SPECIFICATIONS

GOVERNMENT: Colonial Confederacy Defense Forces
TYPE: Mobile Arthropod Tank
MODEL: Pluto Industrial Type-80VAT Command Tank
DATE INTRODUCED: 2180 AD
LENGTH: TANK: 22.9 feet (7 meters); FLIGHT: 22.9 feet (7 meters); WALKER: 25.3 feet (7.9 meters)
WIDTH: TANK: 12.8 feet (3.9 meters); FLIGHT: 15.9 feet (4.8 meters); WALKER: 15.9 feet (4.8 meters)
HEIGHT: TANK: 8.9 feet (2.7 meters); FLIGHT: 8.9 feet (2.7 meters); WALKER: 13.1 feet (4 meters)
MATERIAL: Crystal Composite
POWER PLANT: Hensai Energy HENB-30 Nuclear Battery
OUTPUT: 30 megawatts
ARMOR TYPE: Crystal Composite
ARMOR THICKNESS: 4 inches
DISPLACEMENT: 25 tons
CREW: 1 Pilot (AI-Computer assisted Controlled Tank)

PROPULSION
             PRIMARY (TREADS):
             1x CC-NT-665 nuclear turbine
             SPEED: 150 mph

             PRIMARY (WALKER):
             1x CC-WE-120 walker engine
             SPEED: 60 mph

             PRIMARY (FLIGHT):
             1x CC-LYIE-25 Low Yield Ion Engine
             SPEED: 100 mph each (400 mph total forward)

             SECONDARY (FLIGHT):
             1x CC-LYIE-12.5 Low Yield Ion Engine
             SPEED: 50 mph each (Delta-V: Forward, Port, Starboard: 100 mph; Upward: 200 mph)

WEAPONS:
             PRIMARY (OFFENSIVE):
             1x Lithgear LG-AC120A 120-millimeter HVAC Hyper Velocity Autocannon; Effective Range: 790 miles; Payload: 200-round autoloading mechanical tray; ROF: up to 60 rounds per minute.

             SECONDARY (OFFENSIVE):
             2x Lithgear LG-ML5-10 ten-shot 5-pound missile launcher; Missile Type: UN-SRM-05 short-range five-pound laser-guided missile; Effective Range: 17 miles; Payload: 30 missiles; ROF: 1-10 missiles within two seconds.

             PRIMARY ANTI-PERSONNEL:
             1x Lithgear LG-35RC-2B dual35-millimeter rail cannon ball turret; Effective Range: 1141.2 yards; Payload: 4000 rounds on a belt-fed autoloading feed each cannon; ROF: fires a 8, 16, or 20 round burst each cannon with a cyclic rate of up to 1600 rounds per minute.

             SECONDARY ANTI-PERSONNEL (PRIMARY ANTI-MISSILE):
             1x Lithgear LG-RFPC500kw 500 Kilowatt rapid fire PHELAC turret; Effective Range: 4 miles; Payload: 500-blast nuclear battery energy-magazine; ROF: fires up to 10-blast burst per 2-seconds, with a cyclic rate of 300-blasts per minute.

ELECTRONICS:
              1x Microwave Radio Communications array with a 2000-mile range.
              1x Laser Radio Communications array with a 5000-mile range.
              1x LADAR array with a 500-mile range.
              1x RADAR array with a range of 100 miles.
              1x Multispectral Video/Optical array with a range of 100 miles.
              2x Atmospheric-type Gravitational/Antigravity Control Unit; Effect: Provides artificial lift, g-force compensation, and enhanced maneuverability.

DEFENSIVE SYSTEMS:
             1x Pluto Industrial PI-ESA-7.5 7.5-megawatt Electrostatic Armor; Range: 10 foot diameter; Power Requirement: 7.5 megawatts; EFFECT: projectile weapons do 50% damage, explosive weapons are nullified within range.
             2x Orion Manufacturing OMF-IF-10 2-kilowatt I-Field Generators; Range: 30 foot diameter; Power Requirement: 20 Kilowatts each; EFFECT: Each generator absorbs up to 4 Terajoules (4000 Gigajoules) of energy weapon damage.
             1x Neptune Industries NI-ECM-80 Electronic Countermeasures Suite 1.5-kilowatt; Range: 1500 foot diameter; Power Requirement: 1.5 kilowatts; EFFECT: Jams missile guidance systems causing 70% chance of detonation within range.

Description/Overview:
              The start of skirmishes between the Ceres Regency forces and the Colonial Confederacy defense forces within the vast space-scape of the Kuiper belt proved that the Type-77VAT Variable Arthropod Tank's AI computer systems were not as cunning, or imaginative as a human. The machines lacked intuition, and suffered crushing defeats on the Kuiper object of 50000 Quaoar, and others. Supreme Commander Admiral Edric VonStalin of the Pluto Libertarian Republic's self defense force demanded that the Colonial Confederacy council support his plan for a limited number of "command" tanks that could be piloted by one pilot who could control, and coordinate up to four Type-77VATs at one time. The Battle of Charon in late 2177, between Ceres Regency forces and Colonial Confederacy space marine automated army forces proved VonStalin's point when an entire division of Type-77VATs were destroyed by only a handful of old EFR MBR-01 type battle robots. The problem wasn't the performance of the Type-77VAT as a mobile weapon system, the problem was the AI was too logical, to predictable, and the "space pirates" easily adapted to the text-book tactics of the AI controlled machines. The Colonial Confederacy didn't have the forces to field a large number of piloted mecha, but they could afford to have a small number of human controlled tanks that acted as command vehicles for the automated ones. Therefore, in 2180, the Type-80VAT was born. The Type-80VAT was simply a slightly larger, and heavier version of the Type-77VAT. It had the same weapons, sensors, and most other systems, the only differences was the addition of life support systems, food & water supplies in a small cargo bay, and additional defense systems besides the electrostatic armor that included a pair of I-Field generators for energy weapons, and an ECM anti-missile system. 
             The Type-80VAT was built in modest numbers by the Colonial Confederacy throughout the Ceres Conflict and Outer Sphere War, and was kept at a 1 to 4 ratio with the Type-77VAT (1 Type-80 for every four Type-77s).  It was the command combat unit used in the invasion of Mars during the Ceres Conflict and proved itself during the Outer Sphere War where it proved essential to the command and control of the automated Type-77VATs. It was also used at the start of the 2nd Interplanetary War of the 2190s. The Type-80VAT was also found in the hands of numerous pirate groups of the early 2200s and some examples of this machine survived well into the 23rd century in various private paramilitary groups. It and the Type-77VAT were replaced by the Type-110VAT by 2200 AD.