NationStates Jolt Archive


Hyena Tank Destroyer [Tp. 1A]

The Macabees
26-08-2005, 01:58
[OOC: I don't care if you think your tank is cooler than this anti-tank vehicle. I don't care about your strategical conceptions and your thoughts about the success of a weapon like this. If you're going to adress anything only adress technical concerns. Thank you.]



Hyena Tank Destroyer – Hailandkill/Macabee Joint Design


[Abstract]
The Hyena was a product of the many engineering brains within the realms of Hailandkill, and was the conclusion of many years of cooperation between Hailandkill and Kriegzimmer, a Macabee conglomerate of a myriad of defense corporations. It was designed to be a light and cheap response to the growing numbers of main battle tanks. In other words, the task of the Hyena was to be a product for poorer, or smaller, nations to afford, in which using superior numbers, superior velocities and superior turret speeds to successfully encounter and knock out an enemy main battle tank on the field. It is to say, the Hyena has sacrificed newer technologies and heavier mechanisms for the sake of these three principles, which make the Hyena a very dangerous adversary, despite its technological decencies.

However, it’s not to say that the Hyena uses obsolete technologies, or at least is old fashioned. It does use limited amounts of revolutionary technologies, although any of these are generally designed to aid the tank in the three areas it was built for. These technologies range from engine types to transmissions to main weaponry. It all comes together to form a very deadly design despite common misconceptions, and regardless of tactical differences. In short, it’s a very good purchase for nations who do not have the money to buy mass amounts of heavy armor, and just want to survive on the battlefield.

Designers who aided in the project include engineers from most ground defense corporations belonging to the Kriegzimmer conglomerate, as well as independent researchers especially hired by the Macabee administration. Hailandkill Arms Manufacturing also provided for at least half of the engineering staff and much of the research and design budget, which the Hyena administration couldn’t handle by itself.

For the purpose of research the Kriegzimmer and HKAM staff can be reached on their telegram boxes and ask that customers or critics do not fill their catalogues with garbage. Any objections should be dealt with privately and in a personal matter. Both thank you for their cooperation.

[Engine and Transmission]
In this case it was decided that the best option for the engine of the Hyena would be a 1,600 horsepower gasoline engine. Like standard gasoline engines the Hyena would be based on a thermal combustion wave to combust the diesel in the combustion tank, which in turn drives the crankshaft and the subsequent pistons. The engine itself would include a twelve cylinder system, with an alternating sequence of piston patterns. The four-stroke cycle, which includes the pistons within the cylinders, includes an intake stroke, a compression stroke, power stroke and an exhaust stroke, just like the normal Otto Cycle.

The transmission is a three group system, using a dual stick shift box. The left stick includes the three groups; the first is for acceleration, concentrating the gears to maximize horsepower and minimize engine torque, while the second group is for hauling, concentrating the gears to maximize torque and to minimize horsepower, this group would be normally used to elevations, and the third group would be for reverse. The right stick would control the gears, of which there would be an eight gear system, giving the Wolverine a total of twenty-four gears.

Nonetheless, the engine is designed to sacrifice engine torque in order to increase horsepower. The strength of the Hyena lies in its ability for pure acceleration and pure velocity, not in its ability for raw power. This is the direct opposite as what is found in a tractor or a main battle tank, which need more torque to pull more weight, the tractor in hauling, and the main battle tank is pulling its own monstrous tonnage. The transmission is designed to give the Wolverine an excellent gear to weight ratio, therefore minimizing engine failures and maximizing efficiency, although again, the engine was not designed to be the most technologically developed.

[Crew Mechanisms]
The driver enjoys a very comfortable environment within the Hyena, although personnel chambers are especially cramped due to the relatively small size of the Hyena. Nonetheless, he enjoys a dual braking system, in which the brake pedal is divided in two, allowing the driver to either break only the left rear wheel, the right rear wheel, or both as in a standard vehicle. In this form the driver could either stop all at one, or turn in place. This braking system has already been used on most modern tank designs and all tractor designs, although the Hyena is the only vehicle in which it’s specifically stated as being used, and improved upon.

The entire pedal array, including the braking system, the transmission, the clutch and the acceleration pedal use hydraulic technology, making it much more effective, much more efficient, and much faster. The driver’s steering capabilities are also fully hydraulic, as well as maneuvering mechanisms. On the right side of the driver there’s a hydraulic lever which controls rear view cameras.

The cameras are installed in standard blind spots, allowing the driver to see from these blind spots in front of him on six separate twelve inch LCD screens. Each separate camera has a view on a separate location, allowing the driver a full three hundred and sixty degree rotational view of the tank, either using his own eyes, or the widespread amount of cameras.

[Armor]
The Hyena's armor is relatively light, contrary to design expectations of other nations. It’s designed as a CERMAT/CHOBHAM composite, including strands of tungsten, titanium and depleted uranium, woven around polymer matrices, which themselves make the armor stronger and more effective. The RHA value of this layer is thought to be around 900mm RHA at its strongest, namely the armored plate of the front of the vehicle.

There’s a center layer of ERA, an explosive reactive armor designed as a resistance to KE rounds. Engineers had decided against NERA because it had been decided that the Hyena would not be used in a position with following infantry. In that case, the ERA’s explosive reaction would kill the infantry along with the KE rounds, but military analyst do not believe this would be the case. This middle layer of Kactus-3 ERA is noted as around 300mm RHA.

Consequently, the entire armor rating, at its strongest point, would have a nominal RHA value of 1,200mm against KE rounds, and somewhere around 1,500mm against CE rounds. Although this is a relatively high armored rating, matching that of several other main battle tanks on the field, the armor is also rated as relative light, giving that added advantage.

[Armament]
The Hyena's main armament is comprised of a single 120mm electro-thermal chemical cannon, with electro-magnetic rifling, giving it a much stronger punch, as opposed to a standard smooth bore gun, or even a standard electro-thermal chemical cannon. The 120mm ETC-EM is enshrouded in a thermal protection layer, which reduces jamming and overheating, as well as the consequent recoil, although neither is the recoil that strong considering that the major propellant is an electro-magnetic force.

The Hyena’s main gun incorporates the standard Macabee fire and control system, called Brass. The new fire and control system, dubbed 'Brass', is the new top notch of said systems, developed by General Dynamics (Canada) and expanded upon by Macabee engineers. It includes Multi-Role Sensor Suite, Multi-Sensor Integration, Integrated Sensor/TA Suite, Virtual Immersive, Environment (AVTB)\, Neuroholographic ATD/R, Immersive Visualization. Moreover, the new system has both a low altitude RADAR and LIDAR system which has capabilities of tracking and giving firing solutions for up to twenty different targets at up to four thousand meters for the LIDAR and up to eleven thousand meters for the RADAR (although, of course, a gun doesn't necessarily have the power nor the type of shell to reach that far, and of course, that doesn't mean that the area between you and the enemy tank if full of large rocks that can disrupt your shell and its vector). The LIDAR uses a Gaussian transmitter, which is right now the most advanced LIDAR transmitter developed by the United States. Of course, this fire and control system also uses thermal imaging, and of course, infra-red imaging.

The sighting and vision systems are fitted according to the customer country's mission requirements. The commander's station is fitted with an optional panoramic sight and six episcopes fitted with a switch for gun and episcope alignment. The gunner's station is equipped with a day and night sight.

The standard shell used for the roles taken on by the Hyena is a depleted uranium SABOT, although the “shoe” has been given six magnetic rails – three on either side – to allow the electro-magnetic force to continue pushing it through the gun using what is known as the Lorentz Force, a very common force in electro magnetic technology.

The Hyena also has a single 12.7 single barrel close-in weapons system designed to counter rocket propelled grenades and most anti-tank missile systems. It has been proven to stop a Dragon type anti-tank missile, and is thought to have the ability to stop more advance missiles, even missiles like the Javelin or its international equivalents. It uses a separate Gaussian transmitter with a range of about two hundred meters to track incoming anti-tank guided and unguided missiles. The CIWS, or ACIWS, is automated and has a three hundred and sixty rotational view.

[Crew]
The Hyena has a crew of three, including the driver, commander and gunner. All three compartments are separated from each other, although every compartment has perfect accessibility to a intra-tank radio, allowing crew members to communicate with each other. The commander also has an inter-tank radio system allowing him to communicate with fellow Wolverines and other vehicles on the same radio wave frequency.

The driver’s compartment is by far the largest, although the commander has his compartment directly on the top, looking onto the vehicle’s front armor, which is designed to allow the commander a one hundred eighty degree view – the rest is completed by four LCD screens connected to the same cameras that he driver’s six LCDs screens are connected to. The loader’s compartment is smaller, although it is made larger by a protected shell compartment which holds thirty-six SABOT rounds.

The top of the Hyena is convex, giving the Hyena one the highest crew comfort ratings, and it doesn’t, unlike in many Soviet vehicles, give the Hyena any higher of a profile.

[Weight and Other Statistics]
The Hyena weighs fifty-four tons, making it the lightest Macabee/Hailandkill vehicle on the market. The principle contribution to the weight is the armor and the engine, as well as the main gun. It also has a maximum velocity of eighty kilometers per hour using a quicker gear group, although it isn’t expected to top over forty kilometers per hour in a standard combat situation.

[Cost]
The Hyena’s sell price has been rated at 10 million USD.



[Hailandkill, if you want to revise anything telegram me or find me on AIM or just state it here. If you think anything needs addition I will add it.

Others, this design is subject to change upon my own or Hailandkill's interests, or the objections of others. Please respect that. People who purchase this design prior to a change are assumed that their design remains the most up to date, regardless of when they bought it, unless it's specifically a seperate design, which it most likely won't be.

Edit: I had kept the original name, the Hyena, in the description, so I had to change it to the new name, since the Wolverine is the name of my light tank.]
USSNA
26-08-2005, 02:08
Looks Good. Very similar to my BRD-20 AFV (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=9327718&postcount=16). Only differences are that mine is wheeled, faster, less armor.
The Macabees
26-08-2005, 03:04
[bump]
The Macabees
26-08-2005, 05:45
[up^]
Clan Smoke Jaguar
26-08-2005, 08:38
OOC: You cannot possibly employ both MEXAS and ERA together with any degree of effectiveness. By their very nature, both must be on top, making them mutually exclusive. The problem with MEXAS has been noted, at least to a degree, but ERA also can't have anything beyond it. Any armor layer above ERA will 1) prevent it from being activated in time to work and 2) interfere with the plates themselves, preventing them from having much effect on opposing round. ERA actually needs a significant amount of space beyond it to work, and like MEXAS, must always be the top layer.

Also, ERA is less effective against KE than HEAT, usually being only half as good against it, and any ERA rated at 500mm KE protection (for the record, about twice that of current systems) can and will damage the vehicle itself. Such ERA is going to have to be very heavy and have a decent explosion to propel it, which is generally bad for the vehicle underneath. Even with the armor, you'll be suffering damage to the passive armor that will need repairing, and the shock damage could disable some systems, degrading fighting ability.

The vehicle is also far too cheap for the design as presented. The armor, though light, will be phenominally expensive, and the gun will also. This should be closer to the range of $10 million or more. You just can't have something like that going for so cheap.

Finally, HEAT and CE are synonymous. Just two different terms for the same thing, so you really can't have different protection for the two.
The Macabees
26-08-2005, 19:50
[OOC:

Alright, the necessary changes made, however, I would still like to talk about the armor.

My attentions weren't that the ERA would also protect the MEXAS. My intentions were that in the event of a round penetrating the MEXAS,then the ERA would react. I don't really care if the MEXAS is consequently ruined in some sections of the tank - the MEXAS is predominately for protection against rounds that it can protect against without setting off the ERA. Or does it not matter?

Regardless, I changed the ERA rating to 300mm. According to the site that I used a while ago to read up on ERA for my main battle tank project it rated Kactus-3 at 300mm to 500mm RHA, so I just used the higher rating, since it's more lucritive for me to do so. Nonetheless, it's not reverted to 300mm.]
USSNA
26-08-2005, 21:09
Maybe you dont know how ERA works. When it fires, t pushes a metal plate out from the main body of the tank, negating the pressure of the HEAT warhead. It must be on top or else it cannot work.
The Macabees
27-08-2005, 00:16
Maybe you dont know how ERA works. When it fires, t pushes a metal plate out from the main body of the tank, negating the pressure of the HEAT warhead. It must be on top or else it cannot work.


No, I know how it works, that's not my concern. My concern deals with concept. It is to say, ERA reacts when it's pressured, so if a round breaks through the MEXAS, regardless of if its KE or CE, the ERA would still be pressured, meaning it would still react.

I know that this would literally tear apart a section of my MEXAS, but as I said before, I don't necessarily care about the MEXAS - that can be replaced. What I want to know is, in concept, that even if the MEXAS is on top, wouldn't the ERA react nonetheless, even if it damages parts of the MEXAS? So it would in the end, do its job, correct?

If not, then my query ends right here.
USSNA
27-08-2005, 00:21
First off, any hit would set it off. Even if it dosen't penetrait, the pressure wave goes through the secondary layers of the armor.

Secondly, unless you MEXUS armor it cut up into little chunks, the ERA would do nothing.
Clan Smoke Jaguar
27-08-2005, 08:22
OOC: To clarify:
The problem is not that the ERA would destroy the MEXAS above it, but rather that the MEXAS would stop the ERA from working effectively. The MEXAS has to be strong enough to affect the HEAT warhead, and in doing so, will be stron enough to stop the ERA panels launched from underneath it.

The damage I was referring to was the armor underneath the ERA, which will be damaged by it. It has been shown that heavier ERA that's effective against KE projectiles has a tendency to damage the armor under it.

Edit:
Also, for protection, I've seen Kontakt-5 rated at 150-280mm VS KE and 300-700mm VS CE, depending on source. 250-280mm VS KE and 500-600mm VS CE seem to be about the norm.
After looking a bit into it, I've seen about 300-440mm KE and 700-850mm CE for Kaktus, but I'm less certain of the validity of some of those claims. From what I've seen though, I'm leaning toward the lower end, as those are more common listings, and the sources with the higher ones were always Pro-Black Eagle sites.
USSNA
27-08-2005, 12:04
Question, how much does ERA weigh? How much does it put onto the armor itself?