AMY-82

The AMY-82 ia a Yonderian main battle tank developed by AMY during the latter stages of the Occidental Cold War. First delivered to the Yonderian Defence Force in 1982, it gradually replaced the previous AMY-66 tanks with which they were designed to have some parts commonality to ease logistics. Major improvements over the AMY-66 included a whole new armour profile, a mechanical autoloader, improved infrared sighting and a larger, more capable main gun. As such, the AMY-82 represented a major leap forward in Yonderian tank capabilities.

The AMY-82 has served the Yonderian Defence Force since its introduction in 1982, gradually replacing the AMY-66 until the AMY-82 became the sole active use tank of the YDF in 1993. A number of upgrade packages were introduced to the AMY-82 over the years to prolong its service life with the YDF. The AMY-82 began being replaced in YDF service by the AMY-16 in 2016, at which time excess AMY-82s were sold off to Tapakdore to serve with the Tapakdi Royal Army with its Army of the Mounted Men.

The AMY-82 has taken part in The Deluge and to a lesser degree the Final War of the Deluge. It was the point of contention of the 1982 Yonderian tanker crisis which for a time caused a crippling strike of Yonderian tankers. Despite the initial outrage at the removal of a crew member, the AMY-82 would soon become a well-liked piece of machinery. The AMY-82 remains in service with the Yonderian Defence Force and the primary MBT of the Tapakdi Royal Army.

Development
Designing of the AMY-82 began in 1979 when the Army Procurement Command of the Yonderian Defence Force put out a list of requirements for a new main battle tank to Yonderian heavy industries conglomerate AMY under the codename Projet Balestinette, "Project Crossbow". Requirements included a smoothbore main gun larger than the current 105mm FNC FC-65 capable of firing anti-tank guided missiles and functioning with a mechanical autoloader, a co-axial autocannon of no less than 30mm in calibre, at least 9° of gun depression and an armoured profile consisting of composite armour. The addition of an autoloader not only lowered the crew count from four to three but also allowed the tank to be shorter in height than its predecessor as there was no need for a standing crew member.

In the face of the considerable list of requirements, AMY immediately distributed tasks between the companies under it. Noted cannon manufacturer Fabrique Nationale Collinebourg set about designing a new main gun and autoloader in close cooperation with Fabrique de Sainte-Catherine who was to design the co-axial autocannon and anti-tank guided missile for the main gun. The Atelier de Mécanique de Gabion was to design the tank's engine and the composite armour system to protect it, while the Atelier de Mécanique de Somua was tasked with developing the daylight and infrared sighting systems. A board of experienced tank designers from Yonderre and LOTA member states was hired to draw up the actual tank itself.

The AMY-82 was designed relatively quickly compared to the scale of the project thanks to its generous budget and the number of design firms working on it. Working prototypes were tested in December of 1981, a full seven months ahead of schedule. Parts commonality with the previous AMY-66 tank included much of the running gear such as road wheels, idler wheels and the physical track links themselves. The design of crew and maintenance hatches was also reused from the AMY-66 where possible. The 125mm anti-tank guided missile to be fired from the main gun, designated MAS-82, was largely a scaled down version of the 135mm MAS-72 ATGM designed by Fabrique de Sainte-Catherine.

Service
The AMY-82 entered service with the Yonderian Defence Force in the Summer of 1982, the first unit to receive them being the Guards Cuirrasier Divsion. Although production was initially slow, not least because of uncertainty with the tank's future thanks to the 1982 Yonderian tanker crisis, production picked up pace in the mid-1980s until the AMY-82 had fully replaced the AMY-66 in active units in 1993. AMY-82s saw combat service during the Final War of the Deluge fighting in service of Intrepid Enterprises mercenaries in Cetsencalia where the AMY-82s were noted for their capabilities.

The AMY-82 is purpose built both for defence of Yonderre and foreign deployments. Sporting 10° of gun depression, the AMY-82 excels at fighting from hull-down positions typical of the Yonderian Defence Force when on the defensive. Its low profile and overall silhouette also makes it a difficult target to spot. The powerful 125mm FNC FC-80 smoothbore gun (L/52), for which it carries 42 rounds, provides it with fearsome firepower capabilities both in an anti-tank and anti-personnel role, while the MAS-82 ATGM allows it to engage targets far beyond the effective range of conventional tank munitions.

Beginning in 2016, the AMY-16 began replacing the AMY-82 in active combat units of the Yonderian Defence Force. The same year, the Yonderian state, through Burgundie, began exporting excess AMY-82s to Tapakdore to serve with the Tapakdi Royal Army with its Army of the Mounted Men.

Crew controversy
Due to the presence of an autoloader, crew size in the AMY-82 was reduced to three from four in the AMY-66 as the loader was no longer required; the fourth crew member was instead added to the unit maintenance pool to alleviate crews in maintaining their tanks. This caused uproar among tankers of the Yonderian Defence Force, going as far as then-Chief Sergeant of the Army Hercule de Bordelleaux, also a tank commander with the Guards Cuirrasier Divsion, writing a strongly worded letter of complaint to the General Staff of the Yonderian Defence Force signed by no less than 1465 enlisted men, NCOs, officers and even Marshal of Yonderre Rachet d'Everard.

Public interest in the controversy grew as Yonderian media began reporting on it, with the Collinebourg Gazette printing de Bordelleaux's letter of complaint in its entirety in September of 1982. Chief of Defence of the Yonderian Defence Force Ricardo de Bordelleaux, a distant relative of Chief Sergeant of the Army Hercule de Bordelleaux, defended the decision to reduce tank crews as a direct result of technic advances and compared it to merchanization of factory work, a comment that would prove to be extremely unpopular. Ricardo de Bordelleaux ultimately resigned from his post as Chief of Defence on October 11th 1982 after Yonderian tankers had been on strike since September 22nd. A compromise was reached with the new Chief of Defence Holger Müller in November 1982 by which affected loaders who wished to were allowed to retrain as other tank roles (commander, gunner or driver) or retire early from their contracts with full benefits provided they were more than halfway complete. The agreement would concern current and future loaders as AMY-66s were gradually replaced with AMY-82s.

The result of the compromise was the loss of more than three thousand experienced tankers between 1982-93 to early retirement and a shortage of maintenance crews that would not be caught up with until 1986. The option to sign up with the Yonderian Defence Force as a tank loader on any contract shorter than twelve years was removed in 1985 to stop people from signing up as loaders on short contracts to retire early with benefits. Several hundred of the early retirees would go on to sign contracts with the Burgoignesc Foreign Legion as tankers and trainers. It is widely agreed that the tanker crisis would have negatively affected the tank forces of the Yonderian Defence Force if the Occidental Cold War went hot between 1982-86.

Users

 * Yonderre
 * Tapakdore

Non-state users
Intrepid Enterprises