Mimas
| Mimas | |
|---|---|
 A Mimas in woodland pattern camouflage | |
| Type | Main battle tank |
| Place of origin | Syara |
| Service history | |
| Used by | Syara |
| Production history | |
| Produced | 1994 - Present |
| No. built | 1,750 built |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 60 tons |
| Length | 10 m (32 ft 10 in) |
| Width | 3.6 m (11 ft 10 in) |
| Height | 3.2 m (10 ft 6 in) |
| Crew | 3 |
| Armor | Composite |
Main armament | 125mm smoothbore main cannon, 41 rounds |
Secondary armament | 1 x 12.7mm AA gun 1 x 7.62mm coaxial machinegun |
| Engine | KML-10 engine 1,400 hp |
| Suspension | torsion bar |
Operational range | 400 km |
| Speed | 50 km/h (31 mph) |
The Mimas is a Syaran main battle tank first produced in 1994. It was the second tank ordered by the Syaran National Army after the Myrmidon Main Battle Tank.
Unlike other Syaran tanks (and most tanks in Tyran), the Mimas features an engine block placed to the front of the vehicle and a turret housed towards the rear of the chassis. In addition, the rear compartment of the vehicle can serve as a troop transport for up to six passengers. The result is a vehicle with significant additional protection towards the crew while also effectively allowing the vehicle to serve as an infantry fighting vehicle while maintaining the firepower and armor of a main battle tank.
The Mimas was designed with the intention of serving primarily in the role of low intensity conflicts like the kind Syara often found itself engaged in with its' neighbor Ruvelka. The combination of firepower, armor, and the ability to safely transport troops or internal security forces into and out of a combat zone. Placing the crew compartment to the rear of the vehicle and placing the engine block up front was intended to maximize the chance of crew survival in the event of significant damage. Not only does this increase the retention of skilled crews, it was also considered essential to maintaining low casualties in potentially divisive conflicts where maintaining broad popular support would be necessary. As it was envisioned for a role other than serving as the backbone of Syaran armored forces, relatively fewer Mimases were produced relative to other Syaran tanks (compare less than 2,000 Mimases to more than 3,000 Myrmidons).
The Mimas first saw service in the Zemplen Resolution Campaign and the Imerti Conflict. Seven vehicles were lost during the six day war in Imerti in 2005. Although it was not intended as a front line vehicle, the Mimas fleet was pressed into widespread service for the Zemplen War following its' outbreak in 2008. The platform saw action in virtually every major operation of the war primarily while assigned to Motorized Divisions. The usage of the Mimas often blurred between main battle tank and infantry fighting vehicle, and the frequent employment of them in conjunction with armored infantry led to the designation of their assigned units as "Heavy Infantry Regiments". The Mimas earned a mixed reputation during the conflict; it was praised for its survivability but tankers who were used to operating on other Syaran MBTs felt the Mimas was inferior in terms of fire control, performance, and range. Out of roughly 1,500 deployed Mimases, the Syaran Army recorded the loss of 443 vehicles from all causes. The Mimas continues to serve in some formations of the Syaran military.