SPECIFICATIONS

GOVERNMENT:United States of North America/USSN
TYPE:Mobile Arthropod Tank
MODEL:MAT-48 through MAT-48A3 Gen. Patton II
DATE INTRODUCED:
          2048 A.D. (MAT-48)
          2051 A.D. (MAT-48A)
          2055 A.D. (MAT-48A1)
          2058 A.D. (MAT-48A2)
          2067 A.D. (MAT-48A3)
LENGTH: 22.5 feet
WIDTH: 7.5 feet
HEIGHT: 15 feet
MATERIAL:
         Titanium-Steel Alloy (MAT-48, A, A1)
         Composite-Alloy (A2, A3)
POWER PLANT:
         Rokwell RFR-70 (MAT-48, MAT-48A, MAT-48A1)
         Rokwell RFR-75 (MAT-48A2, MAT-48A3)
OUTPUT:
         25 megawatts (Rokwell RFR-70)
         75 megawatts (Rokwell RFR-10A)
ARMOR TYPE:
         Kevlar Composite (MAT-48, A, and A1)
         Composite Alloy (A2, A3)
ARMOR THICKNESS:
         10 inches (MAT-48, A, and A1)
         6 inches (A2)
         8 inches (A3)
DISPLACEMENT:20 tons
CREW: 3 (1 Commander, 1 Pilot/Gunner, 1 Gunner)

PROPULSION

             PRIMARY (TREADS):

             (MAT-48, MAT-48A, MAT-48A1)
             1x General Dynamics GD-HT60 (hydrogen)
             SPEED: 60 mph

             (MAT-48A2, MAT-48A3)
             1x General Dynamics GD-NT60 (nuclear)
             SPEED: 60 mph

             PRIMARY (WALKER):

             (MAT-48, MAT-48A, MAT-48A1)
             1x General Dynamics GD-WE-30 (walker engine)
             SPEED: 7.5 mph

             (MAT-48A2, MAT-48A3)
             1x General Dynamics GD-WE-30A (walker engine)
             SPEED: 30 mph each

WEAPONS:

             (MAT-48, MAT-48A)
             PRIMARY (OFFENSIVE):
             1x Bophors AC-105 (105-millimeter); Effective Range: 6 miles; Payload: 50-round autoloading mechanical tray; ROF: up to 150 rounds per minute.

             SECONDARY (OFFENSIVE):
             1x Rhemingtin AC-20 20 millimeter autocannon; Effective Range: 384-3072 yards; Payload: 1000 rounds; ROF: fires bursts of 20 to 40 rounds and up to 1200 rounds per minute.

             PRIMARY (DEFENSIVE):
             (MAT-48)
             1x ESR-45 17.5-millimeter exosuit rifle; Effective Range: 560-1120 yards; Payload: 250 rounds of armor-piercing ammunition from an autoloading belt-fed box magazine; ROF: Fully automatic with a rate of up to 6000 rounds per minute.

             (MAT-48A)
             1x ESR-50 17.5-millimeter exosuit rifle; Effective Range: 560-1120 yards; Payload: 250 rounds of armor-piercing ammunition from an autoloading belt-fed box magazine; ROF: Fully automatic with a rate of up to 6000 rounds per minute.

             (MAT-48A1)
             PRIMARY (OFFENSIVE):
             1x Militia Military Industries MMI-AC105; Effective Range: 6 miles;Payload: 75-round autoloading mechanical tray; ROF: up to 300 rounds per minute.

             SECONDARY (OFFENSIVE):
             1x MMI RPG-12-4 12-inch RPG launcher; Missile Type: 12-inch laser-guided rocket; Effective Range: 6.8 miles; Payload: 4 rockets; ROF: 1, 2, 3, or all 4 rockets at once.

             PRIMARY (DEFENSIVE):
             1x Militia Military Industries MMI-AC20; Effective Range: 384-3072 yards; Payload: 1000 rounds; ROF: fires bursts of 20 to 40 rounds and up to 1200 rounds per minute.

             (MAT-48A2, MAT-48A3)
             PRIMARY (OFFENSIVE):
             1x Apollo Research AR-105RC; Effective Range: 7.2 miles; Payload: 125 rounds; ROF: fires bursts of 1, 5, 10, or 15 are possible with a maximum rate of 450 rounds per minute.

             SECONDARY (OFFENSIVE):
             (MAT-48A2)
             1x MMI RPG-12-4 12-inch RPG launcher; Missile Type: 12-inch laser-guided rocket; Effective Range: 6.8 miles; Payload: 4 rockets; ROF: 1, 2, 3, or all 4 rockets at once.

             (MAT-48A3)
             1x MMI SRM-0-G (ground type); Missile Type: MP-SR-01G, computer-guided 20-pound warhead short-range missile; Effective Range: 83 miles; Payload: 18 missiles; ROF: 1, 2, or three missiles at once.

             (MAT-48A2, MAT-48A3)
             PRIMARY (DEFENSIVE):
             1x Militia Military Industries MMI RC-20; Effective Range: 460-3680 yards; Payload: 4000 rounds; ROF: fires bursts of 20 to 40 rounds and can fire up to 1200 rounds per minute

ELECTRONICS:

             (MAT-48, MAT-48A, MAT-48A1, MAT-48A2)
             1x Basic Radio Communications array with a 1200-mile range.
             1x Simple RADAR array with a range of 500 miles.

             (MAT-48A3)
             1x Basic Radio Communications array with a 1200-mile range.
             1x RADAR array with a range of 1000 miles.


Description/Overview:
         (Origin of the Design):
         The last US/USNA-built mobile arthropod tank was the MAT-48 series. This tank was originally designed for the Asian-Pacific Conflict. It was especially suited to combat the growing number of cyberized criminals and Yakuza syndicates within the Asian-Pacific region in the post Asian-Pacific Conflict years. It was initially conceived as an upgraded version of the MAT-35 mobile tank that was currently serving as a SWAT unit with the Japanese and American forces throughout Southeast Asia and the Japanese islands. After the rise of the Cyber-State Society in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and portions of Japan, the Australian MAT-35 was called into service to suppress the rebel cyborg-soldiers of the newly conceived cybernetic borderless nation. The rebels had acquired exosuits, MATs, and other military-grade weapons from Russian and Chinese Mafia sources. This posed a significant problem for the UN forces that were attempting to suppress the rise of the Cyber-State and the MAT-35 series was pressed to its limits and found to be clearly obsolete by the end of the conflict. It was for this reason the MAT-48 was constructed.
         (MAT-48 & MAT-48A)
         Although it was intended for use in the Asian-Pacific Conflict, that war ended before the MAT-48 entered service. Nonetheless, the arthropod tank was put into full production in 2048 AD by the Social-Labor party of the United States which controlled that government during the late 2040s. The Social-Labor party intended to use the MAT-48 for population suppression and as a tool to assist in the disarmament of the citizens of the US. The MAT-48A was actually constructed by the victorious Federalist Party-controlled United States of North America after the 2nd American Revolution had concluded in 2049 AD and the new Constitutional Republic had liberated Canada and Mexico from socialist despotism. The MAT-48A was not needed in exceedingly great numbers as there were still plenty of MAT-48s within the USNA stockpile.
         (MAT-48A1)
         With the outbreak of the Great War, the need for greater and more powerful weapons and armor continued to escalate. Both the Scientific-Socialists of the UN and the laissez-faire capitalists of the USNA strived to outthink and outinvent one another. The UN Type-55 was a good example of this. For most of the first part of the war, the UN had relied on their MAT-35 multipeds and Type-43 hovertanks for their mechanized army. When the Type-55 hit the battlefields of Europe and Asia, the USNA was overwhelmed by its advanced design, armor, and massive firepower. The USNA scrambled to meet this new challenge as fast as they could, so an upgrade program was initiated.
         This program called for the upgrade of all USNA armor types which essentially involved only the M2A3 main battle tank and the MAT-48A mobile tank. The MAT-48A was given a complete overhaul and the MAT-48A1 was born.
         As the war progressed, it became apparent that the MAT-48A1 was lacking in ability against the UN Type-55 hovertanks. Even so, large numbers were built prior to the planetoid impact of 2056 AD.
         (MAT-48A2)
         After the catastrophic planetoid relocation failure of Eros in 2056 AD, the USNA had to face the facts that their space fleet of Kentucky class ships was most likely defeated and an invasion of Earth might soon follow. Thus, the MAT-48A1 was upgraded in 2058 AD to the MAT-48A2 model. This model was a complete refit of the existing MATs the USNA had.
         The MAT-48A2 saw limited action during its ten year service with the USNA/EFR military survivor rescue forces. During that time, it battled numerous examples of UN weaponry, but never any actual MBTs.
         (MAT-48A3)
          The final MAT ever built by the Earth forces was the MAT-48A3. It was constructed in 2067 AD in preparation for the newly formed Earth Federal Forces assault on the UNSC base at the planetoid Ceres. This new unit was outfitted for space combat. Unlike its predecessors, it could operate equally well in an atmosphere of a planet and the vacuum of space.
          The MAT-48A3 saw a great deal of action during the 1st Interplanetary War, but not as much as it did during the UNSC invasion of the Earth sphere in the 2073-74 time period. This mecha was instrumental in the expulsion of the UN forces from Earth and Earth’s moon, Luna. In addition, large numbers of MAT-48A3s were used by General Walsh and his spacemarine forces during the invasion of Mars in 2076 AD.