The Compact Assault Vehicle, or CAV for short, was developed because the galaxy is simply too big for any government in it to maintain a full military presence on each of the worlds they occupy. Some worlds are simply too small or too insignificant to warrant more than just a small amount of soldiers to be posted there. To avoid these planets becoming easy targets for other governments, the CAV gives a single soldier the amount of firepower that a squad would normally supply.
The CAV is a vehicle that is capable of crossing most open types of terrain and equipped with advanced means of communications and substantial weaponry for a craft of its size. However it was soon discovered that the intricate sensors of the CAVw PX-10 are susceptible to jamming, effectively rendering the vehicle's occupant blind. Whatever the circumstances though, CAV pilots should never leave their vehicle. For them it is more than just a weapon, it is their sanctuary. Should they step outside the vehicle they are certainly doomed.