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  Nauxos |
| Production history | |
| Designer | National Ballistics |
| Manufacturer | National Ballistics Sentinel-ARMS |
| Produced | 1A: 2021-present 1AE: 2022-present |
| Number built | 1A: 184, 500 planned 1AE: 80 |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 68 metric tons |
| Length | 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 CAP-80 and CAP-80 Lômeqkhyaa tanks in Axdelian Army service as part of a 2014 defence mandate for a platform to mount the new 130mm L/51 ETC gun by ARMS, and was expected to enter service from 2025 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 of the 1A variant began in late 2020, with the first 15 tanks entering service in the Axdel Armed Forces in February 2021. International procurement interest during development lead to the creation of the 1AE export variant mounting a conventional 130mm cannon in the turret instead of an ETC gun.
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 of 300 total tanks by 2027, with provisions for the eventual replacement of remaining CAP-80 Lômeqkhyaa tanks by later variants in the 2030's. In 2024 long term use also revealed an additional issue with the longevity and reliability of the plasma ignition system in the 1A's main gun, which is currently being investigated and remedied.