TR22 Dreyden Light Tank
General characteristics
Crew	2
Length	6.5 metres
Width	2.7 metres
Height	2.4 m
Weight	53t
Armour and armament
Armour	1100mm vs. KE and 1450 mm vs. CE
Main armament	105mm ETC or 35mm Auto Cannon or 200mm Recoiles Rifle
Secondary armament	50.cal MG on Drummer Boy II servo mount,
Mobility
Power plant	Turbo Diesel 1700bhp
Suspension	Tortion Bar
Road speed	68 km/h
Power/weight	32.07 hp/h
Range	230 km

The TR22 is a light turretless tank designed to not only be below 60 tons, paradropapable, also retaining ZMDF crew surviability standards and the speed neccesary to keep up with the paradrop units rapid mobility and armement capable of takeing on standard main battle tanks.

The surviability issue being paramount the decision was made to use a turretless design useing only an armorued automated cowling over autoloader, the main gun and gun sight. This left the question of where to mount the counter infantry weapon, in the end the decision was made to use the external drummer boy II mount. While not as well armoured as a co axial weapon the drummer boy II allows high accuracey pin point rapid targeting and traverse in a truly vast field of fire.

The saveing in mass gained from the turretless design allowed an increase in primary hull armour, giveing it comparable values to its heavier brethern It has also been known that TR22s upon deployment have been covered with anything up to 10 tons of extra Selective Reactive Armour, especially around there primary weapon giveing them a somewhat ludicrous hedge hog like outline.

The decision to make it autoloading entirely was due to the short estimated durations of combat for this unit which was specificly designed to be used in tandem with the parashock division requirements, the impracticality of manual loading via the turretless desigin, and the relative reliability of the auto loading system used with stoppages estimated at every 8,400 rounds.

The 35mm HARP gun option and its hyper velocity armour penetrating rocket assisted rounds with the unit known to suffer stoppages every 18,000 rounds on average is known for its relative high relaibility. However given its rate of fire this figure is somewhat misguideing as the TR22s maximum ammunition load for HARP being 560 rounds. HARP gun equiped TR22 units have been highly succesfull in virtual field trials in protecting LZ's from close fire from helicopter units and succesfully engageing and destroying light armour while the 105mm ETC armed units engage any main combatants.

The TR22 holds the ominous dual records for being the fastest and smallest tank in present ZMDF service.

Paradrop System (click to enlarge).

Shell Loading System

The Hopeworthy automatic shell loading system can handle 32 rounds of 105mm ammunition. The shells are picked up from the modular armoured storage unit in the hull and automatically stowed in the rear clip magazine or directly loaded into the breech.

The shell loading system is driven by brushless electric servo motors supplied by MAS. The automatic shell loading system has pneumatically driven flick rammer and automatic digital control, ammunition supply management and inductive fuze setting. This provides rates of fire of 3 rounds in less than 10 seconds and loading of 35 shells within 12 minutes, including the collation of ammunition data. The firing rate of the Hopeworthy was 8 rounds in 28.29 seconds, and 18 rounds in 2 minute 23 seconds, during live firing tests with an improved autoloader. The muzzle velocity is determined automatically by means of a hybrid GDT Optronic/RADAR/LADAR sensors package and is used in the fire control computation.

Fire Control and Observation

The TR-22 can use an automatic mode of operation including the data radio link, laser link, satellite com or ground based thumper with an external command and control system. The autonomous fire control functions are controlled by an on-board 320Hon computer supplied by GDT. Using the automatic mode, target engagements can be carried out by a crew of two. Using the fire control data provided by the ballistics computer, the gun is automatically laid and relayed during the mission.

Various backup modes are available which guarantee system sustainability in case of a component failure. As the lowest backup mode, an optical mechanical backup telescopic gunsight and gunlaying system is available. The commander/driver has a TIW panoramic periscope, which is used in under-armour operations and for target designation in direct laying engagements if the primary optics packages have been destroyed. The TIW unit has day and night vision channels with IR and UV capacity and a laser rangefinder.

LJ30 V8

1,700 Horsepower Turbo Diesel LJ80 V12 (Direct Injection) manufactured by SCAPA

In this system the injector and the pump are combined into one unit positioned over each cylinder. Each cylinder thus has its own pump, feeding its own injector, which prevents pressure fluctuations and allows more consistent injection to be achieved. With recent advancements, the pump pressure has been raised to 2,050 bar (205 MPa), allowing injection parameters similar to common rail systems.

The LJ80 system employs new injectors using stacked piezoelectric crystals in lieu of a solenoid, which gives finer control of the injection event. The LJ80 Variable geometry turbochargers have flexible vanes, which move and let more air into the engine depending on load. This technology increases both performance and fuel economy. Boost lag is reduced as turbo impeller inertia is compensated for. A technique called accelerometer pilot control (APC) uses a sensor called an accelerometer to provide feedback on the engine's level of noise and vibration and thus instruct the ECU to inject the minimum amount of fuel that will produce quiet combustion and still provide the required power (especially while idling.)

The LJ30 has a modular Halon dispenser for fire suppression and a high pressure LN2 cell for emergency use against thermite like agents (though the LN2 may in fact do collateral damage to the non metallic equipment).

Armour

(Armour Layers).

The TR22s armour consists of a thin 10mm layer of silicone plastic with kevlar weave, with a melting point of 23,700 C designed to resist local environmental conditions and attack by thermal weapons and small arms fire It also renders magnetic limpet devices or magnetically activated mines damaging the hull. This layer is fitted on its underside with a series of small self sealing electro mimetic water pipes and capillary style piping to assist in lowering the TR22s IR signature to approaching local ambient while idling or parked.. Many TR22 maintenance crew members have complained that a good period of their time is spent maintaining leaks or blockages in these capillaries it has also led to the TR22 having a “pulse”. The pipes have a 5 year operational lifetime after which there electromimetic properties begin to fade and there structural integrity begins to brake down via stress fractures. The layer directly under this is made up of 25mms of aerospace grade titanium boron alloy designed to stop light and medium weapons fire such as rocket propelled grenades, this layer also has a high thermal resistance. Directly under this is a layer of ultra dense counter plasma / kinetic shock absorbing gel with a mercury component. Under this is a more “conventional” ceramic / depleted uranium / carbon steel honey comb weave armour. This conventional layer makes up the greatest thickness of the armour and the majority of the tanks structure and with an equivalent Tensile Strength (MPa) of 3,450 a density (g/cm3) of 5.86 grams a Specific Strength (MPa-cm3/g) of 558 compared to standard RHAs value of 150 has proven comparable to other advanced armour presently fielded on other tanks. The third innermost layer is a woven titanium and kevlar fabric designed for counter spalling. The second innermost layer is made up of fire resistant “rubber” like synthetic, this layer is designed to absorb secondary impacts and stop internal ricochets and releases copious amounts of Halon gas when it reaches its admittedly high volatising point of 8,500 C. Crews have mentioned that this layer also increases crew comfort. The innermost layer is another of woven titanium and kevlar thread fabric.

(SRA).

The TR22s running gear armoured sections are 630mm thick and equipped with reactive armour explosive blocks. These blocks use a low powered plastique and contain 2mm steel ball bearings, they also contain 12 gauge rounds alternating between slug and “bird shot” in pizo electricly fired cartridges that can be used to engage low value targets that would not justify detonating the entire block or for engaging personnel without wasteing the blocks capacity to engage high threat targets. These blocks can use there own internal control chip or link to the TR22s GDT HN30 fire control system.The 2mm ball bearing laden layers are made out of non volatile "wadding" designed to counter plasma. These blocks can use there own internal control chip or link to the TR22s GDT HN30 fire control system.

Data Systems

The TR22 features a GDT HON30 (hardened optic network) data sharing network with multiple redundant processing/storage units dispersed at 2 points in the hull. The TR22 also features a “Dalek” mode. In this mode is capable of limited autonomous combat and tactical “survival” action with a limited self drive capacity and a “follow” me mode. This mode is usually used in the unfortunate event where the crew compartment has been struck and gutted by a missile borne guided penetrating munitions and on imediate post paradrop. The TR22 can fitted with a remote operations system. OLED and analogue dial displays are both present.

Dredyen Variants (click to enlarge).

Sensors

The TR22 features 4 2mm passive optic pick ups on the lower hull with limited LIDAR capacity and 3 high capacity multi channel CCD based non telescopic optic pick ups on the turret. Their are two primary GDT Parsfel telescopic multi channel digital optics packages both mounted within the turret, one slaved as the primary guns sight and the second for use by the commander/gunner for spotting. Both packages have multi channel laser rangefinders and LADAR "pulse" snapshot systems. These packages are mounted in individual hardened casings which have a dual use as faraday cages and are linked to the HON30 FCS system. These offer full multi channel light amplification, wide angle view and IR / UV capablities and are linked to the digitial mission recorder. The TR22 has two multipurpose scanning masts that can be extended up to 6 metres and are used extensively in close terrain such as urban areas. These masts have non telescopic CCD multi channel optic pick ups, LADAR, magnetic sensors and directed narrow band radar.

NBC Systems

The TR22 features self healing seals and the ability for both semi sealed recylcing and fully sealed operation. The TR22 features standard ZMSF developed water recycling and air purification and emergency rations capable of keeping full self contained operations (save for refuelling and re-arming) for 1 standard week.

Dazzler System

The TR22 features a low powered 3 kilowatt cousin of the TR29s heavy UV dazzlers. This system rarely has the power output to permenantly burn out systems but is effective enough to stop target acqusition and force targeted optics to use protective shutters, effectively blinding them for the short term. The dazzler unit is coaxially linked to the drummer boy II servo mount.