The M4A3 Vánagandr (ヴァナルガンド, Vanarugando?) is the staple Feldreẞ of the Federal Republic of Giad. The third-generation Vánagandr is said to be superior to the Ameise and Grauwolf of the Legion, though slightly inferior to the Löwe. Its design features a tandem cockpit, manned with a driver and a gunner/unit-commander. All crew members must wear an armored exoskeleton when operating the M4A3.
Nomenclature[]
Vánagandr is an alternate name of the legendary wolf Fenrir from Norse mythology, meaning "Monster of the river Ván". Its designation of M4A3 stands for Model 4 Alteration 3.
Description[]
The Vánagandr is outfitted with a 120 mm smoothbore gun as it's main armament, with double 12.7 mm heavy machine guns to each of its sides. The tandem cockpit is comprised of two seats adjacent to each other, the right for the driver and the left for the gunner. The total weight of the unit is 50 tons, mostly attributed to its heavy composite armor.
Although it is described as sluggish, the Vánagandr possesses a cruising speed of nearly 100km/h, comparable to that of the Löwe or Reginleif. The reason it is described as slower than its contemporaries is its slow acceleration and limited agility.[2]
The Vánagandr's optical capabilities are also described to be rather poor. Its radar and sensors are rendered completely ineffective thanks to the Eintagsfliegen swarm's jamming and constant darkness, forcing the driver and the gunner to locate enemy targets with their eyesight alone.[3]
Trivia[]
- The sluggishness of the Vánagandr makes it utterly incompatible with the fighting style of the Eighty-Sixth Strike Package, its Processors do not hide their dislike for the machine.
- In Volume 3 it's described that the Vánagandr's engine produces a very high pitched noise, therefore it's possible that it makes use of a gas turbine engine much like the M1 Abrams or the T-80.
- The main cannon of the Vánagandr is most likely based off the GIAT CN120-26, which is used by the Leclerc MBT in real-life. Unlike the similar Rheinmetall Rh-120, the CN120-26 lacks fume extractor.
- Strangely, the Vánagandr fires depleted uranium rounds, which require a very specific velocity for the round to self sharpen. Depending on the alloy, the CN120-26's projectile velocity could potentially cause the round to mushroom, rendering it ineffective. Realistically, Tungsten rounds instead are more suited.