abstract
| - The Challenger light tank was the first armored vehicle produced by Kraechar Arms for the Yanibar Guard Army. While the role of armored fighting vehicle had previously been filled by Clone Wars-vintage droid designs, YGA desired a manned armored platform to support infantry while retaining mobility. The result was the Challenger light tank, a swift repulsor platform designed for combined arms operations. Three separate repulsorlift coils provided the Challenger with its propulsion system and provided sufficient power to move the tank at a speedy 280 kilometers per hour. The inverted-tricycle layout allowed for swift turns and reversing, though the Challenger could not rotate about its axis like some tracked designs. For defense, the Challenger was equipped with a sturdy durasteel alloy for protection. Additional armor panels and modules could be added to the turret, repulsor sponsons, engine housing, and crew compartments. A small shield generator was installed aboard the Challenger, based on designs used in TX-130 and droideka tanks. The Challenger's shields could withstand a very limited number of laser cannon hits before failing, giving it a survivability edge over other light vehicles deployed in the Outer Rim. In terms of armament, the Challenger's loadout was contained entirely within its turret. A single laser cannon was the primary armament, with a sustained firing rate of once per second, or three times per second for eight seconds, after which it needed ten seconds to recharge. Secondary armament consisted of a coaxial repeating blaster cannon and a dual concussion grenade launcher that held 30 grenades. The turret could rotate 360 degrees. The main cannon and coaxial blaster could both elevate up to 45 degrees and depress up to -15, making it of limited use against aerial targets. Two crewmembers were required to operate a Challenger, a driver and a gunner/commander. Crew entry was either through a top hatch on the main body of the tank, right in front of the turret, or via a ventral escape hatch. The Challenger was fairly cramped and there was no interior access possible to the turret, making field maintenance difficult.
|