TIE Tank. |
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![TIE Crawler.jpg](TIE_Crawler.jpg) | Manufacturer: | Geh 'Dai Industries. |
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Designers: | Sienar Army Systems. |
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Type: | Tank. |
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Class: | Light Assault Vehicle. |
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Sub-Class: | Automated. |
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Technical Specifications: |
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Length: | 21 ft. 11.8 in. |
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Top Speed: | Tracked: 56 MPH. |
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Grav Pods: 200 MPH. | Powerplant: | Twin GDI built Santhe/Sienar Technologies hydrogen fueld SSct power generators. |
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Shielding: | None. |
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Armament: | Santhe/Siener Technologies:1 Light turbolaser cannon;Twin Medium blaster cannons. |
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GHI:1 Light turbolaser cannonTwin Medium blaster cannonsTwin Ion Cannons (topside turret mounted) | Crew: | Santhe/Siener Technologies:2, Pilot and Gunner. |
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GHI: None; Uses a Cybot Galactica Ace-6a-2/b computer brain. | Passengers: | Santhe/Siener Technologies:1 theoretically. |
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GHI: None; No such accommodations possible. | Cargo Capacity: | Standard:144 lbs. |
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Cargo Variant: 1,500 lbs. | Usage: |
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Affiliations: | Imperial:Militry. |
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GHI:World-Class Factory Shuttle ONLY. | Role(s) | Heavy cavalry. |
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Affiliations: | Galactic Empire;Imperial Remnant:Army:71ST Elite Mechanized Assault Group88TH Mechanized Assault Group98TH Elite Mechanized Assault Group221ST Mechanized Assault Group |
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GHI:World-Class Factory Shuttle ONLY. | ![TIE Tank Schematics.](TIEcrawler_schem.jpg) | TIE Tank Schematics. |
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The TIE Tank, also known as the Century Tank or Crawler, is a Palpatinian Imperial-era light armored vehicle. The TIE Tank resembled a TIE Advanced x1 Starfighter fuselage suspended between two massive tank treads. As orginally designed, they had a crew of 2, a pilot and gunner. Driving the tank treads at speeds of up to 56 MPH per hour are twin hydrogen fueled Santhe SSct power generators. The tank have a pair of medium blaster cannons in the familiar "chin" mounts found on most TIE cockpits. Suspended below the cockpit ball was a retractable light turbolaser which provided the tank with considerable firepower. The Geh 'Dai Industries variant also has a topside mounted turret with twin ion cannons for use primarily on heavy machines (their efficacy on lighter robots, such as Dartroos) is fairly limited).HistoryThe plans for the TIE Tank were made as early as 0 BBY, with the Imperial Army boasting that its capabilities were superior to that of the TIE/LN Starfighter. One unit notable for their use of century tanks was the 71ST Elite Mechanized Assault Group.Although the TIE Tank became famous after Battle of Endor, an early version of the vehicle, the TIE ap-1 Mauler, saw some action during the first years of the Galactic Civil War, where it fought against the Rebellion.The century tank was the first new design to roll out of the newly liberated Santhe/Sienar Technologies in the uncertain times after the collapse of the Palpatinina Empire. Sienar Fleet Systems had long bristled under the restrictive contracts of the Empire, and saw the opportunity of independence following the Empire's defeat; Seiner tried to remain neutral in the drawn out fighting between the shrinking Imperial Remnant and the growing. They still produced TIE fighters for the warlords, but did so on their terms.In an attempt to break into new markets, the TIE Tank was conceived as a relatively inexpensive to produce and purchase compact assault vehicle (CAV). Its use of recycled components and designs helped cut costs and training time. The tank was cheap and mass-produced and saw some action in the Imperial Civil War on Coruscant, as squabbling warlords sought to take control of the former imperial capital; At least one century tank was in service with the Corellian Security Force during the Second Galactic Civil War.With the advent of the United Galaxies Council's entry into the Rakatan Galaxy, the Geh 'Dai needed the means to rebuild the galaxy; The solution, the World-Class Shuttles, were early targets of sabotage and terrorism, and thus needed the means to protect themselves. Digging though the Geh 'Dai's records, along with other, the UGC found a complete set of "Century Tank" blueprints. It was a simple realization to put the droid brain from the TIE Drone into the old tank hull, making a disposable defensive platform for the shuttles. A few simple upgrades later (installing the ion cannons and grav pods for greater response speed) and the program was complete.Note; The TIE Tank can NOT utilize its weapons systems when the grav pods are engaged; There simply isn't enough power for both at the same time (there's barely enough power for the grav pods as is). Curiously, in simulator testing biological pilots had a tendency to engage the weapons systems during ambushes, causing the powerplant to shut down and the craft to crash. The droid brains don't have that problem, they make a hard dive to the ground to settle in.The TIE Tanks deploy in groups of three, though they don't engage targets together; One engages the heavy equipment, while the other two engages either infantry or cover the "leader." As drones they are COMPLETELY expendable, and as such do not have shields nor ever retreat… EVER. They stay until either the threat is extinguished or they are destroyed. They don't even stop fighting nor try to save themselves once their home shuttle has escaped. |