Mass: 95 tons
Movement Type: Tracked
Power Plant: GM 270 XL Fusion
Cruising Speed: 32 kph
Maximum Speed: 54 kph
Armor: ArcShield Maxi II
Armament: 42 tons of pod space available
(maximum of 35 tons in the turret)
Manufacturer: General Motors
Primary Factory: Kathil, New Valencia, Salem
Communications System: Neil 6000
Targeting & Tracking System: Sync-Tracker 39-42071
While the Manteuffel has proliferated to most of the Inner Sphere’s major militaries thanks to the liberal (some would say questionable) trade policies of StarCorps and the Lyran Commonwealth, its sister OmniVehicle, the Ajax, has seen far more limited deployment outside of the Federated Suns. AFFS High Command was unable to restrict sales of the Manteuffel from StarCorps’ Lyran branch, but prevented the wholly FedSuns General Motors from marketing their assault tank to foreign powers, only allowing a handful to be sold to the LAAF as a reconciliatory gesture, and following the outbreak of the Jihad, the Com Guard.
Com Guard officers immediately recognized the Ajax as a valuable vehicle, perhaps too valuable to be risked in direct combat. Taking advantage of the Ajax’s flexibility, they began equipping it as a general Level III support vehicle. Mounting an artillery missile launcher, a drone control system, and transport bays for both an infantry escort and reconnaissance drones, the Ajax D can easily monitor its area of operations and deliver accurate artillery support wherever needed. If more direct firepower was needed, the Ajax could always be reconfigured to a more mundane weapons load in a matter of minutes.
Today, the Ajax is commonly found in the AFFS and RAF, which absorbed the surviving Com Guard tanks and continues to purchase the vehicle from General Motors. Both make use of the D Configuration, in addition to the C configuration optimised for urban ambushes.