SanCristobal

Minuda

Great Jenovah

5 Kingdoms of Britannia

Mass: 37 Tons
Length: 7.22m (23ft 8in)
Width: 3.66m (12ft)
Crew: 3
Complement: 8

Elevation: +85°/-13°
Traverse: 4.4 Seconds for 360°
Armor:
• Modular Composite Armor Blocks
• Spall Liners
• Polymer Multifiber Liners
• Steel & Titanium Platings
Countermeasures:
• HALO IR Dazzler Countermeasures (Ausf. B & C)
• SABRE Active Protection System (Ausf. C)
• STRYKER Active Protection System (Ausf. B)
• Marker Trophy System (Ausf. A)
Additional Armor Protection Packages:
• GSK “Alexander” Armor Upgrade Package (Additional Composite Screening Panels Package)
• Peace Support Operations Armor Upgrade Package (Additional External Composite Armor Package)
• LWS Armor Upgrade Package (External ERA Package)
• AIO Armor Upgrade Package (Reinforced Lower Hull & Slat Armor Package)

Main Armament:
• 1x 3cm MK 303L “Kaliber” Automatic Cannon (Ausf. B & C)
• 1x 2.5cm MK 268 Automatic Cannon (Ausf. A)
Loading Method: Mechanized Belt Feeding
Secondary Armament:
• 2x GM-45 Glaive Dual Purpose Missiles (Deployable Launcher)
• 2x GM-33 Starfire II Wire Guided ATGMs (Optional)
• 1x Coaxial MG 99 13.2mm TuF Machine Gun (Ausf. B & C)
• 1x Coaxial MG 20 13.2mm TuF Machine Gun (Ausf. A)
• 1x Drone Launcher (C&C, RECO, JFS, 12cm MK/WM)

Engine: Ansel & Sohn VM-590 Diesel Engine
Power/Weight: 43.7hp/t
Transmission: Stazaal S-750 Diesel Electric Transmission
Suspension: Hydropneumatic Suspension w/ Shock Absorbers
Ground Clearance: 0.54m (1.8ft)
Range: 560km
Speed: 60-70km/h

The Schützenpanzer 68, officially nicknamed the “Luchs” (Lynx), is an Infantry Fighting Vehicle based on the Luchs Tracked Combat Platform, a modular AFV platform designed and manufactured by Clauwig und Sohn. The Schützenpanzer 68 replaced the earlier Schützenpanzer 55, along with the Schützenpanzer PUMA and Schützenpanzer Marder 2A1, and quickly became the primary backbone of the Austro-German IFV fleet. First conceptualized soon after the acceptance of the Schützenpanzer 55, it was viewed as a complete upgrade and overhaul of the aforementioned infantry fighting vehicle. However, on top of this, it was also outlined to be a modular platform for numerous variants based on one chassis weighing at most, 40 tons. Design on the Luchs began in fall 2056, with prototyping and technology demonstrators displayed with regular intervals as the design progressed throughout the next decade. It began trials in 2066, firing trials in 2067 as it passed both in the fall. By Spring 2068 it was accepted into service, given a vehicle inventory number and name. Mass production began the following year with a bulk order of 9,000 vehicles in order to replace the IFVs of most mechanized units, as the PH-OSEAN Cold War had drawn heavy concern about the efficacy of the current IFVs. Bulk orders were produced with incredible regularity, leading to ~24,000 of the Infantry Fighting Vehicles alone being manufactured, allowing for a mainstay force for the Reichswehr. It’s seen three major iterations, and now is in the third version, the Ausf. C model, which has brought it up to new standards.

The Schützenpanzer 68 is built around a sponson shaped hull with a long, shallow glacis, and a reinforced and angled belly plate designed to resist IEDs and Anti-Tank Mines. The driver compartment is at the front left while the engine is housed in the front right. A fighting compartment in the middle (when equipped with a turret), and a dismount compartment in the rear, access to which is provided by a ramp in the rear of the vehicle. The overall design layout is conventional, with the power pack in the front right consisting of a Ansel & Sohn VM-590 eight cylinder diesel engine coupled to a Stazaal S-750 diesel electric transmission. The VM-590 is a common rail type with a two stage turbocharger and two stage inter cooler. The engine varies from 1,350 to 1,585hp, but is rated for 1,800hp. The exhaust (right) and cooling (left) are routed to the rear of the vehicle to reduce its thermal and acoustic signature. It has front mounted final drives and toothless idler sprockets and rear mounted track tensioner idlers, while the running gear has six road wheel stations per side for lightweight steel or rubber tracks. The rubber tyred road wheels are mounted to arms on a Hydropneumatic suspension system, and shock dampeners. With this propulsion, it has a top speed on roads of 70km/h.

Awareness is provided by periscopes, along with external cameras mounted along the vehicle, which are protected by bullet proof glass and steel cages to prevent damage. These systems are fed to the driver and commander, which allows them 360° awareness even while buttoned up in the vehicle. Both the commander, gunner, and driver get thermals, IR, and real color modes for both day and night operations. Along with this it features advanced hardened electronics to prevent against electromagnetic pulses, and other electronic attacks. Along with this, the Gunner, Commander, and Driver stations heavily utilize reinforced OLED touchscreen panels to feed both visual data as well as display information about the vehicle, with features to quickly assess damage and monitor the service life of major assemblies of the vehicle. Along with this, as much of the controls as possible are fed to a reinforced touchscreen panel for easy understanding and fast decision making to utilize the features of the IFV. The simplified layout will also be key in providing fast and effective training for new crews of the IFV as well, which is prime for prospective buyers of the Vehicle. Along with this, there are analog backups in case of damage to the screens and panels so that the vehicle can still be controlled, but the panels and screens are designed to be easily replaceable even in the field. The electronics are all advanced digital types, with power able to be maintained from both tapping into the main engine but also an auxiliary generator within the vehicle. The vehicle also features integrated digital uplink capabilities, with information able to be fed from AWACS, JSTAR, and other reconnaissance platforms in order to help with tactical movements, and these uplink features also are merged with other vehicles such as the Hyena MBT, and the infantry who can mark targets, alert to threats, or otherwise provide callouts to points of interest, allowing for seamless cooperation. The crew share the same helmets with closed network communication systems as the Hyena MBT as well.

When it comes to protection, the Schützenpanzer 68 is unparalleled compared to other infantry fighting vehicles and light AFVs, featuring RSS ballistic linings to prevent spalling and shrapnel, along with an advanced NBC system so it can operate in compromised environments. Along with this it features modular composite armor blocks to protect against automatic cannons, and guns up to 105mm when it comes to kinetic protection, and up to 130mm when it comes to chemical warhead protection. It also features a comprehensive smart protection system comprising of both soft kill IR dazzler HALO modules, and the SABRE hard kill active protection system, which grants it protection in a 360° range, protecting it from smart munitions and ATGMs. Along with this it features a Marker Trophy System designed to defeat low velocity projectiles. It’s design also features as mentioned before a reinforced angled hull intended to resist anti tank mines and IEDs, while not saving the vehicle it’s fully intended to save the crew. It also features laser warning receivers.

It features capable armaments which are all in the turret of the vehicle, with a primary 3cm MK-303L automatic cannon which can fire a variety of shells, from proximity fuse shells for light air defense, to HE and shrapnel shells for anti infantry work, and APFSDS belts for modest anti armor work, fully able to defeat lighter armored targets along with fortified positions. The gun is fully stabilized, and given a laser range finder, along with thermal sights and high zoom optics. It features a secondary armament in the form of a deployable two missile launcher, either featuring a pair of GM-33 Starfire II wire guided ATGMs which feature top attack capacities, or a pair of GM-45 Glaive IR Guided fire and forget missiles, able to target tanks and aircraft, with full fire and forget capabilities. It also features a coaxial MG-101 heavy machine gun, firing the 13.2×99mm TuF rimless heavy machine gun cartridge.