Pitch and roll lays weapons. VTOL and Trim steer tank. (1) activates main armament. (2) activates RCWS. (3) slaves RCWS to main armament controls.

The XM50 Marshall is a Paternian 4th-generation main battle tank, designed by a joint KRIEG-Bandit design group to replace the M5 Victoria series by 2040.

While the M5 Victoria is considered an excellent design and a worthy opponent well beyond, it had several flaws, being the obsolete armor profile, excessive weight, and dated firepower. While the Victoria's frontal armor and side turret armor would remain very strong, the sides and top armor were vulnerable to anti-armor munitions. Active protection systems have been integrated to partially compensate for this weakness, but its presence puts to question the value of the heavy frontal and side turret armor in the first place.

Victoria was also very heavy. At 70 tons, Victoria was an operational and strategic challenge. While this was practically remedied by the excellent logistics and engineering capabilities of the Paternian military, it was something which was still seen as a fault. Thus, a new tank was developed to address these concerns. Finally, there were concerns that Victoria could not take up a more powerful weapon, and the 120mm M9A2 became increasingly dated in the face of new competition.

Work began in earnest, and a variety of options were developed. A 50-ton vehicle was desired, as is a modular design to allow easy upgrading. It would be armed with a 140mm XM10 smoothbore cannon, which has double the energy of the M9A2. The heavy rounds and desire for lighter weight obviates the use of an automatic loader. The hull and turret roof received composite armor as well as the side hull, supplanted by additional composite armor modules.

It would be formally adopted as M50 Marshall, after Gen. Kevin Marshall and Maj. Stacy Marshall (individuals unrelated). The former was the commander of the Paternian Armored Force during the Soviet War, and the latter a two-time recipient of the Medal of Honor.