United League of Eastern Republics Military Factbook [CLOSD]

by **Altaiire** » Mon Jun 04, 2012 6:54 pm

ULER MILITARY VEHICLES

MA-07 IZBÂNDĂ: "THE CHARIOT"

Type: Light tank
Weight: 14.6 t
Length: 6.36 m
Width: 2.51 m
Height: 2.35 m
Crew: 3
Main armament: 75 mm cannon (48 rounds)
Secondary armament: 7.62 mm coaxial machinegun (3,600 rounds)
Engine Horsepower: 350 hp
Power/weight: 21.7 hp/tonne
Suspension: Torsion bar
Operational range: 450 km
Maximum Speed: 89 km/h
Maximum Armor Thickness: 40 mm
Additional equipment:
1 × Autoloader
2 × dual smoke grenade launchers

The MA-07 Izbândă is a Taroc series light tank. Intended as an armored reconnaissance vehicle, the Izbândă is capable of reaching speeds up to 89 km/h. Its tracks enable it to handle the rough Eastern European terrain with ease, and its chassis is tough, sturdy, and reliable. In order to attack enemies, the Izbândă is equipped with a reasonably powerful 75 millimeter cannon. Perhaps the most exemplary feature of the Izbândă, however, is the inclusion of the world’s very first autoloader. The Izbândă’s autoloader enables it to fire twelve 75mm rounds in rapid succession, at the cost of having a very lengthy reload time while the gunner sets up a new ammo cassette. To accommodate its autoloader, the Izbândă uses a unique oscillating turret. To protect itself when threatened, the Izbândă has four smoke grenade launchers which can be used to deploy a smokescreen.

As with all light tanks, the main problem the Izbândă faces is its light armor. With a maximum armor thickness of only 40 millimeters, the only protection the Izbândă has from enemy tanks is speed and maneuverability. Additionally, the 75mm cannon has lackluster effectiveness against enemy frontal armor, though it can still reliably penetrate medium tanks from the side or rear. Finally, the Izbândă’s gun depression and elevation are limited because the oscillating turret design elevates the whole turret when aiming upwards.

ULER’s main disadvantage in the event of a war with its neighbors was its lack of manpower. The League was far less populated, and as a consequence, had a far smaller army size. As such, doctrine emphasized above all else the survival of as many personnel as possible. Because of the vulnerability of light tanks, they were generally overlooked in favor of combat cars, which although equally as vulnerable were far less complex, making their crews more expendable, and had higher speeds. Field usage of the T08 Căprioară, however, revealed its general inadequacy at crossing rugged terrain. As war loomed closer, a new Taroc series project was proposed for the development of an advanced light tank that could replace the T08. Its speed would allow it to function equally as well as the T08, while having better cross country performance and better firepower, enabling it to harass enemies as it spotted them. The inclusion of a revolutionary new autoloader, among other advantages, would reduce the overall amount of training necessary for the Izbândă.

Currently, the Izbândă prototypes are undergoing testing at the Regalia Proving Grounds in Romania.

Izbândăs typically operate independently as guerilla units, scouting ahead of advancing ULER forces or deep behind enemy lines. With their speed, power, and rate of fire, they can quickly locate and report enemy troop movements, deliver a knockout punch, then hastily retreat before the enemy can open fire. By zigzagging and deploying a smokescreen as it retreats, the Izbândă is capable of easily dodging enemy fire. As is typical with ULER, the Izbândă prefers to let the terrain work in its advantage. Bushes, fields, and forests provide natural camouflage for the small tank as it approaches, while rocks and hills provide obstacles with which it can avoid enemy fire.

As they are intended to function as an armed reconnaissance, Izbândăs typically operate independently or in small teams, with no more than three or four working together simultaneously. Izbândăs are almost never deployed as traditional combat units; if an Izbândă is called upon to fight in an actual battle, ULER forces are in a desperate situation.

In case it comes across infantry, the Izbândă can engage targets with a 7.62mm coaxial machine gun. Crews have found the coaxial machine gun difficult to use while on the move, showing preference towards using HE ammunition instead. For those crews who are not faint of heart, simply running over infantry is also an option.

MA-12 OM SPÂNZURAT: "THE HANGED MAN"

Type: Heavy Tank Destroyer
Weight: 65.8 metric tons
Length: 11.57 m
Width: 3.80 m
Height: 3.20 m
Crew: 6
Main Armament: 155 mm cannon with 34 rounds of ammunition
Secondary Armament:
Dsn. A:
1 × .50 caliber coaxial machine gun with 2,420 rounds of ammunition
1 × ball-mounted .30 caliber machine gun with 2,500 rounds of ammunition
Dsn. F:
1 × .50 caliber coaxial machine gun with 2,420 rounds of ammunition
1 × ball-mounted flamethrower
Engine Horsepower: 810 hp
Power/weight: 11.8 hp/tonne
Suspension: torsion bar
Operational Range: 170 km
Maximum Speed: 26.5 km/h
Maximum Armor Thickness: 280 mm

The MA-12 Om Spânzurat is a Taroc series heavy tank destroyer. Originally designed as a replacement for current-generation ULER turreted tank destroyers like the T49, the Om Spânzurat quickly deviated from the fast, lightly armored tank destroyer concept towards an all-powerful, heavily armed and armored tank destroyer. The Om Spânzurat has the largest gun out of any tank on the battlefield: a highly accurate 155 millimeter cannon, a caliber typically reserved only for self-propelled artillery. As such, it boasts tremendous firepower capable of destroying essentially anything anything its path. When it comes to armor, the Om Spânzurat is no slouch either: with a maximum armor thickness of 280 millimeters, the Om Spânzurat is nigh impenetrable to any frontal attack.

The Om Spânzurat is a terrifying weapon on the battlefield, but it is not without its flaws. For one, its heavy armor means that even with an engine delivering more than 800 horsepower, the Om Spânzurat can only reach a sluggish top speed of 27 kilometers per hour. Secondly, the Om Spânzurat’s large gun requires equally large shells. These shells are two-piece; that is, the shell and charge are loaded separately. The shell weighs 43 kg and the charge weighs 18 kg, making each projectile’s weight a total of 61 kg. This incredibly heavy shell consequently requires two loaders, assisted by a gun rammer, to load each round. Loading an Om Spânzurat is a difficult ordeal and can only be handled by experienced loaders. Additionally, because the ammunition is two-piece, the Om Spânzurat only carries half the ammunition of its relatives, the MA-15 and MA-14, with a scant 34 rounds total. Finally, the Om Spânzurat’s large size gives it an unusually large silhouette, making it easy to spot if not concealed properly.

ULER’s tank destroyers before the Taroc series were largely based upon American tank destroyers: highly mobile, turreted designs. Although the MA-15 stood to be a formidable tank destroyer on its own, there were some concerns over the casemate design. Thus, the Military Committee decided to press for a second tank destroyer, as formidable as the MA-15, but this time featuring a fully-rotating turret. The Om Spânzurat was proposed to fulfill this request. The Om Spânzurat has only recently entered mass production, with small numbers of them constructed thus far. With ULER on the brink of war, the Om Spânzurat has been mostly set aside, with emphasis placed on further production of the MA-15 and MA-14. All Om Spânzurats in service are tasked to the elite 9th Armored Division of the Army of Swords.

The Om Spânzurat is used exclusively by the 9th Armored Sword Division as a powerful guerilla warfare unit and terror weapon rather than the front line tank destroyer it was intended to be. They operate behind enemy lines, targeting encampments and supply lines seemingly at random. As is typical of ULER, the Om Spânzurat uses the tough Eastern European terrain to its advantage. Forests and dense foliage provide cover as the Om Spânzurat lies in wait for its prey. To further instill fear in the hearts of their enemies, the 9th Armored Sword typically prefers, even enjoys, having their Om Spânzurats strike in the dead of night; for this, they are nicknamed the “Nightmare Division” by ULER forces, and this moniker is quite fitting. Being ambushed by an Om Spânzurat is terrifying. With its destructive cannon the Om Spânzurat can make short work of infantry, buildings, and armored vehicles, whilst its frontal armor beats back any retaliatory strikes launched against it in the ensuing chaos. As the name “Hanged Man” implies, a very distinct trait of Om Spânzurat crews is their refusal to retreat: they fight to the death, no matter how many casualties they suffer. Om Spânzurats only withdraw once every enemy target has been eliminated.

Om Spânzurats typically hunt in packs of 6-12 units each, but tend to stay dispersed from one another until the time comes to strike. If an Om Spânzurat is near the location of an ensuing firefight, it will typically refrain from attacking, both to avoid exposing its position and to conserve ammunition. However, if presented the opportunity to strike a high-value target or if its location is in danger of being exposed or overrun, an Om Spânzurat will engage enemy forces from afar.

Against ground forces, the Om Spânzurat employs a variety of weaponry, with two variants on the standard frame existing. The Dsn. A has a ball-mounted 7.62mm machine gun, while the Dsn. F has a flamethrower instead. All Om Spânzurats possess a single .50 caliber coaxial machine gun and employ both armor piercing and high explosive ammunition with their 155mm cannon. Additionally, Om Spânzurats have been known to use special napalm-loaded shells, as well.

MA-14 TEMPERANŢĂ: "TEMPERANCE"

Type: Heavy Tank
Weight: 64.2 metric tons
Length: 11.57 m
Width: 3.80 m
Height: 3.20 m
Crew: 6
Main Armament: 105 mm cannon with 63 rounds of ammunition
Secondary Armament:
2 × .50 caliber coaxial machine guns with 2,420 rounds of ammunition
1 × .50 caliber pintle-mounted machine gun with 2,420 rounds of ammunition
1 × ball-mounted .30 caliber machine gun with 2,500 rounds of ammunition
Engine Horsepower: 770 hp
Power/weight: 10 hp/tonne
Suspension: torsion bar
Operational Range: 170 km
Maximum Speed: 35 km/h
Maximum Armor Thickness: 279 mm
Additional Equipment: Coincidence rangefinder

The MA-14 Temperanţă is a Taroc series heavy tank. The link between the MA-12 and MA-15, the MA-14 heavy tank combines aspects of both projects to create a “jack of all trades” heavy tank. While lacking the powerful gun of the MA-12 or the invincible armor of the MA-15, the Temperanţă has formidable protection in the form of 279 millimeters of frontal turret armor. For armament, the Temperanţă employs a high-velocity 105 millimeter cannon capable of destroying all but the most heavily armored tanks. The biggest improvement over its counterparts is its range; through the use of a coincidence rangefinder installed in the turret, the Temperanţă is capable of observing targets at ranges twice as great as its contemporaries can, then strike them with precision. The Temperanţă also has the fastest speed out of the MA-15 and MA-12, capable of reaching speeds of up to 35 km/h; exceptionally high considering the Temperanţă’s heavy weight of 64 metric tons (70.75 short tons.)

As the name “Temperanţă” implies, the MA-14 has no real disadvantages to speak of. One could argue, however, that the opposite is true: the Temperanţă’s biggest disadvantage is that it has no real advantages either. There are some minor disadvantages carried over from basing the Temperanţă on the MA-12’s frame, such as a large silhouette. The only other weak point in the Temperanţă is its armor allocation. While on paper a maximum armor thickness of 279mm might seem incredibly formidable, in reality, only the front of the turret has this much protection. The Temperanţă’s hull only has a maximum of 102mm of armor in the front. While this is still far better armor compared to medium tanks, the hull of the Temperanţă is incapable of standing up to a powerful, direct attack.

ULER lacked a heavy tank of any kind before the introduction of the Temperanţă, as tank-to-tank combat was to be handled by wolf packs of tank destroyers and medium tanks. In order to fill this empty position, the Military Committee scheduled the Temperanţă to be one of the first Taroc series projects to be completed. A fair amount of Temperanţăs have already been manufactured. Still, far fewer Temperanţăs have been constructed than MA-15s or current generation ULER armored fighting vehicles, therefore limiting their appearances in combat.

As the Temperanţă’s turret armor is far thicker than its hull armor, it follows typical ULER doctrine; take advantage of the terrain. Temperanţăs use every opportunity they can to get hull-down, protecting themselves from retaliation from enemy ground forces. Combined with their speed, the Temperanţă can easily maneuver around the battlefield to the most favorable positions possible, sniping at enemy tanks and infantry before withdrawing to another position.

Temperanţăs are usually deployed in small groups of 6-8 units, supporting larger groups of medium tanks and infantry. Very rarely do they ever lead friendly armor into battle, in order to avoid exposing the weaker hull armor; instead, they stick to whatever sloped terrain and obstacles they can find around the second line of attack. However, if necessary, Temperanţăs can effectively spearhead an armored assault.

The Temperanţă is a formidable foe against infantry and should not be taken lightly if encountered on foot. Unlike the MA-15, the Temperanţă carries HE ammunition. As an additional line of defense, the Temperanţă has a massive number of secondary guns; two coaxial .50 caliber machine guns, a .50 caliber pintle-mounted machine gun, and a 7.62mm ball-mounted machine gun in the front hull. This armament, combined with armor capable of shrugging off most man-portable anti-tank weapons, allows the Temperanţă to engage infantry from multiple directions simultaneously with terrifying efficiency.

by **Altaiire** » Mon Jun 04, 2012 6:54 pm

ULER NAVAL VESSELS
IV- The Emperor

ULER MILITARY WEAPONS

United League of Eastern Republics Military Factbook [CLOSD]

United League of Eastern Republics Military Factbook [CLOSD]

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