Country of Origin: US

Notes: The LAV-75 and its variants (except for the LAV-75A4) were heavily tested in the US and overseas; procurement was basically stopped by doubt about the ARES 75mm autocannon and politics. Politics in particular stopped export sales.

Notes: The US Army began phasing out the M-551 Sheridan in 1978; by 1990, only the 82nd Airborne had fully combat-capable Sheridans (though a small number of Sheridans are still in use for training VISMOD purposes), though the 82nd had already been notified that their Sheridans were going to be phased out too, and by 1996, even the 82nd Airborne had no Sheridans. This left the 82nd Airborne and light infantry divisions with no support vehicles that had any heavy firepower or even halfway-decent armor protection. The Army started the High-Survivability Test Vehicle (Lightweight) (HSTV-L) initiative in the early 1980s to find a vehicle to replace the Sheridan, but ultimately the program came to naught. This is despite the fact that several promising and excellent vehicles resulted from HSTV-L. The HSTV-L program had become a tug-of-war toy for the Pentagon, Congress, and the President, as well as for budget-cutters and those who felt that the 82nd Airborne needed no such vehicle. By 1996, the HSTV-L program had become a very low-priority program, and though it is still funded at a low level (little more than enough to keep it alive), it is acknowledged that no vehicle will result from the program.

The AAI RDF/LT (Rapid Deployment Forces Light Tank) was one of the earliest vehicles to result from the HSTV-L program, with the first prototypes appearing in 1980. The first version (called by the designers of Twilight 2000 the "LAV-75," though the vehicle had no actual military designation) was based on a modified M-113A3 APC chassis. The greatest changes were to the suspension, engine, and drive train, as well as having a lower profile and the modifications necessary for a small-turreted vehicle. The hull of the LAV-75 became unrecognizable as something based on the M-113A3.

The LAV-75 has armor of welded aluminum. Though armor thickness was increased dramatically, it is still rather thin. Because of this, the LAV-75 is able to take several add-on armor packages, which would be added on later, and could be added quickly and easily enough that it could be done by crews in a combat zone. One of these packages is a set of simple appliqué aluminum plates for the hull and turret roof, and a set of track skirts. (The turret is too small to take appliqué armor, except on the roof.) Another set is an appliqué armor kit similar to the first kit, but the plates and side skirts are made of ceramic/aluminum sandwich armor; this armor is actually lighter than the aluminum appliqué, but costs more. A third method of added protection is a set of lugs for ERA for the glacis, hull sides, and turret roof. The ERA lugs can be attached to either one of the appliqué armor kits. Though offering much better protection, the appliqué armor kits also add a lot of weight, slowing the LAV-75 down. The LAV-75 also cannot be airdropped with those plates in place.

The engine of the LAV-75 is an Avro-Lycoming M-650 gas-turbine with an output of 650 horsepower and rapid acceleration. The driver’s position used the steering wheel of the M-113A3, with pivot steer levers above and in front of the steering wheel. Standard and parking brakes are provided, and the standard brakes and gas pedal are standard pedals. The power pack mounting is innovative; it is accessed from the rear, and can be slid out on rails for service and maintenance. Although the suspension is a modified version of the M-113A3’s suspension, the tracks are a modified form of those of the M-551s.

The turret of the LAV-75 is very low-profile, being less than a meter tall. During development, a bustle rack was added at the rear of the turret for crew equipment and any additional gear and ammunition. The most remarkable part of the turret is the main armament – an ARES 75mm autocannon. This gun uses a revolving breech to speed reloading as well as new case-telescoped ammunition with a combustible case. Recoil is largely taken up by a recoil piston, and the rest by a recoiling breech. The LAV-75 has a two-man crew; the commander doubles as a gunner. The commander has a hatch on the turret roof, with a pintle-mounted M-240 machinegun on a contra-rotating cupola. The ARES autocannon has another M-240 as a coaxial machinegun. In an unusual twist, the driver can fire the coaxial machinegun in an emergency, though he cannot fire the autocannon. The commander’s sights are located in an armored head atop the turret, and consist of an advanced FLIR imager, an image intensifier (primarily for day use), and a standard telescopic coincidence sight as a backup. A ballistic computer and a laser rangefinder are located in the turret, with the laser firing from a coaxial position opposite the coaxial machinegun. The commander/gunner can access these sights from the cupola if needed, though he cannot aim or fire his machinegun from under armor. In another unusual twist, the driver has his own sight head with a FLIR and image intensifier; he can therefore assist the commander/gunner in finding targets in a sort of hunter/killer setup. The driver also has direct vision blocks for normal driving. Both the driver and the commander/gunner can use direct binocular or monocular sight interfaces to access the information from their sight heads, or may view them on an LCD screen.

In 1982, AAI tested a different, enlarged turret on the LAV-75, which I have called here the LAV-75A1. The new turret is a two-man turret, with a gunner and commander; it is not as low-profile as on the LAV-75, but is still fairly small, with the gunner being more in the hull than in the turret. The LAV-75A1 has a separate sight head for the gunner, allowing for a true hunter/killer capability; as a result, the driver has no ability to fire the coaxial machinegun, and does not have the sight head of the LAV-75. The commander and gunner use the same sight interfaces as on the LAV-75, though the driver has a simple day/night vision block. The new turret is large enough to allow the use of appliqué armor on the turret sides and rear (but not on the front). The LAV-75A1 can also take lugs for ERA on the turret sides and front. Other than the increased weight of the new turret, the LAV-75A1 is basically the same as the LAV-75 in detail.

At the same time, AAI introduced another version of the LAV-75A1 – this one with a box on either side of the turret. This version was designed for antiaircraft use, and the boxes on either side of the turret could hold four Stinger or three RBS-70 SAMs. The SAM boxes can be elevated or depressed (both together) independent of or in synch with the main gun and coaxial. The sights for the main gun are also be used to fire the SAMs, and all weapons can be fired together; in this case, the commander fires the SAMs and the gunner fires the main gun and coaxial machinegun. Due to the SAM boxes on the sides of the turret, this version cannot take lugs for ERA on the turret sides, and applique armor has to be modified to accommodate the mounts for the SAM launchers. For game purposes, I have dubbed this version the LAV-75A2.

The 13.2-Ton Rapid Deployment Forces Light Tank was designed primarily for export. I have dubbed it the "LAV-75A3" here; it was designed with a different gun, as the ARES 75mm autocannon was deemed too advanced at the time of inception to be exported, and because many potential export customers were still using the old 76mm high-velocity gun or had easy access to its ammunition. The LAV-75A3 was developed in parallel with the LAV-75A1 and A2, with production-level prototypes being available for export in 1982.

The LAV-75A3 is for the most part identical to the LAV-75A1, but the 75mm ARES autocannon is replaced with the 76mm M-32 high-velocity gun, which was first used on M-41 Walker Bulldog light tank. This gun was also used by the Dutch on their version of the M-41, and they had developed an APDSFS-T round for the gun to give it a chance against targets with heavier armor. The LAV-75A3 remained air-droppable and was also able to use the appliqué armor and ERA lugs of the LAV-75A1 and A2. The gas turbine of the first three members of the LAV-75 series is not used; instead, a rather low-power 350-horsepower turbocharged diesel engine, coupled with an appropriate transmission and smaller fuel tanks. The GM 6V-53T engine used was almost identical to that of the M-113A3. This was primarily due to US government request; AAI would have preferred to have put a more powerful engine in the LAV-75A3 and standard fuel tanks to make it more attractive to export buyers. As it was, they had none, and Venezuela was the only country to even test the LAV-75A3.

Fast forward about a decade. The US was looking for a light tank to use as a support vehicle for the 82^nd Airborne division as well as a vehicle to supply to other allied countries in a sort of Lend-Lease program – and they needed a vehicle that could be easily put into production, quickly built, and with production farmed out to other companies a la World War 2 production of weapons. AAI stepped up to the plate again; as it was, they still had the production equipment for the earlier LAV-75 variants in storage, and pulled them out in short order and picked up production within 90 days.

Meanwhile, in the intervening time, weapons technology marched on. The new version of the LAV-75, dubbed "LAV-75A4" in its export version and "M-20 Ridgway" in US Army parlance, incorporated a number of new features. The armor suite received an upgrade – most of the armor, except for the rear of the vehicle and turret rear – used a new aluminum/ceramic sandwich armor that is light in weight, yet stronger than the LAV-75s original armor. The glacis used a new version of armor based upon the Chobham principle. Side skirts are standard on the LAV-75A4, and the ammunition is contained in explosion and fire-resistant armored bins, as are the fuel tanks. The LAV-75A4 can use appliqué armor similar to that of the other LAV-75s; however, the turret front is not large enough to take appliqué or ERA. The small straight parts of the turret sides can take appliqué, but the turret roof cannot.

The turret used is a remote "casemate" turret, a modified form of that of the Stryker MGS. This turret is armed with an M-68A1E4 105mm main gun – a modified form of the gun mounted on many earlier NATO tanks and the first generation of M-1 Abrams tanks. This version of the M-68A1 uses a low-pressure firing principle, as well as a shorter 45-caliber gun, with no muzzle brake. It has a fume extractor and a muzzle reference system. The main gun is fed by an autoloader, with a capacity of 20 rounds; the rest is carried in the aforementioned armored bins. To the right is a coaxial machinegun. On either side of the main gun are a two clusters of four smoke grenade launchers. The driver is in the usual place, but the gunner’s hatch is to the right of the casemate turret. The commander’s position is on a sponson on the left side of the casemate; while he does not have a commander’s machinegun, he is able to fire the limited-traverse coaxial machinegun, which is directly in front of him. The commander and gunner have their own vision heads, allowing them to act in a hunter/killer arrangement. The driver has standard passive IR, with a TV camera at the rear to assist when backing up.

This led to an increase in weight, and a more powerful engine was installed -- derived from an engine used for a heavy tractor/bulldozer, and coupled to an appropriate transmission. This engine is a Caterpillar D-11T DB multifuel engine; the smaller size of the engine allowed larger fuel tanks to be installed. These fuel tanks are self-sealing and use fire and explosion-dampening technology, and the entire vehicle has fire detection and automatic fire extinguishers.

While the 82^nd Airborne and some of the light infantry divisions were partially equipped with the original LAV-75 variants (they had a hodgepodge of armor), the LAV-75 variants were primarily supplied to China. The Chinese were only too happy to have more armor, even light armor, and the XVIII Airborne Corps was happy to have a guinea pig for the new, untried vehicles.

By 1995, the picture had become ugly; the ARES 75mm autocannon and the M-32 75mm gun were simply unable to penetrate most enemy frontal armor, and caused less-than-expected damage when hitting enemy armor from the sides. The LAV-75 series had proven to be mechanically reliable with maintenance being quite easy, and the LAV-75 series was decently survivable, particularly if used properly and equipped with appliqué armor packages. The high speed of the LAV-75 series proved to be an important tactical asset; they could practically run circles around enemy armor.

The problem was those guns, and the 82^nd Airborne, US light infantry divisions, and the Chinese demanded a better gun. This led to the LAV-75A4 version, using the 105mm low-pressure gun. These vehicles, though still deficient in armor, served with distinction in the Twilight War.  In particular, the engine power of the LAV-75A4 made it a fast and agile target (and small) that proved too difficult for many enemy gunners to hit or keep track of.

*Turret roof AV for the LAV-75, A1, A2, and A3 variants is 3. With Appliqué 1 armor, the turret roof becomes 5, and the hull floor becomes 4. With Appliqué 2, the turret roof and hull roof become 4Sp and the hull floor is 4.

The LAV-75A4, due to the nature of its casemated turret and more advanced armor, takes appliqué a bit differently. Standard hull roof and turret roof armor (what there is of it) is 3; standard floor armor is 5. With Appliqué 1, the hull floor armor is 6Sp, but the turret roof armor cannot take appliqué. With Appliqué 2, the hull roof armor becomes 6Sp and the floor armor becomes 7Sp; again, the turret roof cannot take this appliqué armor.

Country of Origin: Germany

Notes: The Begleitpanzer 57mm (Support Tank 57mm) is a light tank based on the Marder chassis. It features a 57mm cannon based on a Bofors naval gun and a TOW or HOT ATGM launcher. The main gun is fed by an autoloader, and married to a comprehensive fire control suite and night vision gear. The main gun’s autoloader has four feed chutes that each hold 3 rounds, allowing for quick changes in ammunition type fired. Further rounds are carried in the hull. The missile launcher is likewise loaded by an automatic loader, and there is no need for the crew to expose itself outside the armor envelope. The Begleitpanzer carries a small scout group of 3 troops; these troops can also double as impromptu crew members (usually to replenish the main gun’s magazine). The driver has a hatch on the front left hull top. The gunner and commander have hatches in the hull roof. The three troops have a ramp in the rear of the vehicle, and there are two firing ports in each side of the hull and one in the rear.

The Begleitpanzer 57mm was never developed beyond advanced prototypes.

Country of Origin: Russia (Soviet Union)

Notes: Though a version of the BRDM like this was the subject of speculation in the West, it does not seem to actually exist.

Twilight 2000 Notes: This upgrade of the BRDM-2 was only a rumor until shortly before the Twilight War, when a chance encounter by Saudi patrols of the border between Saudi Arabia and Iraq in 1995 resulted in two of them being captured and two destroyed by the LAV-600s the Saudis were using. The BRDM-3 is basically a BRDM-2 fitted with a larger turret housing a 30mm 2A42 autocannon and a PKT coaxial machinegun. The combination of speed, small size, and good firepower that the BRDM-3 afforded proved to be a thorn in the side of Allied, Chinese, NATO forces, and a few were even encountered in North Korea. The basic layout is otherwise unchanged from the BRDM-2 model, though there are improvements in stabilization and night vision equipment, as well as the addition of a video camera with a radio uplink to higher headquarters.

Country of Origin: United States

Notes: The Expeditionary Tank was designed for use by light and airborne forces as a fire support vehicle and light tank destroyer. It was developed in the 1980s using as many existing components as possible to save money. The vehicle is a very low profile design, with ammunition stored in the hull and the gun contained in a remote casemate. The gun is well stabilized with accuracy rivaling the M-1 series of tanks. The Expeditionary Tank has very light armor, but an appliqué armor package is available which can be installed in the field in 15 minutes by the crew, and dramatically increases the protection (and nearly doubles the vehicle’s weight).  Though tested as a possible replacement for the M-551 Sheridan in the airborne armor role and for use in light divisions, it was ultimately rejected for US service (along with every other design meant to replace the Sheridan...)

Twilight 2000 Notes: This was one of the many emergency solutions to the needs of airborne, air assault, and light infantry divisions for lightweight firepower.

Country of Origin: Great Britain

Notes: This British vehicle was built with experience gained in the building of the Warrior and Desert Warrior. These vehicles are primarily demonstrators. The armor, though light, is very advanced, and the fire control is likewise advanced. The driver is seated on the front left. The turret is nearly the same as that fitted to the Desert Warrior, but has a more advanced armor package and electronics. The turret also has an optical chemical sniffer installed. The vehicle is fitted with a computerized navigation system with inertial navigation and GPS. Computers also compile information from reconnaissance and relay that information to higher headquarters. Additional sensors are on a mast that can be elevated at the rear of the vehicle.

Twilight 2000 Notes: This vehicle was taken into limited service in Britain before the Twilight War, but the primary customers were Middle Eastern, such as Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Oman, UAE, and Yemen. Production of these vehicles started shortly before the Twilight War, and was quickly stepped up to an accelerated rate.

Country of Origin: United States

Notes: The Expeditionary Tank was designed for use by light and airborne forces as a fire support vehicle and light tank destroyer. It was developed in the 1980s using as many existing components as possible to save money. The vehicle is a very low profile design, with ammunition stored in the hull and the gun contained in a remote casemate. The gun is well stabilized with accuracy rivaling the M-1 series of tanks. The Expeditionary Tank has very light armor, but an appliqué armor package is available which can be installed in the field in 15 minutes by the crew, and dramatically increases the protection (and nearly doubles the vehicle’s weight).

Twilight 2000 Notes: This was one of the many emergency solutions to the needs of airborne, air assault, and light infantry divisions for lightweight firepower.

Country of Origin: Great Britain

Notes: This is a light tank based on modified chassis of the Warrior armored personnel carrier. In this role, armor is improved, and the vehicle is topped with a turret mounting a 105mm NATO-compatible gun. The turret was also fitted as a test to the South African Rooikat armored car. The vehicle may be fitted with appliqué armor, for an increase in HF and TF armor of 8, HS and TS armor of 6, and HR and TR armor of 4. This increases weight by 4 tons, and decreases combat movement by 5. The LMT-105 is basically a technology demonstrator, and is not expected to enter production.

Twilight 2000 Notes: Several prototypes of this vehicle were built before the war, but volume production did not begin until 1998, and it is a rare vehicle, most often employed in British scout units.

Country of Origin: United States

Notes: This vehicle, based on a modified Bradley chassis, allows doctors, nurses, and medics to provide advanced medical care in combat situations. The typical AMTV carries a full range of medical supplies (including a full set of surgical tools, the equivalent of 5 Doctor Medical Bags, enough refills for the personal medical kits of an entire platoon, a full range of drugs, at least 10 units of each blood type, plasma, and IV fluids, and advanced first aid kits). A large refrigerator is carried, as well as a freezer, a 10kW generator for running equipment with the engine off, a defibrillator, Oxygen equipment, medical monitors, and radios to communicate with air as well as ground elements. The crew of the AMTV normally consists of a driver, commander, medic, and nurse, doctor, or physician's assistant.

The M-2A0 AMTV is just one of the many projected possible variants of the Bradley chassis, but so far there is no sign of when or even it will ever enter service.

Twilight 2000 Notes: These vehicles were just reaching the US Army's inventory at the start of the Twilight War, and are thus rather rare.

Country of Origin: United States

Notes: This vehicle was "designed" by the fertile imaginations of the people at GDW (though I have added a back story and some variants).  While there is apparently going to be or already is an M-3A3 in real life, this vehicle is not it.

Twilight 2000 Notes: The M-3A3 CFV began production only a few months before the Twilight War; as such, it is a vehicle in rather short supply, despite relatively high production rates.  Production continued for a while after the start of US involvement in the Twilight War, and some more were actually converted in the various theaters of the war by means of a "kit," but there were probably never more than 100 or so of them. 

Like the M-2A3 IFV, the M-3A3 replaces the standard turret of the M-3 series with a new one using Hellfire ATGM launchers and a laser designator instead of TOW ATGM launchers.  The twin launcher was mounted on rails on the left side of the turret instead of the box launcher of standard M-3 series CFVs.  In addition, while most of these vehicles used the standard 25mm Bushmaster Chaingun, approximately 25% of the total number were built or supplied with 30mm Bushmaster II Chainguns or 35mm Bushmaster II ChainGuns.  The M-3A3 otherwise uses the same sensor suite as standard Bradleys, as well as the improved armor of the M-3A2.

The M-3A3, while considerably slower than the standard M-3 series due to the greatly-increased weight, was nonetheless welcomed by its crews due to the increased firepower it offered.

Country of Origin: United States

Notes: This vehicle falls somewhere between a light tank and a light armored vehicle. It was designed for use by airborne units, able to be airdropped or LAPSEd, and its modular construction allows it to be carried in aircraft. It is based on the chassis of the M-2 Bradley, and carries a turret armed with a low-pressure version of the standard 105mm NATO gun. The turret has ammunition storage bins equipped with blowout panels; if a turret (but not a hull) hit results in an ammunition explosion, the Buford is not destroyed and the crew killed. Instead, all the ammunition in the turret (up to 15 rounds) is destroyed, all armament takes minor damage; all sensors take major damage, and each member of the crew takes 50 points of concussion damage. There are three levels of modular armor protection available; these are indicated by slashes for Level 1/2/3 armor. Each configuration has lugs for reactive armor on the HF, HS, TF, and TS. It takes about an hour to take the Buford from Level 1 to Level 2 armor using 4 people, and another hour and a half to go from Level 2 to 3. There has been talk lately of resurrecting the Buford program, but there are no firm plans.

Twilight 2000 Notes: In the Twilight 2000 world, this vehicle program was never killed; it replaced about half of the Sheridans in the 82^nd Airborne Division, and also was used by the 101^st Air Assault Division, some Light Divisions, and even some heavier formations.

Country of Origin: (M-41CG) United States; (M-41GTI) Germany

Notes: These two versions of the M-41 were designed Cadillac Gage (in the case of the M-41CG) and Rheinmetall (in the case of the M-41GTI) with idea of selling them as kit-type upgrades to countries already using the M-41 and desiring to keep them in service for whatever reason.  Several countries apparently considered and possibly even tested these upgrades, but ultimately none actually bought the upgrades.

The M-41CG is an upgrade package designed by Cadillac Gage.  This upgrade basically places the turret of Cadillac Gage's Stingray light tank on the chassis of the M-41.  To cope with the increased weight, Cadillac Gage also installs a more powerful engine.  In addition, radios, electronics, transmission, and electrical components are also upgraded, a fire control computer is installed, and lugs are added to the turret front and sides for ERA.  The result is a Walker Bulldog which, while slightly slower, also has firepower far superior to the original M-41 series, as well as improved fire control and gun stabilization.

The M-41GTI is a German-designed upgrade package using the same sort of idea as the M-41CG; however, the replacement turret is taken from the Leopard 1A1.  As with the M-41CG, Rheinmetall also installs a more powerful engine and fire control computer, as well as upgrading the radios, electronics, electrical systems, and transmission.  The gun stabilization is not quite as good as that of the M-41CG, but the result is basically the same: a much more powerful version of the Walker Bulldog.

Twilight 2000 Notes: While the M-41GTI found a few scattered buyers in various places in the world, the M-41CG upgrade found many more -- especially in Taiwan, where almost all of their M-41 fleet was upgraded to the M-41CG standard.

Country of Origin: United States

Notes: This was initially a test program by Cadillac Gage for a proposed upgrade to the M-551 Sheridan. A few prototypes were built to demonstrate the viability of the concept, but the Army passed on the idea.

Twilight 2000 Notes: The US Army in 1994 began phasing out their M-551 Sheridan light tanks from the inventories of all but the 82nd Airborne and 101st Air Assault Divisions. With the development of the M-8 Buford in 1995, the M-551 seemed to be facing extinction. However, the production rate of the M-8 was initially only 300 per year; this left the US military in a terrible bind, because they had promised 100 of the M-8s to Taiwan, leaving only 200 Bufords dispersed over the whole of the Army, including the Airborne divisions. A stopgap measure was suggested by fitting Cadillac Gage Stingray turrets to the smaller CG Commando chassis to produce what were nicknamed "Stingray Juniors." These caught the eye of some but the Army never adopted any; however, the Anniston Army Depot began experiments of retrofitting the Stingray turret to a modified M-551body. The result was a vehicle which was hurried into production in late 1996, with an initial rate of conversion of estimated to be 75-150 per year. Anniston Army Depot went further with its conversions by producing spare parts for the M-551 Sheridan body; Cadillac Gage provided spare parts for the Stingray turret. Rudimentary changes made to the design included an upgraded armor plate on the underside of the vehicle to protect it from antitank mines. Many of the problems were fixed with the removal of the 152mm Gum/Missile Launcher, especially the rangefinder problem, which was solved by using the CG turret. Experiments were done with adding ERA by the 82nd Airborne while on maneuvers at Fort Irwin.

In the end, the development and adoption of the LAV-75 and continued production of the M-8 doomed the would-be adoption of the modified M-551 Sheridan/Stingray, and the 50-75 production models which had been converted are spread out across Alabama (Anniston Army Depot), Kentucky (Fort Campbell and Knox), and California (Fort Irwin). Unmodified versions of the M-551 with 152mm Gun/Missile Launchers can be found in large numbers at Fort Irwin (some 330 at last count), providing a large amount of spare parts. It is believed that many of these vehicles in California have been deployed to counter Soviet/Mexican-backed attacks into California and Texas. Stock models of the M-551 had been converted prior to the war to resemble many Soviet vehicles for use in training at Fort Irwin.

Country of Origin: Russia (Soviet Union)

Notes: This vehicle does not exist in real life; it was made up by the good people at GDW, though I have slightly embellished the story.  However, it appears that recently in Russia, there has been some drawing-board work for a PT-76 equipped with a new 57mm autocannon, so maybe one day there will be a PT-57...

Twilight 2000 Notes: This variant of the PT-76 light tank is so rare that it has almost never been seen in the hands of normal troops. If it is encountered, it is almost certain that one has encountered airborne or Spetsnaz troops. In this version, the normal turret of the PT-76 has been replaced with one mounting a 57mm S-40 autocannon. The PT-57 is meant for heavy, rapid-fire support of infantry and antiaircraft use.

Country of Origin: Israel

Notes: This is an Israeli modification of the PT-76. Original modifications were made for Indonesia, which has a number of old PT-76s. In the PT-90, the 76mm main gun is replaced by a Cockerill 90mm NATO gun, the coaxial machinegun is replaced by a MAG, a commander's machinegun has been added, and the engine is replaced with a version of the one used in the M-113 series of armored personnel carriers. The gun has been stabilized and new fire control equipment is added. As the new engine is smaller and lighter, more fuel has been added. Primarily designed as an upgrade package for countries already using the PT-76, the PT-90 has not as yet (officially) received any interest.

Twilight 2000 Notes: During the Twilight War, captured PT-76s were modified to this standard and used by the Israeli military, and some modifications were done for the Egyptians.

Country of Origin: Italy

Notes: This vehicle looks like something out a science fiction movie, with its long, low, slender silhouette. The chassis is based on that of the Gorgona, while the body is long and wedge shaped, with armor sloped on all sides. The driver is at the front with windows directly in front and to the sides; he has a hatch on top of his compartment. The commander’s position is to the rear and right of the driver’s position. To the rear is a hatchway that can be fitted with a variety of weapons stations or light turrets. On each side of the hull is another door, and to the rear of those doors is a firing port with vision block.

The T 12.7 FA has an externally mounted M-2HB machinegun that may be aimed and fired from within the vehicle. The T 7.62 FA is the same, but has a lighter machinegun. The T 20 FA-HS is also similar, but uses a 20mm autocannon. The Folgore x2 FA has two Folgore recoilless rifles and a light machinegun; these cannot be aimed or fired from within the vehicle. (The Folgores are treated as being mounted on a tripod with optronic sight.) The T 106 x2 FA is similar to the Folgore vehicle, but uses two M-40A2 106mm recoilless rifles and has no machinegun. As might be guessed, the TOW FA has a TOW II system.

The R3 was never actually put into production.

Country of Origin: United States

Notes: The RDF/LT (Rapid Deployment Forces Light Tank) was one of those vehicles developed in the 1980s as a possible replacement for the M-551 Sheridan light tank then in service with US Airborne units. The chassis is similar to that of the LAV-75, and it is also built by AAI, but the turret is a different one armed with a 76mm high-velocity gun. This is an old gun, but the ammunition is light, fairly effective, and readily available worldwide. The effectiveness is augmented by a new range of APFSDS ammunition. Like other such vehicles, the RDF/LT was not adopted by the US or any other country.

Twilight 2000 Notes: This vehicle was adopted to help form a vehicle base for a new armored scout platoon in the 82^nd Airborne division, and then went on to help equip the 101^st Air Assault Division and several Light Divisions.

Country of Origin: France

Notes: This is another one of those interesting vehicles that never made it past the prototype stage. The RPX 90 is a 4x4 light wheeled chassis mounting a MARS casemate turret with a 90mm gun. It was intended to be a reconnaissance vehicle with a low silhouette and excellent mobility. The driver is in the center front of the vehicle with bulletproof windows to the sides and front. The commander and gunner sit to either side of the casemate, and they have a hatch on the left side of the hull.

Country of Origin: France

Notes: The French are aggressively shopping around this vehicle, with no official orders yet.

Twilight 2000 Notes: This is a light scout car that was ordered into production by the French during the Twilight War for internal security work and patrolling of the "Dead Zone" along the Rhine River. It was known to be a quick and maneuverable vehicle that was a thorn in the side of many a refugee.

Country of Origin: France

Notes: This is the scout car variant of the Vextra 25 armored personnel carrier, designed to replace the AMX-10RC in French service and the Luchs in German service. The turret is replaced with a much larger one mounting a 105mm NATO gun. It has, however, not yet entered service with Germany, France, or any other country, and may never see service anywhere.

Twilight 2000 Notes: Perhaps 25 of these vehicles had been produced for each army before production stopped for Germany. French vehicles were largely deployed to the Middle East.

Country of Origin: France

Notes: This is another of those neat little vehicles that never quite made it into production. The VPX 5000 is a small scout APC, similar in concept to the US M-114, but with a more versatile chassis able to mount several weapons mixes. The MCT (MILAN Compact Turret) is a small mount for two MILAN ATGM launchers. The version with a HOT Launcher has a simple external HOT ATGM. THE MASCOT/MILAN has an externally-mounted remote machinegun and an external MILAN launcher. The BTM-208 turret has two machineguns. It is very light and has reasonable performance, but nothing outstanding (other than speed), and that probably led to its demise.

Country of Origin: Israel

Notes: This vehicle does not exist in real life; it was designed by Frank Frey at GDW for use in the RDF Sourcebook.

Twilight 2000 Notes: The Ze'ev was designed and built in Israel in the late 1980's as a low cost alternative to the Merkava Mk 1 MBT. It carries its main armament in a remote control turret with an auto loader system. The commander, driver, and gunner ride in the chassis. They each have a separate hatch on the chassis deck.

Ze'ev MAGS-60

Country of Origin: Israel

Notes: This vehicle does not exist in real life; it was designed by Frank Frey at GDW for use in the RDF Sourcebook.

Twilight 2000 Notes: This is a variant of the basic system mounting a 60mm hypervelocity autocannon in a remote controlled turret.