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M7A2 Mk. III Tulkas:
Type: Main battle tank
Weight: 65-75 tonnes (75-85t with ERA)
Length: 27.23 ft (8.3m) hull length, 39.2 ft (11.95m) gun forward
Width: 17.39 ft (5.3m) overall, 9.84 ft (3m) hull
Height: 9.02 ft (2.75m) with 0.5m ground clearance
Crew: 3 (Commander, driver, gunner)
Armor: 3-tiered defense
- Tier 1: 3rd generation depleted uranium between Chobham layers
- Tier 2: next generation ERA (optional)
- Tier 3: Active protection
- Hard kill: Quick Kill active protection system - 4 launchers with 16 countermeasure missiles each, one set of reloads (64 missiles) are carried inside the tank
- Soft kill: Softkill Active Protection System (SAPS) - disrupts semi-automatic command to line of sight (SACLOS) wire and radio guided ATGMs, laser rangefinders and target designators, and thermal and infrared ATGMs
Armament:
- 155mm L44 smoothbore gun (38 rounds)
- 12 x M749 depleted uranium APFSDS penetrators
- 12 x BGM-751 Dramborleg gun launched ATGMs
- 14 x M750 multipurpose rounds
- 1 x XM307 25mm automatic grenade launcher or XM312 .50 cal machine gun - Remote weapons system (1400 rounds)
- 1 x M240 7.62mm machine guns – coaxial (4000 rounds)
- 24 x smoke grenade launchers
Engine: 2000 horsepower diesel engine
Power/weight: 30.77 hp/t (65t configuration), 23.53 hp/t (85t configuration)
Suspension: Hydropneumatic active suspension
Ground pressure: 53.14 kPa (7.707 psi) 65t configuration, 69.49 kPa (10.08 psi) 85t configuration
Ground clearance: 0.07m - 0.75m (3 in - 2.46 ft)
Vertical step: 2.0m (6.56 ft)
Hull traverse: 60 deg/s
Turret traverse: 60 deg/s
Gun elevation: -15 deg/+30 deg
Fuel capacity: 373 US gallons
Operational range: 400 mi (644 km)
Speed:
- On road: 45(cruising) - 50(sprint) mph (72-80 km/h)
- Off road: 35 mph (cruising) – 40 mph (sprint) (56.33 - 65 km/h)
Protection:
Concealment:
The Tulkas III carries 24 smoke grenade launchers, capable of creating a smokescreen that obscures the tank from both visual and thermal imaging detection. The tank can also create a smokescreen by injecting fuel into the exhaust.
Active Protection:
The Tulkas III’s first line of defense is composed of the hardkill Quick Kill active protection system, and the Softkill Active Protection System (SAPS). These two systems work in concert to ensure the safety of the tank, as well as any nearby friendly units.
SAPS provides softkill protection by jamming and disrupting wire and radio guided semi-automatic command to line of sight (SACLOS) ATGMs, laser rangefinders and target designators, and thermal and infrared ATGMs. Projectiles defeated by SAPS are not destroyed; they are simply caused to miss. If SAPS fails to decoy a projectile, or if other friendly units would be endangered by a miss, the Quick Kill system will attempt to shoot down the projectile.
The Quick Kill system uses an AESA radar to detect incoming projectiles, which it can engage with small vertical launch countermeasure missiles. It is capable of engaging a wide range of threats, from RPGs to ATGMs to kinetic energy penetrators. Four reloadable vertical launch units, each containing 16 countermeasures, are mounted on the turret, for a total of 64 countermeasure missiles. A full set of reloads are carried inside the tank.
APS engagements are handled automatically by the Tulkas III’s onboard computer system.
Armor:
The Tulkas III uses a modular armor scheme, allowing different armor kits to be mounted according to protection and weight requirements. There are 3 primary armor schemes used: light armor, medium armor, and heavy armor. Only the 3m width of the hull is armored as indicated, not the full 5.3m width that includes the tracks. (Note that all armor values are approximations, as penetration isn’t binary.)
Light armor is used primarily for strategic transport and amphibious landings, or other scenarios when heavier armor would be impractical or detrimental. The former are common situations, as Mitheldalond is an island nation. The light armor scheme offers protection roughly on par with that of many other battle tanks; it is highly vulnerable to hits to the sides and rear, as well as to modern anti-tank mines and top-attack munitions, while remaining largely impregnable from the front. This is the lightest of the three main armor schemes, and the only one that allows the Tulkas III to be transported by standard means. A Tulkas III-LA (light armor) weighs 65 metric tons standard, but can weigh up to 75 metric tons with ERA. However, ERA is not normally mounted to a tank equipped with light armor; it is generally preferred to refit tanks with one of the heavier armor schemes once they have arrived at their location.
Light Armor (values in parentheses include ERA):
Turret:
Medium armor is used primarily for low intensity conflicts, where the chances of encountering enemy tanks are minimal. A tank equipped with medium armor is still vulnerable to most modern kinetic energy penetrators at combat ranges from all but the frontal arc, even when equipped with ERA. However, a Tulkas III with medium armor is effectively completely immune to most HEAT penetrators, including RPGs, HEAT shells, and most ATGMs. As such, the medium armor scheme is used when there is a low probability of encountering enemy armor, but a high probability of RPG and ATGM attacks. Though the Tulkas III was not designed for urban combat, this armor scheme enables it to enter urban environments with little risk to the vehicle or crew, and is therefore the most commonly used armor scheme in such situations. A Tulkas III with medium armor has a base weight of 68 metric tons, and 78 metric tons with ERA. ERA is almost always mounted when medium armor is used.
Medium Armor (values in parentheses include ERA):
Turret:
Heavy armor is used for high intensity conflicts, when enemy tanks are expected to be encountered in significant numbers. When equipped with heavy armor, a Tulkas III becomes virtually impenetrable. Even 155mm guns are unable to penetrate the frontal armor at anything but extremely close range. The sides can stop many 105mm shells and some 120mm penetrators at ranges exceeding 2,000m. The top, bottom, and rear are immune to armor piercing autocannon rounds and guns up to 100mm in caliber. A Tulkas III-HA (heavy armor) is completely impervious to almost all HEAT weapons, including top attack ATGMs and even air launched missiles such as the Hellfire. This armor scheme allows a relatively small number of Tulkas IIIs to engage and defeat a much larger group of enemy tanks. This capability was seen as necessary, as the number of Mitheldalondian troops and vehicles that can be deployed abroad is limited by the capacity of amphibious assault groups. One of the consequences being an island nation, this means that Mitheldalondian ground forces will often be going into combat with a numerical disadvantage. A Tulkas III equipped with heavy armor is a monstrously heavy vehicle, weighing 75 metric tons before ERA is added. With ERA, which is almost always mounted with heavy armor, the tank weighs a staggering 85 metric tons.
Heavy Armor (values in parentheses include ERA):
Turret:
Concealment:
The Tulkas III carries 24 smoke grenade launchers, capable of creating a smokescreen that obscures the tank from both visual and thermal imaging detection. The tank can also create a smokescreen by injecting fuel into the exhaust.
Active Protection:
The Tulkas III’s first line of defense is composed of the hardkill Quick Kill active protection system, and the Softkill Active Protection System (SAPS). These two systems work in concert to ensure the safety of the tank, as well as any nearby friendly units.
SAPS provides softkill protection by jamming and disrupting wire and radio guided semi-automatic command to line of sight (SACLOS) ATGMs, laser rangefinders and target designators, and thermal and infrared ATGMs. Projectiles defeated by SAPS are not destroyed; they are simply caused to miss. If SAPS fails to decoy a projectile, or if other friendly units would be endangered by a miss, the Quick Kill system will attempt to shoot down the projectile.
The Quick Kill system uses an AESA radar to detect incoming projectiles, which it can engage with small vertical launch countermeasure missiles. It is capable of engaging a wide range of threats, from RPGs to ATGMs to kinetic energy penetrators. Four reloadable vertical launch units, each containing 16 countermeasures, are mounted on the turret, for a total of 64 countermeasure missiles. A full set of reloads are carried inside the tank.
APS engagements are handled automatically by the Tulkas III’s onboard computer system.
Armor:
The Tulkas III uses a modular armor scheme, allowing different armor kits to be mounted according to protection and weight requirements. There are 3 primary armor schemes used: light armor, medium armor, and heavy armor. Only the 3m width of the hull is armored as indicated, not the full 5.3m width that includes the tracks. (Note that all armor values are approximations, as penetration isn’t binary.)
Light armor is used primarily for strategic transport and amphibious landings, or other scenarios when heavier armor would be impractical or detrimental. The former are common situations, as Mitheldalond is an island nation. The light armor scheme offers protection roughly on par with that of many other battle tanks; it is highly vulnerable to hits to the sides and rear, as well as to modern anti-tank mines and top-attack munitions, while remaining largely impregnable from the front. This is the lightest of the three main armor schemes, and the only one that allows the Tulkas III to be transported by standard means. A Tulkas III-LA (light armor) weighs 65 metric tons standard, but can weigh up to 75 metric tons with ERA. However, ERA is not normally mounted to a tank equipped with light armor; it is generally preferred to refit tanks with one of the heavier armor schemes once they have arrived at their location.
Light Armor (values in parentheses include ERA):
Turret:
- Front: 1000mm (1250mm) vs APFSDS, 1500mm (2000mm) vs HEAT
- Sides: 150mm (400mm) vs APFSDS, 650mm (1150mm) vs HEAT
- Rear: 100mm (350mm) vs APFSDS, 600mm (1100mm) vs HEAT
- Top: 100mm (350mm) vs APFSDS, 600mm (1100mm) vs HEAT
- Underside: 100mm vs APFSDS, 600mm vs HEAT
- Front: 900mm (1150mm) vs APFSDS, 1400mm (1900mm) vs HEAT
- Sides: 100mm (350mm) vs APFSDS, 600mm (1100mm) vs HEAT
- Rear: 50mm (300mm) vs APFSDS, 550mm (1050mm) vs HEAT
- Top: 50mm (300mm) vs APFSDS, 550mm (1050mm) vs HEAT
- Bottom: 50mm vs APFSDS, 550mm vs HEAT
Medium armor is used primarily for low intensity conflicts, where the chances of encountering enemy tanks are minimal. A tank equipped with medium armor is still vulnerable to most modern kinetic energy penetrators at combat ranges from all but the frontal arc, even when equipped with ERA. However, a Tulkas III with medium armor is effectively completely immune to most HEAT penetrators, including RPGs, HEAT shells, and most ATGMs. As such, the medium armor scheme is used when there is a low probability of encountering enemy armor, but a high probability of RPG and ATGM attacks. Though the Tulkas III was not designed for urban combat, this armor scheme enables it to enter urban environments with little risk to the vehicle or crew, and is therefore the most commonly used armor scheme in such situations. A Tulkas III with medium armor has a base weight of 68 metric tons, and 78 metric tons with ERA. ERA is almost always mounted when medium armor is used.
Medium Armor (values in parentheses include ERA):
Turret:
- Front: 1250mm (1500mm) vs APFSDS, 1750mm (2250mm) vs HEAT
- Sides: 250mm (500mm) vs APFSDS, 750mm (1250mm) vs HEAT
- Rear: 250mm (500mm) vs APFSDS, 750mm (1250mm) vs HEAT
- Top: 250mm (500mm) vs APFSDS, 750mm (1250mm) vs HEAT
- Underside: 250mm vs APFSDS, 750mm vs HEAT
- Front: 1150mm (1400mm) vs APFSDS, 1650mm (2150mm) vs HEAT
- Sides: 200mm (450mm) vs APFSDS, 700mm (1200mm) vs HEAT
- Rear: 200mm (450mm) vs APFSDS, 700mm (1200mm) vs HEAT
- Top: 200mm (450mm) vs APFSDS, 700mm (1200mm) vs HEAT
- Bottom: 200mm vs APFSDS, 700mm vs HEAT
Heavy armor is used for high intensity conflicts, when enemy tanks are expected to be encountered in significant numbers. When equipped with heavy armor, a Tulkas III becomes virtually impenetrable. Even 155mm guns are unable to penetrate the frontal armor at anything but extremely close range. The sides can stop many 105mm shells and some 120mm penetrators at ranges exceeding 2,000m. The top, bottom, and rear are immune to armor piercing autocannon rounds and guns up to 100mm in caliber. A Tulkas III-HA (heavy armor) is completely impervious to almost all HEAT weapons, including top attack ATGMs and even air launched missiles such as the Hellfire. This armor scheme allows a relatively small number of Tulkas IIIs to engage and defeat a much larger group of enemy tanks. This capability was seen as necessary, as the number of Mitheldalondian troops and vehicles that can be deployed abroad is limited by the capacity of amphibious assault groups. One of the consequences being an island nation, this means that Mitheldalondian ground forces will often be going into combat with a numerical disadvantage. A Tulkas III equipped with heavy armor is a monstrously heavy vehicle, weighing 75 metric tons before ERA is added. With ERA, which is almost always mounted with heavy armor, the tank weighs a staggering 85 metric tons.
Heavy Armor (values in parentheses include ERA):
Turret:
- Front: 1750mm (2000mm) vs APFSDS, 2250mm (2750mm) vs HEAT
- Sides: 550mm (800mm) vs APFSDS, 1050mm (1550mm) vs HEAT
- Rear: 350mm (600mm) vs APFSDS, 850mm (1350mm) vs HEAT
- Top: 300mm (550mm) vs APFSDS, 800mm (1300mm) vs HEAT
- Underside: 300mm vs APFSDS, 800mm vs HEAT
- Front: 1650mm (1900mm) vs APFSDS, 2150mm (2650mm) vs HEAT
- Sides: 550mm (800mm) vs APFSDS, 1050mm (1550mm) vs HEAT
- Rear: 250mm (500mm) vs APFSDS, 750mm (1250mm) vs HEAT
- Top: 200mm (450mm) vs APFSDS, 700mm (1200mm) vs HEAT
- Bottom: 200mm vs APFSDS, 700mm vs HEAT
Armament:
Primary:
The main gun of the Tulkas III is an autoloaded 155mm L44 smoothbore cannon. The gun has a sustainable rate of fire of 10 rounds/minute, and can be used to engage helicopters.
The Tulkas III carries 38 rounds for its main gun in its turret bustle racks. A typical load consists of 12 M749 depleted uranium APFSDS penetrators, 12 BGM-751 Dramborleg tandem HEAT gun launched ATGMs, and 14 M750 multipurpose rounds for use against infantry, fortifications, and armored vehicles. Typical engagement ranges for APFSDS rounds are 4-6 km. While they can penetrate the front of many tanks beyond 6000m, the accuracy of the unguided penetrators starts to become unreliable at such extreme ranges. The ATGMs are typically used to engage targets between 6 km and 8km. They have a maximum effective range of around 10 km, but the Tulkas IIII cannot detect surface targets that far away by itself.
Ammunition:
(Note that all Penetration values are approximate, as penetration is not binary.)
M749 APFSDS:
Based on the M829A3/E4, the M749 is a depleted uranium saboted kinetic energy penetrator.
BGM-751 Dramborleg:
The Dramborleg is a fire-and-forget anti-tank missile based on the LAHAT.
M750 Multipurpose round:
The multipurpose round is capable of engaging armor, troops, and fortifications effectively. In anti-armor mode, it functions as a HEAT shell and can penetrate the equivalent of 900mm of RHA. An airburst mode is used to combat infantry, wherein the shell performs as a high explosive fragmentation artillery shell. Against buildings and fortifications, the M750 uses point detonation delay, causing the shell to detonate inside the building. A single round is capable of leveling an entire building, or demolishing a reinforced concrete bunker.
Secondary:
The Tulkas III carries an XM307 25mm automatic airburst grenade launcher in a remote weapons system by the commander’s hatch. The XM307 can be easily converted into the XM312 .50 cal machine gun, but the grenade launcher is more common. The Tulkas III also carries a coaxial M240 7.62mm machine gun. Provision for a second M240 on a pintle mount or RWS in front of the gunner’s hatch has been made, though the weapon is not usually fitted.
Primary:
The main gun of the Tulkas III is an autoloaded 155mm L44 smoothbore cannon. The gun has a sustainable rate of fire of 10 rounds/minute, and can be used to engage helicopters.
The Tulkas III carries 38 rounds for its main gun in its turret bustle racks. A typical load consists of 12 M749 depleted uranium APFSDS penetrators, 12 BGM-751 Dramborleg tandem HEAT gun launched ATGMs, and 14 M750 multipurpose rounds for use against infantry, fortifications, and armored vehicles. Typical engagement ranges for APFSDS rounds are 4-6 km. While they can penetrate the front of many tanks beyond 6000m, the accuracy of the unguided penetrators starts to become unreliable at such extreme ranges. The ATGMs are typically used to engage targets between 6 km and 8km. They have a maximum effective range of around 10 km, but the Tulkas IIII cannot detect surface targets that far away by itself.
Ammunition:
(Note that all Penetration values are approximate, as penetration is not binary.)
M749 APFSDS:
Based on the M829A3/E4, the M749 is a depleted uranium saboted kinetic energy penetrator.
- Type: armor-piercing fin stabilize discarding sabot penetrator
- Length: 2m overall, 1.75m penetrator
- Effective range: 6,000m
- Penetration:
- 1,250mm @ 2,000m
- 1,175mm @ 3,000m
- 1,100mm @ 4,000m
- 1,025mm @ 5,000m
- 950mm @ 6,000m
BGM-751 Dramborleg:
The Dramborleg is a fire-and-forget anti-tank missile based on the LAHAT.
- Type: top-attack gun-launched ATGM
- Length: 2m
- Diameter: 155mm
- Warhead: 8kg (18 lb) tandem HEAT
- Range: 8 km – 10 km
- Speed: Mach 2
- Guidance: Laser homing, IR, or active radar
- Penetration: 1,300mm after ERA
M750 Multipurpose round:
The multipurpose round is capable of engaging armor, troops, and fortifications effectively. In anti-armor mode, it functions as a HEAT shell and can penetrate the equivalent of 900mm of RHA. An airburst mode is used to combat infantry, wherein the shell performs as a high explosive fragmentation artillery shell. Against buildings and fortifications, the M750 uses point detonation delay, causing the shell to detonate inside the building. A single round is capable of leveling an entire building, or demolishing a reinforced concrete bunker.
Secondary:
The Tulkas III carries an XM307 25mm automatic airburst grenade launcher in a remote weapons system by the commander’s hatch. The XM307 can be easily converted into the XM312 .50 cal machine gun, but the grenade launcher is more common. The Tulkas III also carries a coaxial M240 7.62mm machine gun. Provision for a second M240 on a pintle mount or RWS in front of the gunner’s hatch has been made, though the weapon is not usually fitted.
Mobility:
The Tulkas III was designed for excellent off-road performance, even in its heaviest configuration. Its 2,000 horsepower engine enables the Tulkas III to achieve a cruising speed of 45 mph (72 km/h) on paved surfaces, with a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 km/h). This maximum speed can be maintained for short durations without damage to the tank, and is typically used for rapid maneuvering during combat. Across moderately soft terrain (dirt, grass, etc.), the Tulkas III can maintain a cruising speed of 35 mph (56.33 km/h) with a sprint speed of 40 mph (65 km/h). The tank can also move at full speed in reverse.
Fording Capability:
The Tulkas III is capable of wading through water up to the top of its hull without preparation, and through water up to 15 meters deep with preparation. It can remain submerged for over an hour with crew oxygen rebreathers, and longer with a snorkel fitted. It can fire so long as the gun barrel is not submerged, making rivers beds and lake bottoms good places from which to ambush enemy forces. The tank can enter combat ready status immediately upon resurfacing.
Suspension:
In order to achieve the low ground pressure necessary for good off-road performance, the Tulkas III’s tracks are 1.0m wide. There are nine road wheels, each 0.5m in diameter, on each side of the tank.
The Tulkas III uses a hydropneumatic active suspension system, which allows the tank to vary its ground clearance from 0.75m to effectively resting the hull on the ground. This means that the overall height of the tank can vary between approximately 2.25m and 3m. Each of the road wheels can be independently controlled by the driver, though individual wheel control is usually handled automatically while the driver concentrates on controlling the tank as a whole.
The ability to change the Tulkas III’s ground clearance allows the tank to adapt to its environment. Raising the tank to its maximum height enables it to clear taller obstacles, and reduces hull movement while traversing smaller obstacles. This results in a much smoother ride when driving off-road and through rough terrain, improving both crew comfort and accuracy when firing on the move. Lowering the hull allows the Tulkas III to hide behind shorter obstacles than would normally be possible. However, constantly raising and lowering a 65-85 ton vehicle puts quite a bit of strain on the suspension, resulting in a fair amount of wear and tear. Too much wear and tear can cause the suspension to fail, disabling the tank. Regular maintenance prevents this from becoming a problem; therefore, Mitheldalondian tank crews are trained to keep track of their vehicle’s condition, and to know how often it needs to go in for maintenance. This job is made easier by the array of electronics and sensors that monitor all of the tank’s systems, which will notify the crew of any necessary maintenance long before the situation reaches critical status.
The impressive capabilities and maneuverability afforded by the Tulkas III’s suspension were demonstrated in a novel fashion during the tank’s official unveiling to the public. During the ceremony, a group of about a dozen Tulkas IIIs performed an armored rendition of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” music video, for which they received a standing ovation from the audience. Critics were quick to write scathing condemnations of Mitheldalond’s new “dancing tank”, remarking that is was “more suited to dance competitions than combat.” However, more observant individuals noted that the performance displayed not only the impressive agility of the tank, but also an incredible level of coordination between vehicles.
The Tulkas III was designed for excellent off-road performance, even in its heaviest configuration. Its 2,000 horsepower engine enables the Tulkas III to achieve a cruising speed of 45 mph (72 km/h) on paved surfaces, with a maximum speed of 50 mph (80 km/h). This maximum speed can be maintained for short durations without damage to the tank, and is typically used for rapid maneuvering during combat. Across moderately soft terrain (dirt, grass, etc.), the Tulkas III can maintain a cruising speed of 35 mph (56.33 km/h) with a sprint speed of 40 mph (65 km/h). The tank can also move at full speed in reverse.
Fording Capability:
The Tulkas III is capable of wading through water up to the top of its hull without preparation, and through water up to 15 meters deep with preparation. It can remain submerged for over an hour with crew oxygen rebreathers, and longer with a snorkel fitted. It can fire so long as the gun barrel is not submerged, making rivers beds and lake bottoms good places from which to ambush enemy forces. The tank can enter combat ready status immediately upon resurfacing.
Suspension:
In order to achieve the low ground pressure necessary for good off-road performance, the Tulkas III’s tracks are 1.0m wide. There are nine road wheels, each 0.5m in diameter, on each side of the tank.
The Tulkas III uses a hydropneumatic active suspension system, which allows the tank to vary its ground clearance from 0.75m to effectively resting the hull on the ground. This means that the overall height of the tank can vary between approximately 2.25m and 3m. Each of the road wheels can be independently controlled by the driver, though individual wheel control is usually handled automatically while the driver concentrates on controlling the tank as a whole.
The ability to change the Tulkas III’s ground clearance allows the tank to adapt to its environment. Raising the tank to its maximum height enables it to clear taller obstacles, and reduces hull movement while traversing smaller obstacles. This results in a much smoother ride when driving off-road and through rough terrain, improving both crew comfort and accuracy when firing on the move. Lowering the hull allows the Tulkas III to hide behind shorter obstacles than would normally be possible. However, constantly raising and lowering a 65-85 ton vehicle puts quite a bit of strain on the suspension, resulting in a fair amount of wear and tear. Too much wear and tear can cause the suspension to fail, disabling the tank. Regular maintenance prevents this from becoming a problem; therefore, Mitheldalondian tank crews are trained to keep track of their vehicle’s condition, and to know how often it needs to go in for maintenance. This job is made easier by the array of electronics and sensors that monitor all of the tank’s systems, which will notify the crew of any necessary maintenance long before the situation reaches critical status.
The impressive capabilities and maneuverability afforded by the Tulkas III’s suspension were demonstrated in a novel fashion during the tank’s official unveiling to the public. During the ceremony, a group of about a dozen Tulkas IIIs performed an armored rendition of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” music video, for which they received a standing ovation from the audience. Critics were quick to write scathing condemnations of Mitheldalond’s new “dancing tank”, remarking that is was “more suited to dance competitions than combat.” However, more observant individuals noted that the performance displayed not only the impressive agility of the tank, but also an incredible level of coordination between vehicles.
Electronics:
The Tulkas III incorporates an extensive array of electronic sensors and displays designed to improve situational awareness and combat effectiveness. Radar, infrared, and visual sensors work together to create as complete an image as possible of the surrounding battlespace.
In addition to the Mk 1 eyeball, a number of cameras arrayed around the tank's exterior provide a 360 degree view of the nearby terrain. This is primarily useful to the driver for navigation, and the commander to assist with visual detection.
The tank's AESA radar, improved considerably from the original Quick Kill radar, provides 360 degree hemispherical coverage out to a maximum detection range of 8km for surface targets, and 10-12km for aerial targets. It can track up to 2 dozen targets simultaneously, and is also capable of terrain and limited weather mapping. The radar can provide targeting data for the Tulkas III's main gun and RWS, in addition to the Quick Kill launchers it was originally intended to control. Both weapons can be slaved to the tank's fire control computer, which will use the targeting data provided by the radar and other sensors to automatically aim and fire at targets selected by the tank commander. Adjustments for direction of travel and speed of both the tank and target, as well as environmental factors like wind speed, are made automatically.
All three crew stations are equipped with an array of multifunction touchscreen displays. By default, these are set up to display information most relevant to their particular crew station, in the most useful format possible for that crew member. They can be used to display a map of the immediate area and terrain, including the locations of friendly, hostile, and unidentified vehicles and troops. They can also be used to monitor the condition of the tank or other friendly vehicles, view orders and rules of engagement, or display other important information. It is also possible to use them to watch television or view the Internet, but checking Facebook during combat is strongly discouraged.
All crew stations are networked together, allowing any station to be controlled from any other station. The commander for example, without leaving his seat, could take control of the driver's station, use his display screens to plot a course by placing waypoints, instruct the tank to execute the designated maneuver, switch to controlling the gunner's station, slave the main gun to the fire control system, and then start designating targets. The tank will automatically follow the waypoint course, while targeting and firing as directed by the commander. This allows the Tulkas III to operate with a fair degree of efficiency even with 2 of its 3 crew members out of action. As a security measure, the tank can only be controlled in this manner from the tank’s own crew stations; any external commands are simply ignored.
The ADMIN Combat System:
The Tulkas III is fully compatible with Mitheldalond's Arena Distributed Mass Information Network (ADMIN). ADMIN is an information sharing and coordination system, integrated into all Mitheldalondian combat vehicles, aircraft, and ships. Contrary to what its acronym implies, it is not an administrative system; rather, it is a decentralized library of all information available to Mitheldalondian forces in a battlespace. If any Mitheldalondian unit (vehicle, plane, ship, etc.) knows a piece of information, all Mitheldalondian forces in the battlespace can know that information. All information is not known by all units at all times; it is merely accessible to all forces in the battlespace at all times. The amount of information, and level of detail of that information, that can be "known" by any vehicle, aircraft, or ship at any one time is mostly dependent on how much processing power it has.
A trade-off between width of focus and level of detail is necessary; a wider focus will offer less detailed information, while a narrower focus will offer much more detail. For example, a supercarrier and a main battle tank can both view a map of the entire battlespace. However, the map in a tank will likely be little more than an overview, similar to a strategic map displaying general information about troop deployment and approximate strength at perhaps battalion level or higher. If the tank crew wants information about a particular battalion, they will have to narrow their focus, losing information about the rest of the battlespace in exchange for more detail about a smaller area. A carrier on the other hand, could view the entire battlespace in far more detail. It is possible to make an analogy to real-time strategy games: a tank would be able to view either the minimap or a small section of the main map, while a supercarrier would be able to view the entire main map at once.
The ADMIN system allows unprecedented situational and battlespace awareness, enabling such a high level of coordination among Mitheldalondian forces that they can appear to think and act as one. For this reason, many people refer to the ADMIN system as the “hive mind”, a surprisingly accurate nickname. Some of this coordination is automatic. In the case of the Tulkas III, as well as most other combat vehicles, this is applied most obviously in the active protection systems. When a group of tanks are faced with multiple incoming projectiles, they will automatically communicate with each other to determine which vehicles could most effectively engage which projectiles, and assign targets to each vehicle accordingly.
As might be obvious, the effectiveness of the ADMIN system increases with the number of units connected to it. If only a single vehicle was connected, the system would be completely useless. More vehicles, aircraft, and ships offer a greater wealth of available information.
There is an extremely high level of security built into the ADMIN system. Highly complex encryption protocols and many other security features work together to ensure that any unauthorized sources trying to access the network will be completely unable to acquire any information in any comprehensible form.
The Tulkas III incorporates an extensive array of electronic sensors and displays designed to improve situational awareness and combat effectiveness. Radar, infrared, and visual sensors work together to create as complete an image as possible of the surrounding battlespace.
In addition to the Mk 1 eyeball, a number of cameras arrayed around the tank's exterior provide a 360 degree view of the nearby terrain. This is primarily useful to the driver for navigation, and the commander to assist with visual detection.
The tank's AESA radar, improved considerably from the original Quick Kill radar, provides 360 degree hemispherical coverage out to a maximum detection range of 8km for surface targets, and 10-12km for aerial targets. It can track up to 2 dozen targets simultaneously, and is also capable of terrain and limited weather mapping. The radar can provide targeting data for the Tulkas III's main gun and RWS, in addition to the Quick Kill launchers it was originally intended to control. Both weapons can be slaved to the tank's fire control computer, which will use the targeting data provided by the radar and other sensors to automatically aim and fire at targets selected by the tank commander. Adjustments for direction of travel and speed of both the tank and target, as well as environmental factors like wind speed, are made automatically.
All three crew stations are equipped with an array of multifunction touchscreen displays. By default, these are set up to display information most relevant to their particular crew station, in the most useful format possible for that crew member. They can be used to display a map of the immediate area and terrain, including the locations of friendly, hostile, and unidentified vehicles and troops. They can also be used to monitor the condition of the tank or other friendly vehicles, view orders and rules of engagement, or display other important information. It is also possible to use them to watch television or view the Internet, but checking Facebook during combat is strongly discouraged.
All crew stations are networked together, allowing any station to be controlled from any other station. The commander for example, without leaving his seat, could take control of the driver's station, use his display screens to plot a course by placing waypoints, instruct the tank to execute the designated maneuver, switch to controlling the gunner's station, slave the main gun to the fire control system, and then start designating targets. The tank will automatically follow the waypoint course, while targeting and firing as directed by the commander. This allows the Tulkas III to operate with a fair degree of efficiency even with 2 of its 3 crew members out of action. As a security measure, the tank can only be controlled in this manner from the tank’s own crew stations; any external commands are simply ignored.
The ADMIN Combat System:
The Tulkas III is fully compatible with Mitheldalond's Arena Distributed Mass Information Network (ADMIN). ADMIN is an information sharing and coordination system, integrated into all Mitheldalondian combat vehicles, aircraft, and ships. Contrary to what its acronym implies, it is not an administrative system; rather, it is a decentralized library of all information available to Mitheldalondian forces in a battlespace. If any Mitheldalondian unit (vehicle, plane, ship, etc.) knows a piece of information, all Mitheldalondian forces in the battlespace can know that information. All information is not known by all units at all times; it is merely accessible to all forces in the battlespace at all times. The amount of information, and level of detail of that information, that can be "known" by any vehicle, aircraft, or ship at any one time is mostly dependent on how much processing power it has.
A trade-off between width of focus and level of detail is necessary; a wider focus will offer less detailed information, while a narrower focus will offer much more detail. For example, a supercarrier and a main battle tank can both view a map of the entire battlespace. However, the map in a tank will likely be little more than an overview, similar to a strategic map displaying general information about troop deployment and approximate strength at perhaps battalion level or higher. If the tank crew wants information about a particular battalion, they will have to narrow their focus, losing information about the rest of the battlespace in exchange for more detail about a smaller area. A carrier on the other hand, could view the entire battlespace in far more detail. It is possible to make an analogy to real-time strategy games: a tank would be able to view either the minimap or a small section of the main map, while a supercarrier would be able to view the entire main map at once.
The ADMIN system allows unprecedented situational and battlespace awareness, enabling such a high level of coordination among Mitheldalondian forces that they can appear to think and act as one. For this reason, many people refer to the ADMIN system as the “hive mind”, a surprisingly accurate nickname. Some of this coordination is automatic. In the case of the Tulkas III, as well as most other combat vehicles, this is applied most obviously in the active protection systems. When a group of tanks are faced with multiple incoming projectiles, they will automatically communicate with each other to determine which vehicles could most effectively engage which projectiles, and assign targets to each vehicle accordingly.
As might be obvious, the effectiveness of the ADMIN system increases with the number of units connected to it. If only a single vehicle was connected, the system would be completely useless. More vehicles, aircraft, and ships offer a greater wealth of available information.
There is an extremely high level of security built into the ADMIN system. Highly complex encryption protocols and many other security features work together to ensure that any unauthorized sources trying to access the network will be completely unable to acquire any information in any comprehensible form.
