Termite

The Termite Assault Drill is an Imperial Subterranean Vehicle utilised by the Adeptus Mechanicus as a subterranean transport vehicle known as "tunnelers" or "miners". The Termite is the smallest of the tunnellers. The Termite, as well as its counterparts the Mole and the Hellbore, use a phase-field generator to burrow through the ground, whereas the Hades Breaching Drill uses a more "brute-force" approach that applies physical drills. The Termite Assault Drill carries two squads of Astra Militarum troops and the various Termites are organised into squadrons for tactical purposes. Termite squadrons all use the same tunnel, each following behind the other and branching to the surface only at the last moment.

History
The "Termite" Assault Drill was created sometime during the 30th Millennium during the Unification Wars. It was first utilised by the Legiones Astartes of the XVIII Legion during the Assault of the Tempest Galleries, during the overthrow of the despotic ruler, the Ethnarch of the Caucasus Wastes, a techno-barbarian state located in the Caucasus Peninsula of the ancient European continent of Old Earth. The XVIII Legion utilised scores of freshly created gigantic "Termite" subterranean boring machines fitted with recently acquired technology from Mars. Once they were ready, the XVIII Legion saluted their Emperor and calmly mounted the untested Martian war engines of the Mechanicum and pierced the dark earth and rock at the edge of the Wastes, disappearing into a deadly and unknown world to assault the subterranean Tempest Galleries of the Caucasus Wastes.

Since that bygone era, Imperial military forces have continued to utilise Termite transport vehicles. Rather than than taking their troops across the ground, or through the air, the Termite burrows deep beneath the earth, launched from a surface transport far behind enemy lines. It uses a combination of Melta Cutters, phase-shield generators and huge heavy-bore drills to chew through the ground beneath the foe to emerge behind the lines or in the heart of enemy fortifications. The Termite is armed with deadly weapons - with a choice of Bolters, Volkite Chargers or Heavy Flamers - that punish any nearby foes before it disgorges its deadly cargo to bring death and ruin.

Notable Termite Variants

 * Terrax Pattern Termite Assault Drill - The Terrax Pattern Termite Assault drill is an ancient pattern subterranean transport utilised by the ancient Legiones Astartes during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy eras during the 30th and 31st Millennia. It is not known if this ancient pattern of Termite is still utilised by the modern Imperial military forces in the 41st Millennium.

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