GATE: Thus Freedom was Summoned

Chapter 4

January 1st, 2043
Manhattan, Times Square

"General sir! All vehicles have checked in and all personnel are onboard. NYMGC has given us the green light to proceed with Operation Olympus."

Leading the task force of the Army and Marine Corps was Army Lieutenant General Robert Shepherd along with Marine Corps Major General James Hudson.

"Very good Colonel. Is Hudson as his units ready to depart with ours?" The General asked the Army Colonel for the status update on the Marine Corps in this operation.

"Latest update from General Hudson sir, all vehicles are ready for departure."

"Very good. Radio to NYMCG to open the bunker doors. Then radio the lead tanks, they may advance once the doors are cleared. All other vehicles follow after. We are go for Operation Olympus."

While Manhattan had been reopened to the public, Times Square area was now closed off for the long run as facilities and streets had been taken up by military equipment. The streets leading into Times Square had been fenced off with checkpoints and guard posts as soldiers stationed there denied any public access to the area.

The damage inflicted from the attack was still present with signs of vandalism on public stores and desecration of the Father Duffey statue memorial. Another item to fuel the fires of war as these Saderans showed no care for American history and would rather desecrate it.

The first line of tanks consisting of the M5A2 Schwarzkopf fired up their gas turbine engines as they let off a low whine that began to raise in volume before becoming a roar.

The M5 Schwarzkopf was the official replacement for the M1 Abrams, named after General Norman Schwarzkopf of the United States Army who lead the Allies coalition against pro Axis Iraq during the Gulf War. The new tank was armed with a new M289 120mm smoothbore gun capable of firing the M830A5 MPAT, M829A6 APFSDS, and M680A2 HESH rounds which all used ETC propellants, a 20mm chain gun on a remote rotating mount, an M360 coaxial machine gun, and an M2HB with an Mk 47 Striker on a CROWS platform. The Schwarzkopf had a much more accurate fire control system than the Abrams and a new Advanced Active Protection System designed to protect it from HEAT munitions using a small high powered laser. Powered by the Honeywell AGT1700 gas turbine engine with 1750hp, the tank was capable of accelerating up to fifty one miles per hour. Crew count consisted of four being the driver, gunner, loader, and commander.

"Engine's hot sir! Ready to rock and roll!"

"Push up driver, take us in slow at twenty five. The other tanks will follow."

The right side lead vehicle lurched forward as it's left side compatriot did the same. Both vehicles approached the gate with both bunker doors cleared and pulled aside, giving them clear access to the empty void inside. The other eighteen Schwarzkopf tanks behind them powered on their engines and followed behind, causing the entire street to vibrate from the movement of heavy metal vehicles.

Behind them were twenty M1A5 Abrams currently in service as the Marine Corps' main battle tank. Fifth main variant off the original, the tank still used the M256A2 120mm smoothbore gun. The gun was a reverse engineered model based on the German Rheinmetall Rh-120. It was originally planned to fit a licensed version of the British L30A1 120mm rifled gun, however a defecting German engineer provided US arms industries the blueprints for the Rh-120 and so the US started making the smoothbore instead which proved it's effectiveness in the Gulf War. The tank was capable of using the M830A5 MPAT, M829A6 APFSDS, and M680A2 HESH rounds using ETC propellant. It was armed with a CROWS mounted M2HB, and two M360 machine guns for the coaxial mount and manned station for the loader to operate.