M21 Powell Mobile Protected Firepower Light Tank
The development of the M21 was the result of the army need for a light tank that could move with light infantry vehicles during initial raids from forward staging areas. The MPF can be transported via heavy lify transport and deploy from the airport. The MPF can kill any target on the battlefield employing a mix of kinetic weapons and missiles to engage targets up to 20km away. It was designed to replace the MGS Stryker system. The Army designed the tank in two variants a 34 ton export variant which has most of the sensors removed and a 40 ton fully integrated digital variant. The tank main weapons fire control uses a AI assisted targeting and tracking system which allows the gunner to quickly target identify and track targets within seconds of detection. The tank fuses audio/infrared, low-light and ultrasonic sensors to detect the immediate area around the tank and distances up to 2km from the tank. It can detect IED buried under the ground up to 12m below the tank, and disable magnetic, radio and microwave triggers for IEDs.
The M21 is designed for the modern battlefield it has two anti-missile protection systems. The first system protects the rear and sides of the tank with a hard kill EFP system which can disable missiles, rocket-propelled grenades and artillery shells with a molten jet of composite material. The secondary APS system covers the front 180 arc of the tank. Its designed to launch up to 4 interceptor hard kill interceptors, they use a shot-gun like air-burst shell which can be programmed to explode near the missile destroying it.
A large collection of sensors and data processing equipment allows the M21 to operate like a command node in the Army robotic sensor/shooter network called JDRIODs. It can command up to 4 additional robotic tanks up to 4km away. The M21 has jam proof communications and digital datalinks which allow the tank to operate in urban and highly contested areas where active jamming may disrupt normal radio/datalinks.
The tank has a two man crew which sits in a lower armored shell this increases survivability of the tank. The tank has two hybrid electric engines which allow it to charge a battery pack which lines the bottom of the tank and provided protection from mines and IEDs. The Tank can be equipped with ERA blocks to added protection.
The M21 is armed with several weapons to engage any target it might encounter during combat. The primary weapon is a 120mm L65 high pressure cannon, it is the same cannon used in the new variant of the M1A3 Abrams variant. Its effective range is 12km and can target 6km-9km on the move, it can also aim the cannon in a high angle and effective operated as a artillery cannon. The L65 can fire all 120mm variants included Sabot, HEAT, Multi-Purpose Airburst, and Laser guided Anti-Tank missiles. The cannon is connected to a 5 round automatic reloaded which can quickly fire 5 rounds in less then 15 seconds, and reload all 5 rounds in less then 3 seconds. It design to fire nearly continuous reloading the shells as it cycles. The entire system can store 28 rounds. The M21 is equipped with a 30mm coaxial cannon which can fire up to 2000 rounds and a 7.62mm machine with 5000 rounds of ammo. Allowing the M21 to engage targets without using its main gun rounds. The tank is equipped with a Remote Weapons Station that can mount a M2 heavy machine gun and 500 rounds of ammo. The M21 is equipped with 16 vertical launch tubes in the back of the tank for a variety of anti-tank, anti-air, and loiter missile which can greatly extend the range of the tanks firepower. The loiter missiles can stay airborne for up to 2 hours and send targeting data and camera feeds to the M21 allowing it to attack well beyond its visual range.
