NorAmCo Mauler AFV (TL8)
From NorAmCo 2043 sales brochure:
"100 Years Ago: Infantry routinely rode on tanks, a relationship that served both. The troops weren't forced to walk and the tanks were provided with a defense against infantry ambushes and assaults.
50 Years Ago: Infantry now had their own special vehicles to carry them into combat. However, these IFVs were nearly as large as tanks and much easier to destroy. Tanks use sensors to partly help their blindness due to the departed infantry
Today: The Mauler, combining the roles of Main Battle Tank and Infantry Fighting Vehicle, reuniting tanks and infantry."
NorAmCo, best known for their light Cat series AFVs, raised quite a few eyebrows when they released the Mauler five years ago, in 2043. Nearly 50% larger than late 20th century MBTs (despite not being much heavier), Mauler sales have been fairly light. On the surface, the idea seems to be a good one: rather than using two vehicles, why not use one? By using just one vehicle, one can save on maintenance and crew, both of which are significant drains on armies. The main downside is that the enemy has to destroy only one vehicle instead of two.
Depite the Mauler's size, it is rather nimble and quick. Rather unusual, it mounts two coaxial weapons. While the 15mm chaingun is fairly common in this role, the 40mm AGL is not. Normally, this is use to clear an area suspected of hiding infantry or to destroy very light vehicles, without wasting precious cannon ammo. The 150mm LP cannon is the most powerful chemical slugthrower in use on any combat vehicle. It feeds through two magazines. Ammo can vary, but the load below is fairly typical. Note that the Mauler has enough electronics to function as a self-propelled artillery piece, but it requires an incline to drive up (such as the side of a hill) so it can achieve high angle fire. The pintle mounted 15mmC chaingun is mounted atop the main turret, next to the commander's hatch.
Several internal layouts were tried and abandoned. The final configuration, front to back, is: engines, driver and electronics, turret, fuel tanks, troop compartment. There is a small hatch over the troop compartment (required because of the large turret overhang) and and two large doors (but no ramp) at the rear. No one is happy about six hundred gallons of highly volatile jet fuel in the middle of the vehicle; a variant is being tested that uses a normal gas turbine, allowing the use of safer diesel fuel. However, power output is much lower (355 kW each) and performance thus suffers (48 mph top speed).
The troops commander (usually a sergeant) has a computer terminal provided for his use. Depending on the situation, one or both four-man fireteams carried may dismount; usually, both do, with one on either side of the Mauler. The squad sub-leader (usually a corporal) will follow behind the vehicle, where he can see all the troops, while the squad leader remains in the vehicle, monitoring the Mauler's sensors and crew conversations. Note that the tank commander normally outranks the infantry commander. [All of this is the organization NorAmCo has used in its demonstrations and testing; customers tend to use their existing command structures. It is worth noting that many users reduce the infantry carried to the more normal 4-6, which makes the vehicle much more comfortable for the troops.
Subassemblies: body +5, full rotation turret +4, two tracks +4,
one open mount -1
P&P: two 760 kW HP gas turbine w/1500 kW improved tracked
drivetrain, energy bank (5 rE cells), 600 gallons jet fuel (fire chance:
11) in twelve 50 gallon self-sealing tanks, range 333 miles (road)
Occ: Turret: 2 NCS (gunner and commander); Body: 1 NCS (driver),
10 CS (troops)
Cargo: none (both the turret and body have 5 cf of empty space
| Armor | F | R/L | B | T | U |
| Body | 6/2000 L | 5/300 L | 4/300 L | 4/400 L | 4/400 L |
| Turret | 6/2000 L | 5/300 L | 4/300 L | 4/400 L | 0/0 |
| Tracks | 4/100 |
Weaponry
150mm LP cannon [Turret:F] (35 APFSDS, 35 HEDP)
15mmC coaxial chaingun [Turret:F] (600 AP)
40mm AGL [Turret:F] (200 HEDP)
15mmC A/A chaingun [OM1:F] (380 AP)
Equipment
Turret: two medium range scambled radios, thermograph (10 miles,
Scan 17), AESA (25 miles, Scan 19), IFF x2, laser rangefinder (25 miles),
HUDWAC, 2 crashwebs, 2 terminals, 16 prism dischargers, full stabilization
for all weapons, univeral mount for chaingun and AGL, anti-blast magazine
for cannon and AGL ammo
Body: one medium range scambled radio, thermograph (10 miles,
Scan 17), 3x thermograph (2 miles, Scan 13), 2x military GPS, advanced
laser/radar detector, 11 crashwebs, 2 terminal, 2x hardened micro computer,
full fire suppression, 13-man NBC kit
Statistics
| Size: 12'x15'x31' | Payload: approx. 12,100 lbs | Lwt: 112,293 lbs (56.15 tons) |
| Volume: 2198 cf (Size Mod: +5) | Maint.: 10 hours | Price: $4,056,000 |
HT: 12
HP: 3744 [body], 1332 [each track], 2268 [turret]
| gSpeed: 67 | gAccel: 4 | gDecel: 20 | gMR: 0.75 | gSR: 7 | GP: low (2/3) |
Design Notes
Frame is extra heavy for 1060 cf body, 500 cf turret, 636 cf tracks,
and one 2 cf open mount. The vehicle has heavy compartmentalization and
is sealed. It has basic IR cloaking, basic sound baffling, and basic stealth.
Weapons
15mmC chaingun: see p.VE43
40mm AGL: see p.VE43, 40mm grenade launcher
150mm LP cannon: one long barrel barrel, smoothbore, liquid
propellant, slow autoloader
Dam varies, Malf Ver, SS 30, Acc 15, 1/2 Dam 3400 yds, Max 10500 yds,
ROF 1/8, $467,000, 7600 lbs
HEDP ammo is $435, 72 lbs, 6dx25 (5) plus 6dx105 [12d] HE damage
APFSDS ammo is $1150, 72 lbs, 6dx45 (2), +50% ranges
(performance stats do not refect diferent LP settings)