APC-V-75 Mk. II

"She may be ugly. She may sound like a stuttering orc. But she is tough as nails!"

- John Arvel

"You just got run over by the scorpion gang, essé!"

- Flah'fle Darber

The '''APC-V-75 Mk. II''', commonly referred to as the V75, is the workhorse of the Gratus Confederacy infantry forces. It is a common sight within their territory, found performing routine patrols and transportation duties.

Though higher ranks have moved onto better vehicles, it is commonly found among rank and file soldiers.

History
It has been in service since 3420GR and has proven itself to be a venerable and stable design. At its introduction, it was praised for its durability and innovative measures in providing space for soldiers. This boosted morale considerably and led to a more efficient fighting force.

In recent years, it has become less involved in important efforts and is relegated to dropping off retrieval squads and patrolling the backwaters of the Confederacy. This is due to the advancement in gratus technology and the relative inflexibility of the V75 platform. Despite this, many soldiers consider it to be superior over the V76 because of its durability and spacious interior.

Fitting
For a standard load-out, the V75 is armed with twin auto-cannons with a firing rate of 700rpm. These are usually removed to save space and replaced with a smaller machine gun depending on mission requirements. Some models are equipped with smoke launchers and "screamer" crowd dispersal devices. In recent years, these tend to be removed and fitted onto more advanced vehicles.

It has 30mm of armour around the front and sides and 15mm on the back. While this does increase its weight and slow it down, it makes it incredibly resilient to small arms fire and some anti tank fire.

The V75 has a maximum transport capability of 15 troops but can fit 20 uncomfortably. It has external racks for carrying cargo and weapons, but these are rarely used due to the substandard suspension on many of the older V75s. Troops tend to keep cargo inside to reduce the risk of it being dislodged and lost during a bump. Though this is against regulation, high command do not concern themselves with the affair of rank and file soldiers as disposable and many as they are.

Combat
In combat, the V75 is more of a mobile cover screen than a major threat. The V75 was initially designed with urban combat in mind and thus is capable of smashing through walls and deploying troops safely. With the breakdown of most urban civilisation, the most common combat technique is to use the V75 as cover as it moves up towards the target. Over the hundreds of years of service, many renegades have discovered weaknesses in the design. This includes under armour that is largely nonexistent. If a renegade can slide an explosive under the engine, the explosion will cause the engine to explode and destroy the entire vehicle. Despite this weakness, a V75 is still a major threat to a Wylder encampment due to their lack of explosive weapons.

Despite the best efforts of the Gratus Confederacy, defectors are beginning to turn the V75 against them; they will overrun the crew and take over the vehicle. As a result, many V75s have been seen in enemy hands in recent days.