The KV-89 Heavy Assault Tank, a massive, and revolutionary tank with four tractor treads instead of the standard two, was intended to be the eventual replacement of the aging T-80UM3 Bars, T-90UM1, T-12UM1, and T-95U, all vehicles designed in the twentieth century and getting along in years despite complete MDC rebuilds. Despite being far larger and bulkier, the four treads made it just as maneuverable, and, being wider, spread the weight out over more ground, allowing it to maneuver over the same terrain, though it was slightly less maneuverable at high speeds than the tanks it replaced. Despite this, the massive number of tanks in the Red Army meant that it would be decades before they were fully replaced by the KV-89, which first entered service in the year 2089.

However, the tank was such a large and bulky preposition that it was decided to be more effective to operate it in coordination with light tanks. The SU-52, a light tank despite the self-propelled gun designation which the designation was intended to keep its actual purpose secret from the West, had been in development since 2052 but had been largely unsuccessful and had never been beyond the trials stage.

While designing the KV-89, the SU-52 was successfully redesigned and entered service in 2089 like the KV-89, though it kept the SU-52 designation from its design days. The SU-52 is more common among the post-holocaust New Sovietskiy and operates in "A-3" Light tank Battalions (More properly full Brigades, but designations have become muddled in the post-Holocaust Red Army.), with the nickname of "Ground thunder" . . . 3,600 or so are in service as opposed to 1,200 KV-89s. Note: For SU-52 writeup, see the New Sovietskiy section of the Mystic Russia book.

The KV-89s in New Sovietskiy service are organized into A-1 Heavy Tank battalions; They normally, however, operate in coordination with the Thunder sword Multi-Combat Platform, which was known as the BMP-15-2 design in the old SSSR, a very common replacement for earlier BMP-series vehicles (Which are themselves still very common in Post-Rifts Russia.), and the only treaded Armored Personnel Carrier designed from the very beginning as a Mega-Damage vehicle. The Thunder sword also featured four treads, but had a central "accordion" section that articulates the BMP-15-2 "Thunder sword" into an incredibly maneuverable vehicle for it's the Thunder sword is far more common in the New Sovietskiy than the KV-89s. Note: See New Sovietskiy section of the Mystic Russia Source book for writeup on the Thunder sword/BMP-15-2 (The author's designation chosen for Red Army definition purposes.)

The tank was also more crew intensive, requiring five men instead of the three of the older tanks, but was considerably more roomy, being designed from the start for men with a height of six feet or more in mind. This was the greatest problem of the Red Army during the 21st century, and the purely pragmatic reason that women were brought into the army to serve as tankers; Their tanks were designed for people relatively short in stature and size, and as the average height of human beings continued to grow through the 21^st century, they couldn't find enough male recruits short enough to fill their quotas for tankers. (For instance, the old Russian T-55 had trouble accommodating anyone higher than 5'6".)

Though large numbers of the KV-89s were produced, they were not sold, not even to Cuba or the African nations during the New Cold War; The goal was to have the KV-89s begin large scale replacement of the older tanks, and then those would be sold to the satellite nations en masse or placed in storage. However, buildups during the New Cold War meant that the army simply increased in size as the KV-89s were added.

A fair number of them survived the coming of the Rifts, and they are relatively common among the New Sovietskiy, and slightly less so among the Warlords. They are comparatively rare outside of those groups.

The KV-89s was revolutionary in having a fully automated firing system for the 122 mm rifled howitzer, and also in having the gun at all; The two gun turret was also divided by a bulkhead, and the features allowed for one high-powered plasma weapon to provide a short range tank to tank punch, while the long range 122 mm Howitzer shot long range bombardment rounds; The KV-89s could function both as a tank and a mobile artillery piece.

Though some Western military analysts had ridiculed Russia clinging to the "outdated" concept of the tank as they switched their militaries over to Robots, which, like the Glitter Boy, theoretically had the firepower and capabilities of a mega-damage tank of the same cost, but in a more all-terrain format, and under the control of one person instead of three or four. The Soviet KV-89s put that line of thought into considerable doubt as it, and the T-81 Fast Attack Tank ("FAT") that preceded it by eight years, designed primarily for arctic operations and initially produced in limited numbers, proved in simulations to be capable of smashing their way through Robot units in a "Shock Charge" eerily similar to the way in which a regiment of cavalry or lancers might break through enemy infantry lines that hadn't formed into defensive squares. Though in the case of the huge KV-89s, support by the SU-52 was vital for such operations.

One of the main gunners operates each respect main gun, the mechanic performs emergency repairs and operates the missile launcher, the driver drives the vehicle, and the commander operates the radios and sensors and gives orders; The lasers are fully automated.

Model Type: KV-89
Vehicle Type: Heavy Assault Tank.
Crew: Five (Two main gunners, commander, driver, mechanic/support gunner.)

M.D.C. by Location:

	[1] Tractor Treads (4):	200 each
	[2] Weapons Turret halves (2):	400 each
	Reinforced Crew Compartment:	400
	Bulldozer blade (Lowers/Raises automatically):	200
	122 mm rifled howitzer:	75
	Main Plasma Cannon:	75
	Fire-suppression laser mounts (2):	75 each
	Medium Range Missile Launcher:	150
	Multi-Option Jammers (2):	25
	"Grapeshot" Anti-Missile system:	100
	[3] Main Body:	1,000

Notes:
[1] Depleting the M.D.C. of a tread will immobilize the tank until it is replaced. Replacing a tread will take 1D6x10 minutes by a trained crew (4 replacements are carried on board) or three times as long by the inexperienced. Changing the tread is only advisable when the vehicle is not under attack.
[2] The Weapons turret is unmanned by the crew, and split into two halves; Each half can be destroyed without otherwise damaging the vehicle, or the other half and it's functionality. One half (Right) holds the plasma cannon, while the left half holds the long range artillery piece. This makes the tank very survivable, and it can retreat and have a new weapon turret fitted relatively quickly.
[3] If all the M.D.C. of the main body is depleted, the vehicle is completely shut down and is unsalvageable; The crew can survive unharmed in the reinforced crew compartment.

Speed:
Ground: 49.4 mph (80 kph) maximum road speed on M.D.C. roads only; S.D.C. material roads will be ripped apart and count as off-road terrain; 43.5 mph (70 kph) off-road, with a -10% penalty to all driving rolls and a -1 penalty to strike when the tank is exceeding 31.1 mph (50 kph) while off-road.
Maximum Range: Unlimited (Nuclear Fusion power supply; 25 years.)

Statistical Data:
Height: 13.1 feet (4 meters) to top of the gun turret.
Width: 19.7 feet (6 meters)
Length: 39.4 feet (12 meters) not including gun barrel.
Weight: 154.3 tons (140 metric tons).
Power Source: Nuclear fusion reactor; Must be refueled every twenty five years, otherwise effectively unlimited.
Cargo Capacity: Minimal, enough for equipment with crew
Black Market Cost: 28,000,000 Credits to build; Versions available currently sell for 56,000,000 credits+. If fitted, any extra weapon systems will add to the cost of the tank; KV-89s are usually found very heavily modified, though they are relatively uncommon. Tank crews often personalize them with their pay in the armies of the assorted warlords to be considerably different from these Soviet-Era specifications. KV-89s still in the service of the New Sovietskiy, however, follow these specifications to the letter.

Weapon Systems:

1. 122 mm Rifled Howitzer: Mounted in the turret, left section. The KV-89 enjoys a +4 to strike for the main gun using the standard quadrant sight.
   Maximum Effective Range: 7.5 miles (12 km) with Quadrant sight; 13.7 miles (22 km) with helicopter spotting, pre-planned firing locations, or forward scout vehicles providing targeting data.
   Mega-Damage: [FRAG]: 1D6x10+5 with a blast radius of 30 feet (9.1 m). [HE]: 2D4x10 with a blast radius of 20 ft (6.1 m). [HEAT]: 3D4x10, blast radius of 5 ft. (1.5 m) [AP]: 4D4x10. with no blast radius [PLASMA]: 4D4x10+10, blast radius of 30 ft (9.1 m).
   Rate of Fire: Three times per melee.
   Payload: 60 gun rounds; The gun is semi-automatic and fully self loading. Standard load is 20 HEAT rounds, 10 FRAG rounds, 10 AP rounds, 10 Plasma rounds, and 10 HE rounds.
   Bonuses: +4 bonus for fire with the Quadrant sight out to 12 km; No bonus beyond that range when in line of sight. Outside of line of sight, bonuses depend on vehicles providing targeting data. Bonuses only apply when vehicle is not moving.
2. Particle Bolt / Plasma Burst Cannon: The plasma burst cannons, alternately referred to as "Particle Bolt" cannons, can be used both for anti-vehicle and anti-aircraft purposes, and was basically the same as the standard Soviet energy weapon for all of their mega-damage surface warships of the Twenty First Century. It was taken for use in the KV-89 tank, with the barrel chopped down and reduced in size. The modified plasma cannon damage is the same, but the range is half, and due to the smaller reactor increases the recharge time by a third over the naval version. Mounted in the right side of the turret. The similarities between the two designs are for reasons of commonality, which became more popular in Soviet designs as a money-saving gesture to allow for the storage of fewer spare parts of differing designs and increased integration.
   Maximum Effective Range: 5 miles (8 km)
   Mega Damage: 6D6x10 per blast
   Rate of Fire: 2 attacks per melee round.
   Payload: Effectively unlimited.
   Bonuses/penalties: +5 to strike at all targets with direct path laser sight/burner No penalties for firing while the vehicle is moving, and the bonus above still applies while the vehicle is moving.
3. Fire Suppression Lasers (2): These Close-In Weapon Systems fire rapid-pulse lasers against missiles or low-flying aircraft. The weapons are automated and track missiles with radar sensors (+4 to strike missiles and aircraft) They are mounted on the sides of the turret.
   Maximum Effective Range: 4000 feet (1220 m).
   Mega-Damage: 1D4x10
   Rate of Fire: Each turret has 6 attacks per melee round.
   Payload: Effectively unlimited.
   Bonuses: +4 to strike flying targets with radar guidance.
4. Medium Range Missile Launcher: This missile launcher fires volleys of medium range missiles, principally anti-aircraft fragmentation. They can be used against a wide variety of targets.
   Maximum Effective Range: As per medium range missile type - (Go to Revised bomb and missile table).
   Mega Damage: As per medium range missile type - (Go to Revised bomb and missile table).
   Rate of Fire: The launcher can fire a volley of 1-6 missiles per melee round.
   Payload: 12 Medium Range missiles. No reloads carried.
5. Multi-Option "Shtora-8B" Jammers (2): These are multi-purpose jamming devices designed to stop incoming missiles and confuse an enemy targeting the KV-89
   Effect: Each firing launches two Chaff rockets, two Flare rockets, and the tank begins emitting a large cloud of smoke, both standard and Anti-Laser Prismatic aerosol; The Chaff rockets detonate and spread Chaff over the area, the flare rockets floating down by parachute; Effects last for one minute (4 Melee rounds.) The Chaff rockets have a 20% chance of interfering with the course of enemy missiles each (40%, total) that are radar guided so that they miss the tank. The flares have the same percentages, except with IR-guided missiles. The Anti-Laser prismatic aerosol causes -4d4 damage to any laser beam striking the tank with the exception of X-ray lasers and variable frequency lasers; X-Ray lasers suffer no damage modifiers, and variable frequency lasers do not suffer the penalty after two test firings into the cloud to find the right frequency, and adds a +4 difficulty to targeting the tank with a laser guidance system or visually.
   Rate of Fire: Usually once every four melee rounds; Effects are not cumulative.
   Range: Around tank only; Rough distance of 80 ft (24 m) around tank.
   Payload: Sufficient for twenty four (24) firings.
   
6. "Grapeshot" Anti-Missile defense system: Almost unique to the T-95 series of MBTs, the KV-89 type was the only other tank to utilize this unique weapon. The "Grapeshot" as something like a claymore mine, though there were four charges, mounted on a rotating post atop the turret and capable of showering both enemy ground troops and incoming missiles in a hail that could annihilate said missiles or ground troops. However, the simple problem was that with only four blast packs, it could only be used so many times. Though the original system was not terribly effective, using MDC materials, it became a fearsome close-up weapon when modified with Mega-Damage shrapnel and explosives. It was never fitted to any Soviet tanks except the T-95 (And the KV-89), however, as it was felt the rapid-fire lasers of the newer tanks replaced the need for it, especially with it's very limited payload, and there was no space on the older tanks. The exception to this was the KV-89 Heavy Assault Tank, which was large enough that it could easily be added without any problems to augment the lasers. Still, in addition to effectively defending the tank against missile strikes, the "Grapeshot" can be used as a positively horrific weapon against infantry attempting to get up close to the tank, even in heavy MDC body armor.
   Mega Damage: One burst does 2D4x10+25 M.D.
   Rate of Fire: Up to all four charges can be used in one melee round.
   Effective Range: 50 meters.
   Payload: 4 explosive charges.
   Notes: +9 to strike; The Grapeshot device does the same amount of damage to multiple targets; Any targets that are within a 90 degree angle of the direction the device is targeted in receive the same amount of damage each.

Sensors:

• Radar System: Range of 30 miles (48 km); Capable of tracking up to 56 targets simultaneously, this radar serves to guide the Lasers in engaging aircraft (+4 to targeting aircraft and missiles with the Lasers), and providing early warning of incoming aircraft and missile attacks; The radar can be programmed to shut off immediately if it detects an aircraft firing a missile, incase the missile is a radar-homing HARM type. The radar is relatively ineffective against ground targets (-40% to sensor rolls.)
• Quadrant Sight: For long-range targeting of 122 mm rounds; +4 to firing the 122 mm howitzer at targets up to 7.5 miles (12 km) away, only, and when the vehicle is not moving.
• Data-Interlink Transmitters: For using targeting data from scout vehicles for firing the 122 mm gun. Bonus varies on the quality of the data being provided, but all data would allow the tank to fire over obstacles if the scout vehicle is in the right position. The normal effective battlefield range is 15 miles (24 km).
• Full Infrared Viewing Mode: Range of 4 miles (6.4 km), with IR searchlight (+3 to detecting targets with IR when in use, however, +3 to detecting the KV-89 with IR equipment when in use, as well.).
• Two Periscopes: With up to x100 magnification for commander and driver to view out of while maneuvering the vehicle. Visual targeting sight with same magnification possible for gunner.
• Laser Targeting System: For Plasma cannon, range of 5 miles (8 km)

• Tank is fully NBC (Nuclear, Biological, Chemical) protected, and all equipment is hardened against EMP (Electromagnetic Pulse).

• Gromeko Battlefield Computer: All communications are automatically encrypted/decrypted by the sender/receiver units without their operators having to specify it. This can be turned off if desired. It also features Enemy Profiling for up to 600 different combat vehicles and cyborgs, 1000 identifying insignias and marks, as well as 2000 (Post-Rifts Only) monsters and demons - each rendered in full color with schematics of known weaknesses, armor, weapons, etc, capable of rotation and zoom to x25 magnification. The Gromeko functions as a kind of passive friend or foe identification system, flashing words or symbols on the monitor and HUD display. This vehicle model of the Gromeko is larger, has a more powerful computer and larger memory compared with the bionic version tied into the cyber-optics of many Post-Rifts 'Borgs. Visual Range: 6,000 feet (1,828 m), linked with periscopes and a video camera with telescopic abilities.
• Enviro-Sensors: An external and internal sensor system that monitors the environment outside and inside the vehicle. This is done on a molecular level and used to detect and measure impurities, chemical, germ/ biological and other dangerous agents (toxic gases, smoke, pollution, spores, radiation, etc.) in the immediate area surrounding the vehicle. It can identify 6000 elements, gases and agents as well as measure temperature, wind speed, humidity, barometric pressure, and similar air and environment aspects. The same is true inside the vehicle, with links to the life support system to monitor conditions and warn for breaches to the NBC integrity. When exposed to gases, oxygen masks drop from concealed compartments in the ceiling for each of the crew/passengers that can be carried should the crew not be in NBC or environmentally sealed suits already.
• Long-Range Radio Communication System: Approximately 500 mile (800 km) range in the steppes and tundra; 300 miles (482.7 km) in the forests and around cities (interference) and 100-200 (160 to 320 km) in the mountains Note: the interference from the latter two is common to all ground vehicles, not just Russian designs.

Special Notes:

Tank is fully NBC (Nuclear, Biological, Chemical) protected, and all equipment is hardened against EMP (Electromagnetic Pulse).

[New Navy, New Sovietskiy, and TRIAX are trademarks owned by Kevin Siembieda and Palladium Books Inc. ]
[ Rifts® is a registered trademark owned by Kevin Siembieda and Palladium Books Inc.]

Initial Writeup by Marina O'Leary (LusankyaN@aol.com ).

Minor Reformatting and revisions by Kitsune (E-Mail Kitsune ).

Copyright © 2000, Marina O'Leary. All rights reserved.