Type 12 Medium Tank (TL8)
Desperate to repair her collapsed economy, in 2029 China began flooding the arms market with cheap tanks. The first of these was the Type 12, a 46-ton beast which, had it been produced 40 years earlier, would have been a very good design. While it was still a tough vehicle with a capable main gun, it's defenses were nowhere near those of modern combat vehicles. However, as experience in the second half of the 20th century had show, most wars were fought not by superpowers with first-rate vehicles but by Third World countries with generally 'obsolete' equipment. In addition, most smaller countries can't afford $3-5 million for a tank, especially since they frequently can't train crews well enough or provide adequate maintenance.
That's where 'disposable' tanks like the Type 12 come in, cheap enough to lose but expensive enough to be effective. While the 125mm cannon is reasonably effective, it is not built to a very high standard. To make matters worse, most users cannot afford top-rate ammo for it (much like the Iraqi's and ammo for the 125mm guns in their T-72's in the 1990's). The autoloader fires from two 22 round magazines and there is stowage space for 6 additional individual rounds (usually beehive or APFSDS, but occasionally CHEM, FASCAM and ICM shells are used) which must be hand loaded.
Despite it's shortcomings, the Type 12 is fairly agile and quick and not terribly expensive to purchase or maintain. While it is clearly inferior to tanks such as the Lancer, it is more effective than the refurbished 20th century tanks previously used by buyers and better than no tank.
Subassemblies: body +4, full rotation turret +4, two tracks +3,
one open mount -1, thwo open mounts +0
P&P: 750 kW ceramic w/improved tracked drivetrain, 2 rE
cells, 200 gallons diesel (fire chance: 7) in four 50 gallon self-sealing
tanks
Occ: 3 CCS (driver, gunner and commander)
Cargo: none (both the turret and body have 5 cf of empty space
and a 10 cf open bustle is often bolted to the rear of the turret)
| Armor | F | R/L | B | T | U |
| Body | 6/600 | 5/150 | 4/150 | 4/150 | 4/200 |
| Turret | 6/600 | 5/150 | 4/150 | 4/150 | 0/0 |
| Tracks | 4/50 |
Weaponry
125mm cannon (cheap) [Turret:F] (22 HEDP, 22 APDS, 6 assorted rounds)
10mmC coaxial minigun (cheap) [Turret:F] (3300)
15mmC A/A chaingun (cheap) [OM1:F] (500 AP)
Equipment
Open Mount 1: universal mount for chaingun
Open Mount 2&3: 8 hot smoke dischargers each
Turret: one medium range scambled radio, thermograph (10 miles),
IFF, laser rangefinder (5 miles), 2 crashwebs, 2 terminals, partial stabilization
for cannon and minigun
Body: one medium range scambled radio, thermograph (2 miles),
military GPS, advanced laser/radar detector, 1 crashweb, 1 terminal, hardened
small computer, full fire suppression, three man NBC kit
Statistics
| Size: 22'x9'x8.5' | Payload: approx. 6,150 lbs | Lwt: 90,687 lbs (45.34 tons) |
| Volume: 1125 cf (Size Mod: +5) | Maint.: 32 hours | Price: $383,400 |
HT: 10
HP: 2220 [body], 789 [each track], 1722 [turret]
| gSpeed: 51 | gAccel: 3 | gDecel: 20 | gMR: 0.75 | gSR: 7 | GP: low (2/3) |
Design Notes
Frame is very cheap, extra heavy for 485 cf body, 330 cf turret, 291
cf tracks, one 3 cf open mount (chaingun) and two 8 cf open mounts. The
vehicle has heavy compartmentalization and is sealed.
Weapons
15mmC cheap chaingun: see p.VE43, but Acc -1, Malf Crit
10mmC cheap minigun: six long barrels, elextric gatling, caseless
Dam 9d, Malf Crit., Type Cr, SS 20, Acc 12, 1/2 Dam 900, Max 4500,
ROF 60, 0.38 kW
Ammo is 0.063 lbs and $0.125 each.
125mm cannon: one long barrel barrel, smoothbore, slow
autoloader
Dam varies, Malf 16, Type 16, SS 30, Acc 16, 1/2 Dam 3100 yds, Max
9900 yds, ROF 1/7, $55,000, 5275 lbs
HEDP ammo is $750, 83 lbs, 5dx21(5) plus 6dx36 [10d] HE damage
APDS ammo is $1250, 83 lbs, 6dx31 (2), +50% ranges