Aethoo (Tank)

Aethoo MBT
A Prototype Aethoo in late 2017
Type	Main battle tank
Place of origin	Axdel
Service history
In service	1A: 2021-present
Used by	Axdel
Production history
Designer	National Ballistics
Manufacturer	National Ballistics Sentinel-ARMS
Produced	1A: 2021-present
Number built	1A: 15, 150 planned
Specifications
Weight	mk1: 68 metric tons
Length	1A: 11.5 m
Width	4 m
Height	2.25 m (3 m including RWS)
Crew	3 (commander, gunner, and driver)
Armor	'Bex 2' classified Composite armour with NERA and ERA components and the 'Enul' combination soft-kill/hard-kill active protection system
Main armament	1A: ARMS L/51 autoloaded 130mm smoothbore ETC gun (40 rounds)
Secondary armament	12.7 mm RWS machine gun 7.62mm Coaxial machine gun
Engine	12-cylinder Twin-Turbo Hybrid Diesel 1600 hp (1200 kW)
Power/weight	1A: 23.5 hp/ton
Transmission	Alleni HDG X-1600-30 Hybrid drive
Suspension	All-arm terrain-adaptive hydropneumatic suspension
Operational range	525 km (road)
Speed	75 km/h (road) 52 km/h (cross country)

The Aethoo is a next-generation Axdelian main battle tank jointly designed and built by National Ballistics and ARMS (now known as Sentinel-ARMS). It was built to be the successor of the Taurus 2 and 3 tanks, as part of a 2010 defence mandate for a platform to mount the new 130mm ETC gun by ARMS, and was expected to enter service from 2024 onwards. However, the outbreak of the Auroran-Pacific War led to the project being given a higher priority, with the initial date being 2020, though later being pushed back to 2021 due to development problems. Production began in late 2020, with the first 15 tanks entering service in the Axdel Armed Forces in February 2021.

A number of technical faults with the engine and thermal imaging equipment during combat trials have been reported which have led to delays in production whilst the issues are resolved. Despite this, the Axdel armed forces have negotiated the terms of an additional long-term order which would see the replacement of the Taurus 3 by the end of the 2030's