The Leman Russ battle tank was first developed some time during the Great Crusade in the late 30th Millennium, but most of the information about the vehicle from that ancient time is missing or non-existent. The Leman Russ battle tank proved to be a reliable and proven armoured vehicle named after the Primarch of the Legiones Astartes Space Wolves in honour of his savage ferocity in war. Numerous sub-patterns mounted a wide array of weapons in service of the elite Solar Auxilia were often enhanced to the "Solar" pattern, fitted with supplementary survival and exploration systems. Leman Russ tanks in Auxilia strike squadrons were fitted with extended fuel reserves and their engines enhanced with forced induction chargers. These combined to increase the tanks' speed and operational range sub