Apr
“So that’s it?” general August Mondier said skeptically, “I expected them to be larger.”
Technical staff and engineers froze and stared at the commission that included a dozen of people in military uniforms and official clothes.
Several minutes earlier hangar C845 was a mess: everyone rushed around during final preparations before the demonstration. Now they all stood still in silence, afraid to move or even cough.
“Why make it larger?” Doctor Filipenko flared up, “You asked for a compact platform for a punch-packing weapon, able to deploy quickly on a position for artillery support. Its digital channel allows to operate remotely at distances up to ten kilometers from the controller’s position, and twin power units can accelerate it up to 70 clicks per hour cross-country. And with all due respect, general, weight and firepower specifications that you’ve requested, put us in an extremely complicated situation, but nevertheless we managed to balance this machine perfectly.”
Filipenko radiated with pride for his creation, standing between his ceramite-plated children and the general who dared to offend them.
“All right, Doctor,” Mondier nodded, “But words worth nothing. Show me action. Get them in the field, I want to blow something up.”
General and his retinue turned around and strode out of the hangar. Filipenko took a sigh of relief, clapped his hands and ordered, “Wake up, people, it’s time to let our bad boys loose. Go-go-go, we’ve got to dispel the general’s concerns. Or should I say blast’em?”
Self-propelled Unmanned Artillery М101 “Scorpion”
A rare weapon system that the Astroborne infantry corps uses when CAS and orbital support are not available. “Scorpions” are fast and stealthy vehicles that can quickly move up, fire and reposition before the enemy strikes back.
High mobility and a wide firing angle range of the rail howitzer make it exceptionally versatile. The turret is only partially armored, providing protection only for the loading mechanism and breech assembly.
The hull of the “Scorpion” is relatively low-profile, with six crawler wheels. It also has four support stands to ensure stabilization on uneven surfaces when firing in any direction.
Specifications:
– Ground clearance: 440 mm
– Running gear: treads
– Length 4,920 mm
– Height 1,350 mm (1,790 mm with cannon)
– Width: 2,400 mm
– Armor: light modular, with active countermeasures, heat and EM traps.
Crew:
– Autonomous system AI
– Remote control system
Armament:
– Main cannon: 105 mm rail howitzer with armor piercing and HE + phosphorus shells.