Author Notes:
Welp, here's another OBOM chapter~! Hopefully, you all will be liking what I have OBOM, more specifically the Syncra Ascendancy, going for!
Now then, perhaps I should go on and say that the next monthly discount is here, or at least it's Soon.TM! There will be a 40% discount this time, because why not!? So go ahead and grab that discount if you are a newcomer and is looking to enjoy some sweet Early Access releases!
Many thanks as always, and have a great weekend!
P.S: Rusted Warfare but modded, anyone?
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https://www.webnovel.com/book/reich-marshal-of-the-belkan-reich_23809095505377305
https://www.webnovel.com/book/in-the-grimdark-sector-with-a-system_31596105108346205
https://www.webnovel.com/book/my-soul.-occupied-body---please-the-other-me...!_35377211308783905
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OBOM Visual Guide
MBT-1:
https://postimg.cc/ZBy7CdwH
https://postimg.cc/62GjyvMz
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"Before we get around designing a Main Battle Tank, shouldn't we all agree upon the necessity of a simplified chain of logistics?" Vi, the Chief of Logistics, interjects and stops us from jumping the gun. "The last thing I need is to wake up one day with each separate vehicle type of the Ascendancy having a different gun caliber altogether."
The girls in the room nod in agreement with Vi's suggestion. Reizen then speaks calmly.
"You are suggesting a common architecture on which things will be developed from then: parts commonality, shared munitions, and more... If all branches of service can make the most of a common pool of resources, that's a significant advantage. We will have less need for specialized factory lines, and the Navy can supply the Air Force directly with what they have on hand, potentially, of course."
Reizen isn't wrong in her assessment, but Iris tames down the expectation by saying.
"There's only so much you can expect from a one-size-fits-all before it becomes the antithesis of what we need. We can do something simple like a shared munition pool, but I will lose my top if you're expecting the tire from a Humvee to be able to fit a jumbo jet."
"Alright, then before the tanks, let's discuss what sorts of vehicular guns we will use in our military then, the common types, of course, not the specialized ones like big naval cannons." I add, picking the topic for us to expand upon. It's indeed an important one, perhaps even more so than the type of tanks we will need. "My thought is that if it fits reliably onto an ACV, then it can be utilized on other platforms. It's not much, but it's something that should ease our logistical profile."
"That's fine by me." Iris shrugs before asking. "We never touch upon in depth what's to be fitted upon the ACV, only what it should be capable of doing. May as well decide on the armament now to save me processing power later. So, any suggestions, girls?"
"Let's start with the small but critical variant of the ACV first, the command variant." Reizen says. "Given what it needs to be doing, it's basically improbable for it to house too big a weapon."
Iris nods, expanding upon what Reizen said.
"We have no satellite imaging, no multi-layered battlefield reconnaissance capability, at least not for the short term, so the command ACV, ACV-C for short, should have not just the command module but also a small UAV bay to gather on-site data. This, alongside the necessary space for the command staff and battlefield control terminal, means the ACV-C will have defensive weapons at best. We're talking along the lines of machine guns, remote-controlled or not. Things like the squad automatic weapon MG-35 or the heavy machine gun M2 should be the standard weapon options. Though it won't be impossible to incorporate more exotic options like the Reich's automatic grenade launcher GMG-40 or the .57 caliber, three-barrel Gatling GG-14.5 if you really want to delete that general direction defensively."
"... Did you just say .57 caliber Gatling?" I can't help but ask about the elephant in the room. "Where I came from, the closest thing we had to what you said is the GAU-19, a .50 caliber three-barrel rotary heavy machine gun."
Iris nods with a dangerous smirk on her face.
"Then our gun is bigger than yours.. The GG-14.5 utilizes the same ammo as the SG-14.5; it is understandably more powerful than the M2 machine gun you're familiar with. Nevertheless, anything using .57 caliber is no doubt heavier and more expensive than anything using .50 caliber. The added weight may actually be more detrimental than the increased firepower the .57 caliber platforms offer."
I raise a hand. "Not quite. I think there are usage scenarios for the .57 caliber rounds and weapons. At the very least, I see them as more practical than, let's say, a 20 mm weapon platform. Just send me the data package pertaining to the .57 caliber; I will review it later."
Iris makes a finger gun at my direction. "Gotcha."
Kokona, who has been silent thus far, interjects. "So now that it's basically decided that the secondary or defensive guns on the ACV and whatnot are machine guns, what's next?"
"Next, I think it will be faster if I list the intended gun calibers for our military directly." I reply, holding my hand outward with a wry smile. "If we really go for a debate on the why and why not, it will surely take up another week."
The one human, an AI, and the Dolls in the meeting room look at one another before all shrug and nod.
"Sure."
"Iris can work out the kinks later."
"The sooner we can sign away a topic, the faster we can actually put things into production."
Hearing their affirmations, I clap my hands together, smiling as I say.
"Alrighty then, this is gonna be a bit of a spiel, but I intend for our ground combatants to utilize gun calibers as such: 27 mm, 35 mm, 57 mm, 76 mm, 120 mm, and 155 mm."
The others ponder the numbers I spoke of, with Iris going on to say.
"Should I say that, as expected of someone using logic from another universe? Your standard gun caliber is actually much different than ours back then, and we have yet to touch upon the naval combatants."
I raise an eyebrow, asking. "What was the Reich using back then?"
"Autocannon-wise, we never used anything less than 30 mm in caliber. We did, however, use a lot of 57 mm guns for surface and anti-air combat. For MBTs, the Leopard back in the day used a 105 mm smoothbore instead of a 120 mm. Only when the Leopard was replaced by the Lynx MBT did we switch to using a 128 mm cannon, modified from naval use. For artillery, we use 150 mm howitzers instead of 155 mm. So, care to explain the basis for your caliber choices, just so we know what we're working with?"
I nod with my fingers holding my chin.
"Sure. My decision is more or less made out of the consideration that all branches of service are able to share some common weapon types. For instance, the Mauser company in my home universe made the Mauser BK 27 revolver cannon, chambered in 27×145 mm cartridges. The cannon is a single-barrel, high-performance, breech-cylinder gun operated by a fully automatic, electrically fired, gas-operated system that is fed linkless for improved reliability. It is also much simpler, lighter, and easier to maintain than a rotary gun, making it a perfect choice to be fitted on ground, aerial, and naval platforms."
Iris, being a Smart AI and the Chief Scientist, instantly conjures a rough blueprint of a working 27 mm revolver cannon just from the few words that I said. The white-haired AI then says.
"It's a solid option for a weapon choice. The BK 27 can indeed save a lot of space and weight on the ACV and other platforms. And I reckon I can make new shells that will bring the performance of the 27 mm cannon on par with the 30 mm."
I give Iris a thumbs-up before continuing with my explanation.
"You already know why I picked the 35 mm; it's basically because the Millennium gun Aurea and I put on the White Pearl. Again, it's a revolver cannon that's intended for general-purpose use, albeit more geared towards surface deployment due to its larger size. As for the 57 mm and 76 mm, I envision them as the anti-everything autocannons. The former will utilize 57 × 438 mm shells, while the latter will fire the larger 76 × 636mm shells. They can either be mounted on the ACV, transforming the chassis into a multirole fire-support vehicle, or be turned into stationary turrets for base defense. Additionally, the 57 mm and 76 mm are perfect for naval deployment as well, since I know perfectly well that the two types can fire a variety of advanced shells that either turn them into area-denial or precision bombardment weapons."
To help me illustrate my points, Iris creates more holographic representations of the future ACV variants. ACV-C is one thing, but there are projections for the infantry fighting, short-range anti-air, and fire support variants as well. Additionally, Iris forms the holographic projections for the turrets that will house the bigger autocannons alongside the potential missile-equipped versions of them. No one is stopping us from dreaming big and possessing the ultimate firepower in one package, right? The girls then carefully scrutinize and assemble the initial impression of the military's hard firepower.
Iris then nods, mostly to herself, as she admires her own holographic handiwork that she made in less than five seconds. She then goes on to pose a question.
"I can most certainly see you using a 155 mm howitzer on the ACV and whatnot; but what about the 120 mm, and why that caliber in particular? A 5-inch, 128 mm caliber will be a better choice if you want to put it on a naval destroyer or a main battle tank."
I explain my train of thought. "Of course, a 128 mm gun is obviously better than a 120 mm when it comes to firepower and range. But I settle for the necessity of a 120 mm gun because of the blueprints I have: an MBT that is less than 50 tons in weight and the potential for it to be used as a basis for Knight armaments."
Iris, Reizen, and the Dolls look at me weirdly when they hear the words 50 tons. Being subjected to such gazes, I feel my lips twitching oddly.
"50 tons too much?" I ask, a bit unsure.
It's Reizen who takes the chance to explain.
"According to the history book, other than some prototypes, the Reich never used an MBT weighing more than 42 tons, much less 50 tons, until the latter half of the 21st century. And the 42-ton figure comes from the Lynx being an MBT with a 128 mm autoloading gun and an active protection system back then."
Hearing what Reizen just said, I am quite speechless. "... What sorts of sorcery did you guys pull to achieve that number? The tank I know of that is comparable to it is the T-14 Armata with a 125 mm autoloading gun, yet it weighed in excess of 50 tons."
Iris winks.
"Armor improvement and doctrinal differences, baby. The Reich spearheaded the research on lightweight composite armor and alloy back then, and we applied them aplenty wherever we could. And since the Reich's doctrine was mobile warfare, heavy protection wasn't a necessity when coordination, speed, and firepower were heavily prioritized. We had little need for a rolling fortress, except for propaganda purposes. It helped when our enemies back then didn't really have the firepower to penetrate our MBTs' armor, barring direct artillery fire or mines. Those are probably the reasons why our tanks are lighter than what you have in mind, Umbra."
"... Fair enough." I reply with a sigh, once again having a minor bout of culture shock. "Having said that, do you think you can improve on the MBT design I will be proposing next, Iris?"
Iris shrugs, saying. "How hard can it be?"
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It turns out that designing an MBT with Iris' help and the others' input is extremely easy when all data can be changed and processed into visual representations in real time.
"What do you call this tank again, boss?" Kokona asks as they look at the slowly spinning holographic model of the soon-to-be Ascendancy MBT.
"Type 10 main battle tank." I reply, informing them of its origin. "Back there, it was the fourth-generation MBT of the Japanese. Although given the extent to which we modified its armor, powerplant, and other hardware and software, I think it needs a new name altogether in the way that it's essentially a new tank. The ACV can still be called an ACV due to its more... Neutral and direct name."
Vi interjects offhandedly. "Why bother? Just call it the MBT and attach whatever number or letter you want behind it for distinction. Keeps the official naming scheme simple and lets the crews settle the nickname between themselves."
Hearing that, we all shrug.
"If no one is in disagreement, then we shall settle for the name change from Type 10 to MBT-1." Iris says, ticking another holographic box. "And the future naming scheme shall be as literal as it can be whenever possible; spare us the processing power and brain cells. Although I think the nickname part should be decided via a vote or something; get our citizens involved for fun and giggles."
"As long as the nickname is not stupid." I interject with a raised hand, earning nods from Reizen and the others. "Moving on, let's finalize the details on the MBT-1 so that we can hopefully move on to tackle the Air Force and whatnot."
Iris nods before waving a hand and presenting us with the holographic cutouts of the MBT-1, explaining to us its features and capabilities.
The MBT-1 tank is equipped with a C4I system (command, control, communication, computer & intelligence). This system integrates into the Ascendancy network and enables real-time data sharing between local combat units and can be expanded upon when we gain access to either an AWACS or a satellite.
Accordingly, the C4I system enables the following capabilities:
Platoon-level automatic target recognition and target synchronization.
Real-time commands from a platoon leader.
Real-time vehicle telemetry.
Fire control system integration.
Daytime and night vision cameras mounted around the turret, providing 360° coverage.
The MBT-1 also has these to go for it:
A continuously variable transmission, CVT, for short, allowing the tank to reach 70 km/h in both forward and reverse.
A hydropneumatic suspension system that provides improved recoil performance and chassis height adjustment, allowing the tank to engage targets on virtually any terrain... Hopefully.
The vehicle's armor is composite in nature and consists of removable sections, allowing operators to balance weight and protection depending on the mission profile. Damaged armor sections can be removed and replaced easily. Moreover, the protection profile can be increased should the mission require it, and we have the appropriate technology researched.
As planned, the MBT-1 will use a 120 mm L/44 smoothbore with an autoloader, allowing the main gun to fire every 3.5 seconds, thus lessening the crew requirement to three: a commander, a gunner, and a driver. There are 14 rounds in the autoloader, 7 rounds in the ready ammunition storage, 3 rounds behind the gunner, and the reserve storage holds 14 rounds, for a total of 38 rounds for the main guns.
Munition-wise, it shall use 120 mm Armour-piercing Fin-stabilized Discarding Sabot primarily for threats like monstrous armored beasts and Knights. Additionally, the MBT-1's main gun can fire High Explosive Multi-Purpose with Tracer, HEMP-T, with a multi-mode programmable fuze; it can operate in point-detonate, point-detonate delay, and airburst modes, enabling it to engage a variety of targets, light-to-medium armor, bunkers, reinforced concrete walls, and massed infantry.
It has access to an 8 mm co-axial machine gun and a remote-controlled weapon station for close-in defense.
Strategically speaking, the surprisingly light and compact MBT-1 can be carried by amphibious transport docks and heavy airlifters, if we have those two platforms in service, of course.
There are proposals from Vi to use the MBT-1 chassis for a multifunction platform, capable of doing combat engineering, recovery, bridge laying, and mine clearing after a few hours of modifications. Tentatively, this version of the MBT-1 is called MBT-1P. The P is for Pioneer.
Lastly, the MBT-1 has room for future upgrades and modifications.
And with that strategic capability as an ending note for the combat vehicles of the Marines, it's high time we kick the ball into the Air Force's court.