Natah III

= Natah III MBL =

Overview
The Natah III marked the first true Main Battle Landship of the North Ghurkkan army. Regarded by many as a huge step forward in Ghurkkan Landship design, after the many shortcomings and failures of the sub-par Great War designs, and featuring the most modern technologies that could be installed in such a vehicle. Whereas previous Ghurkkan tanks suffered from underpowered engines, poor ergonomics and weak guns, the Natah III sought to rectify such issues and reduce the scale of Ghurkkan armour losses in any future war. The new Model 19 engine gives the landship high speed and manoeuvrability offset by a reducing in armour weight which in turn is counteracted with later skirts and additional plating. A simple ventilation pump can be activated by the commander to move air in and out of the landship- reducing the previous notoriously hot conditions inside Ghurkkan armour. The addition of a high powered spotlight was made after analysis of night fighting battles on the Karelian front, which is controlled from the commander’s seat. Further additions include stowage racks about the turret’s rear for crew belongings and additional supplies as well as a wider profile to better facilitate movement over sand or snow.

The crew, considering of personnel from the North Ghurkkan Royal Armoured Corps, is made up of a commander, a gunner, a driver and a loader.

Armament
The main gun of the Natah III is its most significant improvement over the previous Ghurkkan Landship models. Manufactured by the North Ghurkkan Royal Armouries, the 100mm rifled gun sported a shorter barrel than most of its postwar contemporaries yet still was a great deal heavier and more destructive than any Great War Ghurkkan landship. Unable to fire APFSDS like many Union landships, the 100mm instead fires armour piercing shells, HE rounds or the notorious Great War era “Waspnest” canister shells. The shortness of the barrel does result in a loss of accuracy over range, but later upgrade packages would extend the barrel in compensation.

The secondary armament consists of a 7.62mm machine gun in the coaxial, with armoured plating about the gunner’s sight. This is in turn complimented by a 12.7 NGSHMG which sits in the commander’s turret, for added infantry suppression. In the initial model this turret is opened topped by later models rectified and enclosed it for added protection. Both infantry weapons are fully automatic and felt by belts within the turret.

Combat History
The Natah served North Ghurkkan armoured units for decades before its first blooding at the battle of Aryana. Ghurkkan cavalry units including the 5th and 12th Regiments of Horse and the 2nd Ishari Lancers suffered heavily from preliminary bombings and particularly gas attacks for which the Natah III is not sealed against. However once armoured units reached the city, the landship proved its own in supporting infantry and disabling enemy armour. Captain Lakita Vilkal of the 2nd Lancers became a renowned Natah ace after her tank destroyed five Vedan tanks and armoured vehicles over the course of the battle.