[Red Alert 3 & Uprising] Sickle #cnc #redalert #redalert3
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An anti-infantry walker designed by the Ukrainian Kazminov Design Bureau, the KDB-5 Sickle was originally created for riot suppression and crowd control by police units in fringe republics of the Soviet Union. Inspired by the Sversky Robot Works' infamous Terror Drone created a decade earlier, the Sickle demonstrated its efficiency in police operations when it contained riots by gunning protesters down in record time. The fact that the Sickles likely caused the riots when they were deployed in response to an already volatile situation was ignored. Impressed by its performance against soft targets, the Army pressed the sickle into service as a dedicated anti-infantry weapons platform.
KDB first attempted to turn the police walker into a heavy combat walker with anti-armor and anti-aircraft capability, however, the resulting Reaper was overengineered and too expensive to fit the intended role. Surviving vehicles were sold off to the Ministry of Experimental Science and mothballed, while Kazminov returned to the drawing board and continued work on the Sickle.
The resulting KDB-9 Sickle is a militarized variant manufactured from an inexpensive alloy that allows quick machining at a low cost and is effective against small arms fire. The pressurized stilt-leg suspension has been reinforced and redesigned to allow the walker to effectively jump over obstacles and terrain features, while maintaining its speed and maneuverability. The Sickle can easily jump into enemy troop formations and scatter them, while its machine guns take out any survivors.
Although its spindly appearance might indicate otherwise, the Sickle's three PKX 12.7 mm heavy machine guns are extremely accurate thanks to the sealed, swivel-ball canopies that move independently of the main hull. Their arrangement gives the Sickle 360 degree field of fire (130 per gun), though it also makes it unable to train more than two guns at a single target. Furthermore, the canopies cannot rotate vertically high enough to engage aircraft (critics maintain this is because Kazminov wanted to force the Union to purchase the KDB-2 Bullfrog). All guns share a single ammo supply from a sealed hold inside the Sickle, designed to prevent internal fires. For entertainment, the crew also receives an AM clock-radio.
The Sickle remains the mainstay of Soviet mechanized divisions and Soviet citizens continue to volunteer in droves for the chance to operate one. However, concerns abound in Soviet command about the effect it has on gunners. Sickle crewmen are reported to be twice as likely to commit acts of sadism, excess, and disregard for authority than typical conscripts, and the average life expectancy of each is a measly 31.8 years. Despite repeated safety video screenings, the gunners continue to engage in acts of violence and self-endangerment, including abuse of the jumping system, in practice affectionately termed "Flea Jumping". While disciplinary measures are being debated in military courts, all Sickles were outfitted with hardware limiters on jumping frequency.