M206 Charioteer
In the late 2020s, the Israelis unveiled their new Rakiya (Horizon in Hebrew) combat vehicle. It packed a short-barreled 120mm autoloaded cannon, two spots for rooftop-mounted remote weapon systems, and a next-generation laser-based hardkill system, plus a dedicated troop bay to carry a single fireteam into the heat of battle.
The NAU decided that they wanted one too. Which resulted in the borrowing of the Rakiya's chassis, and a turret redesign by BAE, in order to fulfill another role; while the Rakiya was forcused on urban low-intensity combat, the NAU needed a tank designed to fight other tanks.
Crew Composition[]
- Driver
- Gunner/ Commander
The crew sit in AMAP-MPS blast-protected seats to take the shock energy off the occupants.
Sensory[]
The Charioteer is equipped with acoustic threat (enemy) detection, and has a powerful E/O sensor block for its main gun. Laser and Radar rangefinders are both present. The driver gets day/night cameras in addition to the standard bulletproof-glass peepholes. The gunner/ commander also gets an independent E/O sensor suite, which even has a small optical rangefinder, with two small peepholes situated on either side of the sensor stack. A GPS Blue-force-tracker is standard.
Upgrades[]
M117B[]
The rear ramp, originally designed to allow infantry to enter/exit the vehicle, allows the Charioteer to carry a single M117B Mastiff in the (mush smaller) rear compartment. It can be deployed (and recovered) and operated by the crew without leaving the vehicle. Boosts situation awareness—the M2 that it mounts isn't bad at all, either.
Armament[]
Rheinmetall L/44 120mm (1)[]
The Rheinmetall L/44 120mm, or GIAT CN120-44, or Royal Ordinance L44, or M256, is the premier 120mm gun of the NAU, still being manufactured (in large quantities) for the M206. Mated to the Charioteer's advanced E/O optics and dual rangefinders, it can effectively engage enemy tanks and other targets at over two kilometers. The M829A4 APFSDS round and M1028 Canister round are available to M206 crews. Sitting inside the unmanned turret, the gun is equipped with an autoloader drawing from the tank's supply of 30 shells.
M240 (1)[]
As a way to keep enemy infantry away, and keep the gunner occupied when the autoloader is replenishing the gun, an M240 7.62mm machine gun is fitted beside the 120mm in a co-axial mount. It draws from a 1000-round magazine.
Upgrades[]
M2 BMG (1)[]
Mounted on a rooftop remote weapons station, the trusty Ma Duce .50 caliber machine gun is soldiering past 110 years of age. Even so, it is still very reliable and deadly, firing a massive round. With a nightvision-capable TV camera for targeting, the vehicle's crew can utilize the weapon without ever leaving the vehicle. It is equipped with a 400-round magazine.
LAHAT ATGM[]
Designed by the Israelis for the L/44 before the GNC, the LAHAT ATGM is a semi-active laser homing guided missile. It can engage enemy targets up to 8 kilometers away, and take on both enemy tanks (using its top-attack mode) and enemy helicopters (using its direct attack mode).
Protection[]
Fitted with AMAP armor, the M206, just like the rest of its chassis-family, has excellent protection from enemy projectiles. The base vehicle is has 14.5mm AP-I resistant armor. The extra frontal AMAP-B modules protects the M206 from 40mm APFSDS rounds. Shape charge weapons are blocked by AMAP-P on the front and side, anti-tank cluster munitions can be negated via AMAP-R modules on the turret's roof, and anti-tank mines are blunted by the AMAP-M on the belly. Last but not least, it has an AMAP-ADS array to blows up guided missiles. The crew compartment gets AMAP-L to reduce the brunt of any penetrating projectiles.
Upgrades[]
ElRA[]
ElRA, or Electro-Reactive Armor, is and advanced from of projectile-defeating reactive armor. Found as bolt-on-and-plug-in tiles, ElRA defeats penetrating projectiles by vaporizing them. Yes, vaporizing. It consists of two copper plates, insulating foam, a voltage convertor, and a direct power line to the vehicle. Once a projectile penetrates the outer copper plate and closes the circuit between the two copper plates, 60,000 volts of electricity is instantly dumped into object, vaporizing it outright. ElRA vastly increases the M206's survivability.
Mobility[]
The M206 is powered by a 12.0-liter Direct-Injected twin-turbocharged diesel V8, mated to an electric generator. Pumping out 800 horsepower, the M206 transfers the power to four 200-hp hub motors in each of the drive sprockets, moving the 30-ton tank at 60 kilometers per hour on paved roads, and, thanks to its torsion bar suspension, 40 kmph on rough terrain. The vehicle has IR-opaque material lining the engine block, and its exhaust is both muffled and cooled.
Upgrades[]
None.