M14 Schwarzkopf

The Coalition Atomics Land Systems M14 Schwarzkopf is an interplanetary fifth-generation main battle tank developed by General Defense (now Coalition Atomics Land Systems) in order to meet the ICTA's demand for a multipurpose heavy main battle tank explicitly purposed towards the varying terrains of the Coalition's inhabited worlds. Intended to prioritize range, service life, crew survivability and network-centric command coordination, the Schwarzkopf entered service in 2215 after extended service trials starting from 2204.

Developed on the posited doctrinal benefits of the fourth-generation American MBT-3A4 Marshall SEPv4 and the German PzKpfw XIV Löwe, the Schwarzkopf replaced the MBT-3A4 as the prime main battle tank of the Coalition, and the first truly designed with the scale of the Coalition in mind. Since the 2200s, the Schwarzkopf has seen extensive upgrades and service life extension packages implemented in succeeding variants.

Since 2215, the Schwarzkopf has been the primary main battle tank of the ICTA and the ICMC. The most recent variant, the M14A6, is currently in service with both branches, having entered production in 2656. The Schwarzkopf first saw combat during the Corporate Wars and has seen combat in CFA service ever since, becoming symbolic of Coalition ground power in the War on Terror.

Electronics
The Schwarzkopf sports a wide variety of electronic equipment intended to augment and support its role in net-centric warfare. Possessing two AN/MPQ-76 AESA radar, the Schwarzkopf receives information of incoming missiles/projectiles up to 85 km away. The AESA works in tandem with its integrated active protection system, Palladium.

Palladium operates on hard- and soft-kill principles, firing smart plasma charges that then detonate, firing a beam targeting the incoming projectile. This is designed to conventionally melt, disable or destroy rockets and missiles targeting the vehicle.

The Schwarzkopf also fields interlaced electrical pulse armor, colloquially referred to as a 'force field', although the term is incorrect. Through utilizing electrical pulses; rockets, shrapnel and lower-velocity ammunition may be consistently repelled. This grants the M14 a two-layered defense: first, its active protection systems, and second, its integrated electrical pulse armor.

The Schwarzkopf is capable of countering enemy mines through the EMDS, or Electromagnetic Mine Disruption System. Through electromagnetic interference, the EMDS is capable of disarming and disabling mines at a distance of up to 20 ft.

Being designed for network-centric warfare, the Schwarzkopf is capable of instantly sharing and receiving data with allied forces, allowing vastly extended and expanded battlefield awareness.

Weapons
The Schwarzkopf's primary armament is its 130mm Electrothermal-chemical (ETC) cannon, which is capable of firing a variety of projectiles, along with anti-tank guided missiles. It is complemented by a 50mm M233 RAVEN gun, which is tasked towards combatting both hard and soft targets, and is also capable of attempting defensive interception.