Challenger

The Challenger X Main Battle Tank was designed to combat the threat the Clans posed to the Inner Sphere. The Challenger was a joint effort between Kallon Industries and General Motors; rather than possibly losing out on lucrative contracts trying to outdo one another, the two corporations teamed up to create a main battle tank that could stand up to a BattleMech. The tank was produced on Kirklin, Kathil, and Salem.

The Challenger X was designed as a super-heavy tank to handle multiple threats. Despite the expense, the two companies equipped the Challenger X with General Motors' 270 rated Extra-Light Fusion Engine to give the tank the room it needs to carry an assortment of deadly weaponry without sacrificing speed. The engine allows the tank to move a modest 54 kilometers per hour, keeping pace with formations of heavy vehicles and 'Mechs and evading dangerous infantry attacks from Clan Elementals. The tank is protected by fourteen tons of Kallon's Ferro-Fibrous Armor with a MainFire Point Defense anti-missile system providing additional protection from missiles by reducing the number of missiles that strike the armor.

The Challenger was initially deployed in the Armed Forces of the Federated Commonwealth, and later the Armed Forces of the Federated Suns, though the Lyran Alliance Armed Forces retained a number of Challengers. It joined prestigious units such as the Davion Heavy Guards and Davion Assault Guards Regimental Combat Teams, where it formed backbone for those regiments' tanks corps.

The Challenger saw combat on both sides of the FedCom Civil War and later saw action during the Jihad on the brutal battlefields of New Avalon, St. Ives, and Indicass.

Weapons and Equipment
The Challenger's primary weaponry includes a turret mounted Poland Main Model A Gauss Rifle with two tons of ammo, giving the tank a needed long range punch as well as one-shot-one-kill capability. To help combat battle armor and other threats, an Imperator Code Red LB 10-X Autocannon is also turret-mounted with two tons of ammo, allowing the tank to carry both solid and cluster rounds to respond to any situation it might face. An Artemis IV FCS-enhanced Federated 10-Shot Long Range Missile Launcher with two tons of ammunition joins the main guns in the turret to supplement their long range firepower. To combat threats at short range, the Challenger X has also been equipped with a potent point-defense consisting of a pair of Federated Super Streak SRM 2 launchers protecting the sides of the tank, two front-mounted Martell Medium Pulse Lasers and a rear-mounted Exostar Small Pulse Laser defending the tank's stern flank.

Variants

 * Challenger XI MBT : Outfitted by the AFFC, this command variant was to utilize a C3 Master Computer to coordinate a lance sized C3 Network. The tank's weaponry includes two Gauss Rifles with five tons of ammunition, though it only carried a forward-mounted ER Medium Laser as a secondary weapon. BV (1.0) = 1,254 (Combined C3 BV), BV (2.0) = 1,833


 * Challenger XII MBT : The XII was introduced in 3064 and premiered on the battlefield in the FedCom Civil War. It retained the original's Gauss Rifle, but increased the ammunition capacity to three tons. The turret-mounted LRM 10 was upgraded to an Artemis enhanced LRM 15 launcher with three tons of ammo. The LB 10-X was replaced by a Rotary Autocannon/2 with two tons of ammo. Its front-mounted lasers were replaced with two ER Medium Lasers. The side-mounted Streak SRM 2 launchers were replaced with a single Streak SRM 4 launcher mounted in turret with a single ton of ammo to feed it. The tank was also equipped with a Guardian ECM Suite to protect it from enemy electronics and a C3 Slave Unit to enhance gunnery by taking advantage of targeting data from other units on the same network.  BV (1.0) = 1,580 (combined with C3 slave BV). BV (2.0) = 1,854


 * Challenger Mk. XIVs : This Jihad era variant is intended for underwater operations. Environmental Sealing keeps air in the tank. The Gauss Rifle, Artemis IV, and LRM launchers are replaced by an ER Large Laser and an MML-7. The forward firing pulse lasers are replaced by an SRM-4 and SRT-4. Heavy Ferro-Fibrous armor protects the tank. BV (2.0) = 1,512


 * Challenger Mk. XVc : The Experimental Mk. XVc was developed by a group of former AFFS tankers to build the "ideal" tank during the Jihad. Though it keeps the Gauss Rifle of the original, a Silver Bullet Gauss Rifle replaces the LB 10-X cannon. The missile launchers were replaced by a single Thunderbolt 15 system. A sponson turret on each side of the tank carries a pair of Magshots, providing effective anti-armor fire. The Mk. XVc removes the anti-missile system and armor of the original and replaces them with thirteen and half tons of Heavy Ferro-Fibrous armor. Maintaining the same speed is possible due to the XXL Engine carried in the tank. BV (2.0) = 1,894


 * Challenger Mk. XV : Based on the Challenger Mk. XVc, this version of the Challenger uses all Gauss weapons. The XXL Engine of the XVc has been replaced with a Fuel Cell engine to reduce cost, and the Thunderbolt missile system was removed. This leaves the Challenger Mk. XV with a Gauss Rifle and Silver Bullet Gauss Rifle in the turret and a pair of Magshots in each sponson turret. Fifteen tons of Heavy Ferro-Fibrous armor protects the tank. BV (2.0) = 1,724

Design Quirks
The ''Challenger Mk. XV'' variant is subject of the following Design Quirks:
 * Poor Performance
 * Rumble Seat
 * Trailer Hitch