Lion 1 Main Battle Tank
| |
 The Lion 1 Main Battle Tank during testing in late 1716 AN. | |
| Type: | Main battle tank |
| Place of origin: |  Natopia
|
|
| |
| Designed: | 1713 AN-1715 AN |
| Manufacturer: | Neridia Defense Industries |
| In service: | 1717 AN |
| Used by: | |
| Quantity built: | XXX |
| Quantity in service: | XXX |
|
| |
| Weight: | 62 tonnes |
| Length: | 9.7 m |
| Crew: | 4 |
| Effective range: | 450 km |
| Speed: | 30 km/h off-road 68 km/h on-road |
|
| |
| Main Armament: | 120mm smoothbore gun |
| Secondary Armament: | Coaxial 7.62mm machine gun, 12.7mm anti-aircraft machine gun |
| Drone Capabilities: | Equipped to deploy and control up to 4 reconnaissance drones for battlefield surveillance and target acquisition. |
|
| |
| Cost: | |
The Lion 1 Main Battle Tank, developed between 1713 AN and 1715 AN as a private initiative of Neridia Defense Industries (NDI), is a cutting-edge armored warfare platform for the Natopian Defense Force and other Raspur Pact militaries.
Characteristics
The Lion 1's core design focuses on versatility, firepower, and crew protection. It boasts state-of-the-art composite armor, an advanced fire control system that ensures high accuracy in diverse combat scenarios, and a powerful 120mm smoothbore main gun capable of firing a wide range of munitions.
Additionally, its integrated battlefield management system enhances coordination and situational awareness among units.
Variants
Lion 1A1
Improved armor and enhanced electronic warfare capabilities. This variant also includes an upgraded engine for better performance and fuel efficiency.
Lion 1A2 Polar Bear
Specialized for operations in subzero temperatures and polar scenarios. Features additional thermal insulation, anti-icing systems for engine and weapons, and specialized lubricants for cold weather. It is equipped with skid plates for better traction on ice and snow.
Procurement
| Country | Variant | Ordered | Delivered |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natopia |
Lion 1 | 100 (1717 AN) | 100 (1718 AN) |
 Oportia |
Lion 1A1 | 300 (1728 AN) | 189 (1729 AN) |
| Natopia |
Lion 1A1 | 2,867 (1729 AN) | (Delivery at 206x per year until 1743 AN) |
 Normark |
Lion 1A2 Polar Bear | 148 (1732 AN) |
The origins of the Lion 1 began with an internal initiative of the NDI design bureau, which had noted the high rate of battlefield losses incurred by the BK-III Verteidiger, a common main battle tank of the Raspur Pact during the Second Elwynnese Civil War and the Wars of the Dispossessed, and anticipated that the impending abandonment of the Natopian Defense Force's longstanding policy of overhauling and rebuilding legacy gravimetric vehicles would provide an opening for a technologically superior offering.
The opportunity for NDI indeed came in 1716, with the appointment of Frederik Anders the Younger as Secretary of Defense. His subsequent defence review, informed by his experiences with the Whales Auxiliary Force and Western Natopian Demesnial Forces, did indeed lead to the endorsement of reforms to the Natopian Army and the replacement of gravimetric vehicles with more mechanically reliable and cheaper to operate tracked armoured fighting vehicles.
Initially, as a consequence of scepticism on the part of Tapfer Command, the Lion 1 was initially only adopted by Natopia in limited quantities.
Although the Court of the Verdant Garden had been impressed by the speed with which the NDI had set about the fulfillment of its initial order – as they wished to demonstrate their capacity for manufacturing armoured vehicles at scale – the NDF had noted a number of points in regards to the production models of the Lion 1.
These deficiencies would be meticulously examined and the cumulative effect of the subsequent rectifications would result in the delivery of an enhanced variant – the Lion 1A1 – by the mid 1720s.
In 1728 AN, Oportia placed a large order of Lion 1A1 tanks as part of the military expansion program implemented by the Oportian Defense Review 1723.
Operational history
The Lion 1 Main Battle Tank made its first appearance through the Lion 1A1 variant in Operation Verdant Reach, operated by Oportia. This operation marked the Lion 1A1's debut on the battlefield, showcasing its advanced capabilities in a real-life scenario. Utilized by Oportian forces to provide a significant advantage, its performance in Operation Verdant Reach validated the design philosophy and technological advancements embedded in the tank.
