IRS Type 15A Tyrant Heavy Battle Tank

Type 15A 'Tyrant' HBT
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Nation of Origin: Interstellar Republic of Singapore

Developer: Miltary Department of Weapons Design, Heavy Armaments

Length of Service: 2084 to present 2125

Weight: 85 tons

Armor: Tryomite Class D electroplated with Aegis Energy Repellent Layers

Armament: 150mm Electro-Magnetic Rail Cannon (EMRC), Automated 12.7mm Machine Gun Turret, HUNTER-12A AT Missile Launcher

Engine: EMT-015M2 Electric Drive

Top Speed: 70 KM/H

Power Plant: ETH-M015A Ethervoltaic Generator

Crew: 4 (1 Driver Gunner, 1 Secondary Weapons Controller, 1 Vehicle Commander, 1 Communications Officer)
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Background: The Type 15 'Tyrant' was first developed to revive the long-dead concept of a heavy tank this time made feasible and combat effective through advanced technology and improvements in construction methods. It was designed based on the concept of a main battle tank except with larger dimensions to facilitate a larger 150mm Railgun, bigger engines and a much more thicker armor plating than its MBT counterparts. Designated the 'Tyrant', the Type 15 first rolled off in combat against Chasan forces in 2084 where it greatly helped in absorbing fire from other units, break through heavily fortified defences and provide armored support for troops and tanks alike and gained a notorious capability for laying waste to Chasan armor. After the Chasan War, production of the Tyrant continued and it served briefly as security assets against insurgent forces during the short-lived peacetime before the Nagron War. In the Markenn War, the Tyrant reprised its role as a line-breaker and armor killer in the fight against Markenn forces as well as a defensive and artillery emplacement when entrenched to defend vital positions. It continued serving after the war, this time receiving brand new upgrades to its weapon systems and armor plating when it was found that Nagion Hypermatter was able to easily melt through its armor. Given the name of Type 15A, the new Tyrant HBT now serves in the 2nd Chasan War to battle Chasan and Xenan forces once again, deploying on the Chasan world of Vegunn and supporting the IRS invasion force.

Tactics and Roles: The Type 15 and its successor, the Type 15A, are both essentially upscaled main battle tanks with heavier firepower and armor while still being relatively light and fast for its class. It is a heavy battle tank (HBT) and its role is at the frontlines where it will take out enemy armor and fortifications for other tanks and Singaporean forces to advance forward safely. With its powerful 150mm railgun, the Type 15A can effectively destroy defensive emplacements and armor with one shot from long ranges. Other than breaking enemy lines for other forces, the Tyrant tank can also function as close fire support, accompanying other tanks or advancing infantry into the heat of the battle and providing its firepower against whatever that impedes their progress. Commanders who excel in defensive tactics particularly favourite the Tyrant for its ability to redeploy quickly as any other MBT and function as an anti-armor empalcement when entrenched as well as a resilient source of cover for infantry. The Type 15A Tyrant is usually deployed in squads of three on open battlefields alongside other armored formations, or attached as a single unit to infantry squads in urban combat. As it is vulnerable to flanking anti-tank infantry like any other tanks, it is always escorted by light armor or infantry who can find and take them down before they can destroy the tank.


Armament: Firing 150mm Armor Piercing High Explosive Rounds (APHERs) propelled by electromagnetic rails at hypersonic velocities, the 150mm caliber EMRC Railgun is the Tyrant's main weapon against enemy armor and structures. Due to the immense size and speed of the round fired, a Tyrant tank can essentially destroy other tanks in one or two shots and heavily damage its heavy tank counterparts all from a safe distance due to the long range capability a railgun system provides. APHERs are a mix of both armor piercing and high explosive munitions, with its AP penetrator pressure-linked to the high explosive munitions within the shell. Upon contact with the target, the shell cuts through the armor while the penetrator is pushed onto the ignition fuse, giving the shell a few seconds to go deep into the target as far as it can before exploding it from within causing catastrophic damage. APHERs are also EMP-tipped, allowing it to go through shields by disrupting the movements of charged particles, weakening or taking down the shield completely. The EMRC can also fire other kinds of shells ranging from Napalm, 'Percy' Armor Disruptors and newer and more advanced Plasma Rods. For anti-infantry and pin-point defence, the Tyrant has a remote-controlled 12.7mm Machine Gun mounted on top of the turret which can be manually controlled by a Secondary Weapons Controller or set on auto-targeting by the computer onboard. HUNTER-12 Missile Launchers are mounted on the sides of the turret to complement the 150mm Railgun, firing AT missiles which are capable of destroying or severely incapacitating armored vehicles with one shot. 


Power Plant and Engine: Power is provided by an Ethervoltaic Generator which houses photo-voltaic bacteria known as Etherium to convert light or excess biomass into usable electricity. Ethervoltaics are coat-effective, safe to operate and relatively simple to repair and maintain by engineers. Its Electric Drive engine converts electircity into kinetic motion and drives the tank's propulsion systems at relatively good speeds. Also easy to maintain for its simple operation and construction.  


Armor and Defensive Subsytems: Ferolattice crystals are natural alien crystals which converts and incoporates minerals and other elements in the environment it is planted in into its own lattice structure, forming a tough metal-like material. Ferolattice is extracted and melted down into a variety of materials formed by varying pressures, temperatures and industrial catalysts. One of them is Bryoceramic, a metallic lightweight ceramic commonly used as building material and its reinforced versions as bullet-proof armor worn by soldiers. When added with carbon and atomically tempered to reinforce intermolecular forces in Byroceramic, it forms an alloy known as Tryomite. Thickness of Tryomite is classified by classes, with Class C used by medium armor and Class D by heavy tanks such as the Tyrant. Tryomite Class D can deflect bullets and large caliber rounds easily with no scratches, withstand shaped explosives and tanks shells and with its high melting point, absorb energy based attacks preventing it from melting through the hull. Aegis Repellent Layers also helps to defract them away from making contact with the armor itself. Defensive subsystems include additional armor packages which can be as simple as blocks of armor composite and reactive armor to advanced field generators such as kinetic-wave barrier generators and active energy shields. Canister launchers installed on various parts of the tank can create a cloud of opaque smoke which also doubles as a disruption field blocking radar and infrared, allowing the Tyrant tank to retreat into safety or provide cover for nearby troops from enemy fire when pinned. 


Mobility and Terrain Handling: The Tyrant is able to drive around in almost any environment thanks to individual suspension systems and ground pressure controllers allowing them to roll over any bump in the terrain and any road obstacles as well as not sinking in loose ground such as sand and loose soil. It also has very good handling with responsive hydraulic systems and can go at relatively fast speeds with its powerful engine to catch up with faster mechanized forces such as APCs and MBTs. For a Heavy Tank, it is very lightweight clockng in at a maximum of 95 tons with armor packages and equipment and can traverse using city infrastructure without it collapsing due to sheer weight. The Type 15A is also small enough to manuvere in small tight spaces though it would present itself as a large target and can be easily trapped if surrounded and pinned by enemy anti-tank infantry. 


Sensors and Communication Systems: The Tyrant is fitted with a versatile HOLMES Mk2 Pulsar device which can perform motion tracking, GPS positioning, radar and scanning functions and is paired up with a Multi-Spectra Camera which can provide 360 degree visuals in multiple spectrums, from normal visible light to infrared, thermal and night vision. It is also connected to the Integrated Intelligence Network and continuously receives and broadcasts battlefield information in this secure military network, allowing them to coordinate military actions more effectively and keep track of everything from enemy and allied positions to terrain and landmarks. The Vehicle Commanding Officer in charge of the entire tank and its crew can see everything in the battlefield in a virtual projection on his holographic interface, allowing him to see things from a larger view and strategize accordingly.