Gallant (Combat Vehicle)

Description
With 'Mechs having begun their rule of the open battlefields the Gallant was intended as a niche product for the specific role of urban warfare and infantry support. Developed by Freeport Armorworks on Helm (production was later taken over by Kallon Industries on Loyalty) the design was nearly killed by budget issues which forced downgrades to the planned fusion power plant and other modern features, though eventually it was equipped at least with CASE. To fulfill its urban combat role the vehicle featured a low, very heavily armored chassis with self-inflating tires, a necessity to keep the heavy six-wheeler mobile under fire.

The Gallant entered service with the Free Worlds League Military just in time for the Third Andurien War in 2551. However, the adherence of Captain-General Albert Marik to the Ares Conventions caused the tank to be rarely used in its intended role. Too slow for fast attacks or pursuits, the vehicle was mostly used to escort supply convoys instead. Many Gallants were later turned over to the Star League Defense Force which used it in all theaters of the Reunification War, most notably on Cerberus and during the siege of Apollo. The design was relegated to reservist units in the early 27th century and became virtually extinct in the Succession Wars, with only a handful of non-operable units surviving in museums and private collections.

Weapons and Equipment
The Gallant was given a variety of weapons to fight at all ranges. The turret carried a heavy Kali Yama Class 10 autocannon with two tons of ammunition, accompanied by a Harvester SRM-2 rack with 50 reloads and four Scatter Gun machine guns for use against infantry. A Light Crossbow LRM-10 launcher mounted in the front and with 1 ton of ammo allowed for long-range fire and indirect missile attacks.

Variants
The early Gallant models, in service until the mid-2570s, featured no CASE. The SLDF on some units replaced the ICE with a fusion engine, increasing the speed and adding energy weapons, but those changes were not widespread or permanent enough to become an official variant.