Vickers MBT

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Vickers MBT Mk 3
Indian Vijayanta identical to Vickers MBT Mk 1

Indian Vijayanta identical to Vickers MBT Mk 1

General properties
crew 4 (commander, driver, gunner, loader)
length 7.56 m
width 3.17 m
height 2.48 m
Dimensions 40.0 t
Armor and armament
Armor 80 mm
Main armament 1 × 105mm L7A1 cannon
Secondary armament 1 × 7.62 mm MG (coaxial)

1 × 12.7 mm MG (deck structure)

agility
drive Turbo diesel
530 kW (720 PS)
suspension Torsion bar
Top speed 50 km / h
Power / weight 13.3 kW / t (18 PS / t)
Range 530 km

The Vickers MBT is a British main battle tank from the 1960s, which was developed and produced by the armaments manufacturer Vickers without a state tender.

history

The Vickers MBT (MBT: M ain B attle T ank) was originally developed as a tank for financially weak countries that should be comparatively cheap and powerful. Many assemblies come from the Chieftain and Centurion main battle tanks . The first two prototypes of the Vickers MBT Mk 1 were produced in the early 1960s. One of these prototypes was shipped to India , the other stayed in the UK for testing. India agreed with Vickers that the tank would be manufactured in India, where it served in the Indian Army under the name Vijayanta . Production started in England in 1964 and production started in India a year later, in 1965. Other buyers of the vehicle were Kuwait (1968) and Kenya (1977). The Vijayanta was withdrawn from active service by the Indian Army around 1980 and replaced by new Soviet- style tanks such as the T-72 .

description

The design of the Vickers MBT is conventional; H. the driver sits in the front right, the fighting compartment was in the center and the engine was in the rear. For night combat, the driver could swap the corner mirror for a night vision device. Ammunition was stowed to the left of the driver. The engine compartment was equipped with a fire suppression system. The commander and gunner sat to the right of the 105mm L7A1 cannon - the commander behind the gunner. The loader sat to the left of the gun. The commander had a periscope with ten times magnification available. The gunner used a target periscope with a crosshair. The tank can be wading without preparation and is optionally equipped with an NBC protection system.

Executions

Mk. 1

The first prototype was made in 1963, weighed 38 tons and was armed with a 105mm cannon. The top speed was 48 km / h. 70 of these battle tanks were sold to Kuwait . India also used this tank. However, the Indian model was slightly modified and was produced in India under the name Vijayanta .

Mk. 2

Prototype equipped with two launch ramps for the Swingfire anti-tank guided missile .

Mk. 3

The prototype of the Mk. 3 version was completed in 1975 and hardly differed from the Mk. 1. The main difference was better performance values. Series production began in 1978. A number of tanks were sold to Kenya and Nigeria . The main armament again consisted of a 105 mm cannon. The maximum speed was 50 km / h. The combat weight was 40 tons. In addition, the anti-aircraft armored version Vickers Marksman , with a Marksman combat turret .

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