Dr. Spontaneous
Chieftain Req
Despite the Republic of Kurdistan enjoying substantial international support from the West, the fledgling state's frontiers still remain contested by its neighbors, particularly Turkey. Indeed, many border communities feature substantial security risks as displaced persons and proxy agitators attempt to compromise Kurdish security wherever possible. For this reason, the Pashmerga and Kurdish gendarmes have had to create checkpoints and outposts for observation and policing purposes. This has disquieted some folks as a permanent armed presences heavily resembles the tyranny Kurdistan recently fought to overthrow. Nevertheless, despite the poor optics, the Kurdish state has gone ahead with what it thinks is the best solution to its security woes--e.g. a physical, martial presence in periphery communities meant to dissuade bad actors.
As a result of these conditions, the republic has employed some rather peculiar equipment. One such example is the Req (meaning tortoise; also referred to as the Chieftain Req in many Western reports). Utilizing retired Chieftain Mk.14 chassis deemed unfit for combat, the Kurds hired Israeli engineers to design a mobile watchtower/pillbox (thus the Req's resemblance to units like the Nagmachon). By replacing the Chieftain's turret with an armored cubicle, the engineers were able to create a locomotive panopticon. Indeed, much of the Req's success comes from security theater since the vehicle itself is unarmed and must remain immobile while the tower is vertically deployed. Nevertheless, having a 50-ton armored vehicle parked in one's neighborhood is often enough to deter one from expressing too much discontent or acting dubiously. Still, some disgruntled youth have taken to throwing Molotov cocktails at deployed Reqs, resulting in the mounting of caged armor on the observation box and ERA panels on the chassis just in case. Furthermore, the ubiquity of drones forced the Kurdish state to invest in jamming equipment derived from the United States Marine Corps' Light Marine Air Defense Integrated System (LMADIS), hence the jumble of equipment atop the vehicle. More or less, the Req is something of a bastard child slowly crawling to meet twenty-first century security demands--just as the name suggests.
The chassis is naturally derived from Evan's Chieftain, as linked above. Go show it some love if you haven't already. The dozer blade design is courtesy of my homie Wayne; go check it out on his build!
Chieftain Req
Despite the Republic of Kurdistan enjoying substantial international support from the West, the fledgling state's frontiers still remain contested by its neighbors, particularly Turkey. Indeed, many border communities feature substantial security risks as displaced persons and proxy agitators attempt to compromise Kurdish security wherever possible. For this reason, the Pashmerga and Kurdish gendarmes have had to create checkpoints and outposts for observation and policing purposes. This has disquieted some folks as a permanent armed presences heavily resembles the tyranny Kurdistan recently fought to overthrow. Nevertheless, despite the poor optics, the Kurdish state has gone ahead with what it thinks is the best solution to its security woes--e.g. a physical, martial presence in periphery communities meant to dissuade bad actors.
As a result of these conditions, the republic has employed some rather peculiar equipment. One such example is the Req (meaning tortoise; also referred to as the Chieftain Req in many Western reports). Utilizing retired Chieftain Mk.14 chassis deemed unfit for combat, the Kurds hired Israeli engineers to design a mobile watchtower/pillbox (thus the Req's resemblance to units like the Nagmachon). By replacing the Chieftain's turret with an armored cubicle, the engineers were able to create a locomotive panopticon. Indeed, much of the Req's success comes from security theater since the vehicle itself is unarmed and must remain immobile while the tower is vertically deployed. Nevertheless, having a 50-ton armored vehicle parked in one's neighborhood is often enough to deter one from expressing too much discontent or acting dubiously. Still, some disgruntled youth have taken to throwing Molotov cocktails at deployed Reqs, resulting in the mounting of caged armor on the observation box and ERA panels on the chassis just in case. Furthermore, the ubiquity of drones forced the Kurdish state to invest in jamming equipment derived from the United States Marine Corps' Light Marine Air Defense Integrated System (LMADIS), hence the jumble of equipment atop the vehicle. More or less, the Req is something of a bastard child slowly crawling to meet twenty-first century security demands--just as the name suggests.
The chassis is naturally derived from Evan's Chieftain, as linked above. Go show it some love if you haven't already. The dozer blade design is courtesy of my homie Wayne; go check it out on his build!