Overview
In the early 25th century, the Estevez, which had been the main battle tank of the Federated Suns, was becoming obsolete due to progress in technology.
Not only was its drain on the logistical arm of the Federated Peacekeeping Forces too high for the resources available but also it has lost in a simulated battle against the Draconis Combine ‘Mechs. Eager to change things, a call for tenders was launched by the Federated Suns for a new tank.
Two companies answered, Veridian Dynamics with the Tiger and Novais Motors, eager to find a new product, with the Panther. Both felines would compete against each othr in order to win the next contracts.
Capabilities
Taking advantage of the battle experience acquired with the Estevez, Novais Motors tried to go another way, with a design that had to be cheaper, lighter, packing the same kind of firepower and more armour than any other produced or on the drawing board at that time.
This led to a 48 tons tracked design, which could be transported in Light bays, easing the logistical burden and allowing more tanks to be moved. The armour was set at 11.5 tons, ensuring that even the highest shells would need between two and three hits to penetrate it and destroy the vehicle. Two Vehicle Grenade Launchers were set as a last line of defensive measures, with the capability to either destroy infantry coming too close or to hide behind smoke.
A lot of efforts went into the design of the turret, ensuring it was low enough to minimize the size of the Panther for anyone trying to target it.
The firepower came into the form of a trusted Autocannon 10 supported by two Machine Guns (the same as on the Estevez). 3 tons of ammo for the gun were seen as more than enough to allow the Panther to stay long enough on the battlefield to make a difference against the biggest targets be they BattleMechs or Tanks.
Most electronics and even the Autocannon were bought from Achenar BattleMechs, which saw this as an opportunity to test a new generation of systems between their BattleAxe and the future, which would be Hammerhands.
All this firepower and protection was only possible at the cost of mobility. With a top speed of only 54 kph, the Panther has no strategic mobility but since Novais Motors thought that the new tank would only be used in defensive operations, leaving the offensive part of it to the BattleMech units and ensuring that strategic mobility would be done through other transport means. This was a bold move, which could only work on planets with enough transport infrastructures.
Variants
Since the P-10 was never selected by the FPF, no production batch was ever made, with only one variant, seeing the removal of the Grenade Launchers for more armour.
Battle History
The Tiger and the Panther would fight each other one last time on New Vandenberg when the AFFS Auxiliary Corps came to reinforce the SLDF Corps fighting for the control of the planet.
Facing an enemy entrenched and with better armour, most of the assaults led by Tigers were repelled after suffering heavy casualties by the Panther-heavy Taurian units.
Deployment
Unwilling to have another time of dominance of Novais Motors, the Federated Peacekeeping Forces went for Veridian Dynamics and its Tiger. This led to the bankrupt of Novais Motors, which had only relied on its Estevez.
However, this wasn’t the end for the Panther as several manufacturing companies from the Periphery attracted by the reputation of the maker of the Estevez and the “low-cost”, rugged approach and heavy gun decided to launch their own copy of the Panther.
The circumstances behind such breaking of copyright are still unclear but the Reunification War saw the first real fight of the Panther P-10 against all Inner Sphere powers save the Lyran Commonwealth as the Rim Worlds Republic didn’t use this design.
The demilitarisation of the Periphery that followed was the dead of the Panther, although due to its ease of production and low cost, it wasn’t unheard still on the 3050s to find some “new” or “cannibalised” units on Periphery worlds.
Notable crews and units
Almost all Taurian Volunteer Guard units had at least a battalion of Panthers, crewed by reservists and volunteers. Still today, remains of their last stand can be found on most planets and are still a place where the soon-to-be tankers of the Taurian Defense Force go the night before their graduation.
