ATS-ISV 'Hammer' Mark II

Last crawled date: 1 year, 10 months ago

WORK IN PROGRESS Advanced Track System - Infantry Support Variant, 'Hammer' Mark II The ATS-ISV “Hammer” is an alternate turret variant for Advanced Track System. The Hammer’s primary role is that of a close to medium range heavy support vehicle. The Hammer excels in combat situations where indirect-fire engagements are more common, such as in mountainous terrain or urban areas. This compliments the Anvil variant’s combat role of dealing with heavily armored direct-fire threats and acting as long-range artillery support. The Hammer’s 60mm Medium Rail Cannon (MRC) allows for a larger magazine size and a faster reload time which is essential in prolonged urban combat situations. The highly maneuverable Intermediate Internal Rail Missiles (IIRM) allow the Hammer to target close-range enemies behind cover or defilade without exposing itself to return direct-fire. Its two Anti-Projectile Pulse Laser Systems (APPLS) contribute to Local Active Protection (LAP), which is the amalgamation of all active protection and sensor systems in the local area of the vehicle. The Hammer can also act as a forward controller of unmanned vehicles and drones. It is often escorted by a number of RAWSs to provide greater offensive and defensive capabilities. Since all ATS variants carry six quadcopter scout drones, the Anvil can also conduct short- to mid-range scouting operations. With the increasing effectiveness of close-in hard-kill defense systems and the introduction of the railgun as a primary weapon at both short and long ranges, the usefulness of most missile systems began to decline by mid-century. By the beginning of the Tower War in 2065, most militaries had phased out most short-range missile systems (although development of hypersonic cruise missiles steadily increased). The inability of railguns to effectively attack close-range indirect-fire threats (a role usually taken up by top attack missile systems such as the Javelin) created the need for a close-range weapon system (less than 20 miles away) that could target enemy units behind cover or defilade. Newly acquired battery technology captured from the Caudatians early in the Tower War solved this problem with the resulting development of the Intermediate Internal Rail Missile (IIRM). This highly maneuverable missile consists of a rocket propellant system as well as a 60mm single-shot Medium Rail Cannon. It is able to traverse obstacles such as buildings and terrain in order to obtain a direct-fire shot at hidden enemy vehicles or infantry. Due to the space taken up by the rails, projectile, and batteries, however, the missile has a short maximum effective range (relative to traditional railguns) of about 25km (15.5 miles). (If this is confusing, look at my model 'Rail Cannon Tactics') The development of the Hammer ran parallel with the development of the IIRM. Although a small IIRM launcher was added to the Anvil, military tacticians wanted a dedicated vehicle with a large IIRM capacity for sustained urban operations. Since multiple variants of the Advanced Track System (ATS) were already being mass produced, only a new turret variant needed to be developed. The Hammer first proved itself during the Second Battle of Panama City in 2069, the first time Hammers were deployed in large numbers. They would then be used extensively in the Northeastern Invasion and Campaign and the Californian Invasion, specifically in heavily urbanized areas. The Hammer is credited with more confirmed destroyed vehicles than any other ground vehicle deployed during the Tower War (although the exact number of destroyed vehicles by Anvils varies widely due to its long range capability). Due to the nature of urban combat, however, Hammer losses were also much higher than most other vehicle types. Operational Crew: 4 (Commander, gunner/loader, driver, and drone operator/machine gunner). Each crew station is identical which allows crew to easily switch roles if one member is knocked out. Armament/Equipment: 1 x 60mm Heavy Rail Cannon (90 round magazine, plus additional 30 in reserve) 3 x 13.5mm Heavy Rail Guns (One mounted coaxially with the 120mm HRC and two mounted in weapon platforms around the Gunner and Commander’s hatches) 2 x 6.35mm Light Rail Guns (LRG-15/Vs, mounted in weapons platforms around the Gunner and Commander's hatches) 28 x Intermediate Internal Rail Missiles (IIRM) 2 x Anti-Projectile Pulse Laser Systems (APPLS) 6 x Quadcopter scout drones 6 x Situational sensor suites (includes multiple high-zoom cameras, acoustic ranging systems, laser designators and rangefinders, smoke grenade launchers, and floodlights) 13 x Drive sensor suites (includes proximity 3D laser scanning and radar systems) 18 x Vertical launching point-defense scout drones (usually used in tandem with smoke grenade launchers to maintain local situational awareness while in cover) There are four primary types of 60mm ammunition: 1) Kinetic Penetrator Fragmentation (KPF), 2) Single Rod Penetrator (SRP), 3) Multiple Rod Penetrator (MRP), and 4) High Explosive Fragmentation (HEF). All types of ammunition are fired with a discarding sabot. IIRMs can also use all four ammunition types. 1) Kinetic Penetrator Fragmentation (KPF) These rounds have a solid armor piercing tip that disconnects from the rear section soon after exiting the muzzle. The less aerodynamic rear section contains an explosive charge and shrapnel fragments. In the delayed fragmentation mode, moments after the kinetic penetrator impacts, the delayed rear section travels through the breach and explodes. In external fragmentation mode, the rear section explodes before it enters the breach. Delayed fragmentation is usually used against buildings or lightly armored vehicles while external fragmentation is used against more heavily armored vehicles to damage external systems. 2) Single Rod Penetrator (SRP) These rounds consist of one long, slender rod that is capable of penetrating the thickest of armor. 3) Multiple Rod Penetrator (MRP) These rounds are made up of seven rods similar to the SRP, only smaller. They are enclosed in a canister before being fired and separate from each other upon exiting the muzzle. Although each individual rod does not contain the same amount of kinetic energy as the SRP, they are still more effective against armor than the KPF’s kinetic penetrator tip. These rounds are used primarily against light to medium armored targets. 4) High Explosive/Fragmentation (HEF) These rounds consist entirely of explosive material and a fragmenting shell. These are mostly used as long-rand airburst weapons or against groups of infantry. Armor: Carbon nanotube infused composite armor (titanium, aluminum, and iron alloys). Armor is produced by an additive manufacturing process (a.k.a. 3D printing) that creates a pattern that disrupts kinetic penetrators. This process also reduces unnecessary weight. Average armor thickness: 150mm (6 inches) Maximum Speed: On road: 76 km/h (47 mph) Off road: 53 km/h (33 mph) Weight: 34 metric tons (37.4 short tons, or 74,800 lbs) Length: 7.43 meters (24ft 4in) (note: barrel length does not extend beyond front of vehicle) Chassis width: 4.52 meters (14ft 10in) Turret width: 4.15 meters (13ft 7in) Height (to top of IIRM launcher): 3.45 meters (11ft 4in) Ground clearance: 0.37 meters (1ft 2in) #armor #armored_fighting_vehicle #heavy #infantry_support #military #rail_gun #railgun #tank #tower #vehicle