Drone Sentry Turret

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Drone Sentry Turrets are automated and stationary weapon systems used by the Tau Empire and were developed by the Earth Caste, as is most Tau technology. All Drone Sentry Turrets contain an advanced processor, giving it a basic intelligence much like a drone. A team of turrets can be networked together to form an artificially intelligent defensive perimeter capable of making its own decisions independently of its Tau programmers. Defence teams like this will often be used to defend strategically important locations or to harass an enemy force as it moves through an area. Drone Sentry Turrets can be equipped with a wide range of heavy weaponry that are usually carried by XV8 Crisis Battlesuits.

Construction
The turret itself consists of a cylindrical armoured hull with a pop-up gun turret. The armour used in its construction is made of the same nano-crystalline compound used in other Tau vehicles and battlesuits and this makes the turret resilient to all but specialist anti-vehicle weapons. The gun turret is usually lowered until a suitable target is identified. It then activates and rises up before leveling its weaponry and firing until all enemies are eliminated. The turret will then lower back down into its safe position. Unlike Imperial Tarantula sentry guns, the drone intelligence is capable of making its own targeting decisions, and can differentiate between friendly and enemy units effectively. The drone system can also choose to ignore some targets in favour of others. The primary sensor cluster is mounted in between the twin-linked weapons, and the turret can spin 360 degrees so it can track all targets around it.

Combat Role
Drone turrets are usually deployed onto a battlefield by aircraft such as Orca Dropships or Mantas dropping them into position. Pathfinder teams or Tetras equipped with Marker Lights can aid this by designating target points to allow the drops to be more accurate. Each Drone Sentry Turret is equipped with a small Tau jetpack underneath it to direct and slow its descent and once in place, the turret will activate but remain dormant until an enemy is identified. As Tau strategic doctrine does not usually seek to hold ground, preferring a mobile form of ground warfare, Drone Sentry Turrets are commonly deployed as a Tau force advances or retreats, to guard a route that Pathfinder teams have identified as likely to be used by enemy forces or to stall an enemy and provide a distraction. During a battle, the turrets are commonly used to help bolster a firing line and provide extra heavy firepower to Fire Warrior teams. Depending on the armament of the turret, the turrets roles range from laying rapid anti-infantry suppressive fire with Burst Cannons to eliminating heavily armoured infantry with Plasma Rifles. However, it is often necessary to defend strategically important locations and rather than waste Fire Warriors in static garrision duty, the Tau will use drones or drone turrets instead. This means that Drone Sentry Turrets will also often be found protecting command posts, airfields or supply bases.

During the Taros Campaign, sentry turrets were commonly encountered by all the Imperium's forces. The deserts were liberally seeded with them, and as they were equipped with disruption pods, they were used as ambush units. Tallarn scout units often found themselves under fire from a turret, which then had to be attacked and destroyed. Hydro-processing plant 23-30 was defended by many turrets, all disguised with disruption pods, which the Elysians aerial reconnaissance failed to notice. As a result Storm Trooper squads leading the airborne attack came under heavy fire from these unidentified heavy weapons, and took heavy casualties in the initial landings. The Imperium's records claim that, in total, over 200 turrets were encountered and destroyed during the fighting. While this is likely to be an inflated figure, it illustrates the wide use made of the turrets by Tau forces.

Armament
Drone Sentry Turrets can be armed with a array of heavy weaponry, and this can include: Drone Sentry Turrets can also be equipped with defensive equipment and upgrades, such as:
 * Twin-linked Plasma Rifles which fire weaker blasts of plasma than Imperial equivalent Plasma Guns, but are also far more safer for users. Plasma Rifles allow Drone Sentry Turrets to take on enemy heavy infantry.
 * Twin-linked Fusion Blasters which are similar in function to Imperial Melta Guns, and as such are commonly utilized against heavy armour. It can also be used to kill heavily-armoured infantry.
 * Twin-linked Burst Cannons which are commonly used to provide rapid-firing anti-infantry fire. They are similar to chainguns except that they fire Tau pulse fire.
 * Twin-Linked Missile Pods which can fire multiple high strength missiles. The missiles are effective at destroying light enemy vehicles or heavy infantry. It is also effective against monstrous creatures.
 * Disruption Pods which display distorting holographic images in the visual and magnetic spectra to make the turret harder to target.
 * Shield Generators which project a cohesive energy field around the turret that can deflect incoming fire, inluding blasts from heavy anti-vehicle fire.