Remote Sensor Tower

The Remote Sensor Tower is another piece of Tau equipment newly encountered by the Imperium. It is an information relay station which scans the surrounding area and relays data on enemy movements to other Tau units in the vicinity. It incorporates advanced ground sensors, its own Marker Light system and is capable of relaying targeting information that is used to guide other attacks. The tower mounts no weaponry, and as such is considered an expendable asset by the Tau Fire Caste.

History

The Remote Sensor Tower was first encountered by Imperial forces late in the Taros Campaign. The vanguard of the 114th Cadian Regiment of the Imperial Guard met these tall, thin towers as they advanced towards Hydro-Processing Plant 23-30. Soon afterwards, their columns came under attack from long-range Seeker Missile strikes, losing several Chimeras in the assault. The towers were also supported by swift Piranhas squads that mounted the Seeker Missiles and that were able to harry the Cadian columns and inflict casualties far outweighing their own numbers on the field. The resulting delays meant that the force of Elysian Drop Troops surrounded at Plant 23-30 never received relief, and their position was eventually overrun by the Tau.

Construction

The Remote Sensor Tower resembles a smaller version of the Drone Sentry Turret, but instead of weaponry inside, it has a tall aerial which telescopes upwards to give the sensor equipment a high vantage point for scanning. It is constructed of the same nano-crystalline compound used by other Tau vehicles, albeit in far thinner layers.

Combat Role

The Tau Empire use Remote Sensor Towers as area denial weapons, making it difficult for enemy units to move without drawing immediate attack. In this way, they act much like a conventional minefield, slowing the enemy advance and making movement dangerous rather than halt an advance on its own. Camouflage is commonly used to match the terrain and make them difficult to spot, and they mount a complex array of sensors that allow it to comprehensively scan and catalogue the surrounding area. Remote Sensor Towers are also used by the Tau in place of more traditional garrison forces. Any enemy troops encroaching on ground claimed by the Tau Empire can be detected by these devices long before they arrive, allowing Hunter Cadres to efficiently respond to the incursion. Counter-attacking Tau troops are then fed telemetry and targeting data by the towers as they engage the enemy, enabling them to rain down fire with pinpoint accuracy and launch Seeker Missiles guided by the towers’ built-in Marker Lights. As yet, the Remote Sensor Tower's full functions remain unknown, as none have yet been captured intact.

Armament

Each Remote Sensor tower is lightly armoured and often camouflaged to match the terrain around it. They are usually equipped with the following capabilities:

Multi-Phasic Sensor Suite - This is an advanced ground scanning and detection system, used to take in data on the enemy and the terrain before feeding this information to nearby Tau units to augment their accuracy.

Marker Light - The Marker Light employed on a Remote Sensor Tower is commonly used to call-in Seeker Missile strikes on enemy vehicles.

Positional Relay - The Positional Relay on a Remote Sensor Tower records detailed battlefield data and relays it in a tight-band, encrypted signal to a single Tau unit operating as a strategic reserve to better aid their deployment.

Ordo Xenos Departmento Analyticus Technical Specifications

Serial Number	85673-908461	Main Armament	N/A
Designation	Sensor Tower
Vehicle Codename	N/A	Secondary Armament	N/A
Vehicle Type	Drone-controlled Static Defence
Crew	N/A	Traverse	360°
Weight	2 tonnes	Elevation	N/A
Length	2.4 metres	Ammunition	N/A
Width	2.4 metres	Armour Type	Nano-Crystalline Alloy Composition Unknown to the Adeptus Mechanicus
Height	6.2 metres
Max Recorded Speed	N/A
Summary:	Drone Controlled Static Defence with Sensor Array and Target Information Relay