Vijayanta
| Vickers MBT Mk 3 | |
|---|---|
Vijayanta as a memorial in Pune (2007) |
|
| General properties | |
| crew | 4 (commander, driver, gunner, loader) |
| length | 9.79 m |
| width | 3.17 m |
| height | 2.71 m |
| Dimensions | 40.0 tons |
| Armor and armament | |
| Main armament | 1 × 105mm L7A2 cannon |
| Secondary armament | 2 × 12.7 mm MG
1 × 7.62mm machine gun |
| agility | |
| drive | Diesel engine Leyland L60 395 kW (535 PS ) |
| suspension | Torsion bar |
| Top speed | 48 km / h |
| Power / weight | 9.8 kW / t (13.4 PS / t) |
| Range | 354 km |
The Vijayanta ( German : the Victorious) by Vickers is an Indian main battle tank from the 1960s and 1970s and as such is a licensed version of the British Vickers MBT . It was the first tank ever made in India .
description
The production of the Vijayanta began at Vickers in England , but a short time later it was completely relocated to Avadi near Chennai (Madras) in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu .
The main armament consisted of a likewise British 105 mm L7 - gun to NATO standard and two machine guns .
The performance data varied to a greater or lesser extent depending on the series and modifications carried out, but most vehicles were roughly comparable with the Centurion Mk. XIII used by Israel during the wars of 1967 and 1973 .
The Vijayanta was withdrawn from active service by the Indian army around 1980 and replaced by new Soviet- style tanks such as the T-72 (which was also reproduced under license).
variants
- M-46 Catapult : Indian self-propelled gun based on the Vijayanta chassis, but equipped with an additional pair of rollers. Instead of the main battle tank turret, the vehicle is equipped with a 130 mm M-46 cannon . India has 70 M-46 Catapults.
- The Vickers Group also developed a 155 mm howitzer based on the Vijayanta, but after extensive testing it was not introduced by the Indian Army.
- Vijayanta Kartik : bridge-laying tank developed in 1986 by CVRDE and R&DE. The vehicle is based on the chassis of the Vijayanta tank and is equipped with hydraulically foldable bridge segments. Vehicles of military load class 60 can cross the bridge, which is 20 meters long when it is extended, and it is one of the largest rapid tank bridges in the world. All vehicles of the Indian army can drive over this bridge without any problems, including the Arjun and T-90 main battle tanks .
Web links
- Description on www.army-guide.com (English)
- Description on www.globalsecurity.org (English)