M145 Mobile Artillery Assault Platform

"The Rhino series has been the primary heavy self-propelled howitzer since the 2430s, the damn thing just doesn't quit." Anonymous UNSCDF Servicemember
The M145 Mobile Artillery Assault Platform or Rhino has been the UNSCDF's primary tracked heavy artillery system for over a century. A companion to the M300 Basilisk Heavy Multiple Rocket Launch System, the Rhino has served the UNSC and has earned a reputation for durability, firepower, and accuracy in a single complete package. Not to mention, the vehicle at its inception was groundbreaking for its use of the -at the time- smallest Deuterium-Helium-3 fusion reactor ever devised for power. This meant that the previous generation Electrothermal Chemical ignition guns that the UNSC had used previously could be phased out for coilguns which offer much greater flexibility due to their greater accuracy in terms of dial-a-range capability; along with allowing different masses of shell to be used giving Dial-a-Yield capability.
This capability is what allowed the Rhino to throw rounds up into suborbit, meaning that it could threaten starships coming in for a precision orbital bombardment with kinetic rods. The Rhino thus could be considered really, that first step that would lead to the mass revitalization of conventional ground forces in the 25th and 26th Centuries. 
During the Human-Covenant War, the M145D Rhino earned the distinction of being the first human vehicle to enter widespread service that was outfitted with a plasma weapon. However, this meant that the Delta-variant Rhino lost its Surface-to-Suborbit capability, but in terms of sheer destructive power, the M145D was easily the most powerful of the Rhino variants. 
==Design==
The basic design of the Rhino at a glance is remarkably similar to the M808 Scorpion Main Battle Tank and its variants, along with the M850 Grizzly Heavy Battle Tank, and M1000 Grizzly II Heavy Battle Tank. There's a good reason for this, the Rhino served as an inspiration for the chassis of those aforementioned vehicles, with the idea of getting commonality between the various vehicles to help streamline logistics; mostly in the regards to the track pods. This was a venture that would be mostly successful. 
===Chassis===
The chassis for the M145 MAAT is broadly similar to vehicles of similar role like the Scorpion, Grizzly, and Grizzly II; along with the variants therein. The basic superstructure is composed of a Titanium-Based structural metamaterial with CNT reinforcement. It results in a superstructure that for its size and weight is incredibly lightweight yet has a level of durability that most vehicles couldn't claim to have. The turret is also made from the same metamaterials, drastically reducing its weight while providing a superstructure that is immensely durable.
====Track Pods====
Perhaps the most recognizable feature of the M145 series are its six independent track pods, these track pods provide the MAAT with significant mobility given that each one is individually powered and has its own Hydropneumatics suspension system along with each pod having dual electric motors that were EMP hardened to provide propulsion. However, one thing that must be noted is that like on the early Scorpion and Grizzly models that would enter service decades later; the track pods were overly wide coming in at 2-meters or roughly 80-inches. 
While these 2-meter wide tracks did have many advantages, including giving the Rhino a ground pressure that could be rightly regarded as insanity for a vehicle of its size. Allowing the Rhino to conquer virtually any terrain with very minimal trouble and practically no risk at getting bogged down in mud or soft sand. While providing the added benefit of providing its a crew a place to put bedrolls on in order to sleep at night and not have to worry about getting stepped on by someone going to use the latrine. They also provided a number of problems to the Rhino, primarily in greatly restricting the areas in-which the Rhino could move efficiently it couldn't travel down two lane surface streets at all due to its immense width, in fact highways with less than three lanes couldn't support the Rhino either due to its huge size. In the crowded confines of a city, the Rhino which was meant to serve in the role of Heavy Assault Tank in addition to its other duties simply couldn't maneuver effectively due to its huge size. 
In an attempt to rectify this, the XM145A would replace the 2-meter track pods, with slimmer 1-meter track pods. This would be a major success, this reduced the width of the Rhino by a full two-meters, down from an immense 9-meters to a more manageable 7-meters in width; while this change greatly affected the ground pressure of the Rhino, it did wonders for the vehicle's tactical mobility. This allowed the Rhino to use two-lane highways and, if one was willing to rip up the shoulders, two-lane surface streets as well. Thus the areas where the Rhino could go were substantially increased which meant that the utility of the M145 as a Heavy Assault Tank was drastically improved. Due to the success of these 1-meter track pods, all following variants of the M145, would have these 1-meter wide track pods. The only exception to this rule would be the XM145Ds which used the older track pods due to the increased mass of the Zeus; however these are fears that would be found to be unfounded, while the Zeus was heavier than the armament of previous M145 models; it hadn't affected the ground pressure of the MAAT by much. Thus production models of the M145D would return to the 1-meter trackpods. 
====Powerplant====
The powerplant for the M145 series is extremely unique to say the least. The Rhino was the first UNSCDF ground vehicle to use a Miniature Fusion Reactor as a power source. While this literally meant that the Rhino could go years without refueling, it added its own challenges in regards to primarily maintenance. The reactor design, a Marvel Fusion Technologies H765 is a design of fusion reactor known as a fusor which means that it can be made relatively small. In fact, the H765 was specifically designed and built for the M145 MAAT; allowing the vehicle to properly power its main coilgun. 
What makes a fusor unique is that they don't require magnetic fields or power hungry gravplates to start fusion. Instead a fusor has a central chamber that contains a vacuum, inside this chamber is fuel, Deuterium and Helium-3 in this case. The chamber is contained in a pair of metal cages which then arc electricity that is generated by the Auxiliary Power Unit; a compact microturbine. This causes positive ions to fall towards the center of the chamber where they can fuse. Through the use of Magnetohydrodynamics, power is then harnessed from this reactor and used to power the tank and its fearsome main gun as well as other functions. The electricity is also used to power the electric motors inside each track pod which provides the Rhino with propulsion. 
===Armament===
The M145 MAAT is an artillery platform first and foremost. Its role is bring steel rain onto humanity's foes, thus, the Rhino is easily one of the most potent artillery platforms ever devised for this job. The armament varies between the various models, but they are weapons not to be trifled with in the slightest. One thing that most be brought to light is the fact that these weapons have an ability known as Multiple Rounds, Simultaneous Impact (MRSI). This means that the Rhino can fire out a series of rounds at differing trajectories and have them impact at the exact same time, which results in frankly devastating affects on target. Another feature unique to all Rhino models is that they can elevate the main gun to 45-degrees. 
====M298 25cm/50 caliber Coilgun====
The main armament for the M145 and M145A, the M298 was a 25cm (10in) weapon with a 50-caliber barrel, this means that the barrel length is 50-times the diameter of the gun. This weapon was remarkably accurate with a wide variety of rounds available ranging from standard High-Explosive all the way to nuclear rounds with a 45-kiloton yield and just about everything imaginable in-between. When outfitted with this gun, the M145 could carry roughly 60-projectiles with all of them weighing 160-kilograms with roughly similar aerodynamics. Maximum range was roughly 150,000-meters and the gun was capable of 5-round MRSI, with the ability to slam off 5-rounds in 15-seconds, with the ability to sustain 7-rounds per minute until the machine is out of ammunition due to its automatic loader. When using guided rounds, it can put a munition in roughly a half-meter from the target and can do so reliably. 
==== M320 35cm/40 caliber Coilgun====
The main armament for the M145B and M145C, the M320 is a 35cm (14in) weapon with a 40-caliber barrel. Compared to the M298 on the M145 and M145A; while the Rhino does loose some projectile storage, going from 60-projectiles to a mere 42-projectiles. These individual projectiles, due to being much larger, are way more destructive, meaning that these later variants of Rhino are if anything, even more destructive than the first two models. The mass of projectiles is considerably more it should be noted, being 340-kilograms, this results in a proportionally larger bursting charge for each individual shell. In terms of range, the M320 can throw a round slightly farther than the M298, roughly 165,000-meters; MRSI capability is 3-rounds with an ability to sustain 5-rounds per minute. The nuclear shells fired by the M320 have a 120-kiloton yield. 
====XM4600 320mm/38 caliber "Zeus" Plasma Munition Howitzer====
"A battery of human Plasma Rhinos is one of the most devastating things that the infidels can field on the battlefield when it comes to artillery. Not even Harvesters can withstand the fury that they can unleash for very long." - Unknown Sangheili Artillery Master
The XM4600 is a 32cm (12.5in) 38-caliber Plasma Howitzer, the first such weapon ever built by human hands. Its appearance on the battlefield was an ugly shock to the Covenant, who didn't expect their advantage in plasma artillery to vanish in 5-years nor for humanity's first plasma artillery system to be superior to their own artillery options in terms of range, accuracy, and firepower. Part of this has to deal with the fact that humanity had actually fooled around with plasma weapons some 500-years previously in the form of MARAUDER; when the Human-Covenant War began, MARAUDER was dusted off. This knowledge, when combined with research of Covenant Plasma Torpedo and Plasma Mortar cores, along with Fuel Rods for Fuel Rod Guns, taught the UNSC enough that they could produce their own version. 
The resulting round, specifically developed for the XM4600, is designated the Mark 78 Hellstorm Plasma Munition. At the core of the round is a small metallic ovoid structure that's surrounded by Superconducting Toriods and a foam like filler. This sphere contains several kilograms of Octanitrocubane explosive. The explosive charge by itself is sufficient, by itself, to turn the shell casing into a Piñata; but there are several steps which happen between the shell casing exploding violently. At launch, specially designed magnets in the tip and shell body engage as plasma is forced around the projectile, these magnets kick on and constrain the plasma forming a brilliant plasma sheathe that glows like the sun. The magnetic coils then hurl the Hellstorm Plasma Munition downrange, the round has a base fuze and can be programmed for impact detonation, time delay detonation, or laser proximity fuse detonation. 
When the detonation command is sent, the explosives go off and shatter the toriods which are pre-charged with electricity. This electricity arcs and the fragments of toriod convert into the plasma, it also ignites the filler. This filler is a Polystrene-Cobalt foam mixture that's contained under pressure, the explosive force combined with the thermal pulse from the electricity causes this foam to be pulverized and flash into plasma. At this point nothing can contain the hellstorm that's inside the shell body and it bursts in a Yellow-White flash of energy that will vaporize everything within 30-meters of impact, with a casualty radius from various causes out to 200-meters from impact. 
While this by itself is devastating, what makes the XM4600 even more devastating than comparable Covenant Artillery Systems is the sheer rate that it has the same MRSI and rate of fire capability as the M320, making the XM4600 a frankly terrifying monster in terms of the amount of plasma that it could hammer out. Indeed, its not an understatement to say that there is nothing in the Covenant's ground based vehicle arsenal that the M145D can't destroy without enough rounds on target. Running away from its reach is difficult as well, for the XM4600 has a maximum range of 100,000-meters. While this range is significantly less than the other weapons that the Rhino can mount, its destructive power can't be understated. 
===Protection===
The protection of the M145 MAAT is nothing to scoff at, for the vehicle fully uses the Survivability Onion to best protect not only the vehicle but also the crew. Given that the Survivability Onion has many layers, the Rhino thus has many different layers of protection before one actually gets to the physical armor plating that the MAAT is outfitted with. However, given that the Rhino is primarily used as an Artillery Piece, its primary worry is Air Strikes, Orbital Strikes, Counter-Battery Fire, and Special Operations Units working behind the frontlines. 
Thus, in light of this, the Rhino's best friend for dealing with the first two are Surface-to-Air and Surface-to-Orbit Missiles; for dealing with Counter-Battery Fire, a Rhino's best friend for avoiding getting pegged by it is to use Shoot-and-Scoot Tactics, while finally for dealing with Spec Ops, the best bet is trusting the electronic countermeasures and active protection systems for defeating enemy missiles and if that fails, relying on the armor to stop those shots. The armor is also there to protect against fragments from enemy air and artillery strikes that happen to get a little too close. 
====Avoid Detection====
This aspect of the survivability onion only really applies until the MAAT is allowed to commence firing, given the loudness of the weapon and the pressure wave it creates. Along with the fact that modern Fire Finding Radars can easily detect the MAAT's shell and with the trajectory known as well as the radar's location known. Its a simple puzzle for the onboard computers to triangulate the position of the MAAT. However, while the MAAT can't do anything to prevent it from being located once it opens fire; it can do something about minimizing its chances for detection prior to that. 
This is done through a combination of Radar Absorbent Material, Electronic Masking, Infrared Masking, the fact that because it uses electric motors its quiet as a tomb, and finally visual camouflage paint and netting. While the last aspect might seem surprising, its role even on the 26th Century Battlefield while much reduced due to the effectiveness of Motion Trackers and other electronic means, still plays a critical role because it helps disrupt the vehicle's outline. This means that enemy aerial recon might not be able to acquire the MAAT visually and while detection through other means is good. Visually acquiring the vehicle can mean the difference between figuring out if its real or just a fancy decoy that got setup. 
However, the Avoid Detection aspect of the survivability onion goes out the window, when the MAAT is filling the role of Heavy Assault Tank and is engaging the enemy. The thing is big, the main gun is loud as hell, the coaxial gun is loud as hell, etc. Its not exactly hard to miss, but the various masking systems that it has can make it difficult to achieve target lock.
====Avoid Acquisition====
The Avoid Acquisition part of the Survivability Onion only comes into its own when the MAAT is being used as a Heavy Assault Tank, these systems do have their own uses when the vehicle is being used as Artillery. For example, the ECM systems and laser dazzlers could spoof incoming missiles if enemy craft succeed in getting close enough to launch missiles and if those fail, the Decoy Launchers have a wide variety of options for fooling incoming ordnance. 
In the Heavy Assault Tank role, the laser dazzlers, ECM systems, and decoy launchers are used in a more frantic pace since the MAAT is primarily a heavy vehicle, its relatively easy to spot in shorter ranges. But acquiring it can still be difficult at best. 
====Avoid Hit====
This level of protection is provided primarily by the M750 Harbinger Active Protection System, a Free-Electron Pulse Laser system operating in the infrared spectrum. The pulse rate and spot size allows the Harbinger to intercept targets from as far away as 700-meters and as close as 5-meters. Doesn't matter if its a Hypervelocity Rocket fired by an M57 Pilum or if its a Scorpion Missile fired by an AV-19 Skyhawk Jump Jet; the Harbinger will intercept it. 
However, it must be noted that against Covenant weapons, the Harbinger was near useless against energy rounds, however against Fuel Rods, Plasma Launcher Rounds, Brute Shot, Autocannon rounds, and Skewers; the Harbinger was effective in stopping them. 
====Avoid Penetration ====
Despite the Innuendo in the name, this layer of the Survivability Onion comes into play when all else fails and a round impacts the tank. The armor of the M145 MAAT comes into play at this level. Now the armor of the M145 MAAT can be divided into two distinct layers which is the Applique or Bolt-On Armor and the actual Vehicle Armor. 
The bolt-on armor for a M145 MAAT is usually an Electric Armor; this armor essentially acts as a giant capacitor with an incomplete circuit. When say, a Brute Skewer punches through an electric plate, the circuit is completed and the round is vaporized on impact. However, this armor while effective at stopping kinetic projectiles and reducing the effect of HEAT Warheads, against energy weaponry its completely useless. 
This is where the M145 MAAT's actual vehicle armor comes into play. The exterior layer of the armor is nothing major, just 10mm of high-strength Steel Metamaterial for cosmetic purposes. This layer is purely cosmetic and while it is sufficient to deflect some small arms and fragments, against the weaponry that will be thrown against the Rhino its really just cosmetic. But the layer that's under the cosmetic metamaterial isn't; this layer in regards to the Frontal Glacis is 150mm of Boron Nitride reinforced by a Depleted Uranium Mesh and Carbotanium Nanotubes Cermet Armor and is roughly equal 8-meters of Rolled Homogenous Steel Armor; this level of armor is better than the M808 Scorpion Main Battle Tank, but not as good as the M850 Grizzly or M1000 Grizzly II Heavy Battle Tank. The third layer is 50mm of Berylium-Cooper Composite Metal Foam with CNT reinforcement. The fourth layer is the 10mm thick Titanium-CNT reinforced structural metamaterial that forms the superstructure. The fifth and final layer is 10cm off Kevlar Diamond Weave reinforced by Carbotanium Nanotubes, this layer of armor serves as a spall liner to catch any fragments that make it into either the crew compartment, ammunition stowage, or reactor compartment. 
====Avoid Kill====
If the worst case scenario happens and a shot penetrates the armor of the MAAT, it isn't the end of the world. The crew of the MAAT all wear fully sealed M52 Cross-Branch Powered Combat Exoskeleton; its bodyglove and plating is durable enough to easily deflect lightweight shrapnel and handle larger pieces of spalling to the point that what might have been a killing blow, would only render the crew member WIA. Moreover, the ammunition is remarkably hard to ignite and due to the lack of volatile powder charges, its much harder to get an ammunition cook-off; however to further reduce the risk, the MAAT makes use of Wet Ammunition Stowage. Meanwhile, the compact pressure bomb that is the fusor is located in such a location that any hit which is most likely to puncture the Reactor Vessel with the following catastrophic results, would likely blow the Rhino to pieces anyways. 
==Mobility==
"Part of the reason its a rare sight on the battlefield is because the damn thing is so large." - Anonymous UNSCDF Servicemember
Mobility is a key tenant of any vehicle when it comes not only to the modern battlefield, but also for getting the vehicle from place to place. In the 25th and 26th Centuries this means not only transporting a vehicle across planetary distances but between star systems should the situation call for it. There is thus three different levels within of mobility within the UNSCDF as of right now, two are Planetary and one is Interstellar. Mobility is important on the battlefield because it can mean a lot in how fast you get from Point-A to Point-B and how fast it can be done on Tactical or Strategic Level. Particularly since on the battlefield, time means everything and can mean the difference between a battle won and a battle lost. 
===Planetary Mobility===
Planetary mobility is how mobility for vehicles was viewed up until the late 21st Century, basically getting around a planet and how well could the vehicle do it. This level is essentially a benchmark that is used to determine how useful a vehicle would be on a planetary level. This level is broken up into two categories, Tactical and Strategic; these levels revolve around battlefield mobility and easily transporting the vehicle across long distances from say one battlefield to another respectively. 
====Tactical Mobility====
The M145 MAAT can go for a long time without refueling, this is due to the fuel efficiency of its Fusor, which consumes 0.003-grams of fusion fuel per second, meaning that during a standard Terran day, a Rhino will consume roughly 260-grams of fusion fuel. The Rhino typically carries some 285-kilograms of fusion fuel for its reactor, this is enough fuel to power the Polywell Fusor that forms the beating heart of the MAAT for three years, operating continuously.
Thanks to the power output of the fusor, the twelve electric motors that provide tractive force for the MAAT provide fast acceleration. The M145 MAAT will do 0-32-kph (0-20-mph) in roughly five seconds. These electric motors also allow the MAAT to reach its -governed- top road speed of 75-kph (46-mph) in roughly 20-seconds and the recommended off-road speed of 45-kph (27-mph) in about the same amount of time. However, the MAAT when its governor is removed, has been reported at reaching speeds of 125-kilometers per hour, only slightly faster than the M808 Scorpion MBT. 
The gear ratio for the electric motors -which determines torque, the higher the number the greater the torque, the lower the number, the lower the torque- is at roughly 12.5:1; this gives the MAAT a level of mobility that's surprising when it comes to getting into locations that more conventionally powered artillery units would have trouble getting into. Indeed, the MAAT can conquer 60% slopes with minimal trouble when going forwards and can traverse side slopes of 32% easily. Along with conquering obstacles that are 55-inches in height. 
For fording and deep-wading purposes, essentially crossing rivers and streams, the MAAT is unique in that due to the internal air supply and the armor of its crew. The vehicle doesn't need a snorkel for the electric motors are water-proof and can handle depths of up to 300-meters before failing. Nominally for fording purposes, the MAAT can handle 2.5-meters of water without any extra equipment. For deep-wading purposes, according to the regulations, the MAAT is only allowed to handle a depth of 7-meters, however it can in an emergency handle depths of up to 50-meters before water pressure becomes problematic on hatches. 
A major issue that plagued the MAAT when it was first introduced was actually finding roads wide enough to support the MAAT's enormous 9-meter wide bulk. The standard surface street lane width was only 2.75-meters wide, the standard highway lane was only 3.75-meters wide, with the standard shoulder being 1-meter wide. With its width of 9-meters, a Rhino simply wouldn't fit on a standard two-lane undivided surface street with shoulders; you needed at minimum, a three-lane surface street plus shoulder to fit the MAAT. For Highways, the situation was a little better, to properly support a Rhino, a highway needed to be three-lanes. This was due to the two-meter wide trackpods that the Rhino was originally outfitted with 
This issue was fixed when the M145A with its 1-meter track pods entered service. Its width of seven meters meant that it became vastly easier to fit the Rhino on surface streets. It would take up the entire road, but the Rhino could travel down a two-lane undivided surface street with shoulders and would fit comfortably on a two-lane highway although it would consume both lanes with its enormous bulk. 
====Strategic Mobility====
For relocating the MAAT between battlefields, while the UNSC's D77 Pelican series can lift the MAAT; the enormous bulk of the Rhino means that a dedicated Flying Crane module needs to be installed in order for the Pelican to properly lift the MAAT. This means that unless the crew wants to ride in their Rhino, they need to take a second Dropship that's been properly configured for the role. This made taking MAAT's across long distances with Pelican Dropships to be supremely difficult because of the fact that the Pelican while it was carrying a MAAT via the Flying Crane module was slow and it couldn't do rapid evasive maneuvers without inertia from the 80+ metric ton mass of Self-Propelled Howitzer below it swinging the Dropship around violently despite the pilot's attempts to control the dropship. This phenomena became known as "Rhino riding the Pelican" after a notorious video of such an incident cropped up during the Insurrection that went viral on the Waypoint.
Thus, prior to the introduction of the D80 Condor, the only way to carry the MAAT in combat zones or down from starships was to use Albatross, Darter, or Heron Dropships which while effective - when the latter two dropships were used, it would prevent them from doing more important roles due to their strategic importance in the war machine of the star-striding humanity. This meant that the Albatross, which was the bridge between Tactical Dropships like the Pelican and Condor and Strategic Dropships like the Darter and Heron became preferred for transporting MAATs. Thanks to the size of the Albatross' cargo bay, it could carry either two M145/XM145D Rhinos or four M145A/B/C/D Rhinos comfortably in its hold along with their crews. 
Upon the introduction of the D80 Condor Dropship in the 2480s, another dropship that was capable of lifting the Rhino internally came into service. However, unlike the Albatross which could carry the better part of an entire Rhino battery in its hold. The Condor could only carry two M145A/B/C MAATs and it couldn't carry M145s or M145Ds at all in its hold. However, this was somewhat academic at the time of the D80's introduction because of the fact that by the time the D80 entered service, most of the original M145s had already been converted to M145As or had even been rebuilt into M145Bs. When the XM145D entered service, it couldn't use the Condor due to using the previous generation of trackpods. However, when the fears from the heavier XM4600 proved to be unfounded, the M145D used the standard 1-meter trackpods so it could fit in the Condor. 
=== Interstellar Mobility ===
The MAAT due to its size can only be carried by either dedicated Troop Ships, Halcyon class General Purpose Cruisers, Assault Cruisers, and Assault Carriers as they are the only ships with internal garages with enough maneuvering room to support the MAAT. Assault Frigates can only carry them if they are preloaded into their Albatross Dropships. this greatly limits the number of Rhinos that an Assault Frigate can carry, however given the fact that Rhinos are often attached to dedicated Artillery Brigade Combat Teams within the UNSCDF Army and are grouped into UNSCDF Marine Corps Heavy Artillery Regiments; this means that if Rhinos are seen on the field of battle. Its because of the fact that the UNSCDF is dedicating significant forces to a planet. 
==Artillery Rhino Battalion==
The artillery deployment of M145 MAAT Rhino is built around the Battalion Echelon, like all UNSCDF Artillery Batteries, the layout is unified across both the UNSCDF Army and UNSCDF Marine Corps. Thus a Rhino Battalion consists of several batteries/companies which serve important roles within the function of the battalion as a whole, these batteries are as follows: 
* Headquarters and Headquarters Battery 
* Target Acquisition Platoon 
* Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Battery (MQ-125 Butterfly) 
* Defense Company 
* Maintenance Company 
* 3x Line Batteries (M145 Mobile Artillery Assault Platform) 
The Battalion as a whole is typically led by a Lieutenant Colonel, with his second being a Major, with the rest of the Batteries being led by a Captain, with the Target Acquisition Platoon being led by a Senior Lieutenant. The Headquarters and Headquarters Battery contains not only the Battalion Headquarters/Command Vehicle but also the primary Information Coordination Center node, which serves as the battalion's primary connection to the Brigade -and from there, the Division's- battle network which is run by AI and forwards information regarding fire missions to the battalion from units on the frontline. It should be noted that all other batteries have secondary nodes to connect the unit to the battle network should the worst case scenario happen and the Headquarters unit be hit. 
The Target Acquisition Platoon's presence might seem odd to an outsider, given that in today's network centric warfare that AIs can handle every little aspect of a fire mission, taking a significant part of the human element out of the equation. However, the Target Acquisition Platoon's role isn't for handling incoming fire missions as given by friendly units. Its instead used for the role of directing Counter Battery Fire through the use of Firefinding Radars, the platoon has six such radars, giving each battery two such radars. The Radars used by Rhino Battalions aren't mounted on Warthogs, but instead are mounted on a variant of the M1092A4, 5-ton Medium Tactical Truck; the chassis design itself has gone unchanged for centuries simply because its a durable, dependable, and flexible design. 
The Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Battery is relatively small, only four platoons each with six UAVs, the MQ-125 is used by Rhino Battalion for a pair of roles. The first is for target spotting, essentially when the Battery is given permission to engage targets of opportunity or for spotting fall of shot during preparatory bombardments. Thus the MQ-125s are sent out to locate, identify, and allow the Rhinos to persecute said targets of opportunity as well as assist the Rhinos during preparatory bombardments by allowing them to correct their fire. The other role that the MQ-125 Butterfly is primarily used for when used by the Rhino Battalions is for emplacement security by scouting out the perimeter for the Rhino Batteries, usually a distance of twelve kilometers, the goal for this is to spot enemy special operations troopers or deep striking orbital assault infantry or paratroopers. If such forces are found, then the Battalion Defense Company swings into action.
The Battalion Defense Company might sound like a strange addition to an Artillery Battalion, but in a world where an infantry threat can, with a well coordinated effort, be inserted via drop pod into a formation's rear to raise havoc there along with knocking out targets like a Rhino Battalion. It has thus forced long range artillery formations like the Rhino Battalion to have an infantry company attached, the composition of this company depends on whether the Rhino Battalion in question is with the Army or the Marine Corps. If the battalion is UNSCDF Army, then the Battalion Defense Company is a Motorized Infantry Company riding in Troophogs; while if the Battalion is Marine Corps then the Battalion Defense Company is a Light Mechanized Infantry Company riding in Cougar IFVs. When this unit is sent to engage the enemy, its role is to delay the enemy long enough for the Rhinos to pack up and start relocating or, if they can't hold, delay the enemy long enough for the Rhinos to set up an ambush so that they can engage the enemy over open sights. Which, even the Covenant Empire learned during the Human-Covenant War that engaging Rhinos being used as artillery when they started shooting over open sights was something that could be called a bad idea. 
The Maintenance Company is exactly what it says on the tin, this company is dedicated for the 'care and feeding' of the M145 MAAT, this unit also has the Battalion's Armored Recovery Vehicles, usually one M313 Elephant and three M810 Scorpion Armored Recovery Vehicles. 
Finally there are the Line Batteries of which there are three, these formations actually contain the M145s along with their attached ammunition vehicles along with Warthogs. Each Line Battery has ten M145s, meaning that the Battalion has a total of 30 guns at its disposal. The amount of shells that a Rhino Battery can send downrange for Multiple Round Simultaneous Impact is nothing short of terrifying, imagine anywhere between 30-50 heavy rounds impacting a single target at once. There is a reason why one of the nicknames that the Covenant gave the Rhino was "Humanity's Hammer". 
== Assault Rhino Battalion ==
Category:UNSC Vehicles
Category:Vehicles
Category:The Fighting Chance Universe
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