BAE
Sabre
Country of
Origin: Great Britain
Notes: This
vehicle does not exist in real life; I don't know if it was a concept vehicle or
a product of the imaginations of the designers at GDW, however.
Twilight 2000
Notes: This British heavy antiaircraft vehicle is the hull of a Chieftain main
battle tank topped with a modified and more heavily armored version of the
turret from a French AMX13 DCA antiaircraft vehicle. In this role, the turret is
well protected and has large external ammunition bins for the greater ammunition
supply carried. The Sabre proved to be a very difficult target for enemy
aircraft, being well protected, supplied with large amounts of ammunition, and
having an excellent fire control system. Perhaps its only failing was the slow
speed of its Chieftain chassis. Unfortunately, only about 40 of them made it to
war with the British Army. The driver’s position is retained, and to the right
and rear of the driver’s position is the commander’s position. On the turret
roof is the gunner’s hatch.
Price |
Fuel Type |
Load |
Veh Wt |
Crew |
Mnt |
Night Vision |
Radiological |
$167,713 |
D, A |
500 kg |
50 tons |
3 |
32 |
Radar, Passive IR, Image Intensification |
Shielded |
Tr Mov |
Com Mov |
Fuel Cap |
Fuel Cons |
Config |
Susp |
Armor |
102/72 |
26/18 |
950 |
265 |
Trtd |
T6 |
TF34 TS11 HR7 HF84Sp HS18Sp HR10 |
Fire Control |
Stabilization |
Armament |
Ammunition |
+3 |
Fair |
2x30mm 30mm Giat 30 M 781 |
2400x30mm |
BAE
Warrior ADATS Vehicle
Country of
Origin: Great Britain
Notes: This is
the chassis of the British Warrior ICV fitted with the same turret as the US
M924 ADATS vehicle. It has not been fielded, and probably will never be fielded
in the form presented here.
Twilight 2000
Notes: This vehicle was a latecomer to the Twilight War, being initially fielded
in late 1997. Few of these vehicles, perhaps less than 40, were actually built,
and most were retained for use in the British Isles, with perhaps a quarter
making it to the European mainland. All hatches except for the rear deck hatch
are retained.
Price |
Fuel Type |
Load |
Veh Wt |
Crew |
Mnt |
Night Vision |
Radiological |
$322,774 |
D, A |
200 kg |
25.5 tons |
4 |
22 |
FLIR, Passive IR, Radar |
Shielded |
Tr Mov |
Com Mov |
Fuel Cap |
Fuel Cons |
Config |
Susp |
Armor |
126/88 |
32/22 |
770 |
190 |
Trtd |
T4 |
TF8 TS4 TR4 HF10 HS3 HR3 |
Fire Control |
Stabilization |
Armament |
Ammunition |
+3 |
Basic |
8xADATS launchers |
16xADATS missiles |
BMY
M975A3 Roland II
Country of
Origin: United States
Notes: This is
the same turret and fire control system as fitted to the German Marder-based
Roland surface to air missile system, but fitted for US use to the chassis of an
M109 self-propelled howitzer. The missile system is automatically reloaded when
the launchers are empty from a magazine and reloader at the rear of the vehicle;
this system may also be used manually if only one launcher is expended. This
vehicle was never put into production.
Twilight 2000
Notes: These systems began production in the late 1980s and were fairly common
during the Twilight War, though they were used only by the US Army and Air
Force.
Price |
Fuel Type |
Load |
Veh Wt |
Crew |
Mnt |
Night Vision |
Radiological |
$214,025 |
D, A |
400 kg |
26 tons |
4 |
24 |
Radar, Thermal Imaging |
Shielded |
Tr Mov |
Com Mov |
Fuel Cap |
Fuel Cons |
Config |
Susp |
Armor |
101/71 |
24/17 |
511 |
143 |
Trtd |
T4 |
TF2 TS2 TR2 HF10 HS3 HR3 |
Fire Control |
Stabilization |
Armament |
Ammunition |
+2 |
Basic |
2xRoland II Launchers |
12xRoland SAMs |
Boeing M21 Laser ADA
Country of
Origin: United States
Notes: This
vehicle does not exist in real life; it was invented by the designers of
Twilight 2000 at GDW, along with its companion vehicle, the M22 LGW, below.
Twilight 2000
Notes: This is the actual weapon-carrying component of the M21/22 antiaircraft
system. Like the M22, it is based on a LAV-75 chassis; instead of a standard
turret, the vehicle has one with a long, cherry picker lift mounting the 300Mw
laser. The M21 has a capacitor that can store the energy needed for three shots;
to make further shots, the M21 must be hooked up to the M22 LGV.
The laser in the
M21 follows special fire rules. A die roll is made to hit; the laser hits on any
number except for a 20 if a lock is made first. Making a lock on requires one
phase and is an Easy: Electronics or Average: Heavy Gun task. Without this
lock-on, hitting with the laser is an Average: Electronics or Difficult: Heavy
Gun task at short range. The accuracy of the laser is degraded by two places in
light fog, rain, or snow, and three places in heavy fog, rain, or snow; with the
lock on, accuracy under these circumstances allows the laser to hit on every die
roll except a 18-20 in light precipitation or 13-20 in heavy precipitation.
There are three hatches on the front deck of the vehicle; these are for (from
right to left) the commander, gunner, and driver. The commander’s hatch has a
weapon mount.
This was a
rather rare vehicle in the Twilight War; despite it having been okayed for
production status in 1996, production was done at a very low rate, and perhaps
only 40 sets (M21 and M22) were made. 10 of these were retained for use in the
continental US, 15 to the Middle East, 10 to Europe, and 5 to Korea. It is
possible that another example was produced before all these, and tested in
Israel just prior to Twilight War; the disposition or even existence of these
vehicles was never proven.
Price |
Fuel Type |
Load |
Veh Wt |
Crew |
Mnt |
Night Vision |
Radiological |
$415,620 |
D, G, AvG, A |
500 kg |
16 tons |
3 |
24 |
Image Intensification, FLIR, Radar |
Shielded |
Tr Mov |
Com Mov |
Fuel Cap |
Fuel Cons |
Config |
Susp |
Armor |
142/100 |
33/23 |
520 |
78 |
CiH |
T2 |
TF4 TS4 TR4 HF12 HS4 HR4 |
Fire Control |
Stabilization |
Armament |
Ammunition |
+5/Special |
Fair/Special |
300Mw Laser, MAG (C) |
Special, 2000x7.62mm |
Boeing M22 Laser Generation Vehicle
Country of
Origin: United States
Notes: This
vehicle does not exist in real life; it is a product of the designers at GDW.
Twilight 2000
Notes: The M21 LADA was the only operational production laser vehicle produced
during the Twilight War. The laser in this vehicle requires a great deal of
power for sustained use; the M22 Laser Generation Vehicle (LGV) was used to
generate the power for the M21’s laser. Like the M21, only about 40 were
produced; 10 of them were retained along with M21s for homeland defense in the
US, and about half of the rest were deployed to the Middle East, with 10 being
sent to Europe and 5 to Korea. It is also rumored that the system was combat
tested in Israel just prior to the Twilight War, though the existence or
disposition of this system is not known to this day. The M22 uses a modified
LAV-75 hull; in this hull is installed a large generator instead of the turret
and ammunition. The vehicle commander has a hatch on the front right deck with a
weapon mount, with the generator operator in the center and the driver to the
left.
Price |
Fuel Type |
Load |
Veh Wt |
Crew |
Mnt |
Night Vision |
Radiological |
$49,660 |
D, G, AvG, A |
500 kg |
17 tons |
3 |
12 |
Passive IR |
Shielded |
Tr Mov |
Com Mov |
Fuel Cap |
Fuel Cons |
Config |
Susp |
Armor |
142/100 |
33/23 |
520 |
78 |
Stnd |
T2 |
HF12 HS4 HR4 |
Fire Control |
Stabilization |
Armament |
Ammunition |
None |
None |
MAG (C) |
2000x7.62mm |
Boeing XM12 Laser ADA
Country of
Origin: United States
Notes: This
vehicle does not exist in real life; it was made up by the designers at GDW,
though I have added some back-story.
Twilight 2000
Notes: As denoted by its designation, the XM12 was an experimental system
produced on a limited basis for the US Army starting in late 1994. Low-rate
production ensued for test vehicles, but the dozen prototypes were taken to war
in 1996 and acquitted themselves well, even intercepting tactical ballistic
missile warheads with good results. The vehicle consists of an early M1 main
battle tank hull topped with a turret mounting a 300 Mw laser on a cherry picker
lift. Coupled with the vehicle’s advanced fire control system, the result was a
very accurate air defense system able to intercept even supersonic aircraft
operating at treetop level. The M1 hull is large enough to house the generator
and capacitor in the same hull, without the need for a generator vehicle. A
small number of additional XM12s were built between 1996 and 1998; at least two
were sent to Korea, another 6 to Europe, 4 to the Middle East, and two were
retained at the Air Defense Artillery School at Fort Bliss in Texas for further
testing and development.
The laser in the
XM12 follows special fire rules. A die roll is made to hit; the laser hits on
any number except for a 20 if a lock is made first. Making a lock on requires
one phase and is an Easy: Electronics or Average: Heavy Gun task. Without this
lock-on, hitting with the laser is an Average: Electronics or Difficult: Heavy
Gun task at short range. The accuracy of the laser is degraded by two places in
light fog, rain, or snow, and three places in heavy fog, rain, or snow; with the
lock on, accuracy under these circumstances allows the laser to hit on every die
roll except a 18-20 in light precipitation or 13-20 in heavy precipitation. It
was discovered that the gunner of the XM12 could allow the charge to build up in
the laser unit for 5 seconds, allowing for a single massive discharge capable of
destroying or damaging light vehicles as well as aircraft, causing more damage.
Firing the laser in this way causes minor damage to the laser on a roll of 1 on
1D10; if the laser is fired when damaged by this effect, it is destroyed.
Price |
Fuel Type |
Load |
Veh Wt |
Crew |
Mnt |
Night Vision |
Radiological |
$776,600 |
D, G, AvG, A |
700 kg |
44 tons |
3 |
36 |
FLIR, Radar, Passive IR |
Shielded |
Tr Mov |
Com Mov |
Fuel Cap |
Fuel Cons |
Config |
Susp |
Armor |
204/130 |
48/33 |
1900 |
566 |
CiH |
T6 |
TF6 TS6 TR6 HF150Cp HS24Sp HS16 |
Fire Control |
Stabilization |
Armament |
Ammunition |
+5/Special |
Fair/Special |
300Mw Laser, M2HB (C) |
Special, 600x.50 |
GDLS
FAAD-M1 Liberty
Country or
Origin: United States
Seen In: Part of
the (still) continuing attempts to produce a successful FAADS vehicle.
(From time to time, this vehicle is still experimented with, with new
systems and improvements.)
Notes: The
Liberty Program was first designed in 1987 to replace the defunct Sergeant York
AAA gun, as well as provide a vehicle with more capability, including missile
armament for longer-range interceptions, as well as a defense against
helicopters, slow and fast-moving aircraft, and cruise missiles.
There were several iterations of the Liberty System, as the System
evolved through time. The Army
eventually wanted 562 Libertys, with 166 of those being Liberty 1s and the
remainder being Liberty 2s. Eventually, the GAO conducted a study which found
that the Liberty, in all iterations, was too expensive compared to similar AAA
systems, and the Congress decided to kill it in the late 1990s, without having
seen even field testing, only a few controlled tests.
Most of the
Liberty Series used the hulls of retired M1 tanks, along with a special turret
housing autocannons and missiles in side sponsons, along with advanced ranging
and detection equipment, including advanced FLIR, laser rangefinder, and
surveillance radar and tracking radar.
It also had long-range LLTV and integrated IFF. The Liberty had robust
fire control computers that provided tracking, detection, and identification of
threat aircraft, with a computer for both the guns and missiles.
The guns were for close-in defense, with the missiles providing
medium-range air defense. They could not be fired at the same time, nor could
the guns be fired at the same or nearby targets with a missile in the air, as a
danger existed that shells from the autocannons would hit the missile(s).
The guns could be depressed enough to fire at ground targets, with the
targeting computer and laser rangefinder operating for ground fire.
The initial
Liberty prototype, also known as the Liberty White Sands Prototype, was used
primarily for firing and detection tests, and was mounted on a French AMX-30 MBT
chassis and had a turret mounting two M3M .50-caliber machineguns and six
Shahine missiles, three in each sponson.
This was primarily used in the initial White Sands feasibility study and
was never meant to be a production vehicle, used only for firing, detection, and
threat identification tests.
Liberty 1 used the same systems, on an M1A1 MBT hull; it was originally
envisioned as a production vehicle, but the development of improved sensors and
missiles led the Liberty 1, if the Liberty System was OK’d, to be an LRIP
version until the Liberty 2 was available.
Later, the hulls of the Liberty 1 and some of the sensor and computer
suite were used in the Liberty 2, and the Liberty 1 became a developmental
vehicle for the Liberty 2.
The Liberty 2
featured the new Liberty SAMs (based on the Crotale) in six-round sponsons on
either side of the turret. The guns
were upgraded to 25mm Bushmaster Chain Guns.
The turret otherwise primarily housed the sensor suite, which included
the TSR 2630 radar, which combined the functions of tracking, detection,
identification, and IFF interrogation.
Tracking had a range of 30 kilometers and could track 24 targets;
detection had a range of 40 kilometers and automatically interrogated the
aircraft via IFF; identification had a range of 20 kilometers. The FLIR was
upgraded, and improved image intensification was added along with longer-range
LLTV for positive aircraft identification.
None of the crew was housed inside of the turret; instead, all
crewmembers were housed inside the hull, with the driver, gunner, and sensor
operator being in the front hull, along with the fire control computers and
downlinks to the weapons and sensors.
Vehicle |
Price |
Fuel Type |
Load |
Veh Wt |
Crew |
Mnt |
Night Vision |
Radiological |
Liberty |
$1,227,389 |
D, G, AvG, A |
400 kg |
30 tons |
3 |
40 |
Surveillance Radar (30 km) (G, S), Tracking Radar (20 km) (G, S),
IFF (30 km) (G, S), 2nd Gen FLIR (G, S) |
Shielded |
Liberty 1 |
$1,830,372 |
JP8, D, A |
700 kg |
26.76 tons |
3 |
37 |
Surveillance Radar (30 km) (G, S), Tracking Radar (20 km) (G, S),
IFF (30 km) (G, S), 2nd Gen FLIR (G, S), 2nd
Gen LLTV (G, S), Image Intensification (D) |
Shielded |
Liberty 2 |
$2,946,701 |
JP8, D, A |
700 kg |
27.2 tons |
3 |
39 |
TSR 2630 Tracking/Detection/Identification/IFF Radar (G, S), 3nd
Gen FLIR (G, S), 3rd Gen Image Intensification (G, S), 3rd
Gen LLTV (G, S), Thermal Imaging (D), Backup LLTV Camera (D) |
Shielded |
Vehicle |
Tr Mov |
Com Mov |
Fuel Cap |
Fuel Cons |
Config |
Susp |
Armor |
Liberty |
165/116 |
46/32 |
970 |
268 |
Trtd |
T6 |
TF27Sp TS21Sp
TR10 HF58
HS12 HR8 |
Liberty 1 |
202/141 |
41/29 |
1911 |
963 |
Trtd |
T6 |
TF27Sp TS21Sp
TR10 HF67Cp
HS26Sp HR10 |
Liberty 2 |
200/140 |
41/29 |
1911 |
971 |
Trtd |
T6 |
TF27Sp TS21Sp
TR10 HF67Cp
HS26Sp HR10 |
Vehicle |
Fire Control |
Stabilization |
Armament |
Ammunition |
Liberty |
+2 |
Basic |
2xM3M Machineguns, 6xShahine SAM Launchers |
5000x.50, 6xShahine Missiles |
Liberty 1 |
+2 |
Basic |
2xM3M Machineguns, 6xShahine SAM Launchers |
5000x.50, 6xShahine Missiles |
Liberty 2 |
+3 |
Fair |
2x25mm M242 Autocannons, 12xCrotale or VT-1 Liberty SAM Launchers |
3000x25mm, 12xCrotale or Liberty Missiles |
GDLS
LAV-PIVAD
Country of
Origin: Canada
Notes: Though
this would seem to be a natural modification of the LAV-25, this vehicle does
not seem to actually exist; it may have been studied by the US Marines, but I
think it was probably an invention of the designers at GDW.
There is a LAV-based antiaircraft vehicle, the LAV-AD, but this is
not it.
Twilight 2000
Notes: This rare modification of the LAV-25 was an interim antiaircraft vehicle
development first used until the LAV-AD was ready. Though designed as an
antiaircraft vehicle, the Marines in the Middle East equipped with them soon
realized its utility against personnel and light vehicles, and that is how the
Marines primarily used them after the LAV-AD arrived on the scene, since the
LAV-AD was superior against light vehicles. This utility was helped by the fact
that, unlike the LAV-AD, the LAV-PIVAD retains its firing ports. Later in the
war, US Army light infantry divisions were equipped with them in small numbers,
and the Saudi Arabian Army and Qatari National Guard also received a few. The
turret of this vehicle is the same as mounted on the M163 PIVAD vehicle.
Price |
Fuel Type |
Load |
Veh Wt |
Crew |
Mnt |
Night Vision |
Radiological |
$151,982 |
D, A |
400 kg |
12.5 tons |
3 |
10 |
Passive IR, Radar |
Enclosed |
Tr Mov |
Com Mov |
Fuel Cap |
Fuel Cons |
Config |
Susp |
Armor |
142/56 |
36/14/4 |
300 |
80 |
Trtd |
W(6) |
TF6 TS3 TR2 HF6 HS4 HR4 |
Fire Control |
Stabilization |
Armament |
Ammunition |
+1 |
Fair |
20mm M61 Vulcan, MAG (C) |
1800x20mm, 750x7.62mm |
GDLS
M-691 Diana
Country of
Origin: United States
Notes: This
vehicle does not exist in real life; a similar system was studied in the
mid-1980s by the US Army, but this particular version of that idea seems to be
the product of GDW. I have embellished the story considerably, however.
Twilight 2000
Notes: This vehicle was developed on the fly in response to a US Army
requirement for a heavily armored, highly survivable self-propelled antiaircraft
gun. The system uses a small turret mounting twin Bushmaster autocannons on top
of the hulls of retired M1 Abrams main battle tanks, coupled with a
newly-developed LIDAR (Laser Imaging raDAR) system that gives the Diana
excellent accuracy. Despite the popularity of the Diana, the system was in
somewhat short supply, as it was felt that the older M1 tanks were needed more
to return to service as main battle tanks than to be used to produce new weapon
systems.
Price |
Fuel Type |
Load |
Veh Wt |
Crew |
Mnt |
Night Vision |
Radiological |
$377,989 |
D, G, AvG, A |
700 kg |
44 tons |
3 |
30 |
FLIR, Passive IR |
Shielded |
Tr Mov |
Com Mov |
Fuel Cap |
Fuel Cons |
Config |
Susp |
Armor |
204/143 |
48/33 |
1907 |
566 |
Trtd |
T6 |
TF30 TS7 TS6 HF150Cp HS24Sp HS16 |
Fire Control |
Stabilization |
Armament |
Ammunition |
+5 |
Good |
2x25mm M242 Bushmaster Autocannons |
500x25mm |
GDLS
M757 Blazer
Country of
Origin: United States
Notes: Studied
intensely for many years, this vehicle was never actually placed into
production, though many prototypes were built. (The nomenclature "M757" is
something I made up myself.)
Twilight 2000
Notes: The Blazer is the basic M2 Bradley chassis fitted out for an antiaircraft
role with a triple-barreled 30mm Chaingun system and two quadruple Stinger
launchers.
Price |
Fuel Type |
Load |
Veh Wt |
Crew |
Mnt |
Night Vision |
Radiological |
$361,940 |
D, A |
200 kg |
29.5 tons |
4 |
26 |
Thermal Imaging, Image Intensifier |
Shielded |
Tr Mov |
Com Mov |
Fuel Cap |
Fuel Cons |
Config |
Susp |
Armor |
155/109 |
36/25/3 |
662 |
221 |
Trtd |
T4 |
TF6 TS4 TR4 HF8 HS4Sp HR4 |
Fire Control |
Stabilization |
Armament |
Ammunition |
+2 |
Good |
8xStinger Launchers, 30mm-3 ChainGun, MAG |
16xStinger SAMs, 1800x30mm, 1200x7.62mm |
GDLS
M759 Blazer
Country of
Origin: United States
Notes: This was
another one of the weapons systems being studied to replace the M163A1 PIVAD;
several prototypes were built, but it was not picked up for duty. (Again,
I made up the nomenclature myself.)
Twilight 2000
Notes: This is an M113A2 or A3 with a Blazer antiaircraft turret installed in
the rear. The rear passenger area is taken up with the turret and ammunition and
fire control mechanisms. The Blazer installation on the M113 chassis has one
Stinger box, with a radar unit being added instead of the second box. This
vehicle was a substitute standard within the US Army (and was mostly employed in
National Guard units), and was also found in many countries also using the M113
series.
Price |
Fuel Type |
Load |
Veh Wt |
Crew |
Mnt |
Night Vision |
Radiological |
$290,882 |
D, A |
200 kg |
12.8 tons |
4 |
16 |
Thermal Imaging, Image Intensification, Radar |
Shielded |
Tr Mov |
Com Mov |
Fuel Cap |
Fuel Cons |
Config |
Susp |
Armor |
110/77 |
26/18/3 |
360 |
96 |
Trtd |
T2 |
TF6 TS4 TR4 HF6 HS4 HR4 |
Fire Control |
Stabilization |
Armament |
Ammunition |
+2 |
Good |
4xStinger Launchers, 30mm-3 ChainGun, MAG |
12xStinger missiles, 1200x30mm, 1200x7.62mm |
GDLS
M924 Bradley ADATS Vehicle
Country of
Origin: United States
Notes: This is
one of those systems developed to utilize the Canadian ADATS system. It was not
placed into production. (I made up the nomenclature myself for this one, too, as
well as for the M925 below.)
Twilight 2000
Notes: Starting in 1995 as an experiment, an ADATS system was fitted to an M2
Bradley chassis. When the Twilight War picked up, some 75 more of these vehicles
were ordered for mechanized and armored divisions being posted to the Middle
East. These vehicles gave a good accounting of themselves against both aircraft
and armored vehicles, and were well liked by their crews, as they offered
somewhat more protection than the M113-based ADATS vehicle. The turret is
identical to that fitted to the M113-based ADATS, with upgraded sensors.
Price |
Fuel Type |
Load |
Veh Wt |
Crew |
Mnt |
Night Vision |
Radiological |
$366,097 |
D, A |
300 kg |
29 tons |
4 |
13 |
FLIR, Image Intensification, Radar |
Shielded |
Tr Mov |
Com Mov |
Fuel Cap |
Fuel Cons |
Config |
Susp |
Armor |
157/110 |
37/26/4 |
662 |
221 |
Trtd |
T4 |
TF5 TS4 TR4 HF8 HS4Sp HR4 |
Fire Control |
Stabilization |
Armament |
Ammunition |
+3 |
Basic |
8xADATS Launchers |
16xADATS Missiles |
GDLS
M925 Bradley ADATS Vehicle
Country of
Origin: United States
Notes: This
experimental ADATS system was developed mostly as a proof-of-concept vehicle,
and never really meant for production.
Twilight 2000
Notes: This is a more heavily armed variant of the M924, with an autocannon and
twin machineguns supplementing the ADATS missile system. This enabled it to
engage closer-ranged targets as well as personnel. In this vehicle, the ADATS
turret is topped with a superstructure containing the autocannon and twin
machineguns. This vehicle was considerably more rare than the M924, being
produced for only about a year and a half at a low rate starting in 1996. Most
were also sent to the Middle East, but some were retained and took part in the
fighting in the American Southwest. Its crews liked the firepower, but the high
silhouette made them very vulnerable.
Price |
Fuel Type |
Load |
Veh Wt |
Crew |
Mnt |
Night Vision |
Radiological |
$409,775 |
D, A |
200 kg |
31 tons |
4 |
13 |
Thermal Imaging, Image Intensification, Radar |
Shielded |
Tr Mov |
Com Mov |
Fuel Cap |
Fuel Cons |
Config |
Susp |
Armor |
150/105 |
35/25/3 |
662 |
221 |
Trtd |
T4 |
TF5 TS4 TR4 HF8 HS4Sp HR4 |
Fire Control |
Stabilization |
Armament |
Ammunition |
+3 |
Fair |
8xADATS Launchers, 25mm Bushmaster autocannon, 2xM2HB |
12xADATS missiles, 500x25mm, 2000x.50 |
GDLS
M990 Chamberlain
Country of
Origin: United States
Notes: This
vehicle does not exist in real life; it is an invention of the designers at GDW.
I did, however, christen the fictional vehicle the "Chamberlain," as well as add
in some back story.
Twilight 2000
Notes: This is a limited production vehicle for use by US Army light divisions.
It is a LAV-75 chassis topped with a turret armed with twin 30mm Bushmaster II
autocannons, aimed by radar. The turret has a very effective stabilization
system that allows the autocannons to fire accurately even when traveling at
full speed. This, combined with its speed and agility, made it a hated commodity
among the pilots that had to fly against it. The hull has two hatches on the
front deck for the driver and gunner, and the commander has a hatch on the
turret deck.
Price |
Fuel Type |
Load |
Veh Wt |
Crew |
Mnt |
Night Vision |
Radiological |
$182,350 |
D, G, AvG, A |
500 kg |
15 tons |
3 |
24 |
FLIR, Radar, Passive IR |
Shielded |
Tr Mov |
Com Mov |
Fuel Cap |
Fuel Cons |
Config |
Susp |
Armor |
153/107 |
36/25 |
520 |
106 |
Trtd |
T2 |
TF10 TS5 TR5 HF12 HS4 HR4 |
Fire Control |
Stabilization |
Armament |
Ammunition |
+4 |
Good |
2x30mm Bushmaster II Autocannons, MAG (C) |
500x30mm, 1200x7.62mm |
GDLS
M1002 Miller AGDS
Country of
Origin: United States
Notes: The M1002
is based on an article by Asher Sharoni and Lawrence Bacon in the Jul-Aug 1996
issue of Armor magazine.
Notes: This rare
modification of the M1 Abrams was named for Seaman Dorie Miller, an
African-American cook aboard the USS West
Virginia during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor; Miller, despite having
no antiaircraft gunnery training, shot down several Japanese aircraft with a
deck-mounted M2HB in the face of withering enemy fire. (It also marks the only
time that an Army system was named after a sailor.)
The Army felt this was an appropriate name due to Miller’s prowess in
antiaircraft gunnery as well as his heroism; however, naming an Army system
after a Naval hero did generate a firestorm of controversy for a while.
AGDS simply stands for “Air-Ground Defense System,” noting that the M1002
was meant to be an effective system for attacking ground targets as well as
being an air defense system. The
Miller was first proposed as the late 1990s, and put into limited production in
1994; however, when hostilities erupted, it was felt that tanks were needed more
than a heavily-armored AAA vehicle, and production was halted in mid-1996, after
only 52 Millers were produced. Some
30 M1002s were assigned to the 24th Infantry Division and went to the
Middle East; most of the rest were sent to Europe, except for five that went to
the 2nd Infantry Division in Korea, and two that were somehow
acquired by the Texas Army National Guard’s 49th Armored Division and
remained in the US. They acquitted
themselves quite well in all cases, and half of them survived the Twilight War
in a more-or-less intact condition, eventually becoming museum pieces or (in a
few unlucky cases) becoming range targets or being stripped.
The hull of the
Miller is based on that of the IPM1 Abrams I chassis.
The turret is enlarged and extends almost to the rear end of the chassis,
but is also about 50mm shorter in height than that of the M1; it is, however, a
little wider than that of the M1.
The new turret is also heavily armored, though not as much as that of the M1.
Despite the large turret, the interior is still rather cramped, as the
turret contains the sophisticated fire control suite, a decent amount of
ammunition for its weapons, and its pop-up missile box.
The M1002 has not only antiaircraft fire control and tracking equipment,
but equipment for ground engagements as well. Though the M1002 is equipped with
a pair of autocannons, it’s primary weapon system is considered to be its ADATS
missiles. The launchers are
contained in a pair of six-round boxes, one of each side of the turret; the
front end pops up before launch to a 45-degree angle; inside the turret on each
side is a loading door which allows the launcher to be reloaded from under
armor. The ADATS system is not only
useful against aircraft and helicopters, but can engage the heaviest armored
vehicles as well, making the M1002 quite the threat.
The secondary
weapon system of the M1002 is its pair of 35mm Bushmaster III autocannons. The
autocannons can use a small phased-array radar on the right front of the turret
or the primary radar, or use a laser rangefinder with an advanced fire control
computer. The guns’ radar has a
range of 10 kilometers against air targets or low-flying aircraft and
helicopters, or 5 kilometers against ground targets. The pair of autocannons
have the unusual ability to be fired either both together or one at a time;
single-gun fire can be done to conserve ammunition, and the dual-feed capability
of the Bushmaster III is present on both guns.
The autocannons can be elevated up to 90 degrees or depressed up to -5
degrees.
Both weapons
systems are linked to a radar tracking/targeting system with a range of 25
kilometers against air targets, 15 kilometers against low-flying aircraft and
helicopters, and 10 kilometers against ground targets.
The radar has integrated IFF capability. The M1002 can also link itself
via a digital radio link to other friendly air defense radars within 5
kilometers instead of using its own radar, reducing its vulnerability while
extending target detection range.
M1002s operating within 5 kilometers of each other can also share their radar
information via the same sort of link. (The ADATS missiles themselves are
laser-guided, however.) Ground and
air targets can also be detected by a high-resolution LLTV system with a range
of 9 kilometers or an advanced FLIR seeker with a range of 6 kilometers.
Though there is only one radar dish, this dish and its mount are somewhat
armored. The radar mount also has the LLTV and FLIR for the ADATS missiles, and
is on an extendible mast that can extend the sensors up to 1.5 meters above the
turret. The autocannons have their
own sensors, fire control computer, and a separate laser rangefinder.
Both the ADATS missiles and autocannons can be firing at the same time,
each using their own sensors and fire control suite; note, however, that any
ADATS targets must be within 30 degrees on either side of the front of the
turret. If necessary, the fire
control system of one weapon can be used to guide the other weapon system;
however, this cuts the Fire Control modifier to +2.
The ammunition
for the autocannons as well as the ADATS missile reloads is kept in separate
armored compartments behind blast doors, and have blow-off panels like those of
the M1. The compartments for the
autocannon ammunition are on each side of front of the turret, and the blow-off
panels blow upwards. The
compartment for the ADATS reloads is at the rear of the turret, and again blows
off upwards.
The
ADATS missile boxes also have blow-out panels in case they are hit and the
missiles explode. As with the M1, if an
ammunition hit calls for the vehicle to be destroyed, the M1002 is not
destroyed. Instead (in game terms), the ammunition in the compartment is
destroyed, the armament, sensors, and electronics each take minor damage, and
each member of the crew except the driver takes 30 points of concussion damage.
As the ammunition of the M1002 is contained in three separate armored
compartments, an ammunition blow-out in one compartment does not mean that all
ammunition on board is destroyed; instead, the compartment hit will depend upon
the angle at which the enemy fire is coming from; there is a 33/34/33 chance
that an ammunition hit will take out the autocannon ammunition on one side or
the missile box on that side or the ADATS missile reloads compartment.
The driver is in
his customary position in the hull front, and has the same controls as on the
M1. The turret crew consists of a
gunner, who has control over both armament systems and both sets of sensors and
fire control systems via LCD screens, and the commander.
The commander has a hatch on the turret deck in the center, which is also
used by the gunner, and the commander has a pintle-mounted weapon for use
against close targets or assaulting infantry.
The commander can control the autocannons and use the autocannons’ fire
control suite and sensors via LCD screens, but his ADATS fire control sights are
relatively rudimentary and give only a Fire Control modifier of +3.
The M1002 uses
the same 1500-horsepower AGT-1500 gas turbine engine that the M1 uses.
This is a multi-fuel engine, capable of burning gasoline, diesel, an
ethanol/gasoline or diesel mix of up to 20%, JP-4 or JP-8 jet fuel, or kerosene;
in extremis, the AGT-1500 can also
burn pure ethanol or methanol with some modification.
It is coupled to an automatic transmission.
The driver has a conventional gas and brake pedal, and steers the M1002
via a T-shaped yoke. The suspension
is the same as that of an M1 and is excellent, giving a good ride on and off
roads and contributing to the stabilization of the M1002’s autocannons as well
as reducing crew fatigue. The M1002
is rather heavy, however, which somewhat negates the advantages of the power of
the engine. On each side of the turret are a cluster of six smoke/flare grenade
launchers. The M1002 has the same
5.6kW APU as found on the M1A2 and some M1A1s, as well as an air conditioner and
a heater; the APU uses 11 liters of fuel per hour, and uses fuel from the
M1002’s fuel tanks. A small hot
plate is tucked into a small space in the left front corner of the turret, as
well as a 10-liter water tank. The
M1002 is equipped with a GPS navigation system with a mapping/navigation
computer.
The M1002 was
often nicknamed the “Combat Cadillac” by US troops due to the plethora of
armament and features it carries.
Price |
Fuel Type |
Load |
Veh Wt |
Crew |
Mnt |
Night Vision |
Radiological |
$2,466,323 |
D, G, AvG, A |
630 kg |
63 tons |
3 |
34 |
Image Intensification (D), Advanced Image Intensification (G, C),
Advanced FLIR (G, C), Radar (G, C) |
Shielded |
Tr Mov |
Com Mov |
Fuel Cap |
Fuel Cons |
Config |
Susp |
Armor |
152/107 |
32/23 |
1911 |
1255 |
Trtd |
T6 |
TF60Cp TS24Sp
TR15 HF220Cp
HS26Sp HR19* |
Fire Control |
Stabilization |
Armament |
Ammunition |
+5 |
Good** |
2x35mm Bushmaster II Autocannons, 12xADATS Launchers, M2HB (C) |
1100x35mm, 18xADATS Missiles, 600x.50 |
*The
mount and mast for the main radar has an AV of 7; the dish itself has an AV of
3.
**Stabilization for the ADATS missile system is Basic.
IOC
Ze’ev MAGS AA
Country of
Origin: Israel
Notes: This
vehicle does not exist in real life; it was invented by Frank Frey of the former
GDW.
Twilight 2000
Notes: This is an antiaircraft variant of the basic system that mounts two 35mm
autocannons in a remote turret and fittings for mounting a hypervelocity rocket
pod on each side of the turret.
Price |
Fuel Type |
Load |
Veh Wt |
Crew |
Mnt |
Night Vision |
Radiological |
$264,054 |
D, A |
400 kg |
18 tons |
3 |
20 |
Thermal Imaging, Image Intensifier |
Shielded |
Tr Mov |
Com Mov |
Fuel Cap |
Fuel Cons |
Config |
Susp |
Armor |
164/116 |
41/29 |
650 |
179 |
CiH |
T4 |
TF7 TS7 TR4 HF16 HS12Sp HR6 |
Fire Control |
Stabilization |
Armament |
Ammunition |
+4 |
Good |
Twin 35mm autocannons, twin LOSAT tubes |
600x35mm, 10xLOSAT ADATS missiles |
JSC
2S38 Derivaciya
Country or
Origin: Russia
Seen In:
Experiments to produce a more effective defense gun for Tunguska SAM sites.
Notes:
The 2S38 is a new Russian concept vehicle, to replacer the AAA vehicles
used to protect various SAM installations (The Tunguska is most often
mentioned.) The autocannons are
also often mentioned to replace the autocannons on the Pantsyr gun/missile
system. As of 2020, the 2S38 has
tentative approval from Russian MoD, but the current 2S38 is definitely a test
vehicle, primarily due to the lack of advanced sensors and the miniscule amount
of ammunition onboard, as well as the small turret, barely large enough for the
autocannon, a coaxial, and the gunner, who has a big job contorting himself to
use all the AAA sensors and lack of a collating-type computer to bring the
information. Nonetheless, the 2S38
is expected to yield a final vehicle by 2022, and be in full production and
service the following year.
The 2S38 is
based on a BMP-3 chassis, with the turret replaced with (a rather small) turret
mounting a long-barreled 57mm autocannon (some say it was derived from the S-60,
and some say the ammunition was based on that of the S-60, and others say it is
a development from the ground up with only a nod and wink to the S-60.)
The current turret is essentially a large RWS, with the gunner well down
in the turret basket, the driver in the usual place, and the commander also
having a place in the turret basket, though he can access a hatch at the top
right of the turret. Currently,
there is no provision for a commander’s weapon, though the “coaxial” weapon is
in fact mounted on an independent-operating RWS, which is on top of the main
RWS. The 2S38’s job is to intercept helicopters, cruise missiles, UAVs, low,
slowly-flying aircraft, and supposedly some artillery rockets and air-fired
ATGMs. The 2S38 is able to use the
rest of the SAM site’s radar and IR detection systems.
A secondary target of the autocannon is light armor, unarmored vehicles,
and troops in the open.
The 2S38
dispenses with onboard radar, using advanced FLIR to detect targets instead.
In addition, advanced image intensification is also used to acquire
targets. The 2S38 has automatic lock-on and gun-bearing systems, which lay the
gun to intercept the selected target.
The hull is
essentially a BMP-3 chassis, and has the same armor level as a BMP-3; the turret
is said to provide protection against 30mm AP rounds from front and 14.5mm
rounds from the sides and rear,
Protection of the chassis may be increased with the addition of ERA. The 2S38 is
also equipped with NBC Overpressure protection.
Like the BMP-3, the 2S28 is fully amphibious, propelled by waterjets in
the water. The chassis uses the
same 500-horsepower engine of the BMP-3.
The transmission is manual. The suspension is hydropneumatic and can be
raised and lowered (normally done in cases of air transport or when needing to
assume a hull-down position). The 2S38 inherits the BMP-3’s self-entrenching
blade.
There is a
cramped space in the rear of the 2S38, enough for a MANPADS team to ride along
with a few reload missiles.
The 2S38, in its
current iteration, carries only 148 rounds for its main gun.
The 7.62mm gun has likewise a small amount of ammunition available. This
is the most telling feature that marks it as a development vehicle than an
active-service vehicle.
The 2S38’s 57mm
autocannon has several new types of ammunition to fire.
The fire control system has an extended-range, fast-response laser
designator, because one of the 2S38’s primary rounds is a laser-guided smart
HE-FRAG smart shell. The new gun is
not limited to the ammunition of the old S-60, and the gun is dual-feed belt-fed
rather than being clip-fed like the S-60.
(It is potentially capable of handling much larger amounts of
ammunition.)
The 2S38 is
hooked into the GLONASS system; it is conjectured that production versions will
have a BMS and Vehicle State systems.
Price |
Fuel Type |
Load |
Veh Wt |
Crew |
Mnt |
Night Vision |
Radiological |
$523,778 |
D, G, AvG, A |
364 kg |
18 tons |
3 |
11 |
FLIR (G, C), 2nd Gen Image Intensification (G, C), Image
Intensification (D) |
Shielded |
Tr Mov |
Com Mov |
Fuel Cap |
Fuel Cons |
Config |
Susp |
Armor |
186/130 |
52/36 |
690 |
185 |
Trtd |
T3 |
TF12Sp TS6Sp
TR4 HF10Sp
HS6Sp HR5 |
Fire Control |
Stabilization |
Armament |
Ammunition |
+4 |
Good |
57mm 2S38 Autocannon, Pechneg (RWS) |
154x57mm, 400x7.62mm |
KBP
ZSU-30-6
Country of
Origin: Russia (Soviet Union)
Notes: Though
based on a possible SP AAA system the Soviets were studying in the 1980s, this
vehicle does not actually exist in real life. The back story is my
invention.
Twilight 2000
Notes: This little-seen antiaircraft vehicle is the result of three goals: the
desire to produce an antiaircraft vehicle more effective than the ZSU-23-4, the
use of aircraft cannon from attack aircraft grounded due to maintenance issues
or damage, and the need to do both quickly and with as little additional expense
as possible. The result of this was the ZSU-30-6, basically a modified ZSU 23-4
with slightly better radar and armed with the 30mm AO-17A Gatling gun from
aircraft such as the SU-25 and SU-27 series aircraft. The result was a vehicle
with similar capabilities to the US M163 PIVAD, but with a heavier-caliber
autocannon. However, aircraft were becoming less common in the skies by the time
this vehicle reached volume production, and the autocannon ended up being used
more against light armored vehicles, soft-skinned vehicles, and personnel.
Price |
Fuel Type |
Load |
Veh Wt |
Crew |
Mnt |
Night Vision |
Radiological |
$110,796 |
D, A |
800 kg |
22 tons |
4 |
18 |
Radar, Passive IR, Image Intensification |
Enclosed |
Tr Mov |
Com Mov |
Fuel Cap |
Fuel Cons |
Config |
Susp |
Armor |
111/78 |
26/18 |
250 |
80 |
Trtd |
T3 |
TF5 TS5 TR4 HF6 HS4 HR3 |
Fire Control |
Stabilization |
Armament |
Ammunition |
+2 |
Fair |
AO-17A 30mm Autocannon |
1500x30mm |
Krauss-Maffei Leopard 1 ADATS
Country of
Origin: Germany
Notes: This is a
highly modified Leopard 1 chassis with an elevating arm for a sensor set and a
pod containing ADATS missiles. The crew is contained in an elevated
superstructure on the right side of the vehicle, each with his own hatch. The
pod is automatically reloaded by lowering it to the rear of a set of opening in
the hull deck to the rear of the superstructure. The pod may be elevated up to 5
meters above the vehicle. This vehicle was not developed beyond the drawing
board phase.
Twilight 2000
Notes: This rather rare vehicle was delivered to the German and Danish armies
shortly before the Twilight War, about 30 to Germany, and 5 to Denmark.
Price |
Fuel Type |
Load |
Veh Wt |
Crew |
Mnt |
Night Vision |
Radiological |
$448,355 |
D, G, AvG, A |
500 kg |
47.4 tons |
3 |
28 |
FLIR, Radar |
Shielded |
Tr Mov |
Com Mov |
Fuel Cap |
Fuel Cons |
Config |
Susp |
Armor |
126/88 |
32/22 |
985 |
294 |
CiH |
T6 |
TF4 TS4 TR4 HF38 HS10 HR8 |
Fire Control |
Stabilization |
Armament |
Ammunition |
+3 |
Basic |
8xADATS launchers, MG-3 (C) |
16xADATS missiles, 2750x7.62mm |
LIW/Reunart G-6 Marksman
Country of
Origin: South Africa
Notes: This
vehicle was not developed beyond the drawing board/scale model phase.
Twilight 2000
Notes: This experimental South African system was placed into limited production
during the Twilight War. It consists of a G-6 self-propelled howitzer chassis
topped with the German Marksman turret (the same as on the Gepard and T-55
Marksman). There were a very few of these systems sent to Oman and the United
Arab Emirates, but most of them were used by South African forces, more often in
a ground support role than an air defense role.
Price |
Fuel Type |
Load |
Veh Wt |
Crew |
Mnt |
Night Vision |
Radiological |
$126,560 |
D, A |
650 kg |
40 tons |
4 |
24 |
Radar, Image Intensification |
Enclosed |
Tr Mov |
Com Mov |
Fuel Cap |
Fuel Cons |
Config |
Susp |
Armor |
118/46 |
30/12 |
700 |
186 |
Trtd |
W(4) |
TF15 TS6 TR6 HF18 HS6 HR5 |
Fire Control |
Stabilization |
Armament |
Ammunition |
+4 |
Fair |
2x35mm KDA autocannons |
480x35mm |
MaK
Wildcat
Country of
Origin: Germany
Notes: This was
never developed beyond the advanced prototype stage. The turret was also tried
on several different chassis, but none of these were ever fielded either.
Twilight 2000
Notes: This is a light 6x6 antiaircraft vehicle for the protection of airborne,
airmobile, and light divisions. They were welcome additions to those parts of
the German Army, but they were rare outside the German ranks (with some serving
in the Swiss and Austrian armies, and a very few serving with the British Army).
The combination of small size, fast speed, and excellent fire control made them
difficult and dangerous targets for enemy pilots to take out, and they were also
useful against light armored vehicles, soft-skinned vehicles, and personnel. The
driver’s position is at the front of the hull, and the commander and gunner have
hatches on the turret deck. In 1999, one of these vehicles was captured by the
82nd Airborne Division in Iran, and used by that division; how it got
there was a mystery, since the crew of the Wildcat was killed outside of the
vehicle before they could be questioned.
Price |
Fuel Type |
Load |
Veh Wt |
Crew |
Mnt |
Night Vision |
Radiological |
$134,596 |
D, A |
300 kg |
18.5 tons |
3 |
16 |
Radar, Passive IR, Image Intensification |
Enclosed |
Tr Mov |
Com Mov |
Fuel Cap |
Fuel Cons |
Config |
Susp |
Armor |
148/60 |
37/15 |
430 |
105 |
Trtd |
W(4) |
TF8 TS6 TR6 HF10 HS4 HR4 |
Fire Control |
Stabilization |
Armament |
Ammunition |
+3 |
Fair |
2xMauser MK-30, MG-3 |
500x30mm, 1200x7.62mm |
Rheimetall/Giat Dragon
Country of
Origin: France/Germany
Notes: This
tracked antiaircraft gun is a product of cooperation between France and Germany.
It consists of a SABRE turret mounted on a modified TAM light tank chassis. The
turret is equipped with a search and tracking radar and twin 30mm HS-831A
autocannons. The radar has a range of 15km and can simultaneously search and
track. It is capable of searching even for low-altitude or hovering targets. The
guns can be radar directed, but optical backup is provided. The driver has a
hatch on the front deck, the commander and gunner on the turret deck, and there
is a ramp in the rear. This vehicle was not developed beyond several prototypes.
Price |
Fuel Type |
Load |
Veh Wt |
Crew |
Mnt |
Night Vision |
Radiological |
$100,837 |
D, A |
600 kg |
31 tons |
3 |
24 |
Radar, Passive IR, Image Intensification |
Shielded |
Tr Mov |
Com Mov |
Fuel Cap |
Fuel Cons |
Config |
Susp |
Armor |
166/116 |
39/27 |
550+400 |
254 |
Trtd |
T4 |
TF16 HS7 HR7 HF20 HS6 HR5 |
Fire Control |
Stabilization |
Armament |
Ammunition |
+3 |
Fair |
2x30mm HS-831A Autocannons |
1500x30mm |
M48-Based Experimental and Drawing-Board AAA Vehicles
Country of
Origin: US
Seen In: Various
Book, Magazine, and Online Sources.
However, all stats presented here are speculative or based on educated guesses
or the small (more like tiny) amount of actual RL stats on the vehicles.
Notes: Well,
this was fun (both is the actual and sarcastic meaning of the word “fun”).
I think that most of the time, smoke was coming from my ears as my brain
vented excess heat generated by statting all this out.
The vehicles
shown here are M48-based. They are
armed with anything from Avenger turrets the German Marksman turret.
They have a variety of fire control systems, optics, and night vision
equipment, and sometimes enhanced armor for the chassis and the turret.
Common here are modified Avenger turrets mounted on various chassis.
The name
“Roadrunner” used in the name of the entry is taken from the first mention I
heard of such modifications, an entry on Juhlin’s Board by screen name shrike6.
He posted a screen shot of a short article mentioning the Army Missile
Command’s “Roadrunner configuration,” which was to be a Chapparal launcher on an
unspecified chassis (my guess would be an M48).
Often, I am
referring to memories of pictures I found here and there, and I no longer
remember the actual source. (As I said, Speculative.)
One day, I’ll go back through my books and magazines and put keywords in
Bing and find what the sources of those pictures actually are.
I have been able
to find several M48-based vehicles most of which were drawing-board-only
vehicles, but also one or two that were sales prototypes made by GDLS and one
that existed only as a model and a small amount of descriptive and technical
information. Many of these used an
up-armored M48 chassis, some use the 908-horsepower M60A3-type engines, and most
have uprated electronics and optics.
Most of the names I have assigned to the vehicles are simply made up and
are not official names. (In most cases, no official name was found.)
Chapparal
Roadrunner
This
modification is mentioned in a short article by the US Army Missile Command.
The chassis is not mentioned (other than being tracked), though as the US
Army has a large amount of surplus M48s from when National Guard changed to M60s
and later M1s, the use of a refurbished M48 chassis is likely.
The article also mentions that such a vehicle would be able to shoot on
the move, and have aircraft and tank killing ability.
A picture I found on the internet showed such a vehicle with rails for a
combination of AIM-9 and Hellfire missiles, and another picture shows a similar
vehicle, but armed with ADATS missiles instead of Hellfires.
(On these vehicles, sometimes the rails for the Hellfires or ADATS are
outside of the Sidewinders – but there are not actually any pictures of a
Roadrunner with ADATS on them. Other pictures show the Hellfires mounted on the
Sidewinder rails instead of the Sidewinders. (For purposes of this statting, the
vehicle will be armed with both Sidewinders and Hellfires/ADATS missiles.)
Another picture I found in one of my books shows the Chaparral launcher mounted
on an M48 chassis by itself with no additional missiles, but additionally armed
with a Bofors L/70 40mm autocannon.
In any case, the crew is in front of the vehicle, ahead of the Chaparral Turret,
with hatches on the front deck, and driver on the left, gunner in the middle,
and the commander on the right. Behind the crew seats is a space for crew
equipment and things like rations and such. The gunner and commander have
downlinked displays, and either may focus the radar or fire weapons. Crews
generally have their personal assault rifles, and access to three pistols and
ten fragmentation grenades, but there is no other armament but the onboard
weapons.
The
Hellfire-armed Roadrunner was trialed, but never adopted, nor did it proceed
beyond a single prototype. The
ADATS-armed version, supposedly, did not go beyond a mention that “I wonder if
this would work with ADATS launchers…” and some rough sketches.
The Bofors 40mm-armed version had excellent sketches and preliminary
technical information, but never got off the drawing board.
Avenger
Roadrunner
This is the
Avenger turret mounted on an M48 chassis.
In most cases the vehicle is shown up-armored (both the chassis and the
turret) and the middle portion of the turret is somewhat larger.
Some articles mention the turret’s M2HB replaced by an M242 25mm
ChainGun, or 30mm MK30 30mm ChainGun.
In most cases, the amount of ammunition carried onboard the vehicle is
greatly increased, as it feeds from inside the M48.
Most are armed with the standard Stinger missiles, but some pictures show
the vehicle armed with Mistrals, and one picture I found in a magazine shows the
turret armed with one box of Stingers and one box of Mistrals.
The turret layout remains the same, with the gunner in the turret behind
armored glass in the front, but to alleviate one of the biggest complaints of
Avenger gunners, the turret is air conditioned.
(The commander’s and driver’s positions are also air conditioned.)
The driver is on the front left with the commander on the front right;
the commander has a pintle-mounted weapon and a manually-rotating cupola.
I suspect that
the pictures of Avenger Roadrunners I’ve found were Photoshop work instead of an
actual photo; they look…well…too real.
(Just my personal take.)
Like the HMMWV itself, replacement of the M2HB with autocannons were proposed
for the proposed M48-based Avenger.
(I know the sentence sounds clumsy, but it does convey what I mean to say.)
Upgraded
DIVADs
In several
places, I have seen upgraded versions of the Sergeant York DIVAD system.
These vehicles have several improvements; the simplest upgrade is the
replacement of the radar with a radar system specifically designed for the DIVAD
or one specially-modified for the DIVAD, along with upgraded displays,
electronics, and night vision. Some
keep the Bofors L/60 40mm autocannons; some change the Bofors L/60s for L/70s.
Most, however, change the 40mm autocannons with 30mm Mk30 30mm ChainGuns,
sometimes with the addition of boxes for Stinger missiles on each side, or a box
of Stingers on one side and rails for up to four Hellfires on the other.
(I’ll bet someone thought of putting ADATS rails on it, but someone
thought he was some just staff weenie aide REMF who didn’t bear listening to or
something like that. Whatever it was, I have not found pictures or Photoshop
work or even mentions of an ADATS armed version.) These missiles are on the
outside of the turret outboard of the guns, and are on rotatable mounts/rails.
In some literature, these were to be further upgraded with an M60A3’s
908-horsepower engines; I have included this in the stats below.
I have also assumed an M48A5 chassis (though the original DIVAD used an
M48A3 chassis) with the M60A3’s 908-horsepower engine, an automatic
transmission, and a commander’s machinegun.
M48 Marksman
To show the
versatility of their Marksman AAA system (basically the Gepard turret with
upgraded electronics and fire control), the Germans demonstrated for the US Army
a Marksman turret on an M48 chassis. Reportedly, some members of the Army
considered it interesting or even promising, but in the end the idea went
nowhere. The upgrade is still being
shopped to countries who have retired M48s. This upgrade includes the standard
engine upgrade, and a GPS system with a mapping computer and display for the
driver and commander.
Twilight 2000
Notes: The M48 Marksman was liberally distributed throughout the world,
including the US Army, who ordered 438 of them before the Twilight War.
Upgraded DIVADS
of various sorts were sometimes seen in the North American Theater, though most
were simply 40mm L/60s with advanced fire control (known as M1591s) and those
with L/70 autocannons and updated fire control (known as M1592s).
There were at least 30 examples of DIVADs with 30mm Chainguns (M1933s),
and there were some 20 each of the type with 30mm Chainguns and with a Stinger
Box on each side (M1594s) and those with a Stinger box on one side and Hellfires
on the other (M1595s).
The Avenger
Roadrunners were thought a good idea and also found themselves all over the
world, including some operated by the German Army, Dutch Army, Danish Army,
Norwegian Army, Turkish Army, Hellenic Army, South Korean Army, and Japanese
Ground Self-Defense Forces, and some 400 were used by these armies. All in all,
over a thousand total were built, as production and export started well before
the War started. The US Army took
into service the lion’s share of these vehicles, with some 504 ordered, and
equipping most heavy divisions’ Air Defense brigades.
Most of these were simply the Avenger turret with the M2HB replaced with
an M242 (M1611), though some retained the M2HB (M1610).
Some 100 used 30mm autocannons instead (M1612s).
American Avenger Roadrunners were all issued with Stinger boxes, as were
South Korean and Japanese Avenger Roadrunners.
South Korean and Japanese Avenger Roadrunners were armed with M242s
instead of M2HBs; European Avenger Roadrunners were generally armed with 30mm
autocannons, though a few were armed with M242s.
The European Avenger Roadrunners generally used Mistral missiles instead
of Stingers. Some 200 of these
vehicles were ordered by European countries, while South Korea and Japan had 100
between the two of them. Avenger
Roadrunners generally didn’t start the War with mixed missiles, though in
Europe, the ability to use mixed missiles was often taken advantage of.
The other 104 Roadrunners Avengers mentioned were bought by a variety of
nations who had old M48s.
The Chapparal
Roadrunner was a largely US Army vehicle, though the Dutch and Germans also used
some of them, generally to good results.
Most were armed with Sidewinders and ADATS missiles, though many were
actually armed with Sidewinders and Hellfires. (The Germans preferred the ones
with a Sidewinder/ADATS mix, while the Dutch preferred a Sidewinder/Hellfire
mix.) The US Army generally used
the Chapparal Roadrunner with the Sidewinder/ADATS mix, designating them the
M1624, but also used the type with the Sidewinder/40mm mix, which they
designated M1625. In the North
American Theater, most Chaparral Roadrunners were M1625s, while in the European
and African Theaters, they were usually M1624s.
(These vehicles, of either type, were actually fairly rare in the Middle
Easter Theater and the Far Eastern Theater, though during the War some were
transferred from the African Theater to the Missile East, usually by ship.)
Vehicle |
Price |
Fuel Type |
Load |
Veh Wt |
Crew |
Mnt |
Night Vision |
Radiological |
Chaparral Roadrunner 1 |
$4,459,026 |
D, A |
623 kg |
39.99 tons |
3 |
26 |
Surveillance Radar (30 km) (G, C), Tracking Radar (20 km) (G, C), IFF
(30 km) (G, C), FLIR (G, C) |
Shielded |
Chaparral Roadrunner 2 |
$4,586,033 |
D, A |
630 kg |
41 tons |
3 |
27 |
Surveillance Radar (30 km) (G, C), Tracking Radar (20 km) (G, C), IFF
(30 km) (G, C), FLIR (G, C) |
Shielded |
Chaparral Roadrunner 3 |
$5,230,875 |
D, A |
720 kg |
43.25 tons |
3 |
27 |
Surveillance Radar (30 km) (G, C), Tracking Radar (20 km) (G, C), IFF
(30 km) (G, C), FLIR (G, C) |
Shielded |
Avenger Roadrunner 1 |
$729,400 |
D, A |
644 kg |
41.98 tons |
3 |
36 |
IFF (30 km) (G), 2nd Gen FLIR (G, C), Image Intensification
(D) |
Shielded |
Avenger Roadrunner 2 |
$839,088 |
D, A |
654 kg |
41.17 tons |
3 |
38 |
IFF (30 km) (G, C), 2nd Gen FLIR (G, C), Image
Intensification (D) |
Shielded |
Avenger Roadrunner 3 |
$835,931 |
D, A |
653 kg |
41.39 tons |
3 |
38 |
IFF (30 km) (G, C), 2nd Gen FLIR (G, C), Image
Intensification (D) |
Shielded |
Upgraded DIVAD 1 |
$2,665,138 |
D, A |
672 kg |
49.35 tons |
3 |
34 |
Surveillance Radar (30 km) (G), Tracking Radar (20 km) (G), IFF (30 km)
(G), 2nd Gen FLIR (G, C), 2nd Gen LLTV (G, C),
Image Intensification (D) |
Shielded |
Upgraded DIVAD 2 |
$2,670,547 |
D, A |
673 kg |
49.45 tons |
3 |
34 |
Surveillance Radar (30 km) (G), Tracking Radar (20 km) (G), IFF (30 km)
(G), 2nd Gen FLIR (G, C), 2nd Gen LLTV (G, C),
Image Intensification (D) |
Shielded |
Upgraded DIVAD 3 |
$2,685,508 |
D, A |
668 kg |
45.03 tons |
3 |
34 |
Surveillance Radar (30 km) (G), Tracking Radar (20 km) (G), IFF (30 km)
(G), 2nd Gen FLIR (G, C), 2nd Gen LLTV (G, C),
Image Intensification (D) |
Shielded |
M48 Marksman |
$2,940,966 |
D, A |
698 kg |
44 tons |
3 |
40 |
Surveillance Radar (12 km) (G, C), Tracking Radar (10 km) (G, C), 2nd
Gen FLIR (G, C), Image Intensification (D) |
Shielded |
Vehicle |
Tr Mov |
Com Mov |
Fuel Cap |
Fuel Cons |
Config |
Susp |
Armor |
Chaparral Roadrunner 1 |
143/100 |
40/28 |
1457 |
297 |
Trtd |
T6 |
TF5Sp HS5 HR5
HF68Sp HS18Sp HR8 |
Chaparral Roadrunner 2 |
140/98 |
39/27 |
1457 |
297 |
Trtd |
T6 |
TF5Sp HS5 HR5
HF68Sp HS18Sp HR8 |
Chaparral Roadrunner 3 |
134/94 |
37/26 |
1457 |
297 |
Trtd |
T6 |
TF10Sp HS7Sp HR5
HF68Sp HS18Sp HR8 |
Avenger Roadrunner 1 |
137/96 |
38/27 |
1457 |
297 |
Trtd |
T6 |
TF20Sp TF15 TR10 HF68Sp HS18Sp HR8 |
Avenger Roadrunner 2 |
140/98 |
39/27 |
1457 |
297 |
Trtd |
T6 |
TF20Sp TF15 TR10 HF68Sp HS18Sp HR8 |
Avenger Roadrunner 3 |
139/97 |
39/27 |
1457 |
297 |
Trtd |
T6 |
TF20Sp TF15 TR10 HF68Sp HS18Sp HR8 |
Upgraded DIVAD 1 |
133/93 |
37/26 |
1457 |
336 |
Trtd |
T6 |
TF20Sp TS20Sp TR20 HF62 HS15 HR8 |
Upgraded DIVAD 2 |
133/93 |
37/26 |
1457 |
336 |
Trtd |
T6 |
TF20Sp TS20Sp TR20 HF62 HS15 HR8 |
Upgraded DIVAD 3 |
143/100 |
40/28 |
1457 |
336 |
Trtd |
T6 |
TF20Sp TS20Sp TR20 HF62 HS15 HR8 |
M48 Markman |
146/102 |
41/28 |
1457 |
336 |
Trtd |
T6 |
TF18Sp TS7Sp TR7 HF68Sp HS18Sp HR8 |
Vehicle |
Fire Control |
Stabilization |
Armament |
Ammunition |
Chaparral Roadrunner 1 |
+3 |
Fair |
4xMIM-72 Sidewinder Launchers, 6xAGM-114 Hellfire Launchers |
8xMIM-72 Sidewinder Missiles, 12xHellfire Missiles |
Chaparral Roadrunner 2 |
+3 |
Fair |
4xMIM-72 Sidewinder Launchers, 4xMIM-146 ADATS Launchers |
8xMIM-72 Sidewinder Missiles, 8xMIM-146 ADATS Missiles |
Chaparral Roadrunner 3 |
+3 |
Fair |
4xMIM-72 Sidewinder Launchers, 40mm L/70 Autocannon |
8xMIM-72 Sidewinder Missiles, 250x40mm |
Avenger Roadrunner 1 |
+2 |
Basic |
8xStinger Launchers or 8xMistral Launchers or 4x Stinger and 4xMistral
Launchers, M2HB, M240 (C) |
32xStinger Missiles or 32xMistral Missiles or 16xStinger and 16xMistral
Missiles; 3000x.50, 1000x7.62mm |
Avenger Roadrunner 2 |
+2 |
Basic |
8xStinger Launchers or 8xMistral Launchers or 4x Stinger and 4xMistral
Launchers, M242 ChainGun, M240 (C) |
32xStinger Missiles or 32xMistral Missiles or 16xStinger and 16xMistral
Missiles; 1550x25mm, 1000x7.62mm |
Avenger Roadrunner 3 |
+2 |
Basic |
8xStinger Launchers or 8xMistral Launchers or 4x Stinger and 4xMistral
Launchers, M230 ChainGun, M240 (C) |
32xStinger Missiles or 32xMistral Missiles or 16xStinger and 16xMistral
Missiles; 1300x30mm, 1000x7.62mm |
Upgraded DIVAD 1 |
+3 |
Fair |
2x40mm Bofors L/60 Autocannons, M240 (C) |
580x40mm, 2500x7.62mm |
Upgraded DIVAD 2 |
+3 |
Fair |
2x40mm Bofors L/70 Autocannons, M240 (C) |
580x40mm, 2500x7.62mm |
Upgraded DIVAD 3 |
+3 |
Fair |
2x30mm M230 ChainGuns, 8xStinger Launchers or 4xStinger Launchers and
4xHellfire Launchers, M240 (C) |
775x30mm, 32xStinger Missiles or 16xStinger Missiles and 12xHellfire
Missiles, 2500x7.62mm |
M48 Marksman |
+3 |
Good |
2x35mm KDA Autocannons, M240 (C) |
800x35mm, 2500x7.62mm |
Steyr-Daimler-Puch 4K 7FA SPAAG 1/2.20
Country of
Origin: Austria
Notes: This is a
4K 7FA KSPz armored personnel carrier with the M2HB turret removed and a twin
20mm antiaircraft turret mounted in the center of the vehicle. The autocannons
are of French design. As of 2006, it is still only a possible production vehicle
that has not been officially placed into production.
Twilight 2000
Notes: Stocks of this vehicle were drawn from the few prototypes and even fewer
production vehicles made before and during the war.
Price |
Fuel Type |
Load |
Veh Wt |
Crew |
Mnt |
Night Vision |
Radiological |
$54,136 |
D, A |
400 kg |
13.4 tons |
5 |
16 |
Radar, Image Intensification |
Enclosed |
Tr Mov |
Com Mov |
Fuel Cap |
Fuel Cons |
Config |
Susp |
Armor |
140/98 |
35/25 |
360 |
113 |
Trtd |
T3 |
TF5 TS5 TR5 HF6 HS4 HR4 |
Fire Control |
Stabilization |
Armament |
Ammunition |
+2 |
Fair |
2xGiat M-693 20mm autocannons, MAG (C) |
600x20mm, 1600x7.62mm |
ZTS
Strop
Country of
Origin: Czech Republic
Notes: This is a
Czech antiaircraft gun/missile system based on the Dana self-propelled artillery
gun chassis. It is in fact the Dana with a modified turret to carry twin Russian
designed 30mm 2A38M autocannons (the same guns as on the ZSO-30-4) and twin
launchers for either SA-7, SA-14, SA-16, or SA-27 missiles. This appears to
still be in the testing phase, and may never be adopted due to cost and the
existence of the tracked version of the Strop-turreted vehicle.
Twilight 2000
Notes: These systems were only just beginning production before the Twilight
War, and few (perhaps 30) were made before the beginning of hostilities.
Price |
Fuel Type |
Load |
Veh Wt |
Crew |
Mnt |
Night Vision |
Radiological |
$241,346 |
D, A |
400 kg |
25 tons |
3 |
18 |
Radar, Passive IR |
Enclosed |
Tr Mov |
Com Mov |
Fuel Cap |
Fuel Cons |
Config |
Susp |
Armor |
118/46 |
30/12 |
690 |
116 |
Trtd |
W(8) |
TF5 TS5 TR5 HF6 HS5 HR4 |
Fire Control |
Stabilization |
Armament |
Ammunition |
+3 |
Fair |
2x30mm autocannons, 2xSA-7, SA-14, SA-16, or SA-27 missile launchers,
PKT (C) |
2800x30mm, 8xmissile, 1200x7.62mm |