15mm M82A2 Forrest TDV

Based on the M81 Stuart IFV, the M82A2 Forrest tank destroyer vehicle (TDV) is the premier armored cavalry vehicle employed by the UCSA Army. Its light weight facilitates easy, low-cost interstellar transport, while its high speed, powerful armament, and flexible array of sensors and mission systems ensures viability in scenarios ranging from counterinsurgency to high-intensity conflict.

The heart of the Forrest TDV is its 20MJ linear accelerator, commonly referred to as a 'railgun', and its accompanying power generator and capacitor bank. The TDV utilizes the same gas turbine powerpack as the Stuart IFV to charge its accelerator's capacitors, permitting a sustained rate of fire of one round per minute. A full capacitor charge permits four slugs to be fired in the space of four seconds. The slow recharge rate and high mechanical rate of fire results in the Forrest primarily being employed as an ambush weapon against enemy armored formations and convoys. A secondary, coaxial-mounted M230 medium machine gun chambered in .338 Service provides for defense against infantry, while also being useful against soft-skinned vehicles.

In addition to its weapons systems, the Forrest is fitted with a multispectral sensor turret mounted on a telescoping hydraulic aerial. Capable of reaching an observation height of thirty feet above ground level, this turret permits the Forrest to surveil enemy positions while invulerable to direct fire. A pair of UAV launch tubes are provided as well, typically used for reusable scout drones. A kinetic-kill APS rounds out the Forrest's mission equipment.

The Forrest has a normal crew of two - a driver and a commander/gunner. Four cramped seats are provided in addition; a pair of cavalry scouts, one often doubling as a UAV operator, are frequently carried. The remaining space is utilized for supplies and ammunition, as UCSA cavalry units often operate unsupported for weeks at a time, relying on civilian infrastructure for resupply.