Main Battle Tanks and Armour Technology

[Damian]

An interesting report from (of all channels) RT on surplus M1 and other US Army equipments depot in Sierra Nevada:

Of course RT mades as allways completely inaccurate and idiotic assumption that this is vehicles graveyard. However it is not, it is storage facility, and these vehicles are not abandoned, but placed there for long term storage. There are several such facilities in USA, however Sierra Army Depot is the largest. There is storead ~2000 M1 tanks there. ~1000 tanks is stored in Anniston Army Depot, where production and overhaul facility for M1's is placed. Smaller number of tanks are stored in other smaller facilities and military bases as reserve.

US Army have 2000 tanks in active force and high readiness reserve, the same number of tanks is in Army national Guard, and USMC as I said have 442 tanks in active force and high readiness reserve.

 

[Sovngard]

So, Scutum tiles contain explosive materials ?

 

[militarysta]

Menwhile in Poland:


Russian invasion on Ukraina give first results on "est wall"

 

[jouni]

Menwhile in Poland:


Russian invasion on Ukraina give first results on "est wall"

You like to use those Leo2's en masse ,we have totally different doctrine

 

[militarysta]

Menwhile in internet is avaible part of the T-90S instruction. Export version.

Some screens shots for indian friends -as T-90S users.

 

[sgarg]

@militarysta, your T-90S schematic is quite useless. These tanks cannot be made in my backyard workshop.

Indian tanks will most likely be used against Pakistan which does not have anything better. 90% of Pakistani tanks will get knocked down by infantry rockets and missiles and rest by anti-armour helicopters.

 

[Bhadra]

Of course RT mades as allways completely inaccurate and idiotic assumption that this is vehicles graveyard. However it is not, it is storage facility, and these vehicles are not abandoned, but placed there for long term storage. There are several such facilities in USA, however Sierra Army Depot is the largest. There is storead ~2000 M1 tanks there. ~1000 tanks is stored in Anniston Army Depot, where production and overhaul facility for M1's is placed. Smaller number of tanks are stored in other smaller facilities and military bases as reserve.

US Army have 2000 tanks in active force and high readiness reserve, the same number of tanks is in Army national Guard, and USMC as I said have 442 tanks in active force and high readiness reserve.

Tell me ... are the tanks supposed to be stored in a grave yard or if you say a vehicle yard??

 

[militarysta]

Hundreds of troops in Nato training exercise in response to fears of Russian aggression in Ukraine - ITV News

Hundreds of troops in Nato training exercise in response to fears of Russian aggression in Ukraine

Neil Connery, ITV News Correspondent

This is the biggest British force sent to Eastern Europe since 2008.

Exercise Black Eagle sees the UK's lead armoured battle group (currently King's Royal Hussars) working with the 11th Polish Armoured Cavalry Brigade.

 

[militarysta]

Again in Poland:

http://www.10bkpanc.wp.mil.pl/pl/2_2683.html

 

[cobra commando]

First Leopard 2 A7 tank delivered to Germany

The first of 20 Leopard 2 A7 tanks has been handed over to the German Army by Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW). The vehicle was officially accepted on 10 December.

The Leopard 2 A7 is an upgraded version of the Leopard 2 A6M tank. The vehicle features optimised protection against asymmetrical and conventional threats, and an auxiliary power unit to ensure that the weapons system is fully operational even without a running main engine and that turret and crew compartment are kept cool. The vehicle is integrated into the control network via the combat troops control and weapons deployment system; it also uses advanced sighting equipment for improved reconnaissance capabilities; and has the ability to fire fuze-programmable high explosive ammunition. The Leopard 2 A7 is a product of collaboration between multiple NATO partners and KMW. The Canadian military borrowed 20 Leopard 2 A6Ms from Germany as part of the ISAF mandate in 2007, with KMW adapting the vehicles to meet Canadian specifications. When it was time to return the vehicles, Canada acquired surplus Leopard A6M tanks from the Netherlands, which were to be converted to the design status of the loaned German vehicles. As part of this conversion work under Canadian and German agreement further modifications were made resulting in the Leopard 2 A7 for the German Army.
First Leopard 2 A7 tank delivered to Germany - News - Shephard

 

[Sovngard]

Too bad that their new Leopard 2A7 still uses the old WBG-X thermal camera.


So, it would be the first tank of the Bundeswehr that features a Battlefield Management System ?



Inserting Kontakt-5 reactive elements in the glacis of a T-72B3 at the UralVagonZavod tank plant. (on 16min25 sec) :

 

[methos]

Too bad that their new Leopard 2A7 still uses the old WBG-X thermal camera.

That is not really sure, Jane's reported something different, while the official article does not mention anything about new thermals for the gunner:

Germany receives first Leopard 2A7 MBT

Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) handed over the latest version of the Leopard 2 main battle tank (MBT), the Leopard 2A7, to the inspector general of the German Army, Lieutenant General Rainer Korff on 10 December at their Munich facility.

The Leopard 2A7 MBT leverages the earlier Leopard 2A5, 2A6, and Leopard 2 Peace Support Operation variants, combined with significant input from operational experience of Leopard 2 MBTs deployed by Canada and Denmark in Afghanistan.

The German Army has ordered a total of 20 Leopard 2A7 MBTs and the last of these will soon be delivered from KMW's Munich facility and issued to Tank Battalion 203, which currently operates 44 Leopard 2A6s.

Lt Gen Korff stated that "this is a good day for the German Army" and that "they are more than satisfied with the Leopard 2A7".

The batch of 20 German Leopard 2A7 MBTs are in fact conversions of ex-Royal Netherlands Army Leopard 2A6 NL, which were provided by Canada as compensation for the Leopard 2A6M taken from German Army stocks and upgraded for deployment to Afghanistan.

Funding permitting, the German Army hopes to get finance to enable its complete fleet of Leopard 2A6 MBTs to be upgraded to the latest Leopard 2A7 standard.

The Leopard 2A7 retains the Rheinmetall 120 mm L/55 smooth bore gun and in addition to firing the latest generation Rheinmetall 120 mm Armour Piercing Fin Stabilised Discarding Sabot - Tracer (APFSDS-T) DM63 round and can also fire the latest programmable Rheinmetall DM12 high-explosive round.

The Leopard 2A7 has a number of survivability enhancements including the latest generation passive armour and belly armour providing protection against mines and improvised explosive devices. It is also fitted for but not with additional passive side protection armour.

Other significant changes include the installation of an auxiliary power unit to enable all subsystems to be run with the main engine switched off and an air-conditioning system, new drivers hatch, and all-electric gun-control equipment.

The tank commander is provided with a new roof-mounted stabilised panoramic sight that includes a third-generation thermal imager, laser rangefinder, and charge coupled device camera. The gunner also has a third-generation thermal sight.

Ralf Tetzel, senior vice president, Defense Combat Systems at KMW confirmed to IHS Jane's that the German Leopard 2A7 programme is "on time and on budget".

The Leopard 2A7 has been tested fitted with the KMW FLW 200 remote weapon station armed with a .50 M2 HB machine gun, but this is not fitted at present for budgetary reasons.

Jane's might mix up some different things though, in July a news article form Cassadian reported that Germany, Canada and Denmark were buying new Attica thermal imagers, but Germany bought them exclusively for the commander's periscope, while Canada and Denmark purchased new thermals for the gunner's sight also. A lot of different changes were made to the Leopard 2A7 during it's development, the first prototypes e.g. were all using the PERI-RTWL of the Puma IFV.

 

[militarysta]

That is not really sure, Jane's reported something different, while the official article does not mention anything about new thermals for the gunner:


Jane's might mix up some different things though, in July a news article form Cassadian reported that Germany, Canada and Denmark were buying new Attica thermal imagers, but Germany bought them exclusively for the commander's periscope, while Canada and Denmark purchased new thermals for the gunner's sight also. A lot of different changes were made to the Leopard 2A7 during it's development, the first prototypes e.g. were all using the PERI-RTWL of the Puma IFV.

@methos.

It's changed:

 

[cobra commando]

KMW upgrades former Dutch Leopard 2s for the German Army | Defense Update:

 

[erkjetter]

Greetings from Finland. Alot of knowledge is present in this forum so hopefully someone can provide me with a comprehensive answer.

How is a MBT effected if it is hit with a modern KE-longrod from another MBT that does not penetrate trough. Any spall or shockwave effect inside? Is the armor able to absorb the energy and keep the tank operational as long as no vital components are directly?

Extra points for any official documents/source or research so I can have more concrete ammo against my buddy in our debate

 

[jouni]

Greetings from Finland. Alot of knowledge is present in this forum so hopefully someone can provide me with a comprehensive answer.

How is a MBT effected if it is hit with a modern KE-longrod from another MBT that does not penetrate trough. Any spall or shockwave effect inside? Is the armor able to absorb the energy and keep the tank operational as long as no vital components are directly?

Extra points for any official documents/source or research so I can have more concrete ammo against my buddy in our debate

@militarysta is an expert, maybe he can help you

 

[Sovngard]

This might help to make your own idea about that :

In this old but nice short film you can see a Stridsvagn-103 prototype defeating a Slpprj m/61 105mm APDS at combat range (fired at point blank for test reason but with a reduced propellant charge).

Pressure, temperature, air quality sensors and accelerometers inside the test vehicle have demonstrated that the impact shockwave did not represent a hazard for the crew.

Heat is not really a problem so long as the walls of the crew compartment aren't pierced.

 

[militarysta]

@militarysta is an expert, maybe he can help you

Dear friend. There are chrismas in Poland, and it's not good idea to write after 0,7L per head

But, if user @erkjetter is interested in armour there is some polish forum when Im a moderator.

Topics about passive armour:
• Zaloguj


reactive armour:
• Zaloguj


Absout Your @erkjetter quaestion - no, stopped by multialyerd modern armour APFSDS shoud not hurt the crew, for opposide - for tank whit solid cast armour (from II WW up to M60, T-72Ural, T-55) every - even non-penetrateing kinetic ammo hit was danger for crew.
Solid cast armour will transfer MJ energy to internal layers and possible to crew comparmet, multilayerd armour will not (spaced armour).

Sory for still of writing - You know - %

 

[Sovngard]

Dear friend. There are chrismas in Poland, and it's not good idea to write after 0,7L per head

As the French proverb goes : " Drunk as the whole Poland".

Sory for still of writing - You know - %

What militarysta is trying to say, is that he is too drunk to give a detailed answer.

 

[jouni]

I remember back in the eighties our favorite drink was Polish rubbing alcohol, cheap and good.

With our taxes half a liter of vodka costs 15$