Achzarit
| Achzarit | |
|---|---|
Achzarit with remote controlled weapon station Rafael (2005) |
|
| General properties | |
| crew | 3 + 7 (driver, commander, gunner, max. 7 soldiers) |
| length | 6.2 m |
| width | 3.60 m |
| height | > 2 m (estimate) |
| Dimensions | 44 t |
| Armor and armament | |
| Armor | up to 200 mm |
| Main armament | 3 × 7.62 mm machine guns with 4000 rounds |
| Secondary armament | no |
| agility | |
| drive | Diesel 650 PS (Mk 1) 850 PS (Mk 2) |
| suspension | feathers |
| Top speed | ? km / h |
| Power / weight | 19 hp / ton |
| Range | unknown |
The Achzarit ( Hebrew אכזריתSuch as: "The Cruel") is a heavily armored, armed personnel carriers (MTW) of the Israeli forces .
The design builds on the wells of more than 1000 old Soviet T-54 - / T-55 - tank on that of Israel during the Arab-Israeli wars were captured by Arab armies. The Israelis removed the turret of the tank and modified the chassis by adding a transport room for soldiers with a door at the rear. In addition to other minor modernizations, the water-cooled Soviet engine was replaced by a more compact and more powerful diesel engine. To further increase the already good armor of the old hull, reactive armor was installed.
The Achzarit Mk 1 has a 650 HP engine, while the Mk 2 has an 850 HP engine.
Versions
The standard model of the MTW Achzarith is armed with 7.62 mm machine guns, one of which is operated from inside the tank; the machine guns were designed by the weapons development department of the Israeli army ( Rafael ).
There is also a modernized version, which is equipped with a computer-controlled, fully automatic weapon station that is operated from inside the tank - so the gunner is protected from enemy fire. The weapon station is equipped with a 12.7 mm machine gun of the Browning M2 type as standard .
For the urban conflict area there is a special version called LIC (abbreviation for Low Intensity Conflict ), which has a small dome with armored glass panes all around over the commander's hatch to ensure a better overview in this difficult terrain.
The Achzarith is also used in a special version as an armored ambulance vehicle. This version is unarmed.
Finally, the Achzarith is used as a command vehicle; for this it is equipped with a special communication system - recognizable from the outside by three (instead of the usual one) external antennas.
Due to its heavy armor , the Achzarit is sometimes referred to as the "heavy GMT" (armored personnel carrier ) (English APC or HAPC ). The Achzarit MTWs are part of the Golani Brigade , which is deployed near the Lebanese border and the northern part of the West Bank .
commitment
The Achzarit MTW took part in Operation Rainbow in Rafah after some comparatively lightly armored M113 MTWs were destroyed by RPG fire.
successor
Although the Achzarit is still one of the best-protected MTWs in terms of armor, the Israeli armed forces saw further opportunities for improvement. These were implemented in the successor to Achzarit, the Namer .
literature
- Marsh Gelbart: Modern Israeli Tanks and Infantry Carriers 1985-2004 , Osprey, Oxford 2004, ISBN 1-84176-579-1 , pp. 7-14
Individual evidence
Web links
- Achzarit at israeli-weapons.com (engl.)
- Site with the T-54/55, with information about the Achzarit (Engl.)