Pioneer Amphibious Reconnaissance Vehicle
| Pioneer Amphibious Reconnaissance Vehicle | |
|---|---|
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The APE in 1978 |
|
| General properties | |
| crew | 3 + 3 |
| length | 6.93 m |
| width | 3.08 m |
| height | 2.40 m |
| Dimensions | 14 t |
| Armor and armament | |
| Main armament | Light gun turret with 20 mm automatic cannon MK 20 RH 202 |
| agility | |
| drive | Mercedes-Benz 8-cylinder diesel engine type OM 402A with exhaust gas turbocharger, 12,763 cm³ 235 kW (320 PS) |
| Top speed | 105 km / h (road) / 18 km / h (water) |
| Power / weight | 16.8 kW / t |
The amphibious pioneer reconnaissance vehicle , APE for short, was developed by Eisenwerke Kaiserslautern (EWK) from 1974 , and Santa Bàrbara Sistemas GmbH - a subsidiary of General Dynamics - since November 2002 .
development
After the development of Transportpanzer 2 (TPz 2) 4 × 4, a parallel development to Transportpanzer 1 (TPz 1) Fuchs , the Eisenwerke Kaiserslautern decided to pursue the idea on its basis. Although the vehicle comes from the TPz 2 study, it had nothing in common with the TPz 1 except for the engine and transmission. The APE was not designed as a transport tank, although such a possibility would have been available, but as a purely special vehicle. The extent to which EWK would have offered other model variants to foreign customers in the event of a possible series production on its own is no longer known today. This option had certainly been left open. In contrast to TPz 1, the APE's suitability for use on land and in water was the same. After extensive testing, procurement of the vehicle was not considered and the project was abandoned in 1979. Since then, the prototype has been part of the holdings of the Defense Technical Study Collection of the Federal Office for Equipment, Information Technology and Use of the Bundeswehr in Koblenz .
description
The tub itself was slightly shorter than that of the fox , but due to the more elongated bow area the overall length was that exceeded the fox by 23 cm. The vehicle was equipped with four large low-pressure tires, the air pressure of which could be varied (0.7 to 2.3 bar) via a tire pressure control system that was controlled from the inside , in order to increase grip when landing on difficult embankments. Both axles were steerable; the propellers were not positioned above the rear wheels as in the case of the Fuchs, but at the level of the axle to the left and right of the differential (i.e. under the tub floor). There were pronounced hollow bodies between the wheels, which guaranteed the vehicle a stable position when swimming. The flat bow, which was pulled down to the front axle, allowed a higher water speed, and the baffle could only be held in one piece. The passenger hatch had neither a corner mirror nor a turntable; armament with machine guns was not provided. Behind the drive part there was a hatch for the gunner in the middle. This was associated with unprotected rotatable mount and located thereon, 20-mm automatic cannon Rh equipped 202nd
The engine and gearbox were identical to those of the Transportpanzer 1 "Fuchs".
tasks
At the beginning of the 1970s, there was a higher level of opinion that the pioneers should be equipped with an educational component specifically in the area of water crossings. The resulting development model APE therefore had a number of the most modern devices, e.g. B. for water exploration. The vehicle was used to create the profile of a river bed in order to determine its suitability for deep wading with tracked vehicles. There was also the possibility, among other things, of crossing a wide river precisely with the help of a guide beam when visibility was zero (heavy fog ) without deviating from the course.
Technical specifications
| designation | TPz2 APE | |
| Engine: | 8-cylinder diesel Mercedes-Benz type OM 402A with exhaust gas turbocharger | |
| Displacement: | 12,763 cc | |
| Power: | 235 kW (320 hp ) | |
| Cooling: | Liquid cooling | |
| Transmission: | ZF 6 HP 500 6 forward, 1 reverse gear | |
| Drive: | Four-wheel drive, propeller | |
| Length over all: | 6930 mm | |
| Width over everything: | 3080 mm | |
| Height above everything: | 2400 mm | |
| Ground clearance: | 515 mm | |
| Wading ability : | buoyant | |
| Climbing ability: | 500 mm | |
| Gradeability : | 75% | |
| Bank slope: | 35% | |
| Empty weight: | 14,000 kg | |
| Combat weight: | k. A. | |
| Top speed: | 105 km / h (road), 18 km / h (water) | |
| Armament: | 1 × 20 mm automatic cannon | |
| Crew: | 3 + 3 | |
literature
- Defense technology study collection in Koblenz
- FM by Senger and Etterlin : Tanks of the World 1983 . Arms and Armor Press, London 1983.
