[SIZE=11pt]Intent: Creating an IFV for the Eternal Army.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]Image Source: [/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]Here[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]Canon Link: None[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]Primary Source: [/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]Infantry Fighting Vehicle[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]Manufacturer: [/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]Karavin Concern[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]Affiliation: Eternal Empire, Confederacy of Independent Systems[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]Model: Xiphos-pattern IFV Echo-Series[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]Modularity: Yes. Primary weapon is exchangeable. Echo-Series pattern.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]Production: Mass-Produced[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]Material: [/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]Impervium-334[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt] armour, Titanium frame, Echo-series components (standard components interchangeable with other Echo-series)[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]Classification:: Tank[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]Role: Infantry Fighting Vehicle[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]Size: Large[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]Weight: Very Heavy[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]Minimum Crew: 2[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]Optimal Crew: 3[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]Propulsion: Tracks[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]Speed: Slow[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]Maneuverability: Low[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]Armaments: Average[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]Main heavy dual-purpose autocannon with high-velocity HE and AP shells[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]Grenade launchers (smoke, frag, flash)[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]Turret mounted heavy machine gun[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]Co-axial heavy machine gun[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]Defenses: Very High[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]Squadron Count: Low: 8[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]Passenger Capacity: 15[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]Cargo Capacity: Small[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]Echo-Series: The newest generation of armoured vehicles for the Eternal Empire, based on the concept of easy maintenance. The entire Echo-Series features the same standard components for engine, chassis, tracks,electronics and most other mechanical parts.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]Reactive Armour[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]All standard tank, IFV components[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]
[SIZE=11pt]Protective belly: The Xiphos transports soldiers into battle, the main focus was put on the defence capabilities.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]Ground and air: The dual purpose main gun is capable of angling its weapon to function as anti-air support as well, its high-velocity high explosive rounds make it decently useful as such.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]Speaking with fire: The main gun is a fast firing autocannon using a large calibre, mainly of HE rounds, depending on distance they can pierce walls and light armour due to their high velocity. An excellent support for urban territories.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]Bulky: The Xiphos is neither fast nor highly maneuvreable, not a "walking-infantryman´s-tank", but neither a high speed vehicle.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]Little biter: The main weapon has its uses, but they are limited, especially when it comes to fighting armoured vehicles, the weapon is not designed to pierce heavy armour.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]Heavy: Due to its heavy armour of Impervium, the Xiphos is heavy, seriously heavy for an IFV and will have issues in low-infrastructure areas to cross rivers and bridges.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]The Xiphos-pattern Infantry Fighting Vehicle is the first in a new breed of vehicles designed around the principle of modularity and shared components. It is the combined result of a series of developments in technology, industrial capability, infrastructure and military doctrine within the Eternal Empire, who’s experience led to the emergence of a need to develop a series of military vehicles that could share a chassis and most of their components, in order to simplify maintenance and logistics for the relatively large Nelvaanian military, especially during offworld deployments as part of the various Confederate campaigns unfolding across the galaxy.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]Development of the Xiphos began not long after the end of the Confederacy’s ongoing conflict with the Galactic Empire, however the monumental task of designing, testing and optimizing an entire range of vehicles sharing a common core from the ground up, took the company that the government awarded the contract to, the military-industrial conglomerate Karavin Concern, several years to accomplish.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]The so-called Echo-series was a radical departure from previous design doctrines common both within the Eternal Empire and the galaxy at large. The standard philosophy of developing military equipment had to be ditched entirely and the company had to rethink their entire design method from the ground up. The government’s contract stipulated a series of vehicles built around common components, but each fulfilling different tasks and having different performance requirements. Thus, before anything else, Karavin Concern’s first order of business has been to develop the titanium frame which comprises the common chassis of all vehicles in the Echo-series.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]As such, the chassis had to undergo a rigorous and prolonged series of tests, to insure that it could hold up to all of the various challenges the Echo-series military vehicles were being developed to overcome.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]Initially, the company opted for Quadanium armor plating, but the need to drive costs down and the ongoing progress of a different project, which sought to develop a new alloy for starships and heavy ground vehicles, resulted in the Xiphos being designed to utilize Impervium-334 armor plating from the beginning.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]Following these decisions, the company moved onto the second item in the list of priorities, which was the development of a highly versatile and powerful engine that was, at the same time, compact enough to accomodate for a variety of needs. This was a long process, frought with numerous technical problems that resulted in development of the engine having to be restarted from scratch several times, which greatly delayed the completion of the project.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]Having completed the task of developing the core of the Echo-series vehicles, the company could finally move onto the task of developing the IFV itself. The requirements outlined by the government emphasized a well-protected vehicle that could survive the threats of the modern battlefield and safely deliver fifteen fully-armed soldiers into combat.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]In order to accomplish its intended role, the Xiphos-pattern IFV required the ability to defend itself against both ground-based and aerial light threats such as other Infantry Fighting Vehicles, weapon emplacements and starfighters. To that end, the Xiphos was outfitted with a modular turret which featured a dual-purpose autocannon that could swap between different kinds of ammunition on the fly, as required by the situation. Ultimately, this autocannon would have two types of ammunition developed for it, one a light armor-piercing round, the other a high explosive shell.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]For additional fire support, a coaxial machinegun has been added to the turret as well, the slugthrower being able to output a higher rate of fire than blasters of comparable size, with the deficit being a much smaller ammunition capacity. A second such machinegun is also swivel-mounted on top of the turret, in order to provide better firing arcs and additional support.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]In order to provide some concealment as it deploys its troops, a smokescreen generator has been outfitted, similar to the one used in the [/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]Styx-class[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt] dropship, as well.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]Another similarity to the Styx-class dropship is its armor, which consists of heavy [/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]Impervium-334[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt] plating which give it increased protection against most common weapons, at the expense of a vulnerability to ion-based weaponry and an increased weight, which reduce the vehicle’s speed.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]Having recently entered into service, the Xiphos has proven itself a highly capable platform and a large number of them has already been ordered by the Eternal Army, with other Confederate worlds and institutions likely to follow.[/SIZE]
