| St.Type-31 | |
|---|---|
| |
| St.Type-31a variant | |
Design
| |
| Designer | Stalker Inc. |
| Role | Heavy Tank |
Specifications
| |
| Weight | 59 tonnes |
| Armor | 200 / 77 / 50 mm |
| Primary Armament | 100mm Short Barrelled Cannon |
| Secondary Armament | none |
| Powerplant | 21.0L V12 Diesel |
| Top Speed | 24 km/h |
Development[]
The Type-31 is Stalker Inc.'s first mass produced vehicle in the heavy armour class. After the Korea incident it became clear that there was need for a well armed, well armoured battle tank suitable for tank to tank combat. The result was the Type-31a as we know it today. It was initially equipped with a 75mm Cannon, but because of its poor performance against well armoured targets it was soon replaced by a 100mm shortened cannon with high-velocity APHE ammunition. With a top speed of 24 km/h, the 59 tonne tank is slow but possesses excellent off-road characteristics. Production stopped and the design for the Type-31a was sold when the Type-25 and Type-34 entered active service.
Characteristics[]
Advantages[]
- Well armoured
- Excellent armament for tank to tank combat
- Good off-road performance
Disadvantages[]
- Low top speed
- No secondary armament, making it ineffective for combat against infantry
- Relatively weak armour in the rear of the chassis
Variants[]
Type-31b[]
On rare occasions the 100mm cannon on the a-variant wouldn't suffice. However, the turret on the Type-34 was simply too small to fit anything larger than a 100mm cannon. Instead of mounting the weapon in the turret, the turret was scrapped altogether and the weapon was mounted in the hull. This version was officially designated as the Type-31b, and effectively became Stalker Inc.'s first tank destroyer. The vehicle became obsolete when the Type-32 entered service.
Type-31c[]
Before the introduction of the Type-25 and Type-34, several type-31 chassis were used as a testbed for turret designs. While the chassis itself performed formidably in the field, one of the Type-31's shortcomings was its turret. It was too small to carry anything bigger than a specially modified, shortened 100mm cannon. One of the prototypes that were developed carried the turret that would later be mounted on the Type-25 medium tank. The project was a huge success and combined the best of both worlds; the performance and armour protection of the Type-31, and a sizeable turret that allowed the vehicle to carry a more powerful version of the 100mm cannon. When the Type-31a was pulled from active service, several vehicles were refitted with the new turret, along with a coaxial 30cal machinegun and some minor tweaks to the powertrain. These models were designated as the Type-31c.
