M8 Lariat

The M8 Lariat Main Battle Tank, designed by [Name Of Designer] and manufactured by the [Name of Company].

Design

Crew
Both its crewmembers, designated pilot and co-pilot have the same level of control over both the tank's movement controls and its weapons systems. While the tank enters combat with the pilot as its designated gunner-commander, both crewmembers can swap out their functions at any point with simple digital commands, allowing for both sets of eyes to react quickly to sudden threats by either painting or shooting. Driving is largely relegated to an "autopilot" cued by the crewmembers' heads-up-displays and maneuvering around obstacles with cameras and radars linked to local topological and combat reconaissance surveys to notify the pilots of advantageous positions in their surroundings. At any point this autopilot can be overriden by the crew by simply manipulating the controls or expanded to the fire control system to allow for remote operation.

Armament

Primary
120mm L/50 ETC-FLARE

The Hopeworthy (SM-66) is a 120mm ETC smoothbore developed by the [Names of Companies]. [Names of Companies] together with the main sub-contractor [Name of Company] for the ZMDF primarily for the M8 Lariat Main Battle Tank.

The ignition system is supplied by [Name of Company] comprises of a ring electrode sparking system linked to a 6 kw capacitor with an auxiliary manual explosive flux generator operating off 12" guage rounds.

The SM-66 is equipped with an automatic MAS elevating and traversing drive with manual back-ups operable by one crewman, with electrical instrument control and manual control.

The Hopeworthy 120mm gun of the M8 Lariat was developed by the [Name of Company]. The gun has a chromium-plated barrel and semiautomatic lifting breech block with integrated 6 round revolver and a magazine mounted in the rear of the turret. Gun parameters such as chamber temperature and distortion are monitored automatically but fouling of in barrel sensors has been a repeated fault. The Hopeworthy is equipped with a full automatic shell loading system with ammunition management system.

The chromium-plated barrel is 5.5 metres long and is fitted with a slotted muzzle brake which gives increased muzzle velocity and reduces the level of muzzle flash. The wedge type breech block is integrated with the jettisonable magazine and the Hopeworthy auto loader is fitted with an endless conveyer for automatic shell transportation, loading and unloading from the main body.

The gun positioning and laying system is produced by GDT and mounted below the gun cradle. The system automatically determines gun direction, position and elevation above sea level. The integrated Deep Sky Positioning System (DSPS) receiver and the vehicle's motor sensors form the hybrid navigation system of the M8 Lariat.

Secondary

The M8 Lariat usual coaxial weapon is the 7.62mm TIW USCG (Universal Standard Chain Gun). This weapon is linked to the SM66s gunsights with an electronicly generated virtual offset and a fibre optic channel for direct fire. It is remotely operated by the commander.

The 7.62mm gun is a dual feed hybird gas/electrically operated chain gun with a rate of fire of 650 rounds per minute and one chromed barrel. Loading is gas operated while rotary motion is provided by a MAS 1 HP brushless electric servo motor accessible and replaceable to the crew internally. The dual feed means at the flick of a switch the crew could switch between a HE to a AP stream of fire.

The RWS station can be armed with either a 60mm automatic grenade launcher, 25mm airburst AGL, or another 14.5x114mm or 15.5mm ETC-HMG. This station has a wide rotation and elevation range, making it invaluable in urban combat. In addition, it can be used as an active defense weapon system in a pinch, with modifications to allow wireless communications with infantry within 200m of the vehicle and a universal electronics recharge point and provisions for the storage of up to 400kg of equipment at the back of the tank.

With numerous 90mm countermeasure launchers and two 'HardKill' 2cm electron pulse laser ADS units, you are required to simply pour rockets, mortars, and missiles in order to breach the 'shooty' part of the active defenses. In addition to those active defenses, it is equipped with a Lesmela Small Vehicular Electronic Warfare Suite which can jam laser, electro-optical, and radar-guided weapons by itself.

Protection

Concealment
The unmanned turret is fitted with two six-barreled smoke grenade launchers, with one on each side. When deployed, the grenades airburst, creating a thick smoke that blocks both visual and thermal imaging. The engine is also equipped with a smoke generator that is triggered by the driver.

Active Protection System

Above its armor, however, the tank relies mainly on its active protection system which acts as an extension of the large integrated sensors all over the tank, equipped with cross-checking protocols to discard enemy countermeasures and jamming. The system is split in two, with a low-level airbursting grenade launcher located in a small turret on the turret. This weapon is normally used as a commander's gun to fire at infantry and can be slaved to either crewmember, but when an incoming projectile is detected this control is overriden as the APS takes over the 120mm gun. While normally electrically-operated, when the APS is activated the turret switches to a pneumatic traverse mode drawing from compressed air tanks that can bring the gun to bear in a fraction of a second against incoming missiles, low-velocity shells and rockets.

The heavier component of the composite APS system consists of large launcher tubes to the sides of the tank's turret and hull, loaded with quick-reaction countermeasure missiles to intercept both top- and direct-attack missiles as well as ETC shots with enough energy to completely neutralize them. Mounted externally on disposable pods and cold-fired, these beam-riding missiles are guided wither wired or wirelessly by the tank's own radar. Like the armor underneath them, these missiles largely conentrate on defending a fairly narrow arc in the fronts of both hull and turret.

Passive Protection System

Passive defenses of the M8 Lariat series armour consists of a similar composition, a thin 4mm layer of silicone plastic with kevlar weave, with a melting point of 700 C designed to resist local environmental conditions and attack by thermal weapons and small arms fire It also renders useless simple magnetic limpet devices.

This layer is fitted on its underside with a series of small self sealing electro mimetic water pipes and capillary style piping to assist in lowering the M8 Lariat's IR signature to approaching local ambient while idling or parked. These pipes have a 5 year operational lifetime after which there electromimetic properties begin to fade and there structural integrity begins to brake down via stress fractures and they must be replaced. The layer directly under this is made up of 25mms of aerospace grade titanium boron alloy designed to stop light and medium weapons fire such as rocket propelled grenades, this layer also has a high thermal resistance. Directly under this is a layer of ultra dense counter plasma/kinetic shock absorbing gel with a mercury component. Under this is a more “conventional” ceramic/depleted uranium/carbon steel honey comb weave armour. This conventional layer makes up the greatest thickness of the armour and the majority of the tanks structure and with an equivalent Tensile Strength (MPa) of 3,450 a density (g/cm3) of 5.86 grams a Specific Strength (MPa-cm3/g) of 558 compared to standard RHAs value of 150 has proven comparable to other advanced armour presently fielded on other tanks. The third innermost layer is a woven titanium and kevlar fabric designed for counter spalling. The second innermost layer is made up of fire resistant “rubber” like synthetic, this layer is designed to absorb secondary impacts and stop internal ricochets and upon its detected destruction triggers the release copious amounts of Halon gas. Crews have mentioned that this layer also increases crew comfort. The innermost layer is another of woven titanium and kevlar thread fabric and wear resistant fire retardent sealent.

The M8 Lariat's running gear armoured sections are 680mm thick and equipped with reactive armour explosive blocks. These blocks use a low powered plastic and contain 2mm steel coated iridium bearings, they also contain 12 gauge rounds alternating between slug and “bird shot” in pizo electricly fired cartridges that can be used to engage low value targets that would not justify detonating the entire block or for engaging personnel without wasting the blocks capacity to engage high threat targets. These blocks can use there own internal control chip or link to the M8 Lariat's GDT HN30 fire control system. The 2mm ball bearing laden layers are made out of non volatile "wadding" designed to counter explosively forged copper plasma. These blocks can use there own internal control chip or link to the M8 Lariat's GDT HN30 fire control system.

In some variants an electro-reactive armor system built-in, the composite armor is designed to defeat energy (mostly pulse electron lasers of unusually large size), shape charge, and kinetic anti-tank weapons. This armour is made up of two or more conductive plates separated by an air gap or by an insulating material, creating a high-power capacitor. In operation, a high-voltage power source charges the armour. When an incoming body penetrates the plates, it closes the circuit to discharge the capacitor, dumping a great deal of energy into the penetrator, which may vaporize it or even turn it into a plasma, significantly diffusing the attack. It is supposed to function against both kinetic energy penetrators and shaped charge jets, or only the latter.

Hazardous environment systems

The M8 Lariat features self healing seals and the ability for both semi sealed recycling and fully sealed operation.

The M8 Lariat features standard ZMSF developed water recycling and air purification and emergency rations capable of keeping full self contained operations (save for refuelling and re-arming) for 1 standard week

Fire Control and Observation

The M8 Lariat can use an automatic mode of operation including the data radio link, laser link, satellite com or ground based thumper modem with an external command and control system. The autonomous fire control functions are controlled by an on-board 320Hon computer supplied by GDT. Using the automatic mode, target engagements can be carried out by a crew of two. Using the fire control data provided by the ballistics computer, the gun is automatically laid and relayed during the mission.

Various backup modes are available which guarantee system sustainability in case of a component failure. As the lowest backup mode, an optical mechanical backup telescopic gunsight and gunlaying system is available. The commander/driver has a battery powered TIW panoramic periscope available, which is used in under-armour operations and for target designation in direct laying engagements if the primary optics packages have been destroyed. The TIW unit has day and night vision channels with IR and UV capacity and an integrated laser rangefinder.

Electronics

Power Pack

2,300 Horsepower Turbo Diesel LJ20 V12 (Direct Injection) manufactured by SCAPA

In this system the injector and the pump are combined into one unit positioned over each cylinder. Each cylinder thus has its own pump, feeding its own injector, which prevents pressure fluctuations and allows more consistent injection to be achieved. With recent advancements, the pump pressure has been raised to 2,050 bar (205 MPa), allowing injection parameters similar to common rail systems.

The LJ80 system employs new injectors using stacked piezoelectric crystals in lieu of a solenoid, which gives finer control of the injection event. The LJ80 Variable geometry turbochargers have flexible vanes, which move and let more air into the engine depending on load. This technology increases both performance and fuel economy but has bee noted to have long term relability issues in desert climes.

The M8 Lariat has a modular Halon dispenser for fire suppression and a high pressure LN2 cell for emergency use against thermite like agents (though the LN2 may in fact do collateral damage to the non metallic equipment).

Sensors and Communications

This, however, results in a massive information flow for both crewmembers, which is facilitated by the use of digital transparency to allow the crewmembers to see out in all directions at once through a redundant system of retinal screens, heads-up-displays and holographic emitters. Meant to enable the undermanned tank to have the same reactivity and awareness in urban scenarios as more conventional vehicles, this control system draws its sensor data from a large planar phased array LIDAR-Radar hybrid grafted onto the face and sides of the turret with several thousand modules in addition to passive infrared cameras. This gives both crewmembers a constant artificial color TV channel and a radar channel for most of the tank's front and sides even through smokescreens and IR decoys, the construction of this device means that sniper shots or shrapnel will destroy very few modules, leaving the tank's sensors operative and ready for retaliation. It however also means that accumulation of dust, dirt, mud or snow on the highly-sloped turret face will obstruct the sensors, which was resolved by crude if effective field modifications adding large wipers and cleaning sprays based on the automotive industry. In addition to the large frontal radar, swiveling 260° coverage is also provided by the APS radar on the turret bustle. The APS is highly integrated with the main radar/LIDAR sensor, as it provides finer detection than its own smaller radar while providing additional laser and muzzle flash-detection with real-time spectrum analysis as well as analysis of the IR signature of muzzle blasts, allowing the system to immediately know if the shot detected was aimed at itself to cue the APS. Both the LIDAR and radar can simultaneously set components to either passive, communicating or active mode, giving the tank's fire and control systems the track-while scan, multiple target tracking, direct target sharing capabilities as well as the ability to simultaneously track and analyze up to 250 simultaneous contacts from infantry to low-flying aircraft, traits only commonly seen in high-level fighter craft.

An additional large set of optics atop the turret provide a wide-field 200x zoom infrared, UV or TV channel automatically cued by either crewmember or target-recognition software and motion detectors in automatic search mode.

The largest sensor of the tank is a highly sensitive magnetic anomaly detector found on the upper hull and turret roof, arranged along the vertical plates of the whipple shields (see passive protection) to form a fractal antenna. This allows the tank to detect vehicles, aircraft and (at much shorter ranges) infantry on the other sides of certain obstacles such as hills and buildings or mines hidden under the ground. While much lower-resolution than the main sensor, the so-called "anti ambush system" (AAS) allows the tank to engage targets without having a line-of sight, giving it a tremendous advantage against low-flying gunships behind cover whose electrogravitic, ion or plasma engines have highly visible magnetic signatures; partly reversing the advantage such craft have historically had over tanks. At short range the system is sensitive enough to detect, if unobstructed by interference, the nervous systems of living beings and electronic activity from computers or smart mines. The unit also features an advanced multi spectrum GDT OTAS LADAR fire control package mounted in an armoured fully traversable dome atop the turret. This system also measures atmospheric conditions.

Dazzler System

The M8 Lariat 1A3 features one of the lighter cousins of the M8 Lariat 1A1L/1A2 heavy UV dazzlers. This system rarely has the power output to permanently burn out optics but is effective enough to stop target acquisition and force targeted optics to use protective shutters, effectively blinding them for the short term. The dazzler unit is coaxial linked to the drummer boy II servo mount and can therefore target a second vehicle while the primary target is serviced by the main weapon.

Data Systems

The M8 Lariat features a GDT HON30 (hardened optic network) data sharing network with multiple redundant processing/storage units dispersed at 3 points in the hull. The M8 Lariat does not feature a “Dalek” mode with the controls system left out for cost cutting reasons. The M8 Lariat can fitted with a remote operations system. OLED and analogue dial displays are both present.

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Other Variants

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- M8 Lariat 1A2

The particular tank imaged carries an M55A dirt bike for scouting, reconnaissance, and route planning for the tank's armor group

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The Lariat 1A2 is an upgraded 1A1L utilizing the same "Long Arm" turret albeit with an expanded bustle and modified internal configuration and an entirely new hull (although its visually very similar). The new hull allows for a flat engine deck to accommodate a new, smaller engine/transmission combination in addition to some type of active suspension. Additional differences include:

- Modified RWS allowing for the RWS to elevate to allow for better access to areas closer to the tank and for better operation in an urban environment

- Updated fire control, electronics, and gunner's primary sight

- New Drivers and Commander's Periscopes and Imaging Systems for greater field of view and protection

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- M8 Lariat 1A3

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M8 Lariat 1A3 uses a hybrid boogie/torsion bar suspension, the M8 Lariat 1A3 has consistently kept its cross-terrain ability throughout the decades. With a top speed of 80km/h on-road and 50km/h off-road, it is quite a speedy tank for its weight.

The armor is a composite of various materials including conventional and unconventional alloys, metal foams, composites, metallic and nonmetallic ceramics, and carbon nanotubes with a weave of electro-reactive armor and various materials. This allows the M8 Lariat 1A3 to withstand numerous weapon impacts while retaining effectiveness. Now, unlike its older counterparts, it doesn't make anyone wearing it invulnerable to penetrations (or close to it depending on the rules you use), it simply makes penetrations (especially when double-digit megajoule energies or greater are being thrown around) uncommon. The thicker the plate, the more uncommon these penetrations are. The front of the M8 Lariat 1A3 is one of the few that goes with the Battletech stereotype due to how thick the frontal plate is (250mm).

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Credit to AC710N87 for the M8 Lariat 1A1L and 1A2 and Schwarzweiler
for the 1A3 (Called the MBT-01A8]