M145F Rhino Mobile Artillery Assault Platform

"Knock knock Covvies, anybody home? We're here to return your plasma!"

- Anonymous Marine

The latest version of the UNSCMC's MAAP program, the is a fearsome beast. Combining artillery and assault gun roles, with the technological advantage of plasma weaponry, the Rhino's role is two fold; to hammer enemy positions from afar, then close and attack strong points at close range. With the UNSCMC encountering Covenant strongholds with increasing regularity, and lacking a sufficient breaching vehicle of their own, interest in the MAAP has been revitalised.

Furnished with modern armour and sensors, and a newly enhanced plasma cannon, the Rhino is a true threat. Based loosely on the Scorpion chassis, the Rhino adds additional boogies, for increased firing stability, and an enlarged chassis to accommodate the new turret. It has heavier armour, intended to increase survivability in close quarters urban fighting, and a new enlarged six cell cluster engine, with a fusion reactor nestled between them, intended to give it mobility. It also carries spades to stabilise it for artillery fire, though these are not a necessity. The main gun of the Rhino is the 320mm Rhino cannon. A heavy duty plasma cannon, it uses inert shells that are vaporised in the firing chamber by a laser, generating a dielectric gas, which is then subjected to an electromagnetic field, turning this gas into a ball of plasma fire, which is then directed into the main coil gun. At full power, it can fire rounds at extreme distance, at high velocity, taking it's roll as artillery, but at the cost of high recoil. At lower power, it can lob it short distance, but with no less deadly effect. As it carries little kinetic force, it is instead based on it's explosive potential, in either case the plasma munition with usually penetrate some distance through sheer heat, before losing coherence and detonating. In those role, it is fearsome against static positions, either at range or up close.

While rare, the Rhino is deployed where necessary, delivering steaming hot plasma fire capable of cutting it's way through enemy positions, leading to it's role as the UNSCMC's seminal breakthrough tank.