The Macabees
31-10-2006, 23:50
ARMOR Magazine
A Glimpse at the Future: The Nakíl 1A2
- Jak Del'vertain
Recent rumours have raised sudden interest in the Nakíl 1A2, the tank which is supposed to replace the Nakíl 1A1 tank as the best tank on the market. Since its inception with the Golden Armour Corps in September 2016 it has fought in many battles and although export wont begin until February 2017, when the Nakíl 1A2 is supposed to be released for the Empire's use, Kriegzimmer has already sold over 600,000 copies of the tank, slated to be delivered between February 2017 and February 2025. The Nakíl 1A1 has been hailed by friends and foes alike as the best tank the world has to deliver, and so one wonders how the Nakíl 1A2 can improve on what should already be perfection. This article will hopefully provide an accurate assessment of what one can expect from the Nakíl 1A2, and will hopefully answer many questions some tank enthusiasts might have on the future of the Nakíl series. From what is currently known - as in open knowledge - the Nakíl 1A2 will be state of the art, and will blow all foreign competitors away.
According to an interview with several designers at the Atmos Company the Nakíl 1A2 will actually be lighter than its predecessor, and will incorporate an all new turret design, with a slightly modified main gun. It can be expected that the main gun will still use liquid propellants like the original AGS 175, but what changes have been made are not exactly clear. This new gun system will be called the AGS 225. The AGS 175 is one of the most powerful 120mm guns on the market, with 28MJ behind the penetrator. The AGS 225 has been reported to fire with 31MJ behind the penetrator! Obviously, there has to be some sort of improvement. Some anonymous sources claim that the new gun system has totally withdrawn from the idea of using solid propellants, suggesting that the AGS 225 will be purely liquid propellant. What's certain is that nothing is for sure.
That said, the most important factor in weight reduction is the reduction of the actual thickness of the armour. Kriegzimmer officials have reported that the armour will actually be much thinner, however, Atmos says that RHAe protection will not go down by that much and the rear will actually either remain the same or augment. Atmos, however, agrees that actual thickness will go down all around the tank. How they will achieve an increase in RHAe by decreasing actual thickness is not completely understood, but there will likely be several tricks employed. The new, lighter tank will also have new, lighter roadwheels and much lighter suspension components, giving it the same ride but helping reduce universal weight. How much the weight will go down is unknown, but at 65 tonnes the Nakíl 1A1 was already a rather light tank in comparison to those on the foreign market. The new weight might go down by as much as 5 tonnes!
The new tank will also feature a brand new selection of ammunition, including an all new APFSDS will reportedly will be able to perforate every tank on the market, although this cannot be proved. The new tank will also feature a brand new HEAT round, and a multitude of other newer and improvised ammunition. Like the Nakíl 1A2, these rounds are not expected to go on the foreign market until a newer version of the Nakíl is released in the future. Nevertheless, if these ammunition rumours turn out to be true it's certain that foreign tank designers will be forced back to the drawing table, and thicker armour is not always a possibility - especially on foreign tanks that already have real thicknesses of over 350mm. However, as stated before, these supposed penetration figures are only rumours and may not be completely true.
Unlike the Nakíl 1A1, the 1A2 will not be exported widely. The main recipient will be The Macabees. Fedala has already ordered 20,000 to be constructed by February 2018, which will replace the older Broadsword-Tizonas. The existing 4,000 Nakíl 1A1s will most likely be sold or will be given to a post-war Havenic army to rebuild it. There are up to five nations, however, that will receive the Nakíl 1A2. Rumours persist that two of these nations are none other than Willink and Franberry. No information exists on the other three possible recipients. If the Nakíl ever hits the market it's possible that as many 1A2s will be sold as 1A1s, which at this rate would mean that there would be 1.2 million tanks sold. However, it's not very likely that the 1A2 will be released to the foreign market, and instead there will be a 1A3 or even a 1A4 for the foreign market. There is news that Atmos is planning an upgrade for the Nakíl 1A1, named the 1A1U, which will be released June, 2017. If the Nakíl family continues it's possible that it will be the most proliferated tank in the world, throughout history - it may have already surpassed this with the 600,000+ sold insofar.
The Nakíl has truly revolutionized the world of armour.
A Glimpse at the Future: The Nakíl 1A2
- Jak Del'vertain
Recent rumours have raised sudden interest in the Nakíl 1A2, the tank which is supposed to replace the Nakíl 1A1 tank as the best tank on the market. Since its inception with the Golden Armour Corps in September 2016 it has fought in many battles and although export wont begin until February 2017, when the Nakíl 1A2 is supposed to be released for the Empire's use, Kriegzimmer has already sold over 600,000 copies of the tank, slated to be delivered between February 2017 and February 2025. The Nakíl 1A1 has been hailed by friends and foes alike as the best tank the world has to deliver, and so one wonders how the Nakíl 1A2 can improve on what should already be perfection. This article will hopefully provide an accurate assessment of what one can expect from the Nakíl 1A2, and will hopefully answer many questions some tank enthusiasts might have on the future of the Nakíl series. From what is currently known - as in open knowledge - the Nakíl 1A2 will be state of the art, and will blow all foreign competitors away.
According to an interview with several designers at the Atmos Company the Nakíl 1A2 will actually be lighter than its predecessor, and will incorporate an all new turret design, with a slightly modified main gun. It can be expected that the main gun will still use liquid propellants like the original AGS 175, but what changes have been made are not exactly clear. This new gun system will be called the AGS 225. The AGS 175 is one of the most powerful 120mm guns on the market, with 28MJ behind the penetrator. The AGS 225 has been reported to fire with 31MJ behind the penetrator! Obviously, there has to be some sort of improvement. Some anonymous sources claim that the new gun system has totally withdrawn from the idea of using solid propellants, suggesting that the AGS 225 will be purely liquid propellant. What's certain is that nothing is for sure.
That said, the most important factor in weight reduction is the reduction of the actual thickness of the armour. Kriegzimmer officials have reported that the armour will actually be much thinner, however, Atmos says that RHAe protection will not go down by that much and the rear will actually either remain the same or augment. Atmos, however, agrees that actual thickness will go down all around the tank. How they will achieve an increase in RHAe by decreasing actual thickness is not completely understood, but there will likely be several tricks employed. The new, lighter tank will also have new, lighter roadwheels and much lighter suspension components, giving it the same ride but helping reduce universal weight. How much the weight will go down is unknown, but at 65 tonnes the Nakíl 1A1 was already a rather light tank in comparison to those on the foreign market. The new weight might go down by as much as 5 tonnes!
The new tank will also feature a brand new selection of ammunition, including an all new APFSDS will reportedly will be able to perforate every tank on the market, although this cannot be proved. The new tank will also feature a brand new HEAT round, and a multitude of other newer and improvised ammunition. Like the Nakíl 1A2, these rounds are not expected to go on the foreign market until a newer version of the Nakíl is released in the future. Nevertheless, if these ammunition rumours turn out to be true it's certain that foreign tank designers will be forced back to the drawing table, and thicker armour is not always a possibility - especially on foreign tanks that already have real thicknesses of over 350mm. However, as stated before, these supposed penetration figures are only rumours and may not be completely true.
Unlike the Nakíl 1A1, the 1A2 will not be exported widely. The main recipient will be The Macabees. Fedala has already ordered 20,000 to be constructed by February 2018, which will replace the older Broadsword-Tizonas. The existing 4,000 Nakíl 1A1s will most likely be sold or will be given to a post-war Havenic army to rebuild it. There are up to five nations, however, that will receive the Nakíl 1A2. Rumours persist that two of these nations are none other than Willink and Franberry. No information exists on the other three possible recipients. If the Nakíl ever hits the market it's possible that as many 1A2s will be sold as 1A1s, which at this rate would mean that there would be 1.2 million tanks sold. However, it's not very likely that the 1A2 will be released to the foreign market, and instead there will be a 1A3 or even a 1A4 for the foreign market. There is news that Atmos is planning an upgrade for the Nakíl 1A1, named the 1A1U, which will be released June, 2017. If the Nakíl family continues it's possible that it will be the most proliferated tank in the world, throughout history - it may have already surpassed this with the 600,000+ sold insofar.
The Nakíl has truly revolutionized the world of armour.