AFU-09 Sentinel
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AFU-09 Sentinel
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| Role | Main Battle Tank | ||||
| National Origin | Phoenia | ||||
| Production History | |||||
| Designer | Corais Sfear | ||||
| Unit Cost | 18,000(√) | ||||
| Number Built | ~150 (All Types) | ||||
| Service History | |||||
| In Service | |||||
| 2138-Present - Present | |||||
| Used By | Phoenia | ||||
| Wars | Phoenian Invasion of Grestin, Zokesian Civil War, War of Imperial Reclamation, Maryurti War | ||||
The AFU-09 Sentinel is a Main Battle Tank currently in service with the Army of the Federal Union of Phoenia. The tank was designed by the Corais Sfear company, and is the latest main battle tank designed for service with the Army. The Sentinel has seen most of its action under the 3rd Armored Expeditionary Brigade and its involvements in overseas conflicts. The AFU-09 was developed to replace aging and unreliable MBT designs and has undergone significant upgrades. About 150 units have been produced, and it is expected that the Sentinel will continue to serve in future engagements.
Development History
Origins
The Sentinel can trace its design origins back to another tank in service with the Federal Union; the AFU-03 Sultan. The Sultan was the first tank to enter service, following two failed prototypes. The tank featured a wide but flat profile with ERA protection on its side-skirts, however the vehicle was easily prone to damage could be destroyed easily by most contemporaries. The Sultan saw service from 2122-2138 and participated in the Pacification of Wurst, the Nautiline War and the Phoenian Civil War.
Design
The AFU-09 Sentinel is a noted improvement over the Sultan, and was designed with the purpose of replacing it with a more viable alternative. The tank featured a more comprehensive armor layering system, more reactive armor protection and fixed an internal issue that made the tank prone to magazine detonation. It also received a thinner profile and better suspension and transmission system. It's machine gun and targeting pod were mounted on the turret instead of the hull. Later versions were equipped with greater turret protection in the form of spaced and reactive armour, a second, coaxial 20mm gun. The turret also had ammunition boxes, countermeasure pods and a deployable missile launcher mounted on it. It's competitor, the AFU-08 Ranger, based on a Rhodie-style hull was rejected in favor of this design.