank
Manufacturer: Dracar Heavy Industries, The Initiative
Developed From: M1 Abrams Main Battle Tank
Variants: M1a Coyote Command Tank
Specifications
Weight: 66 tons (Main Battle Tank)
70 tons (Command Tank)
Dimensions: Length: 30 Feet /9.14 Meters
Width: 14 Feet / 4.26 Meters
Height: 7 Feet / 2.13 Meters (Main Battle Tank)
Crew: Two (Main Battle Tank)
Three/Four (Command Tank)
Armor: 700mm Composite Armor
Armament: 1x 120mm Coilgun
2x 12.7mm Remote Controlled Coilguns
1x 12.7mm Coaxial Coilgun
Speed: 60Mph /96.56Kph
For the latest generation of tank, see Mark II Main Battle Tank.

The M1 Grizzly Main Battle Tank was designed during the later years of the War of Secession, and is operated Ground Forces Command, Civil Defense Force, and Colonial Security Force units.

History

The M1 Grizzly Main Battle Tank was designed in the latter half of the War of Secession, to support mobile convoys, as well to destroy hostile armored units. In the intervening centuries, technology behind such things as the power cell have advanced to allow the tank a greater firing and movement speed, improved defenses, and more capable sensors.

Design

The M1 Grizzly and it's M1a Coyote variant are both hovercraft, based in part on the M1 Abrams Main Battle Tank of the United States. It's sides were sloped faintly down to the skirts with planed sections for fan mountings for pressurizing the plenum chamber.

The M1 Grizzly is designed to be operated by two personnel, but has a limited cargo space capable of allowing personnel to ride inside or on the hull. It's hull is covered in a series of reactive armor plating, designed to destroy incoming warheads, or hostile infantry, linked in to a series of IFF readers and sensors. Both the driver and tank commander have access to the two 12.7mm remote controlled machine guns. The tank commander riders inside a chamber placed roughly in the middle of the tank, with a narrow access to the driver's compartment.

The M1a Coyote Command Tank was designed to be operated by four personnel, comprised of the unit commander, communications officer, tank commander, and the tank driver. The Coyote is somewhat larger, to accommodate additional space in the tank commander's compartment, to include additional command and control equipment.

Variants

M1a Coyote Command Tank

The M1a Coyote Command Tank is issued to platoon and company commanders, in order to allow operational commanders to accompany their personnel in the field. It serves as a mobile command center, carrying the equipment required to coordinate operations. It is a meter and a half longer, a meter wider, and a half-meter taller than the main battle tank version, in addition to having it's turret slightly enlarged to house a number of sensor and communication arrays. It's interior is laid out slightly differently, with the commander's compartment enlarged to house the tank commander, unit commander, and the communications officer, as well as their equipment. To achieve this enlarged space, the cargo capacity of the Coyote is next to non-existent beyond space for standard supplies.