1K17 Szhatie

     Why is this vehicle in an SP Guns page? Simply because I don’t know where else put it, and the closest the page is the closest match.

     The Szhatie (Compression) is essentially a heavy-duty, but relatively low-power, laser system mounted on a 2S19 Msta-S chassis. Though first prototypes of the Szhatie appeared on Soviet proving grounds in the late 1970s and early 1980s, it was not known outside of Russia until after Soviet Union dissolved.  Rumors, rough drawings, and approximate (and wildly varying) specifications were known to US, Canadian, and NATO intelligence services, there was not enough information during the cold war to fill more than a thin folder. Two prototypes were eventually built and continually modified and improved, but in the end, the Szhatie was deemed too expensive to maintain and operate, and in the late 1980s, one was put into the Army Technology Museum near Moscow and the other scrapped.  The situation may have remained the same, but in 2016, the Russians appear to have to put the Szhatie into a very low LRIP.  This version appears to be much more powerful than the original model.  The first was delivered to the Russian Army in 2017.

      When the existence of this vehicle was discovered, there were anguished, outraged cries in Geneva and The Hague, mainly that is must violate one or more Conventions.  Despite continual analysis of the documents (which continues to this day), none of the diplomats and lawyers have been able to pin down which Conventions the Szhatie was violating. (I’m guessing that in the near future, new Conventions will be added to the Main Documents.) Mr Putin seems to have taken this for a tacit permission to develop an even more powerful version of the Szhatie.

     At first, the purpose was to produce a vehicle which could blind thermal viewers and image intensifiers and other optics in a wide arc in front of the vehicle. It achieved this by focusing the light through 30 kilograms of artificial rubies, which produced a laser beam that could be shot through up to 12 emitters.  Each emitter was composed of a mirror and prism system that focused 13 laser tubes into each emitter, producing a single output at the emitter. The Russians also know that anyone looking through optics when the beam was fired would at least temporarily, if not permanently blinded.  Estimates of the laser battery’s output varies with source, but most sources put a full battery discharge at 15 kilowatts.  However, the gunner of the Szhatie may elect to not fire one or more lasers, with each emitter not fired increasing power output by 2 kilowatts.  The divergence of the full-output beam is about 10 degrees, with less emitters having correspondingly less divergence.  The effects of the emitters is hard to quantify, but a 15 kW beam will burn out or temporarily blind (50/50 chance) fire control optics, thermal, image intensifying, and CCD optics equipment.  It can also (roll of 12 on d20) cause spontaneous launching of laser decoys and actuation of their their sensor systems. At max output (22kW Using only one emitter), the effects include (roll 8 on d20) setting personnel on fire, blinding them, causing them to believe they are about to be set on fire and doing a stop-drop-roll.  Such a beam also has a penetration of 20/10/5/3; if ERA is struck, the block is ruined and penetrated without the ERA going off. (NERA gives normal protection.) As composite armor contains materials that are ablative, they also halve the results of the beam’s penetration.  Spaced armor does not have its normal effect, it merely acts as more armor for the beam to penetrate. It is also possible that external fuel tanks, crew equipment or other equipment stowed on the surface of the vehicle, or items like boards or plastic may also catch on fire (Roll 12 on d20).

     Using the emitters does require a roll to hit – but only a 1, 2, or 3 is actually a “miss.”  Catastrophic Failure means that 1d6 emitters are blown (depending upon how many emitters were used in the attack), and a 2 or 3 means that the power generation batteries failed to transmit the required power to the emitters.  The commander is also the gunner of the Szhatie.

     The Szhatie is also useful against aircraft and UAVs.  The emitters are also very vulnerable to ground fire, and particularly automatic rifle, machinegun, and sniper attacks.  In addition, when figuring maintenance, the turret should be considered a separate component, requiring the same amount of maintenance as the vehicle itself.

     The 2016 iteration of the Szhatie benefits from nearly 30 years of laser development.  For the most part, this manifests itself as an increase in laser power, though Russian laser research does match Western laser research.  Using all the emitters gives a beam cluster of 21 kW, which allows for a +2 in operation rolls.  A full-power one-emitter beam  is at 28kW, again yielding a +1 on operational rolls and a penetration 0f 30/15/8/4.

     In either case, the absolute damaging or blinding limit, whether 12 beams or one, is 3000 meters.  It does have short, medium, long, and extreme ranges, at a rate of 375/750/1500/3000 meters.  At any shot, if an emitter scores catastrophic failure, the emitter (roll for each emitter that fired) is burned out and will not function until an appropriate level of maintenance is reached. On a roll of 2, 1d6 emitters failed to fire.

     As noted above, the chassis of the Sxhatie is a 2S19 Msta-S chassis. However, the Szhatie uses the 840-horsepower turbocharged diesel engine of a T-72A tank, and has a battery-powered system that allows the Szhatie to power up to eight full 12-emitter shots.  If the engine is running, the batteries can charge off of the engine, but this takes 10 minutes for each emitter to be powered., and 1.5 hours to charge enough to allow eight further shots. The driver’s position is in the center of the glacis, with the commander atop the turret, armed with a heavy machinegun or its equivalent.  The gunner is in the turret.  The firing and commander’s stations are of high technology, and the original vehicle has only minimal night vision, while the 2016 model has somewhat better optics and electronics.  The original Szhatie has inertial navigation; the 2016 version has GPS with a full mapping module with screens for the commander and driver. The 2016 version is also equipped with a better fire control system a vehicle state computer, and a full BMS.

     A laser system based on the ZSU-23-4, with the guns replaced by laser emitters ,has apparently been developed.  I do not have enough information to stat this out right now.

ASU-57

     Notes: This vehicle was designed specifically for use by Russian airborne troops in the mid-1950s.  They were some of the first Russian vehicles making extensive use of aluminum armor instead of steel.  They were not meant to be tank destroyers; it was recognized that its low-caliber gun could not destroy the tanks of even that period in most cases.  Instead, the ASU-57 was meant to provide fire support and anti-fortification firepower to airborne infantry.  The only country believed to still be using the ASU-57 is Yugoslavia, in small numbers.

ASU-85

     Notes: This assault gun is one of the older vehicles that were still in active Russian service in 2000, being introduced in 1960.  It was being quickly replaced by the 2S9, but there will still a large number of them in service with Category 2, 3, and Mobilization Only units at the time of the Twilight War.  The ASU-85 was never exported, even to other Pact members, and is very rare outside of Russian service.  The vehicle consists of a large, boxy chassis with an 85mm gun mounted in the glacis plate and a coaxial machinegun.  The gun can be traversed 12 degrees to the left and right, but most laying of the gun is done by pivoting the vehicle on its tracks.  About half of those encountered also have a weapon by the commander’s hatch. 

SU-100

     Notes: This is a Russian assault gun built on the T-55 chassis.  Like other Russian assault guns, it has no turret and an enlarged fighting compartment.  Hatches for the commander and driver are located on the roof.  All other crewmembers use the commander’s hatch.  The SU-100 is also considered obsolete, but can still be found in Category III and Third-World units.