Pit Adder light tank

The Pit Adder, officially the "Pit Adder" Armored Battle Car (Tipsprek: Panserestridvein «Pitader») abbreviated as '''Psv. Pitader''', is a Tiperyn wheeled introduced in 2003. It developed to meet a requirement for a new light tank to provide fire support and protected close combat capabilities to the Realm Guard's planned Continental Crisis Contingency regiments—Mounted Riflist Regiments intended to be the first forces with heavy firepower to be able to respond to invasion of the mainland.

Because of the program's requirement for a tank that could deploy independently via Tiperyn's road network without support from tank transporters or rail assets led to the Pit Adder being an 8×8 wheeled platform. Being 15 to 24 tonnes lighter than Tiperyn's main battle tanks and being wheeled rather than tracked makes the Pit Adder Tiperyn's most operationally mobile tank, with the potential for quicker preparation and more dispersed action with a relatively smaller logistical burden. However, it still features the same 5-inch tank gun as the Python and Black Mamba main battle tanks, providing it with an anti-armor capability equal to that of any Tiperyn tank short of the new Taipan with its 6-inch gun-launcher. Protection is sacrificed to save weight, with the hull front being resistant to 30mm autocannon fire and 15mm machine gun fire from all other aspects. But, the Pit Adder's turret front is more heavily armoured—with the Tiperyn government claiming it can defeat 105mm (APFSDS) rounds—and features additional  and space to defeat  (HEAT) rounds and force APFSDS to strike the composite armour at a non-optimal angle. Upgraded Tiperyn-versions of the Pit Adder will also be equipped with a similar to the one employed on the Python B2 to defeat HEAT munitions from all aspects.

Since its adoption in 2003, Pit Adder-equipped Realm Guard units have been deployed to policing operations in Western Tiperyn's—a hotspot in the country's ongoing Goidelic Insurrection—and combat operations in Nasiria.

Production
Mass production of the Pit Adder began in 2003, with the first operational unit being delivered to the Tiperyn Realm Guard in February 2004. As of 2021, 714 Pit Adders have been produced for the Realm Guard, not including export units. This initial order was manufactured between 2003 and 2014. An additional 141 are planned to be procured by the Realm Guard between 2022 and 2029.

Tiperyn deployment
The Pit Adder is currently a fixture of Tiperyn's Continental Contingency Mounted Riflist Regiments, serving in the Battle Car Battalion (54 Pit Adders per battalion) of the following regiments:
 * № 2 "The Empress's Own"
 * № 5 "The Old Kaltyk Lorried"
 * № 11 "The Duchess of Idlerein's Riflists"
 * № 19 "The Realm Lorried Regiment"
 * № 23 "The Steinsen Mounted Riflists"
 * № 36 "The Realm Koalbranist Regiment"
 * № 60 "The Silver Woodsmen"
 * № 71 "The Vitenlan White Coats"
 * № 90 "The Grootshaven Gentlemen-Soldiers"

It also serves a smaller role as a heavy fire support and close combat platform within № 6 "The Realm Light Ruitery", a specialized regiment under the Grand Army of Tipslan that provides the Realm Guard with corps-level mechanized reconnaissance capabilities. It has two Battle Car Battalions supporting two battalions in lighter autocannon-armed reconnaissance vehicles.

In 2021, the Ministry of the Sword announced that the Mamba and Black Mamba main battle tanks in service with Nasiri regiments would be replaced by Pit Adders by 2029. This will amount to 141 additional Pit Adders to equip the three battalions of № 4 Territorial "Lord's Camelry"—the Nasiri Territorial Corps' Heavy Ruitery Regiment.

Operators

 * Alvakalia — The Reichswehr operates xxx Pit Adders under the Spähpanzer Grubenottern designation.
 * Tiperyn — The Tiperyn Realm Guard operates 714 Pit Adders in nine Mounted Riflist Regiments, one Light Ruitery Regiment, and one training school troop. It also keeps a portion in reserve storage to reinforce an additional two Mounted Riflist Regiments during wartime.

Former operators

 * Theyka — The Theykan Army leased eight Pit Adders from the Tiperyn Realm Guard from 2007 to test the concept and gauge interest. These units were returned to Tiperyn in 2010.