SV-001 (Metal Slug)

The **SV-001**, also known as the "**Metal Slug**", is a Super Vehicle developed by the Regular Army. It is the namesake of the *Metal Slug* video game franchise.

## Role in the official series

In 2028, the Rebel Army launched a massive attack against the Regular Army forces around the world. Although the Regular Army intelligence agency had many indications that such an attack was imminent, the corrupt higher-ups within the chain of command ignored the warnings. With the Regular Army forces surprised, the Rebels nearly annihilated them with their superior numbers and emergent technologies. The Regular Army planned a massive counter-attack against the Rebel Army. Advanced tanks, designated "Super Vehicle-001" (nicknamed "Metal Slug") were designed to aid the Regular Army commandos, and were in the process of being converted to operational status by resistance fighters. Despite the Regular Army's best efforts to keep the SV-001 a secret, the project was discovered by Rebel spies, and as a result, many tanks were captured by the Rebel Army in a crushing attack.

Marco Rossi and Tarma Roving are sent to recover the stolen Metal Slugs before the Rebel Army could make use of them, destroying them if there are no other options. It can be safely assumed that enough of the tanks were recovered for use in the final assault on the Rebels, as they can be seen in the final mission against General Morden; this assault would lead to the end of the First Modern War.

Now safely in the hands of the Regular Army, the SV-001 would be continued in use for seemingly all major threats from then on, such as the Second Modern War and the White Baby Crisis.

Sometime in the year 2031, the laboratory developing the next generation of Metal Slugs comes under attack and a data disc containing Metal Slug secrets is seized. Marco Rossi and Tarma Roving are ordered to retrieve the disc, and rush to track it down. Meanwhile, Eri and Fio, who are investigating the paramilitary organization known as the Ptolemaic Army that is raiding historical ruins, succeed in tracking it down at an ancient temple known as the "Corridor of Fire." They storm the site and attempt to overtake them, but they are repulsed by the natives and giant-sized Metal Slugs. This incident makes it clear that the enemy behind the pilfering of Metal Slug secrets is the Ptolemaic Army. The Regular Army is no longer the only army to utilize Metal Slug tanks from this point on; the Ptolemaic Army used them all through the Ptolemaic War and the Ptolemaics even made their own variants.

## Technical details

The SV-001 is a small, silver or gunmetal gray tankette and is the very first "Super Vehicle" developed by the Regular Army. It weighed 2,850 kilograms (2.85 tons) (but still light enough to be air-lifted), and is 2,163mm in height, 2,266mm in width, and 2,575mm in length. The tank also featured a digital all-bearings antenna, a periscope with thermal and night vision functionality, navigation and GPS systems, and its powerplant is a Hobten T-659G air-cooled Superconductivity Diesel Turbine Generator with an output of 12.00EP. It also has a top speed of 36 km/h (or 22.4 mph), slower than the famous M4 Sherman.

The Metal Slug also has modular, 100mm thick armor plating consisting of depleted uranium, ceramic, and reinforced plastic (possibly kevlar). It also has a mine plow on the front of the chassis, but it had often failed to deploy and is unreliable. The vehicle can jump over obstacles using special hydraulic systems that operate at a pressure of 25,000 PSI. The hydraulics also allow the tank to crouch forward. Its claw-shaped treads are designed for maximum traction, and to climb over steep hills. In the ending cutscene of *Metal Slug 3*, the SV-001 is depicted as having an inflatable raft that deploys when the tank falls onto a body of water.

Its weaponry consists of a 127mm low-pressure rifled main cannon and two 12.6mm caliber Vulcan cannons. The main gun is located directly at the front like most conventional tanks and fires large, high explosive shells that detonate on impact; the shells can be reloaded on the fly from a container should the vehicle run out (SV-001's tend to come with a 10-shell preset amount). However, the short, rifled barrel couldn't allow the shells to travel too far when they are fired, making for poor armor-piercing capability. However, what the shells lacked in range, they made up for in size and explosive power. The cannon is also capable of using special ammunition, such as high velocity armor-piercing shells. The 12.6mm Vulcan cannons are fully controllable by the user and capable of turning 360 degrees with no delay and a continuous stream of seemingly unlimited rounds are shot at very high rates of fire when used. However, the Vulcans are supported by weak frames, making them susceptible to falling out of place or being easily destroyed by enemy fire. On the sides of the main turret are smoke bomb launchers, but these could never be used during gameplay.

Crouching opens the entry hatch, through which grenades could be thrown. The grenades are independent of the cannon's ammo system. The vehicle can also run over infantry and perform a highly damaging suicide attack, with the driver jumping clear and the tank ramming into and exploding upon the target. The vehicle can take three direct hits (four in the later titles) before it is destroyed. Although impervious to Rebel infantry, they can still grope onto the vehicle or the cannon (front bore) to try and prevent it from firing and cause damage if not shot or shaken off.

The main flaw of the SV-001 series lies in the tank's height and top-heavy weight distribution, causing it to tip over at inconvenient times, especially when firing the 127mm cannon. Another problem is its very high radar cross section, making it susceptible to high-speed guided missiles.