HT9A7-E1 MBT
Designation:
Numerical Designation: HT9A7-E1
Name: Wyvern-E1
Key Data:
Crew: 3 (Commander, Gunner, Driver)
Cost: 10.7 million NSD
Dimensions:
Length: 8.1m (Hull)/
Height: 2.9m (Turret Roof)
Width: 3.8m (3.9m w/ side armour)
Weight: 69t
Performance:
Maximum Speed: 70kph road speed (governed).
Cross country speed: 48kph
Acceleration: 0 to 32kph in 6.2 seconds
Operational Range: 550km
Armament:
Main Armament: 120mm SC8.60 55 calibre solid propellant smoothbore cannon (46 rounds, 26 in autoloader magazine)
Co-axial weapon (left): 12.7mm MG/H8A3 (1500 rounds)/20mm Arsenal Karonin M.28 Autocannon (600 rounds), or other modular block compatible weapons.
Commander's weapon: 12.7mm MG/H8A3 on Remote Weapons System (powered), interchangeable with other armaments.
Additional: 12x mounted multipurpose grenade launchers, modular systems allow for further options.
Protection:
Passive: Calumnis-2 (NERA, composite tiles, DU alloy mesh, RHA plates/hull, fibreglass/rubber/Spectra spall liner)
Active: None on base model, can be added by request.
Crew Protection: NBC protection (main + auxiliary), pentafluoroethane crew compartment fire extinguishing, Halon 1301 + foam fuel tank extinguishing and self-sealing suite.
Electronics:
Callisto FCS
Combat networking added according to customer.
Power:
Propulsion: 1,800hp (steady state) opposing piston hyperbar.
Transmission: Automatic (8 forward, 3 reverse).
Suspension: Hydractive
Power/Weight: 26.09hp/tonne
Overview
With the completion of development on the base HT9A7 Main Battle Tank in 2008, FOAM had created what would quickly establish itself as one of the premier service main battle tanks of its time through its marriage of effectiveness and efficiency, a uniquely intelligent design dedicated to the creation of a vehicle capable of engaging more with less. However, in the post developmental period, with the conglomerate of firms choosing to keep the joint endeavour in place to facilitate later vehicular development (and thus becoming the heart of the later Project Fiensietyr), a number of very basic flaws with the HT9A7 as a product forced the consideration of the development of another tank to take its place in certain markets.
For all of its technological advancement and battlefield superiority, the HT9A7's design and nature meant that it was not an exportable product. Prohibitive weight meant that nations with the appropriate infrastructure, few and far between, were the only states capable of supporting the tank. A highly technical vehicle, the HT9A7 also required a highly effective logistical backbone to any armed force that endeavoured to employ it, further restrict the list of potential customers who would be able to utilise it. Lastly, however, the highly stringent export restrictions placed by the Holy Office of War on the HT9A7 and the technological protection meant exporting the HT9A7 in its base, technologically advanced form was an impossibility in the first place.
The conceptualisation of the HT9A7-E1 was based upon a number of basic design objectives. FOAM aimed to create a technically simplified, lighter tank capable of exhibiting flexibility and effectiveness on any terrain, within any armed force. The export restrictions placed upon the HT9A7 by the Holy Office of War meant that a high proportion of the advanced electronics and equipment utilised in the tank were not usable within an exported variant of the tank; instead, FOAM aimed to offset this by creating a highly flexible and modifiable tank that would be able to accommodate foreign electronics and parts on top of an already formidable base, to create a main battle tank that would cater to individual customers' necessities via a construction that would allow for the installation of a variety of parts at the factory level by making full use of the HT9A7's unrivalled modularity.
On paper, the HT9A7-E1 is more than a match for most main battle tanks. With customer input, it becomes far more than that; catering to every whim, the HT9A7-E1 is the ultimate export tank.
Armament
The base main armament employed by the HT9A7-E1 is the 120mm SC8.60 55 calibre solid propellant smoothbore cannon. A similar weapon to the 120mm Rheinmetall guns used in many modern main battle tanks, SC8.60 is a development of the 120mm L/48 main armament designed for the failed HT8 Fyrdestyr Main Battle Tank in 1994. It is utilised as the default armament of the tank due to the widespread use of similar 120mm gun tanks in a variety of nations around the world, thus facilitating transfer from such tanks to the HT9A7-E1. The tank is, of course, not restricted to this single weapon; at construction, the HT9A7-E1 can be built to accommodate a range of different guns, from ETC variants of the SC8.60 to 140mm guns.
SC8.60 is a 120mm solid propellant smoothbore cannon with a length of 55 calibres (6.6m). In order to increase the resistance of the barrel to the internal pressures of propellant ignition, it is constructed of autofrettaged steel with an electroplated coat of chromium to prevent fouling. The weapon's thermal jacket is constructed of 35% glass reinforced polymers, increasing its resistance to external weathering and hard impact, and a bore evacuator along the length of the gun to house and release the gases produced by propellant ignition to prevent their leaking into the cabin when the gun's breech is opened for shell extraction.
The gun mounting is largely identical to that of the HT9A7. A pair of hydraulic retarders decreases the recoil forces acting upon the vehicle upon firing, and the same stabilisation mechanism (full dual-axis electro-hydraulic and gyro stabilisation) means that the HT9A7-E1 is able to keep its main armament on target at all times, mobile or otherwise. Unlike the SC10.8, the SC8.60 does not feature a propellant porting muzzle brake array; this is due to the fact that the decreased recoil of the 120mm gun does not require this additional component to make it a stable weapon to fire from the HT9A7-E1 platform.
Like the HT9A7, autoloading is employed to decrease crew size and increase overall input/output efficiency. The same rotary belt bustle is utilised by the HT9A7-E1, and a replaceable belt and feeding mechanism means that simple modification makes the autoloader compatible with a number of ammunition types (theoretically up to 160mm). 26 rounds are stored in the autoloader with an additional 20 for later use, and the same computer control system (virtual memory stored round location retention and barcode identification) allows the autoloader to rapidly select and load rounds through individual selection as opposed to the order in which rounds are placed (as is the case on many modern autoloaders), increasing the effectiveness of the tank's ammunition allocation by allowing a large variety of ammunition to be used in a largely interchangeable manner. The average firing rate of the tank's autoloader is 12 rounds per minute.
In terms of rounds, the SC8.60 is equipped with three standard propellant rounds and a single GLATGM in combat use, but this can be expanded to support foreign 120mm launched munitions (and more, depending on the gun selected for use). M06/S (mod.) is an armour piercing fin stabilised discarding sabot round that utilises a combination propellant (60% nitrocellulose, 20% nitroglycerine, 4% RDX, 15% diethylene glycol dinitrate with 1% of other content and 55 grams of igniter, as in the HT9A7) and a tungsten carbide kinetic energy penetrator to outperform the KEPs used in most 120mm rounds today. M06/E is a High Explosive, Dual Purpose round; with a tandem charge, the round is capable of acting as a HEAT shell, but the fragmenting casing also makes it an anti-personnel round if need be. M06/C is an anti-personnel canister round; using propellant to initially launch it clear of the vehicle, an adjustable fuse (utilising a timer based on ballistic calculations to determine the distance it has travelled) is used to detonate the round itself which uses a hexogen tolite packing and tungsten ball bearings to shred any infantry within its explosive radius. The Arkal-E, a gun launched anti-tank missile (GLATGM) employs a soft-launch motor prior to engaging its main propulsive motor to clear it of the gun barrel to reduce barrel wear, and employs three step seeking composed of mm-wavelength radar, passive IR CCD sensors and semi-active laser seeking to acquire and follow its target, using fin stabilisation to keep it on target. A tandem charge warhead with a relatively powerful 'initial' charge gives it the ability to disable roof mounted ERA and some NERA/NxRA protection, making it highly effective against tanks, even with roof protection, out to ~8km.
The information above is, of course, only relevant to the SC8.60; if a customer opts to utilise a different gun, the specifications and ammunition will change accordingly.
In terms of additional armaments, the HT9A7-E1 uses the same modular block system as the HT9A7, and mainly employs the 12.7mm MG/H8A3 and 20mm Arsenal Karonin M.28 Autocannon in the co-axial position. The default variant is equipped with the Ortel Powered Remote Weapons System, and the same compatibility with additional equipment such as box launched ATGMs.
Protection
Protection on the HT9A7-E1 was both a primary and incredibly difficult concern. Many of the materials employed in the HT9A7 were in limited production, in many cases directed by law to the production of equipment of the Crown Army, and the result was that the materials available to FOAM to create the HT9A7-E1 was greatly limited. Furthermore, the weight limitations on the original design brief meant that the level of protection employed on the HT9A7-E1 would have to be below that of the HT9A7, making smart distribution of available parts a necessity. The objective was, however, the same; to create an armour suite capable of resisting most fire encountered on the battlefield.
The forward protection of the HT9A7 consists of an outer layer of NERA (non-explosive reactive armour), providing the HT9A7-E1 with multiple-hit protection against tandem head HEAT warheads. Under this outer layer, panels of TiAl4V (Grade 5 Titanium Alloy) sandwich square tiles of rolled homogeneous armour (RHA) and Titanium Carbide (TiC). Beneath this is another layer of NERA, TiC tiles kept in place by TiAl4V and a RHA backing. The hull is constructed of RHA, with a 20% glass composition fibreglass/Spectra+rubber spall liner. In terms of protection, the materials used are inferior to those of the HT9A7, but nonetheless far outstrip many modern main battle tanks (such as the K2, or Leclerc) in terms of material quality and overall protection without any applique armour; the HT9A7-E1 has a very comprehensive armour suite, and can be improved further if desired.
The side skirts of the HT9A7-E1 are RHA plates, and can support the addition of ERA/NERA blocks. Top protection is accomplished by NERA and TiC additions to protect the vehicle from top-kill tandem-charge ATGMs.
The HT9A7-E1 is also equipped with 12 80mm grenade launchers. Using the same Composition A grenades as the HT9A7 (explosively dispersed chlorosulfuric acid with fine metal coated carbon fibres), the HT9A7-E1 also comes with IR and UV laser detection sensors that can be made compatible with added active protection suites to permit the automatic dispersal of smoke following threat detection.
Electronics
In terms of electronics, the HT9A7-E1 is equipped with a slightly less comprehensive suite than that of the HT9A7 for two primary reasons; simplification, to reduce costs and maintenance difficulty (as the wide array of equipment employed on the HT9A7 requires constant, skilled attention), and as a reflection of the fact that different customers require different arrays (especially in the area of combat networking, where the HT9A7 is interfaced directly to the Anemonian Crown Army's network infrastructure). As such, similar to the other aspects of the HT9A7-E1, the default electronics used in the HT9A7-E1 are exceptional, but truly come into their own with external input.
Callisto is a Fire Control System derived from the Io system employed in the HT9A7, and is a simplified version lacking the phased array radar and LADAR used by the HT9A7. It is otherwise identical to Io; the gunner utilises a 3CCD camera, FLIR and a pulsed CO2 laser rangefinder to acquire and track targets, and the computer is capable of target identification, differentiation and prioritisation at extremely high speeds, giving the HT9A7-E1 an edge over existent fire control systems in terms of speed and automation. The only feature Callisto lacks other than this is interconnection with other fire control systems over local area combat networks, but this is simply due to the fact that no such interfaces are packaged into the base HT9A7; if a combat network is provided, Callisto can be interfaced with it.
Networking on the HT9A7-E1 differs greatly to that of the HT9A7, insofar as much of it has been removed. Due to the fact that the HT9A7's networking capabilities were designed specifically for the Crown Army of Anemos Major, the entirety of SAIC (the networking system employed in the Yvernyr) has been removed; not only are components of the system sensitive, it is also completely useless to the average export customer. Rather, the capacity for networking has been maintained via the retention of the HT9A7's antennae arrays, and systems can be installed at the behest of the customer at the factory level to ensure that each purchase of the HT9A7-E1 comes with a communications suite tailored to suit the needs of each buyer.
The HT9A7-E1 employs similar electro-magnetic radiation protection to that of the HT9A7.
Mobility
Mobility is the one area where the HT9A7-E1 differs little from its design origins. The only significant difference between the HT9A7 and the HT9A7-E1 is the utilisation of a slightly smaller hyperbar engine to limit weight and decrease engine size, resulting in a slightly lower power-to-weight ratio, but aside from that, the same principles and design features are used in the HT9A7-E1. An opposing-piston hyperbar diesel engine gives the tank unrivalled levels of power, high acceleration and a deceivingly low noise signature, while the hydractive suspension takes all the advantages of a standard hydropneumatic suspension and takes them one step further by employing sensor-based adjustment to increase the ride stability of the tank. Though the hyperbar engine results in an increase in the complexity of engine maintenance, as well as the hydractive suspension of the vehicle (which requires sensor as well as mechanical attention), the advantages of greatly increased power, acceleration and flexibility mean that they largely outweigh any disadvantages posed by the system.
Crew Amenities and Suvivability
Again, in this area, the HT9A7-E1 differs little from the HT9A7, with the same comprehensive NBC protection, automated fire extinguishing, self-sealing fuel tank, mine protected seating and, in terms of amenities, an electric hot plate and filtered water tap. Interfacing for commercial entertainment devices remains the same, though this can be modified and added to at the customer's will.
Numerical Designation: HT9A7-E1
Name: Wyvern-E1
Key Data:
Crew: 3 (Commander, Gunner, Driver)
Cost: 10.7 million NSD
Dimensions:
Length: 8.1m (Hull)/
Height: 2.9m (Turret Roof)
Width: 3.8m (3.9m w/ side armour)
Weight: 69t
Performance:
Maximum Speed: 70kph road speed (governed).
Cross country speed: 48kph
Acceleration: 0 to 32kph in 6.2 seconds
Operational Range: 550km
Armament:
Main Armament: 120mm SC8.60 55 calibre solid propellant smoothbore cannon (46 rounds, 26 in autoloader magazine)
Co-axial weapon (left): 12.7mm MG/H8A3 (1500 rounds)/20mm Arsenal Karonin M.28 Autocannon (600 rounds), or other modular block compatible weapons.
Commander's weapon: 12.7mm MG/H8A3 on Remote Weapons System (powered), interchangeable with other armaments.
Additional: 12x mounted multipurpose grenade launchers, modular systems allow for further options.
Protection:
Passive: Calumnis-2 (NERA, composite tiles, DU alloy mesh, RHA plates/hull, fibreglass/rubber/Spectra spall liner)
Active: None on base model, can be added by request.
Crew Protection: NBC protection (main + auxiliary), pentafluoroethane crew compartment fire extinguishing, Halon 1301 + foam fuel tank extinguishing and self-sealing suite.
Electronics:
Callisto FCS
Combat networking added according to customer.
Power:
Propulsion: 1,800hp (steady state) opposing piston hyperbar.
Transmission: Automatic (8 forward, 3 reverse).
Suspension: Hydractive
Power/Weight: 26.09hp/tonne
Overview
With the completion of development on the base HT9A7 Main Battle Tank in 2008, FOAM had created what would quickly establish itself as one of the premier service main battle tanks of its time through its marriage of effectiveness and efficiency, a uniquely intelligent design dedicated to the creation of a vehicle capable of engaging more with less. However, in the post developmental period, with the conglomerate of firms choosing to keep the joint endeavour in place to facilitate later vehicular development (and thus becoming the heart of the later Project Fiensietyr), a number of very basic flaws with the HT9A7 as a product forced the consideration of the development of another tank to take its place in certain markets.
For all of its technological advancement and battlefield superiority, the HT9A7's design and nature meant that it was not an exportable product. Prohibitive weight meant that nations with the appropriate infrastructure, few and far between, were the only states capable of supporting the tank. A highly technical vehicle, the HT9A7 also required a highly effective logistical backbone to any armed force that endeavoured to employ it, further restrict the list of potential customers who would be able to utilise it. Lastly, however, the highly stringent export restrictions placed by the Holy Office of War on the HT9A7 and the technological protection meant exporting the HT9A7 in its base, technologically advanced form was an impossibility in the first place.
The conceptualisation of the HT9A7-E1 was based upon a number of basic design objectives. FOAM aimed to create a technically simplified, lighter tank capable of exhibiting flexibility and effectiveness on any terrain, within any armed force. The export restrictions placed upon the HT9A7 by the Holy Office of War meant that a high proportion of the advanced electronics and equipment utilised in the tank were not usable within an exported variant of the tank; instead, FOAM aimed to offset this by creating a highly flexible and modifiable tank that would be able to accommodate foreign electronics and parts on top of an already formidable base, to create a main battle tank that would cater to individual customers' necessities via a construction that would allow for the installation of a variety of parts at the factory level by making full use of the HT9A7's unrivalled modularity.
On paper, the HT9A7-E1 is more than a match for most main battle tanks. With customer input, it becomes far more than that; catering to every whim, the HT9A7-E1 is the ultimate export tank.
Armament
The base main armament employed by the HT9A7-E1 is the 120mm SC8.60 55 calibre solid propellant smoothbore cannon. A similar weapon to the 120mm Rheinmetall guns used in many modern main battle tanks, SC8.60 is a development of the 120mm L/48 main armament designed for the failed HT8 Fyrdestyr Main Battle Tank in 1994. It is utilised as the default armament of the tank due to the widespread use of similar 120mm gun tanks in a variety of nations around the world, thus facilitating transfer from such tanks to the HT9A7-E1. The tank is, of course, not restricted to this single weapon; at construction, the HT9A7-E1 can be built to accommodate a range of different guns, from ETC variants of the SC8.60 to 140mm guns.
SC8.60 is a 120mm solid propellant smoothbore cannon with a length of 55 calibres (6.6m). In order to increase the resistance of the barrel to the internal pressures of propellant ignition, it is constructed of autofrettaged steel with an electroplated coat of chromium to prevent fouling. The weapon's thermal jacket is constructed of 35% glass reinforced polymers, increasing its resistance to external weathering and hard impact, and a bore evacuator along the length of the gun to house and release the gases produced by propellant ignition to prevent their leaking into the cabin when the gun's breech is opened for shell extraction.
The gun mounting is largely identical to that of the HT9A7. A pair of hydraulic retarders decreases the recoil forces acting upon the vehicle upon firing, and the same stabilisation mechanism (full dual-axis electro-hydraulic and gyro stabilisation) means that the HT9A7-E1 is able to keep its main armament on target at all times, mobile or otherwise. Unlike the SC10.8, the SC8.60 does not feature a propellant porting muzzle brake array; this is due to the fact that the decreased recoil of the 120mm gun does not require this additional component to make it a stable weapon to fire from the HT9A7-E1 platform.
Like the HT9A7, autoloading is employed to decrease crew size and increase overall input/output efficiency. The same rotary belt bustle is utilised by the HT9A7-E1, and a replaceable belt and feeding mechanism means that simple modification makes the autoloader compatible with a number of ammunition types (theoretically up to 160mm). 26 rounds are stored in the autoloader with an additional 20 for later use, and the same computer control system (virtual memory stored round location retention and barcode identification) allows the autoloader to rapidly select and load rounds through individual selection as opposed to the order in which rounds are placed (as is the case on many modern autoloaders), increasing the effectiveness of the tank's ammunition allocation by allowing a large variety of ammunition to be used in a largely interchangeable manner. The average firing rate of the tank's autoloader is 12 rounds per minute.
In terms of rounds, the SC8.60 is equipped with three standard propellant rounds and a single GLATGM in combat use, but this can be expanded to support foreign 120mm launched munitions (and more, depending on the gun selected for use). M06/S (mod.) is an armour piercing fin stabilised discarding sabot round that utilises a combination propellant (60% nitrocellulose, 20% nitroglycerine, 4% RDX, 15% diethylene glycol dinitrate with 1% of other content and 55 grams of igniter, as in the HT9A7) and a tungsten carbide kinetic energy penetrator to outperform the KEPs used in most 120mm rounds today. M06/E is a High Explosive, Dual Purpose round; with a tandem charge, the round is capable of acting as a HEAT shell, but the fragmenting casing also makes it an anti-personnel round if need be. M06/C is an anti-personnel canister round; using propellant to initially launch it clear of the vehicle, an adjustable fuse (utilising a timer based on ballistic calculations to determine the distance it has travelled) is used to detonate the round itself which uses a hexogen tolite packing and tungsten ball bearings to shred any infantry within its explosive radius. The Arkal-E, a gun launched anti-tank missile (GLATGM) employs a soft-launch motor prior to engaging its main propulsive motor to clear it of the gun barrel to reduce barrel wear, and employs three step seeking composed of mm-wavelength radar, passive IR CCD sensors and semi-active laser seeking to acquire and follow its target, using fin stabilisation to keep it on target. A tandem charge warhead with a relatively powerful 'initial' charge gives it the ability to disable roof mounted ERA and some NERA/NxRA protection, making it highly effective against tanks, even with roof protection, out to ~8km.
The information above is, of course, only relevant to the SC8.60; if a customer opts to utilise a different gun, the specifications and ammunition will change accordingly.
In terms of additional armaments, the HT9A7-E1 uses the same modular block system as the HT9A7, and mainly employs the 12.7mm MG/H8A3 and 20mm Arsenal Karonin M.28 Autocannon in the co-axial position. The default variant is equipped with the Ortel Powered Remote Weapons System, and the same compatibility with additional equipment such as box launched ATGMs.
Protection
Protection on the HT9A7-E1 was both a primary and incredibly difficult concern. Many of the materials employed in the HT9A7 were in limited production, in many cases directed by law to the production of equipment of the Crown Army, and the result was that the materials available to FOAM to create the HT9A7-E1 was greatly limited. Furthermore, the weight limitations on the original design brief meant that the level of protection employed on the HT9A7-E1 would have to be below that of the HT9A7, making smart distribution of available parts a necessity. The objective was, however, the same; to create an armour suite capable of resisting most fire encountered on the battlefield.
The forward protection of the HT9A7 consists of an outer layer of NERA (non-explosive reactive armour), providing the HT9A7-E1 with multiple-hit protection against tandem head HEAT warheads. Under this outer layer, panels of TiAl4V (Grade 5 Titanium Alloy) sandwich square tiles of rolled homogeneous armour (RHA) and Titanium Carbide (TiC). Beneath this is another layer of NERA, TiC tiles kept in place by TiAl4V and a RHA backing. The hull is constructed of RHA, with a 20% glass composition fibreglass/Spectra+rubber spall liner. In terms of protection, the materials used are inferior to those of the HT9A7, but nonetheless far outstrip many modern main battle tanks (such as the K2, or Leclerc) in terms of material quality and overall protection without any applique armour; the HT9A7-E1 has a very comprehensive armour suite, and can be improved further if desired.
The side skirts of the HT9A7-E1 are RHA plates, and can support the addition of ERA/NERA blocks. Top protection is accomplished by NERA and TiC additions to protect the vehicle from top-kill tandem-charge ATGMs.
The HT9A7-E1 is also equipped with 12 80mm grenade launchers. Using the same Composition A grenades as the HT9A7 (explosively dispersed chlorosulfuric acid with fine metal coated carbon fibres), the HT9A7-E1 also comes with IR and UV laser detection sensors that can be made compatible with added active protection suites to permit the automatic dispersal of smoke following threat detection.
Electronics
In terms of electronics, the HT9A7-E1 is equipped with a slightly less comprehensive suite than that of the HT9A7 for two primary reasons; simplification, to reduce costs and maintenance difficulty (as the wide array of equipment employed on the HT9A7 requires constant, skilled attention), and as a reflection of the fact that different customers require different arrays (especially in the area of combat networking, where the HT9A7 is interfaced directly to the Anemonian Crown Army's network infrastructure). As such, similar to the other aspects of the HT9A7-E1, the default electronics used in the HT9A7-E1 are exceptional, but truly come into their own with external input.
Callisto is a Fire Control System derived from the Io system employed in the HT9A7, and is a simplified version lacking the phased array radar and LADAR used by the HT9A7. It is otherwise identical to Io; the gunner utilises a 3CCD camera, FLIR and a pulsed CO2 laser rangefinder to acquire and track targets, and the computer is capable of target identification, differentiation and prioritisation at extremely high speeds, giving the HT9A7-E1 an edge over existent fire control systems in terms of speed and automation. The only feature Callisto lacks other than this is interconnection with other fire control systems over local area combat networks, but this is simply due to the fact that no such interfaces are packaged into the base HT9A7; if a combat network is provided, Callisto can be interfaced with it.
Networking on the HT9A7-E1 differs greatly to that of the HT9A7, insofar as much of it has been removed. Due to the fact that the HT9A7's networking capabilities were designed specifically for the Crown Army of Anemos Major, the entirety of SAIC (the networking system employed in the Yvernyr) has been removed; not only are components of the system sensitive, it is also completely useless to the average export customer. Rather, the capacity for networking has been maintained via the retention of the HT9A7's antennae arrays, and systems can be installed at the behest of the customer at the factory level to ensure that each purchase of the HT9A7-E1 comes with a communications suite tailored to suit the needs of each buyer.
The HT9A7-E1 employs similar electro-magnetic radiation protection to that of the HT9A7.
Mobility
Mobility is the one area where the HT9A7-E1 differs little from its design origins. The only significant difference between the HT9A7 and the HT9A7-E1 is the utilisation of a slightly smaller hyperbar engine to limit weight and decrease engine size, resulting in a slightly lower power-to-weight ratio, but aside from that, the same principles and design features are used in the HT9A7-E1. An opposing-piston hyperbar diesel engine gives the tank unrivalled levels of power, high acceleration and a deceivingly low noise signature, while the hydractive suspension takes all the advantages of a standard hydropneumatic suspension and takes them one step further by employing sensor-based adjustment to increase the ride stability of the tank. Though the hyperbar engine results in an increase in the complexity of engine maintenance, as well as the hydractive suspension of the vehicle (which requires sensor as well as mechanical attention), the advantages of greatly increased power, acceleration and flexibility mean that they largely outweigh any disadvantages posed by the system.
Crew Amenities and Suvivability
Again, in this area, the HT9A7-E1 differs little from the HT9A7, with the same comprehensive NBC protection, automated fire extinguishing, self-sealing fuel tank, mine protected seating and, in terms of amenities, an electric hot plate and filtered water tap. Interfacing for commercial entertainment devices remains the same, though this can be modified and added to at the customer's will.