TR25 Caprelli Main Battle Tank
General characteristics
Crew	3
Length	8.5 metres
Width	3.2 metres
Height	2.5 m
Weight	75t
Armour and armament
Armour	1300mm vs. KE and 1850 mm vs. CE
Main armament	SM66 125mm ETC or Dual HARP 35mm Auto Cannon or Dual 200mm Recoilless Rifle or Mercury Raven Rail Driver
Secondary armament	50.cal MGSV on Drummer Boy II servo mount, Co Ax 30.cal TIW USCG
Mobility
Power plant	Turbo Diesel 2300 bhp
Suspension	Tortion Bar
Road speed	65 km/h
Power/weight	30.06 hp/h
Range	430 km

Overview

The TR25 Caprelli is a conventional 75 ton main battle tank, it is armed primarily with a 125mm ETC gun designed to fire fin stabilised sabot rounds and has an engine forward layout with a rear troop compartment, it has a relatively high road speed, long unaided range and good obstacle clearance capacity.

The TR25 was designed to compliment the mechanised infantry forces operating in the stead of the armoured Calvary’s TR29 Samsons which were deemed ill suited to the escort of rapidly moving mechanised infantry columns transiting at times light bridges.

The hull forward engine design giving it high forward survivability and rear troop compartment are all suited to the support of advancing mechanised infantry units and the TR25s main gun gives it comparable lethality to its heavier TR29 brethren. The TR25 has been known to make extensive use of Selective Reactive Armour given its operating environment. THe TR25s turret has two primary internal bulkheads. The forward bulk head contains the gunner and commander, the .30 calibre USCD Chain Gun and the main gun, the second bulkhead contains the primary magazine. The primary magazine is a impact gel compound jacketed jetisonable "quick tender" accessible unit which for fast reloading is entirely replaced by a tender unit.

TR25 Systems (click to enlarge).

twelve tubes of the LHCMS (Light Hypersonic Counter Munitions System) have been including to counter the missile threat. This system fires 10mm X 300mm hypersonic short range highly manoeuvrable fragmenting rockets with a maximum range of 50 metres. There are a total of twelve launch tubes all integral to the main body for this weapon and they are manually internally reloaded. This system is linked to the central GDT HON FCS network.

The TR25s rear troop compartment has space to fit 4 persons seated in somewhat cramped conditions, it has also been used to internally carry long range fuel tanks, extra ammunition, casulties and remotely operated "locust" tracked drones used to scout ahead of the TR25 or defuse road side bombs.

The decision to make the TR25 autoloading was due to the high level of reliability in the design to be used in tandem with the mechanised infantry units requirements, the impracticality of manual loading given the design, and the relative reliability of the auto loading system used with stoppages estimated at every 8,400 rounds left no reason to have the system in any other format.

The TR25 has 2 SCAPA standard 5 Cell 60mm capable grenade launcher bracket and they are usually fitted with a variety of decoys, flares, and smoke grenades with usually one short range directed fragmentary counter munitions round per bracket. The directed Fragmentary counter munitions are deployed within 5 to 10 metres of the hull and are linked to the FCS suite.

The TR25 is the so called 2nd tier tank in present ZMDF service. The TR25 costs a total of 5.4 million rungs per unit.

Primary Armement

The Hopeworthy (SM-66) is a 125mm smoothbore Electro thermally ignited cannon developed by the Sorrenson, Caprelli, Amiere, Prestwick and Anderson Heavy Industries Combine. (SCAPA) together with the main sub-contractor Tactical Weapons (a sub section of TIW) for the ZMDF primarily for the TR25 Caprelli Main Battle Tank.

The electrical detonator system is supplied by Megacity Aerospace Systems (MAS) comprises of a ring electrode sparking system linked to a 6 kw capacitor.

The SM-66 is equipped with an automatic MAS elevating and traversing drive with manual back-ups operable by one crewman, with electrical instrument control and manual control.

The Hopeworthy 125mm gun of the TR25 was developed by the Rockford Development Systems Labs of SCAPA. The gun has a chromium-plated barrel and semiautomatic lifting breech block with integrated 6 round revolver and a magazine mounted in the rear of the turret. Gun parameters such as chamber temperature and distortion are monitored automatically but fouling of in barrel sensors has been a repeated fault. The Hopeworthy is equipped with a full automatic shell loading system with ammunition management system.

The chromium-plated barrel is 5.5 metres long and is fitted with a slotted muzzle brake which gives increased muzzle velocity and reduces the level of muzzle flash. The wedge type breech block is integrated with the jettisonable magazine and the Hopeworthy auto loader is fitted with an endless conveyer for automatic shell transportation, loading and unloading from the main body.

The gun positioning and laying system is produced by GDT and mounted below the gun cradle. The system automatically determines gun direction, position and elevation above sea level. The integrated Deep Sky Positioning System (DSPS) receiver and the vehicle's motor sensors form the hybrid navigation system of the TR25.

Shell Loading System

The Hopeworthy automatic shell loading system can handle 35 rounds of 125mm ammunition. The shells are picked up from the jettisonable magazine in the rear of the turret and automatically stowed in the revolver 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.

Secondary Weapons

The TR25s usual co axial weapon is the 30.cal TIW USCG (Universal Standard Chain Gun). This weapon is linked to the SM66s gunsights with an electronicly generated virtual offset and a fibre optic channel for direct fire. It is remotely operated by the commander.

The .30 cal gun is a dual feed hybird gas/electrically operated chain gun with a rate of fire of 650 rounds per minute and one chromed barrel. Loading is gas operated while rotary motion is provided by a MAS 1 HP brushless electric servo motor accessible and replaceable to the crew internally. The dual feed means at the flick of a switch the crew could switch between a HE to a AP stream of fire.

The TR25’s usual turret top weapon is the TIW MGSV (Machine Gun Standard Vehicle) .50 cal air cooled machine gun with a “smart” autonomous capable targeting Multi channel optics and LADAR rangefinder fire control package on a armoured servo operated telerobotic GDT "Drummer Boy II" mount linked to the FCS.

The Drummer boy II is a second generation servo robotic mount and is the direct iteration after of the Drummer Boy mount used on the TR29 Samson. Also mounted on the Drummer boy II are the TR25’s laser dazzler and laser target designator systems which allow it to pinpoint and network fire with other ZMDF units or its own TR25 squad, allowing if the unit is well drilled and has established a laser communications link a combined attack on one specific point on a target by multiple units.

The TR25 can also optionally use the TIW 40mm MGGL (Machine Gun Grenade Launcher) instead of the standard MG on the drummer boy II mount. This gas operated automatic grenade launcher has a 450 metre range and is belt fed and uses the same targeting package as the MGSV.

Fire Control and Observation

The TR-25 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 and also used by the TR22 Dreyden. 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.

Variants

Caprelli Variants (click to enlarge).

Dual 35mm HARP auto cannon varient

The 35mm HARP gun is a dual feed hybird gas/electrically operated chain gun with a rate of fire of 590 rounds per minute and four chromed air cooled barrels. Loading is gas operated while rotary motion is provided by a MAS 2 HP brushless electric servo motor accessible and replaceable to the crew internally. The dual feed means at the flick of a switch the crew could switch between a HESH/AP mix to a Thermobaric / Smart Fragmentary mix.

The HARP gun system was designed around the suite of rocket assisted hybrid 35mm TIW fin stabilised rounds and in specific the hyper velocity rocket assisted armour penetrating round. These rounds have a “conventional” pizo electrically fired propellant stage and then a second solid rocket booster assisted fin stabilised stage. There are multiple versions but only the armour penetrating variant can claim to be “hyper velocity” with if it is allowed full burn a staggering 2830 m/s. This rocket assisted burn means oddly the TR22s AP rounds are most effective at range. This munitions has a fixed venturi given the intensity of its rocket burn and no in flight guidance system or ability.

HARP Gun ammunition types(click to enlarge).

The Smart Fragmentary round is meant for both counter munitions and anti personnel work, with a vectorable venturi allowing it to change course mid flight up to 30 degrees of its original firing arc and a targeting package with both laser guiding and LADAR based detonator with a back up contact detonator. The unit is known to be programmable to detonate just as it passes over cover infantry are known to be hiding in or just as its within a metre or so of the wall of a room. The smart fragmentary round can also be programmed to only detonate one “face” of its fragments allowing it to be used effectively against vectored targets in close proximity to friendly forces or assets. The smart fragmentary round is highly capable of intercepting inbound missile based munitions and was originally developed for the naval all electric CIWS HARP variant. The unit suffers a relatively slow maximum speed of 680 m/s.

The “thermobaric” and high explosive squash head variants both use simple contact fuses and both travel at maximum of 1300 m/s.

The HARP is known to suffer stoppages every 18,000 rounds on average. The HARP gun is known for its relative high reliability. However given its relative rate of fire the stoppage figure is somewhat misguiding. The TR25s maximum ammunition load for HARP is 3800 rounds. Dual HARP gun equipped TR25 units have been highly successful in virtual field trials in protecting columns from close fire from helicopter units and successfully engaging and destroying light armour and infantry power armour while the 125mm ETC armed units engage any main combatants. The units have also proven highly effective in urban combat.

Dual 200mm Recoilless Rifle

The 200mm Recoilless Rifle option also known as the “Toddler K” replaces the turret with the SCAPA “Calf” system with two 200mm clip fed recoilless rifle in a bullet proof kevlar titanium mesh cowling with two 4 round clips and an optics package.

The Calfs clip is gravity fed, however if the clip jams its jammed till the unit can exit the combat zone to reload. With such a simple mechanism this is statically so unlikely as to be a non factor. As for unloading a dud round, a shot of pressurised air that is also used to cool and de foul the tube and depressing it should easily remove the dud if its properly chambered. To reload her clip the “Toddler K”s crew must exit the vehicle, access the TR25s troop compartment which is in this case used for ordinance storage and manually load the clips with there 200mm ammunition, a heavy and physically intensive job. The Toddler K variant must be serviced by a tender unit as for all intents and purposes she is an artillery piece rather than a tank. The TR25 “Toddler K” is used extensively in demolitions and assaults.

Mercury Raven Rail Driver

The Mercury Raven rail driver is mounted in a remotely operated turret. It is designed to fire a 22mm fin stabilised tungsten dart fitted with 2 conductive copper rings at 5450 m/s twice every second in a 8 round burst via a pair of segmented rails. This requires 230,000 ampres discharged from a series of large capacitors in the TR25s troop compartment. When a conductive projectile is inserted between the rails (from the end connected to the power supply), it completes the circuit. Electrical current runs from the positive terminal of the power supply up the positive rail, across the projectile, and down the negative rail back to the power supply again.

This flow of current makes the railgun act like an electromagnet, creating a powerful magnetic field in the region of the rails up to the position of the projectile. In accordance with the right-hand rule, the created magnetic field circulates around each conductor. Since the current flows in opposite direction along each rail, the net magnetic field between the rails is directed vertically. In combination with the current flowing across the projectile, this produces a Lorentz force which accelerates the projectile along the rails. There are also forces acting on the rails attempting to push them apart, but since the rails are firmly mounted they cannot move. The projectile is able to slide up the rails away from the end with the power supply.

The rails are in 48 segments and are made from a enhanced (but not super conductive) conductive material with its properties gained via cryogenic refrigeration to 70 kelvin. The rails are mounted on a silicone based composite with titanium boron based flexing cross bars. When the unit fires as the dart passes each segment of rail conducts and pushes away from its opposite rail and back upon its supports. The supports are linked to a simple valve that releases liquid nitrogen into the barrel onto the rail that has just fired via this force. Each rail segment has two separate power circuits one of which is in "cool down" on every alternating shot.

The liquid nitrogen is refrigerated to 56 kelvin via a 460 horsepower MAS micro TNT (thermal nuclear turbine) mounted on the rear of the unit which powers a gas cycle stepped system who armoured radiator lourves can be seen protruding. The weapon is fed from an overslung helical carbon composite kevlar weave reinforced magazine containing 830 rounds that is quickly replaced by a tender. The rail driver features a cylinder breech/chamber system that rotates 90 degrees with every shot, this rotating breech is mechanically linked to a thermal plug (easily jettisoned via firing through it if jammed) that seals the barrel in between shots thus maintaining low internal temperatures.

The unit can suffer from exo barrel "arcing" within anything 20 metre radius. This can be enduced by turning of the EM muffler at the end of the barrel but is usually due to the EM having failed. This has been known to tend to generate critical injuries to the circulatory system, the lungs, and the central nervous system. Many victims suffer immediate cardiac arrest and will not survive without prompt emergency care, which, it is worth noting, is safe to administer, due to the fact that the victim will not retain any electrical charge. Others incur myocardial infarction and various cardiac arrhythmia’s, either of which can be rapidly fatal as well. The intense heat generated by even glancing contact can cause lung damage, and the chest can be damaged by the mechanical force of rapidly expanding heated air. Either the electrical or the mechanical force can result in loss of consciousness. Amnesia and confusion of varying duration often result as well. A complete physical examination by paramedics or physicians may reveal ruptured eardrums, and ocular cataracts may develop, sometimes more than a year after an otherwise uneventful recovery.

The unit "purges" the "barrel" containing the rails after every 8 round burst with a shot of liquid nitrogen from the breech and the unit must then "degauss" the chamber. This sequence takes 12.3 seconds. This degauss feature can be used to generate a local high energy radio frequency field that has been linked to the FCS system as it is an effective mechanism against missile guidance systems. The mercury raven is fitted with a slotted muzzle brake which gives increased muzzle velocity and an EM "muffler". The mercury raven is mounted on an automatic MAS elevating and traversing drive with electrical instrument control. The unit has a secondary and unexpected anti personnel capacity emanating from its emergency LN2 "quench" purge which can jettison the entire contents of the thermal sleeve up to 55 metres and cause extensive frostbite, fatal flash freezing of the entire body even in NBC suits and even with minor exposure damage to the eyes, lungs and skin.

Precautions due to the liquid nitrogen sleeve and liquid nitrogen storage cell require the crewman to at all times wear breathing apparatus and thermal "flash suits" as the release of the LN2 tanks would cause indirectly instant frost bite of any unprotected body part and directly its cryogenic "flash" freezing. The rapid release of nitrogen gas into an enclosed space can displace oxygen, and therefore represents an asphyxiation hazard and even a minor leak can cause nitrogen narcosis.

The TR25s troop compartment is sacrificed for capacitor and liquid nitrogen storage space in this variant. The unit features rapid traverse and extensive close surface to air engagement capacity as well as relative ease in "riddling" opposing main battle tanks.

The unit features an advanced multi spectrum GDT OTAS LADAR fire control package mounted in an armoured fully traversal dome atop the turret. This unit also measures atmospheric conditions.

Power Pack

LJ20 V12

2,300 Horsepower Turbo Diesel LJ20 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 LJ20 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 TR25s armour consists of a similar composition to the TR29 or TR22, 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 TR25s IR signature to approaching local ambient while idling or parked. These 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 TR25s running gear armoured sections are 680mm thick and equipped with reactive armour explosive blocks. These blocks use a low powered plastic 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 wasting the blocks capacity to engage high threat targets. These blocks can use there own internal control chip or link to the TR25s 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 TR25 features a GDT HON30 (hardened optic network) data sharing network with multiple redundant processing/storage units dispersed at 3 points in the hull. The TR25 does not feature a “Dalek” mode with the controls system left out for cost cutting reasons. The TR25 can fitted with a remote operations system. OLED and analogue dial displays are both present.

Sensors

The TR25 features 6 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 capabilities and are linked to the digital 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 TR25 features self healing seals and the ability for both semi sealed recycling and fully sealed operation.

The TR25 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 TR25 features one of the lighter cousins of the TR29s heavy UV dazzlers. This system rarely has the power output to permanently burn out systems but is effective enough to stop target acquisition and force targeted optics to use protective shutters, effectively blinding them for the short term. The dazzler unit is coaxial linked to the drummer boy II servo mount.