Manual:Asylum/AWSC Concept art
From FSDB
Here's my person-who-can't-draw's take on the ground vehicles list. (as originally posted by Frost)
Contents |
M190 "COUGAR" ATRAV
- inspiration images
What inspired the Cougar ATRAV was the idea of Warthog-like functionality combined with the super-dune buggy body like the Hoggar. Civvie version would have the spare tire mount (as the Hoggar does), and an amped up military version would have a small, powered turret that could be changed out in a matter of minutes for multiple weapons packages to suit whatever kind of scrap the Cougar would be getting into.
M1020 "HUMVEE" HMMV
A concept of a sci-fi reworking of a Hummer-like body by the same guy who did the HUAV on commission. Same basic outward appearance, but much more capable all around, not to mention much better armored. As with other vehicles, glass is no longer used, but rather bulletproof, lightweight ALON (aluminum oxynitride). Same modularity remains, as it can be made to house innumerable weapons, be they gatling gun mounts, anti-tank rockets, a solid state laser cannon, replacing the whole rear-end with a mobile SAM emplacement ala the Avenger, etc.
M770 "GOLIATH" HUAV
HUAV takes what used to be the Hummer's job of mixing it up on the streets of a city and does it much better. Whereas the HMMV is for troop transport and light support, the HUAV can wade right into the middle of the action, patrol the really dangerous neighborhoods, and safely extract VIPs. It's heavily armored, featuring nearly damage-proof tires (these aren't your father's michelins), has a CG that's even lower, and a weapon with two barrels mounted in the same housing, one a regular 11.4mm machinegun for tearing up infantry, the other a 20mm railgun for engaging other vehicles.
M5 "WOLVERINE" LIGHT HOVERTANK
Simple, lightweight, cost-effective, and easy to construct design. Tank is largely built around a Heim-based magnetic field generator very similar to the ones used for FTL travel, though significantly downscaled and far from the power levels needed to slide outside normal space. Using large amounts of power drawn from a small MicroFusion reactor, it's able to significantly lower gravity's effect on itself, then stay aloft via four powerful fans mounted underneath. Gunner sits in a rotatable section beneath the turret, driver sits directly forward of him in the lower housing.
M550 "ORION" COMBAT WALKER
M243 "REAPER" COMBAT WALKER
Obsolete, but still in limited use by colonies with small budgets. Replaced with most forces in 2430 by M550 Orion.
M80 "COBRA" ARTILLERY TANK
M104 "FIREFLY" FLAME TANK
M1 "CRUSADER" MAIN BATTLE TANK
Like the basic Humvee form, the overwhelming multi-decade success of the Abrams results in its basic form being brought back multiple times under different names with the latest technology. The closest I can get with the modern form would be an M1A2 SEP with the TUSK package. Main differences:
1) 120mm smoothbore main gun replaced with a 120mm smoothbore coilgun. Initial velocity is gained through igniting powder in the munition just like today, but from there the coilgun accelerates the projectile to extreme velocity, resulting in longer range and minimal drop. Combination of gunpowder and EM coils for acceleration allows far higher muzzle velocities without increasing overall barrel length. Combined with the backup manual turret crank and crew access to the munitions for manual loading, this setup also allows the main gun to still be fired (albeit at only modern day velocities) in the event of damage causing a power loss.
2) Reactive armor used in the rear, not slat armor; usage of slat armor ceased by the mid-21st century.
3) Loader is no longer part of the crew; autoloader has taken his job. His gun station is a cylindrical 360° point-defense laser emplacement
4) Not a "difference", but worth noting: a remote weapons station is still used as the commander's weapon, so he's never exposed to enemy fire nor the outside environment when firing on infantry, which is especially important operating in a toxic environment or in vacuum.
5) Rather than a gas turbine, the powerplant is a hydrogen turbine + ultra-high output military batteries. This makes the Crusader exceptionally fuel efficient in that when it's running at full tilt it can draw power from the hydrogen turbine, but when idling or making short, quick maneuvers it can spool its turbine down and operate off of its battery. This virtually eliminates wasted fuel and dramatically improves service time between refuelings, without having to sacrifice the extra power a turbine grants.
6) Wheels can be magnetized on demand by routing power directly from the hydrogen turbine, allowing a Crusader to stick to a magnetic surface in zero G or microgravity. This makes the tank usable even in the vacuum of space as long as it has something to drive on. NOTE: The additional power drawn to magnetize the wheels forces a shutdown of the electrified layer of the armor, resulting in a greater likelihood of a penetrator making it past the weaker sections of armor.
7) In addition to a point defense laser, a pair of computer-controlled retractable autoshotguns are stowed in the rear corners of the tank (added with the A5 model). In the event a warhead is too low to be struck by the point defense tower, the guns can shred it with highspeed flechettes. They also operate in conjunction with the point defense tower and reactive armor to lessen threats to the more lightly armored sides, rear, and top. Finally, the shotguns are great protection against hostile infantry sneaking around rear of the tank. NOTE: For safety purposes, it's recommended the shotguns be set to NOT engage infantry when operating in urban environments or environments in which friendlies are not using transponders and/or might be obscured from the targetting computer by poor visual conditions. This eliminates the possibility of a misidentification and subsequent friendly fire incident.
8) A6 and older models do not include rocket pods; A7 models include an anti-armor rocket pod mounted on the left side of the turret with two missiles for engaging up to 3 targets at once with the tank's opening volley, or engaging high level threats that might emerge in-between reloads. (similar to usage philosophy of modern M2 Bradley's side-mounted TOW launcher)
M55 SLEDGEHAMMER SIEGE TANK
Follows a "land battleship" philosophy favored by Federation forces over the Coalition's preference for lighter and faster. Prohibitively expensive, slow as hell, hard to maintain, weight of turret allows only limited rotation. Dead zone is atrocious. Has a good range and is as powerful as its naval counterpart on enemy armor and fortifications, however. Best used during a siege where it only has to get in place, then do its job; whether it's defending against one, or helping to support one. Main weapon is similar to Crusader's main weapon; powder-ignited charge, which is then accelerated to high velocity by electro-magnets. While the Crusader's designers went with a coilgun, the Sledgehammer makes use of a railgun; three rails are mounted along the inside of the barrel in a triangular formation. Sledgehammer is best when supported; it has no point defenses nor anti-infantry weaponry. Excessive power requirements result in the use of an internal fusion reactor, as the original quad-hydroturbine version would eat through its fuel supply in no time at all. This makes it even more expensive.
