Infantry is the bane of most modern tankers. After losing entire armored columns to infantry units, the Republican high command commissioned a new light tank designed specifically to clear cities and other conquered territories of infantry before the rest of the forces moved in. It was decided early on that the anti-vehicular capacity would be reduced or even eliminated in the quest for the perfect antipersonnel machine.
The Hittite is equipped with a wicked BURN-9p heavy flamer mounted in a large turret up front. Two heavy machineguns in articulated mounts are placed on either side of the hull, each capable of independently targeting a foe in a 180° arc on its side. The rear chassis has been extensively modified to accomodate a cramped infantry compartment. The tank’s defense has also been beefed up, with additional layers of ceramite being bonded to the armor for protection against the HEAT warheads often used by infantry units. Plates of armor are also bolted onto vulnerable spots such as the treads, a favorite target.
The Hittite was particularly lethal to the Mordred-class GRELs, which learned to fear that particular vehicle during the War.
