Saracen MBT

M-12A Main Battle Tank (click to enlarge, prototype M-12 and desert pattern M-12A shown).

The M-12 Saracen was a unique but ultimately unsuccessful Freethinker Main Battle Tank design manufactured by FDI Land Systems, famous for being the first full production tank design in the country to mount a 155mm ETC cannon as its principle armament. Around two hundred and forty Saracen M-12As are still in service, equipping two armoured battalions in both the Freethinker Royal Army and the Freethinker Ground Defence Force. The chassis has also been reused for the highly successful A-41 Scarab Self-Propelled 205mm Mortar.

Statistics

Dimensions

Length

11.5 Metres (Including Gun), 9.3 Metres (Hull only)

Width

3.9 Metres

Height

2.3 Metres (Excluding modular weapon system)

Weight

76 Tons

Crew Complement

3 (Commander, Driver, Gunner)

Armament

Main Gun

1 x Ballistics International 155mm/37 Smoothbore ETC (EMR) Cannon (52 rounds)

Secondary Weaponry

Mk.2 Armour Modular Weapon Point (Can carry 6-cell Silent Break ATGM launcher, 25mm Autocannon, or 8-cell Skyfire CADM Launcher)

Self Defence

2 x 12.7mm GPMG (1 Co-axial, 1 Commander's hatch), 1 x 7.62mm GPMG (Gunner's hatch)

Electronics

Fire Control

Targetting systems

Electronic Warfare

Propulsion

Engine

Thompson Engineering D520B (1,600Hp) Diesel Engine

Performance

60 km/h (on road), 42 km/h (cross country), fording depth of 1.8 metres (without prep)

Maximum Range

500 km (on road)

Armour

Basic Composition

Armour Ratings

Production

Program

Manufacture

A total of 120 M-12 and 493 M-12As were manufactured at the FDI Land Systems Trentbridge Plant.

All original M-12s have been upgraded to M-12A standard.

Currently, 120 M-12As are in service with both the Freethinker Royal Army and the Freethinker Ground Defence Force for a total of 240 active units. There is a shared engineering pool of 62 M-12As for spares and attrition supply, and a further 80 vehicles are also held in the Stategic Reserve Stock.

The M-12A has not been deployed in combat.

Other Users

Other nations which use this design: None

Other nations which use a modified version of this design: None