The technology present at the time of the great Cataclysm rivaled or surpassed what is now available from some of the more advanced weapon companies such as Northern Gun, Iron Heart Armaments, TRIAX, and the Coalition. Most of that technology was lost or set back with the coming of the Rifts, and the world is only now returning to the previous level.
Most manufacturers are starting basically from scratch and developing new vehicles, robots, weapons, and other implements of war. However, a few, such as Iron Heart Armaments and Archangel Heavy Industries (AHI), have found that it is easier, more cost effective, and usually just as successful to use old pre-Rifts designs or to base new designs off of them.
The AHI M-series vehicles are based almost entirely off of the tanks and other vehicles that were in active service with the old American Empire at the time of the Cataclysm. Though robots and power armor helped to revolutionize the way war was waged, conventional vehicles still played a large part. It was much easier for conventional vehicles and troops to hold a piece of ground once it was seized. Also, they could be produced for a fraction of the cost of a robot, while still delivering near the same performance.
Several features were common to most of the M-series vehicles.
Almost all of these vehicles were equipped with advanced fuel cells instead of a conventional engine or nuclear reactor. This power source choice offered several advantages. First, it was incredibly inexpensive compared to a normal nuclear reactor. It was fueled by ordinary hydrogen (supplied as fuel) and oxygen from the atmosphere and produced electricity and water as a by-product of the reaction. This meant that the actual fuel could be stored as tanks of liquid hydrogen. This storage method was both safe and efficient. Another advantage of this power source was that except for a few silenced electric motors, the vehicles were completely silent. A tank at full power could not be heard more than 10 feet away. The fuel cells also operate at a much lower temperature (roughly 90 degrees Celsius) than conventional engines or nuclear reactors. Therefore, the vehicles produced a much lower thermal profile, aiding in the stealth features of the vehicles.
The only real disadvantage of the power system was that any energy weapon mounted on the vehicle had a relatively small payload due to the intense power demand. To help compensate for this, each energy weapon was also equipped with its own fuel cell. This eliminated the drain on the main power source but made refueling the vehicle slightly more complicated as there were multiple fuel cells.
The tanks of hydrogen fuel are stored within the vehicle. It is a simple matter to switch a fresh tank for an empty tank, and normally only takes about one minute. However, the hydrogen tank that powers an energy weapon is stored with the weapon. That means that is is slightly more difficult to change the tank. This normally takes two minutes for a trained crew. Therefore, it is not normally done while in combat.
One of the smaller, but most important, systems that was incorporated into most (but not all) of the M-series vehicles was the computer-enhanced targeting system. Through a powerful computer and multiple sensors, the system is able to determine potential weak points on a target. This allows the integral weapons to be used much more effectively since they can easily be aimed at a vulnerable part of the target. This system helped allow the vehicles that were equipped with it to perform at an incredible kill/loss rate. However, the system was very new at the time of the Cataclysm and was only installed on a few vehicles.
The advanced composite armor on the M-series tanks is steeply sloped to help deflect incoming shots and sports an ablative coating to help improve the armor's resistance to energy weapons.
M-series Vehicles:
- M-36A2 Jaguar Light Tank:
A light, fast and maneuverable tank. This vehicle is small and fast enough to perform a limited scouting role, but has enough firepower to be able to hold its own in a fight.
- M-61A3 Panther Main Battle Tank:
This was the main-line battle tank for the old American Empire before the Cataclysm. It now fills the same role on Rifts Earth. It is a well-armored, well-armed tank capable of taking on a variety of threats. It can be considered a "general purpose" tank.
- M-90A1 Grand Tiger Heavy Assault Tank:
Before the Cataclysm, this was the heaviest tank ever fielded in combat by the old American Empire. It was one of the most powerful forces on the battlefield, capable of literally ripping through almost any opposition.
- M-12A1 Puma Infantry Fighting Vehicle:
- M-10 Bobcat General Utility Vehicle:
Designed by Chris Curtis (curtis@thepentagon.com).
Copyright © 1998 Chris Curtis. All Rights Reserved.