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Description
The Phalanx Main Battle Tank

The Phalanx is a much-loved tank developed by the K'than Collective for use in its military. Originally starting out as more of a predator deterrent than anything else, it has since evolved to become a proper MBT, suitable for interstellar combat across the Ancerious galaxy. This somewhat shorter post will be going over some of its earlier models and variants, including their characteristics and a bit of history behind them as well.

The Mark 9

The Mk9 is considered to be the very first "proper" MBT at the Collective's disposal. Prior to the introduction of the Mk9 the Collective had been utilizing the vastly outdated and inferior Mk8C as its standard armored vehicle; the Mk8C had a whole host of problems, but was utilized due to the fact that the Collective had no other options. However in time a new option, the Mk9, emerged. The Mk9 was a game changer for the Collective in many departments, mostly due to technological advancements. For starters, the Mk9 was the first Collective armored vehicle to mount a coilgun, vastly improving muzzle velocity, kinetic energy imparted upon impact, and overall performance. In addition to this the Mk9 also sported coaxial and pintle-mounted machineguns, based on a smaller but similar coil design; additional mounts on the rear of the turret provided spaces for more pintle guns. These innovations were the result of more concentrated efforts on reverse engineering foreign technology. Before the Mk9 and its coilgun, the Collective was using something similar to what we use today for our own MBTs; by futuristic standards, outdated. Outside of weaponry however, the Mk9 was also a resounding success for its improved structural integrity and overall defensiveness. Pernum lattice was in use prior to the Mk9 but saw several improvements in the Mk9 nonetheless. Additionally, more advanced ADS systems, combined with the Mk9's miniaturized fusion reactor, allowed for sustained combat and more protection from the various threats it might face.

The Mk9 was utilized as both a home defense vehicle and an assault vehicle, using its high speed and maneuverability to outpace opponents and sequentially eliminate them. Unfortunately, or fortunately, the only use it saw was as a warning to the Collective's enemies. Enemies isn't even the right term really; at the time the Collective was in a tight spot, and several of its neighbors were a bit unpleasant. These lingering tensions were eventually dealt with, but not before the Collective had to wave their guns around as a general message of "please back off". The Mk9, thankfully looking at least somewhat imposing, conveyed the message rather adequately in conjunction with the Collective's navy, allowing for peace to continue. Aside from that however, the Mk9 has had an uninteresting service career.

The Mark 10

The Mk10 is an upgrade from the Mk9 in every way, much like how the Mk9 was a complete overhaul of the Mk8C. The primary gun, the 100mm coilgun mounted in the turret, was given several enhancements for higher speeds, as well as specialized munitions for the various situations it might encounter. The Mk10 was also equipped with improved coaxial and pintle guns, as well as the first iterations of the Collective's nano-fabricators, to allow for munition production on the go. Aside from more power plant advancements and small changes to its armor, the Mk10 also featured two very important things; firstly, the Mk10 was the first Collective armored vehicle to have a shielding system installed in it. Specifically, a primitive plasma-based shielding system designed to deal with energy weapons. Secondly however, the Mk10 was also given sideskirts. Up until now, the concept of added/extra armor had not been thought of. With the K'than being a fairly peaceful race, and the only conflicts they've participated in being short, fairly calm, and basic, they'd never been given the chance to develop things as humans have. Regardless, the invention of the Pernum sideskirt was a, albeit minor, step in the right direction for Collective engineers. Further adding to its defensiveness were a series of improvements to its laser ADS system. Pinpoint accuracy and improved targeting systems, alongside AI enhancements, allowed for better target tracking, interception, and annihilation.

The Mk10, thankfully, has a much more colorful backstory than the Mk9. Originally started right after the Mk9 rolled off the assembly line, the Mk10 was thought to be ambitious at the time. In reality it was far from ambitious when compared to other nations' MBTs, but those thoughts didn't stop the Collective from at least trying. Problems first arose when tests were conducted on the plasma shielding; over a dozen workshops were rendered useless and almost 5 dozen workers filed injury reports by the time the problems were addressed and fixed. The K'than learned the hard way how hot plasma is, and they were very careful afterwards with its handling. In terms of actual deployments, the Mk10 only saw 2 such occurrences in its lifetime. The first was due to a group of mercenaries deciding it would be a good idea to set up shop on of the Collective's recently-claimed worlds. It had no orbital stations, nor any substantial amount of infrastructure, leaving the mercenaries plenty of room to dig in. The Mk10, 2 of them, were sent as a show of force, along with a small number of soldiers to reinforce them. At first their opponents were unimpressed, but that changed once their fortifications started sporting a few holes. The second and last engagement the Mk10 ever fought in was with another group of mercenaries, but this time on another world, and against a proper armored target. The sandy world was similar to the previous one in that it was freshly colonized, and so was deemed to be a suitable target. The colony garrison sent out a small group of soldiers along with its only MK10 to ward off the threat. Things got hectic soon after the K'than found out that the mercs had their own armored vehicles; 2 tanks, both fairly light in terms of design, but still tanks nonetheless. The Mk10 held its ground however, leaving both tanks smoking wrecks while coming out of the fight with only a few paint scratches.

The Mark 10A

The Mk10A is, despite only a single letter of difference, quite different from its predecessor. The main gun remained mostly unchanged, but that's about all that remained unchanged. Its pintle gun was replaced by an autocannon turret, its sensory arrays were upgraded, its comms were improved with the newer quantum comms tech that had been recently developed, and it saw a plethora of other improvements as well. The Mk10A was faster, had better lattice plating, retained its maneuverability, and sported better defensive and offensive capabilities as a whole.

The upgrades, while small, were many when put together. What's more interesting however is the situations its found itself in over the years it has been in service. Starting out as a foreign export tank, the Mk10A served in several small militaries here and there. It was by no means the best around, nor was its dimensions intended for most species outside of the K'than, but it performed admirably. Unfortunately, it never gained the fame that its designers had hoped it would. While it may have been unremarkable abroad, it was certainly well-received at home, at the very least.

The Mark 11

The Mk11, the biggest, strongest, and newest addition to the Phalanx series. The Mk11 was another situation where it was essentially a complete overhaul from the previous iteration. Its old coilgun was replaced by a newer, faster-firing one, its coaxial and pintle guns were replaced with newer coil-based autocannons, its ADS systems were updated to the newest systems, its AI was replaced with a miniaturized quantum intelligence, and so much more. An elongated turret allowed for more systems to be installed, and better equipment overall meant better performance out in the field. It has never been tested in actual combat, but every simulation and war game it has participated in have shown remarkable results, so its designers can only hope that it performs just as well in combat as it does outside of combat; their paychecks depend on it, after all.

Description
The Phalanx Main Battle Tank

The Phalanx is a much-loved tank developed by the K'than Collective for use in its military. Originally starting out as more of a predator deterrent than anything else, it has since evolved to become a proper MBT, suitable for interstellar combat across the Ancerious galaxy. This somewhat shorter post will be going over some of its earlier models and variants, including their characteristics and a bit of history behind them as well.

The Mark 9

The Mk9 is considered to be the very first "proper" MBT at the Collective's disposal. Prior to the introduction of the Mk9 the Collective had been utilizing the vastly outdated and inferior Mk8C as its standard armored vehicle; the Mk8C had a whole host of problems, but was utilized due to the fact that the Collective had no other options. However in time a new option, the Mk9, emerged. The Mk9 was a game changer for the Collective in many departments, mostly due to technological advancements. For starters, the Mk9 was the first Collective armored vehicle to mount a coilgun, vastly improving muzzle velocity, kinetic energy imparted upon impact, and overall performance. In addition to this the Mk9 also sported coaxial and pintle-mounted machineguns, based on a smaller but similar coil design; additional mounts on the rear of the turret provided spaces for more pintle guns. These innovations were the result of more concentrated efforts on reverse engineering foreign technology. Before the Mk9 and its coilgun, the Collective was using something similar to what we use today for our own MBTs; by futuristic standards, outdated. Outside of weaponry however, the Mk9 was also a resounding success for its improved structural integrity and overall defensiveness. Pernum lattice was in use prior to the Mk9 but saw several improvements in the Mk9 nonetheless. Additionally, more advanced ADS systems, combined with the Mk9's miniaturized fusion reactor, allowed for sustained combat and more protection from the various threats it might face.

The Mk9 was utilized as both a home defense vehicle and an assault vehicle, using its high speed and maneuverability to outpace opponents and sequentially eliminate them. Unfortunately, or fortunately, the only use it saw was as a warning to the Collective's enemies. Enemies isn't even the right term really; at the time the Collective was in a tight spot, and several of its neighbors were a bit unpleasant. These lingering tensions were eventually dealt with, but not before the Collective had to wave their guns around as a general message of "please back off". The Mk9, thankfully looking at least somewhat imposing, conveyed the message rather adequately in conjunction with the Collective's navy, allowing for peace to continue. Aside from that however, the Mk9 has had an uninteresting service career.

The Mark 10

The Mk10 is an upgrade from the Mk9 in every way, much like how the Mk9 was a complete overhaul of the Mk8C. The primary gun, the 100mm coilgun mounted in the turret, was given several enhancements for higher speeds, as well as specialized munitions for the various situations it might encounter. The Mk10 was also equipped with improved coaxial and pintle guns, as well as the first iterations of the Collective's nano-fabricators, to allow for munition production on the go. Aside from more power plant advancements and small changes to its armor, the Mk10 also featured two very important things; firstly, the Mk10 was the first Collective armored vehicle to have a shielding system installed in it. Specifically, a primitive plasma-based shielding system designed to deal with energy weapons. Secondly however, the Mk10 was also given sideskirts. Up until now, the concept of added/extra armor had not been thought of. With the K'than being a fairly peaceful race, and the only conflicts they've participated in being short, fairly calm, and basic, they'd never been given the chance to develop things as humans have. Regardless, the invention of the Pernum sideskirt was a, albeit minor, step in the right direction for Collective engineers. Further adding to its defensiveness were a series of improvements to its laser ADS system. Pinpoint accuracy and improved targeting systems, alongside AI enhancements, allowed for better target tracking, interception, and annihilation.

The Mk10, thankfully, has a much more colorful backstory than the Mk9. Originally started right after the Mk9 rolled off the assembly line, the Mk10 was thought to be ambitious at the time. In reality it was far from ambitious when compared to other nations' MBTs, but those thoughts didn't stop the Collective from at least trying. Problems first arose when tests were conducted on the plasma shielding; over a dozen workshops were rendered useless and almost 5 dozen workers filed injury reports by the time the problems were addressed and fixed. The K'than learned the hard way how hot plasma is, and they were very careful afterwards with its handling. In terms of actual deployments, the Mk10 only saw 2 such occurrences in its lifetime. The first was due to a group of mercenaries deciding it would be a good idea to set up shop on of the Collective's recently-claimed worlds. It had no orbital stations, nor any substantial amount of infrastructure, leaving the mercenaries plenty of room to dig in. The Mk10, 2 of them, were sent as a show of force, along with a small number of soldiers to reinforce them. At first their opponents were unimpressed, but that changed once their fortifications started sporting a few holes. The second and last engagement the Mk10 ever fought in was with another group of mercenaries, but this time on another world, and against a proper armored target. The sandy world was similar to the previous one in that it was freshly colonized, and so was deemed to be a suitable target. The colony garrison sent out a small group of soldiers along with its only MK10 to ward off the threat. Things got hectic soon after the K'than found out that the mercs had their own armored vehicles; 2 tanks, both fairly light in terms of design, but still tanks nonetheless. The Mk10 held its ground however, leaving both tanks smoking wrecks while coming out of the fight with only a few paint scratches.

The Mark 10A

The Mk10A is, despite only a single letter of difference, quite different from its predecessor. The main gun remained mostly unchanged, but that's about all that remained unchanged. Its pintle gun was replaced by an autocannon turret, its sensory arrays were upgraded, its comms were improved with the newer quantum comms tech that had been recently developed, and it saw a plethora of other improvements as well. The Mk10A was faster, had better lattice plating, retained its maneuverability, and sported better defensive and offensive capabilities as a whole.

The upgrades, while small, were many when put together. What's more interesting however is the situations its found itself in over the years it has been in service. Starting out as a foreign export tank, the Mk10A served in several small militaries here and there. It was by no means the best around, nor was its dimensions intended for most species outside of the K'than, but it performed admirably. Unfortunately, it never gained the fame that its designers had hoped it would. While it may have been unremarkable abroad, it was certainly well-received at home, at the very least.

The Mark 11

The Mk11, the biggest, strongest, and newest addition to the Phalanx series. The Mk11 was another situation where it was essentially a complete overhaul from the previous iteration. Its old coilgun was replaced by a newer, faster-firing one, its coaxial and pintle guns were replaced with newer coil-based autocannons, its ADS systems were updated to the newest systems, its AI was replaced with a miniaturized quantum intelligence, and so much more. An elongated turret allowed for more systems to be installed, and better equipment overall meant better performance out in the field. It has never been tested in actual combat, but every simulation and war game it has participated in have shown remarkable results, so its designers can only hope that it performs just as well in combat as it does outside of combat; their paychecks depend on it, after all.