M1B Fuller

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M1B on the road to Germany; not to be confused with the Flying Tank.

The M1B Fuller - sometimes called the "Mib" - is an evolution of the tried-and-true American and British battle tank technology. The Coalition named this tank the Fuller after British Major-General JFC Fuller, who was one of the original fathers of armored warfare doctrine (which, ironically, the Germans later adopted and proved in WWII). The turbine powerplant of the Fuller is not as fuel-efficient as the diesel-hybrid designs prevalent in other armored fighting vehicles. However, being a turbine it can burn virtually any liquid or gaseous fuel, offsetting the gas-guzzling nature of the engine somewhat.

Of particular interest is the M1B’s main gun: a 120mm advanced propulsion cannon that yields greater velocity than a conventional 120mm. It uses a new gun propulsion technology: electro-thermal chemical (ETC). An electrothermal gun fires a projectile with as much as 50% more kinetic energy as standard gun of the same diameter and length. It does this by injecting a powerful charge of electricity into the ignition-combustion chamber of the shell (whereas a standard shell simply relies on a low-order explosive primer to ignite the shell’s main charge). This electrical surge imparts additional energy to the warhead as it travels down the barrel, permitting acceleration the entire time the warhead is in the barrel (whereas the warhead of a standard shell begins to decelerate the moment after ignition, even while in the barrel).

Vehicle operators are situated in the base of the tank and the turret and weaponry is wire-operated. The secondary gun position shows an advancement to previous tank designs in not exposing the gunner, but instead using a camera system from safely inside the vehicle. The Fuller also sports advanced defensive measures: including composite armor and Firefly decoy launchers. The threat alert system enhances both inter-vehicle communications and threat detection and awareness by providing target designation abilities between primary and secondary positions.

The Republic Army slated this tank to be the middle ground between the lighter M4 and heavier A-8 Tiger. It is the staple of the Republic's medium tanks, filling the role of the cruiser tanks of World War II.