French Chevillon Light Tank:

Because the French government had not upgraded much of its military during the first half of the Twenty-First century, the state of their forces dropped to deplorable levels. The majority of their equipment was old, worn-out, and outdated. The resurgence of colonial Britain in 2055 "woke up" the French government and made them realize that they had lost their status as a world power. To make up on lost ground, the French government funded and enormous military build-up program to re-equip its military in all areas. The army, navy, and air force all received funding for projects, especially those dedicated to colonial expansion and enhancing global presence.

In 2057 the French army put out a requirement for a light tank capable to being transported by air and deliverable by parachute to replace the decrepit AMX-10XX wheeled reconnaissance tanks. The Chevillon light tank was named after Lieutenant-General André-Claude Chevillon, commander of the Commanding Officer Infantry 3rd Algerian Division (1939-1944), Chief of Staff XV Corps (1939-1940), Chief of Staff I Corps (1944), and Inspector-General of the Forces in North Africa (1951-1953). The design was required to be capable of providing fire support for ground troops and still have a significant anti-armor capability. The design was to be extremely fast and well armored as well, making for a contradiction in requirements. To meet both of the later requirements, Giat Industries came up with an ingenious method of reconfigurable armor protection. The M8 can be fitted with three levels of protection. In combination with the new series of super-strength armor materials, the design capable of being configured for the type of combat expected. An added bonus was that the armor was easily replaceable when damaged in combat.

Level I against armor piercing small arms, small cannon fire, and indirect fire splinters
Level II against cannon up to 30mm and light warhead missiles
Level III against cannon up to 120mm and medium warhead missiles

In its base or Level I armor configuration, the Chevillon could be low-velocity airdropped from a transport aircraft. Utilizing the Low Altitude Parachute Extraction System (LAPES) developed by the Americans, a Level II armor configured tank could be delivered to the battlefield by aircraft. Level III tanks were delivered by landing ship or actually landing the transport aircraft.

The profile of the tank was very low with the entire front end sloped and a small unmanned turret on top. An auto loader feed the main gun, reducing the crew requirements to only to members. Both were seated side by side in the hull with the turret behind them. A small but powerful nuclear reactor was located in the rear of the tanks and powered all the systems and propulsion.

The primary weapon of the Chevillon was a 75mm electro thermal cannon which fired various anti-armor, fragmentation, and explosive rounds. During the 2080s, many of the tanks had this gun replaced with a 55mm heavy rail gun which had twice the range of the original cannon and greater ammunition capacity. Two co-axial weapon systems were mounted next to the main gun. The first was an automatic grenade launcher the fired short bursts of anti-personnel grenades. The other was an automatic pulse laser copied from the standard squad support weapon. It was tied directly to the tank’s reactor for unlimited fire. Behind the turret on either side of the hull was a raised section that housed a mini-missile launcher. Each of these flush mounted launchers carried sixteen missiles. Intended primarily for anti-missile defense, the crews usually changed at least a quarter of the missiles to armor-piercing for added anti-armor punch. Also during the 2080s, an anti-personnel system similar to the British Claymore mine system was installed after several tanks were lost to mass infantry attacks. Lastly, a pair of smoke dispensers were mounted on the turret to help confuse laser-guided missiles and to conceal the tank.

The new Inter-Vehicular Information System allowed targeting data from one vehicle to be transmitted to every other vehicle fitted with the system within a 6 mile radius. This allowed incredible force multiplication for the French armored, power armored and airborne forces. One very common tactic was to have one or two vehicles keep their sensors active and transmit targets to other vehicles who's sensors were off. Once enemy fire began targeting those vehicles, they would shut down their sensors and exit the target area. Other vehicles would activate their own sensors and take the place of the first vehicles. The ability to track and fire on enemy targets without exposing themselves to active sensor detection kept many of the French forces from enemy detection. Only when open combat came about would every vehicle within a unit have their sensors on.

The Chevillon was a great success for what it was designed for. As an air-transportable light tank, it was able to be quickly moved where it was needed. Its variable armor system provided the adequate armor protection for the given situation. The speed of the tank allowed it to engage more heavily armored targets and vacate the area before return fire became to accurate. Working in conjunction with other armored units and supporting infantry, the Chevillon made a name for itself as an opponent not to be trifled with.

Model Type: Giat Industries Chevillon Light Tank
Vehicle Type: Light Tank
Crew: Two (Driver and Commander).

M.D.C. By Location:

Level I:

Level II:

Level III:

[1] Tractor Treads (2):	80	80	80
Tread Skirts (2):	---	80	120
Turret:	150	200	250
75mm Electro Thermal Cannon:	100	100	100
Hyper Velocity 55mm Heavy Rail Gun:	80	80	80
[2] Co-axial Pulse Laser:	40	40	40
[2] Co-axial Grenade Launcher:	60	60	60
Mini Missile Launchers (2):	75 each	100 each	150 each
[2] Smoke/Gas Dispensers (2):	20 each	20 each	20 each
[3] Main Body:	325	425	525

Notes:
[1] Depleting the M.D.C. of a tread will immobilize the tank until it is replaced. Replacing a tread will take 1D6x10 minutes by a trained crew (2 replacements are carried on board) or three times as long by the inexperienced. Changing the tread is only advisable when the vehicle is not under attack.
[2] These are small and difficult targets to strike, requiring the attacker to make a “called shot,” but even then the attacker is -4 to strike.
[3] If all the M.D.C. of the main body is depleted, the vehicle is completely shut down and unsalvageable, but crew and troops may survive in their reinforced compartments.

Speed:
Ground: 96.3 mph (155 kph) maximum road speed; 77.6 mph (125 kph) maximum off-road speed. The vehicle is designed to traverse virtually all terrain and can climb at up to a 60% grade although at a much slower speed (About 10% of maximum road speed). It can also climb barriers and ford trenches. The vehicle can also handle side slopes of up to 30%.
Water: On the surface at 40.4 mph (65 kph) or underwater (Buttoned up) at 19.9 mph (32 kph)
Maximum Range: Unlimited (Nuclear Fusion power supply with 10 year duration)

Statistical Data:
Height: 10 feet (3.0 meters)
Width: 10 feet (3.0 meters)
Length: Main Body: 27.5 feet (8.5 meters)
With Gun Forward: 33.3 feet (10 meters)
Weight: Level I: 33 tons
Level II: 35 tons
Level III: 38 tons
Power Source: Nuclear (Should have an average lifespan of 10 years).
Cargo Capacity: Minimal, enough for equipment with crew.
Black Market Cost: Not available, should go for about 40/50 million credits when in good condition.

Weapon Systems:

Main Gun: Since the cannon is built into a turret, it can rotate 360-degrees and can aim upwards 45 degrees - allowing it to engage low-flying aircraft and creatures. The cannon is controlled by remotely by the commander who sits in the hull of the tank. The tank has a special fire control computer that helps to aim the cannon. Gives +2 to strike with the cannon and vehicle does not have minuses to fire when the tank is moving.
1. 75 mm Electro Thermal Cannon (1): The projectile is loaded into the barrel, behind which there is a “propellant,” which is a dot of light metal. A powerful electromagnetic force is applied to the metal, which causes its atoms to “switch” directions. This happens so violently that the metal turns to plasma, and this expanding gas then drives the projectile forward.
  Maximum Effective Range: Direct fire range is 4 miles (6.4 km) and can fire indirectly out to 7.8 miles (12.5 km).
  Mega Damage: A single round inflicts 2D6x10+20 (optional rule is that cannon gets a critical on a natural 18, 19, or 20 due to its high penetration). Can use High Explosive rounds that does 2D6x10 M.D. with a blast radius of 30 ft (9 m). High Explosive Anti Tank does 3D6x10 M.D. with a blast radius of 12 ft (3.6 m).
  Rate of Fire:Maximum of three per melee.
  Payload: 50 rounds. Normally 25 rounds are of standard anti-tank slugs.
2. Hyper Velocity 55 mm Heavy Rail Gun (1): Upgraded cannon carried on the most tanks after 2084. This rail gun normally fires a solid dart of ultra dense high strength materials that does massive damage to targets that it hits but can also use explosive warheads for softer targets and against aircraft.
  Maximum Effective Range: Direct fire range is 5 miles (8 km) and can fire indirectly out to 15 miles (24.1 km).
  Mega Damage: A single round does 3D6x10+20 M.D.C. (optional rule is that cannon gets a critical on a natural 18, 19, or 20 due to its high penetration). Can use Standard High Explosive rounds that do 1D4x10 with a blast radius of 16 ft (4.9 m). High Explosive Armor Piercing does 2D4x10 with a blast radius of 8 ft (2.4 m).
  Rate of Fire:Maximum of four per melee.
  Payload: 80 rounds. Normally 40 rounds are of standard anti-tank slugs.
Coaxial Automatic Grenade Launcher: The weapon is mounted together with the main gun and aims wherever the main cannon does and shares the same fire control and bonuses (+2 to strike and can be fired while moving). Normally only fragmentation grenades were fired from the launcher.
Maximum Effective Range: 3,000 ft (914 m)
Mega-Damage: 3D6 for single shot of Fragmentation with a blast area of 12 ft, and 2D4x10 for a burst of ten rounds of Fragmentation with a blast area of 40 ft.
Rate of Fire: Equal to combined hand to hand attacks of gunner
Payload: 200 Rounds
Bonuses: Has a special fire control computer that helps to aim the grenade launcher. Gives +1 to strike with launcher and launcher does not have minuses to fire when the Valiant is moving.
Coaxial Automatic Pulse Laser: Basically an infantry support machine gun mounted next to the cannon barrel and linked directly to the tank’s power pack. Its special cooling system allowed for extended bursts which, in combination with an unlimited payload, made up for the somewhat low range of this weapon.
Maximum Effective Range: 2,000 ft (610 m)
Mega-Damage: 2D6 per single shot, 6D6 for a rapid fire three shot burst, or use machine gun burst rules for higher burst setting (See Machine Gun burst rules).
Rate of Fire: Equal to combined hand to hand attacks of gunner
Payload: Effectively unlimited.
Mini Missile Launchers (2): Mounted in the hull of the tank on either side of the turret. They are recessed to the surface armor. When launched, armored panels slide out of the way, exposing the launchers and missiles arranged at a 45 degree angel. These missiles are supposed to be used to protect the tank from enemy missiles, and as such fragmentation warheads are standard issue. Usually crews will switch one quarter or all of the fragmentation rounds for AP or Plasma rounds, giving the tank a considerably enhanced anti armor punch at the expense of defensive capability.
Maximum Effective Range: Varies with missile types, mini-missiles only (See revised bomb and missile tables for details.)
Mega-Damage: Varies with missile types, mini missiles only (See revised bomb and missile tables for details.)
Rate of Fire: Can fire missiles one at a time or in volleys of two (2), four (4), six (6), or twelve (12) missiles.
Payload: Each launcher carries sixteen (16) mini-missiles for a total of 32 Mini-missiles.
Claymore Mines (16): Five mines are mounted on the sides of the tank, and three more on the front and the back. Unlike the British system, these launchers are manually controlled and do not rely on quirky computers that can be easily confused by such mundane things as mud or dust on uniforms.
Maximum Effective Range: a cone 50 feet (15 meters) long and 30 feet (9 meters) wide.
Mega-Damage: 6D6 for targets 30 feet and further away, 1D4x10 for targets closer than that.
Rate of Fire: Can activate one (1) mine at a time.
Payload: 16.
Smoke/Gas Dispensers (2): A smoke/gas dispensing unit is attached to each side of the MBT. The dispenser releases a dense cloud of smoke that covers a 40 foot (12.2 m) area in front of the vehicle, It can also release tear gas. The dispenser can dispense prismatic aerosol for dispersing laser beams. This has the same effect as prismatic aerosol grenades. The effects of the prismatic aerosol is combined with the laser resistant materials that compose the armor if the later tanks when they are used together.
Payload: 20 total; 10 charges each; typically 10 smoke, 5 prismatic aerosol, and 5 tear gas.

Sensory Equipment:

Radio/ Video Communications: Long range, directional, has a range of 500 miles with short range directional radio of 5 miles.
Laser Targeting System: Range is 6 miles and gives +1 to strike with long range weapons. Not applicable to hand to hand
Combat Computer/ Targeting Computer: Assist in the tracking of targets.
Inter-Vehicular Information System: Revolutionary system that allows the sensors of one vehicle to transmit targeting information to other vehicles within the unit. Range is 6 miles.
Radar: 50 miles, can identify 96 targets and track 48 as low as 500 ft.
Full Life Support: Protects pilot and tank from heat and radiation and gives a breathable atmosphere inside the tank.
Spotlight: Range: 600 feet (182.9 meters)
Thermo-Imager: Range: 2,000 ft (609 m). Finds the infra-red radiations of things that are warm. Also enables pilot to see in smoke, shadows and darkness.
Nightvision Optics: Range: 2,000 ft (609 m). Uses light amplification to make a picture. Emits no light but will not work in absolute darkness. System can be dazzled by sudden bright lights but does not physically blind the pilot.

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Writeup by Kamikazi (co366thaw@hotmail.com).

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