Scout Tank

A common tank extensively used by police forces and planet defenses. Its relatively cheap cost, durability and weaponry makes it a prime choice when HMVs are too expensive. Fast and powerful enough to go through barricades, it even proves dangerous enough against HMVs that it usually requires teamwork against it.
=Background Information=
==Development==
The Scout tank was a development by Raxis Arms Firm, mainly as an export tank for worlds that were unable to afford HMVs or heavier armoured vehicles. This would ideal as the Empire's conquest left many colonists needing cheap weapons to defend themselves or for police forces, maintain order given the rate worlds were colonized and the boundaries of Empire space continuously pushed.
What was needed was a fast-moving vehicle that was decently armoured to survive against small-arms and even light cannon fire, but that would not be enough for Raxis Arms Firm, the company desiring a vehicle that would be bought continously due to its attributes. So armour ended up being quite thick for a tanks its size and the vehicle, despite being wheeled, was more than capable of crushing thing in its path thanks to its large wheels and adjustable suspension.
With ever developing weapons technology and cheap advanced targeting software systems, the Scout tank would recieve many of these advancements to allow for more weapons than a tank its size it would normally carry with a relatively small crew requirement to make it ideal for police and planetary defense forces, yet remain quick. Furthermore, the vehicle was quite small to allow it to be shipped in large quantities.
The vehicle known as the RA-02 or the Scout tank as it was more popularly known, would hit the markets in 69AF and become a massive success thanks to its attributes and its modest price tag that came with it.
Despite it age, the vehicle is still manufactured and shipped to worlds unable to build their own military forces and being involved for police duties, though it is also quite common and popular amongst mercenary groups thanks to its attributes.
==Role==
The Scout tank is an odd vehicle, it is fast, exceptionally armoured and armed for a vehicle its size. As the name implies the vehicle is an exceptional scout vehicle, being able to drive through nearly any terrain without a problem due to its powerful engines and heavy duty tires that can clear most obstacles or run through them.
With light machineguns and plasma cannons it can quell most violent riots or insurgent activity by either prescene or by making examples of those who would rebel or cause harm by cutting them down, but it can also take on moderately armoured vehicles with its heavier armaments and outmaneuver heavier vehicles for flank shots.
This has made the Scout tank a versatile vehicle capable of patrolling, providing fast combat support for heavier vehicles while also acting as a medium armoured combat vehicle.
==Weapons==
Most notable of the Scout tank is its Buster cannon carried on the back. Though lacking velocity, it makes up for this by being able to fire missile in place of conventional rounds that can punch through moderately-thick armour and can be done so quite quickly by onboard computers, reducing the amount of time the gunner needs to aim as well as find targets that the gunner may not be able to recognize.
Its other weapons are geared mainly towards anti-personnel work, the plasma cannons and light machineguns having a high rate of fire in the tank's two turrets which are mounted above on the front wheels and are capable of independently finding and engaging should the commander or gunner be more focused on their other duties aboard the tank. The targeting systems in these turrets can also be set with target priorities by the crew to engage what they deem is more hostile in situations.
==Speed and Defense==
The Scout tank is capable of a top speed 150km/h while its large, heavy duty all-terrain tires can take it through most areas of terrain either being rolling over or through obstacles, having been also designed to tear through barricades it would be likely to encounter. Each wheel also has their own independant engine for greater power.
Scout tanks also boast formidable armour, despite their small size and appearance allowing them to shrug off light cannons and small-arms which is aided by its low profile directed towards the fronts and side. The Scout tank, however, is so small and compact that a very often, a single penetrating hit will immediately knock the tank and its crew out. And to avoid too much weight, the rear is left unarmoured, though Raxis Arms Firm does offer rear armour plating to help remedy this at the cost of additional weight.
==Service and Repair==
Scout tanks are durable, rugged vehicles that can operate for prolonged times without maintainence given that they are primarily for use by police and military forces who cannot afford lavish facilities to maintain their vehicles. Parts are simple and can even be replicated if emergency repairs are needed, though Raxis Arms Firm has not given the full details on the composition of the armour and the vehicle's specific systems to ensure continued sales.
Despite the advance technology such as the computers onboard, the Scout tank is simple to fix and its systems can be recalibrated by nearly anyone and the engines, though drawing quite a bit of power and fuel, have been known to run on even the lowest grade of fuel, though this does tend to cause more maintainence issues.
Category:Vehicles