Jeuna
14-11-2007, 20:27
Type 97 Main Battle Tank
http://www.fileden.com/files/2006/8/1/149955/Type%2097%20camo2.png
The Type 97 design was derived from the earlier Type 89, which in turn had been based on the American M1A1. The prototype, developed by the Hsaio Motor Corporation, identified several weaknesses of the Type 89, and suggested solutions to fix these vulnerabilities.
The government of Jeuna approved the project in 1995, and in 1995–1996, the tank, then named the XT-95, underwent testing. The tank went into production in 1997, and entered service in the Jeunese Army in 1998.
[Production history]
The Type 97 design was derived from the earlier Type 89, which in turn had been based on the American M1A1. The prototype, developed by the Hsaio Motor Corporation, identified several weaknesses of the Type 89, and suggested solutions to fix these vulnerabilities.
The government of Jeuna approved the project in 1995, and in 1995–1996, the tank, then named the XT-95, underwent testing. The tank went into production in 1997, and entered service in the Jeunese Army in 1998. Since then, over 4,000 such tanks have been manufactured, primarily used by the Akimonadi Army.
[Armor]
The armor of the Type 97 (codenamed 手牌; pinyin: shǒupái) is composed of a layer of Shujex-reinforced titanium carbide with tungsten and depleted uranium rod inserts, backed by boronated polyethylene to provide protection from radiological weapons and sandwiched between two blended metal plates with bricked titanium nitride-impregnated tantalum carbide inserts. The back of the armor system is supported by angled (33°) titanium strut-supported honeycombing and surrounded entirely by steel plates. An anti-spalling layer of Shujex (http://wikistates.outwardhosting.com/wiki/Shujex) is included as a final backing. The driver controls the tank in a supine position, allowing for a frontal glacis plate slope of 70%.
The front, side and top armor is protected by appliqué Jiechu-3 ERA, a third-generation Jeunese explosive reactive armor. This was upgraded to heavy ERA (Jiechu-4) in 2001. The turret and glacis plate, taking a cue from the Abrams, has been reinforced with depleted uranium. The Type 97 is also commonly equipped with slat (or cage) armor on the rear, to guard against RPGs and other anti-tank weapons. The armor equivalences are listed below, in millimeters of RHAe.
Turret
+Mantle: 1,000mm RHAe vs. CE (w/ ERA), 625mm RHAe vs. KE (w/ ERA)
+Front: 905mm RHAe vs. CE (w/ ERA), 565mm RHAe vs. KE (w/ ERA)
+Side: 760mm RHAe vs. CE (w/ ERA), 475mm RHAe vs. KE (w/ ERA)
+Rear: 315mm RHAe vs. CE (w/ ERA), 195mm RHAe vs. KE (w/ ERA)
+Top: 190mm RHAe vs. CE (w/ ERA), 120mm RHAe vs. KE (w/ ERA)
Hull
+Glacis: 520mm RHAe vs. CE (w/ ERA), 325mm RHAe vs. KE (w/ ERA)
+Side: 420mm RHAe vs. CE (w/ ERA), 260mm RHAe vs. KE (w/ ERA)
+Rear: 225mm RHAe vs. CE (w/ ERA), 140mm RHAe vs. KE (w/ ERA)
+Top: 160mm RHAe vs. CE (w/ ERA), 100mm RHAe vs. KE (w/ ERA)
+Undercarriage: 100mm RHAe vs. CE (w/ ERA), 65mm RHAe vs. KE (w/ ERA)
[Armament]
Main armament
The main gun of the Type 97 is a conventional WQ96 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rheinmetall_L55) 120mm L/55 smoothbore tank gun, produced under license by Cui Armaments. The WQ96 is coupled with a bustle-style autoloader, which holds 18 rounds. 22 rounds are stored in the rear of the crew compartment, in front of the engine compartment, in a separate compartment lined with Shujex and equipped with a simple latching door and blow-off panels to vent the force of an explosion away from the crew. The autoloader enables the Type 97 to fire at a rate of up to 10 rounds per minute, or one round every six seconds. The WQ96 is able to fire several types of ammunition, including HEAT, tungsten APFSDS, MPAT (Multi-Purpose Anti-Tank), canister and FAE-T. The WQ98 is used with a metal thermal shroud. The tank commander has the ability to override the main gun and take control from the gunner.
The Jeunese Army is looking into making its own version of the ROK-made KSTAM or American STAFF munitions for future tanks.
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y273/blast_archives/al-97top.gif
Top view: 4) Roof; 6/7) Side armor walls; 8/9) Front and rear walls; 31) Cross-beam; 32) Electric drive; 43) Ammo cassette frame; 92) Rammer; 93) Rammer and stopper housing.
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y273/blast_archives/al-97rear.gif
Rear view: 4) Roof; 5) Bottom; 6/7) Side armor walls; 8/9) Front and rear walls; 11) Ramming trough housing; 34) Drive sprocket; 39) Chain; 92) Rammer; 93) Rammer and stopper housing.
Secondary armament
The Type 97 is equipped with two machine guns:
+WQ99 (http://nationstates.wikia.com/wiki/WQ99) gas-powered coaxial 7.62 mm minigun (slaved to gunner)
+M2 12.7 mm machine gun (slaved to commander)
The turret is further equipped with two sets of six smoke grenade launchers in front of the side-mounted cargo boxes, in addition to the ability to generate smoke through the engine. The launchers can also be loaded with grenades releasing chaff. The provision for three Type 03 rifles is included in the tank body.
Countermeasures
The Type 97, as it was originally conceived, did not incorporate defensive measures. However, during the modernization project for the tank, it became apparent to Hsaio Defense that to ensure the tank's survival in a modern combat scenario, it would have to be fitted with several hard-kill and soft-kill defense mechanisms. The first addition was the inclusion of the Hou Yi grenade-launching active protection system, in 2001.
[Aiming and other sights]
The Type 97 is equipped with a ballistic-trajectory fire-control computer, utilising data computed from the gunner's infra-red/night-vision (2.5 km range for NV mode; field of vision: 8° 10× 60° 3×) sight. It can be configured to display range, lead angle and the type of ammunition loaded. These three components are determined using a laser rangefinder (6,000 m range; accuracy to within 10 m and target discrimination of 20 m), crosswind sensor, a pendulum static cant sensor, boresight alignment and barrel temperature data, air temperature, barometric pressure, ammunition type data (retrieved from electronic tags on the rounds), ammunition temperature and target speed. In addition to the gunner's sight, the Commander's Panoramic Sight can be used to spot targets and pass them along to the gunner.
The driver is equipped with two day-time periscopes and one night-vision intensifying periscope, providing a field of view of 120°.
As a redundant measure, the Type 97 comes equipped with an auxiliary manual sight for the gunner, boresighted to the main gun. Turret traversing can be handled via manual hydraulic controls in the event of a fire-control system malfunction.
[Mobility]
The Type 97 is powered by a 1,500-horsepower (1,119-kilowatt) HM DX 1245 Yo-11 12-cylinder 4-stroke 45L diesel engine, and a six-speed (four forward, two reverse) epicyclic/planetary automatic transmission, utilizing a torque converter, giving it a governed top speed of 67 km/h (42 mph). With the governor deleted, the tank can reach speeds up to 100 km/h, although such high speeds will damage the transmission and tracks. The tank's exhaust, which exits the hull via three rear-mounted grilles, is cooled, to reduce the tank's thermal signature. The fuel tanks are placed above the actual hull, so that they must be jettisoned before entering combat, because they limit turret traversing.
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y273/blast_archives/5-transmission.jpg
The Type 97's transmission system.
The Type 97 is also equipped with a 2 kW AB-1-P30 diesel auxiliary power unit, for use when the tank is idling and for re-charging the tank's batteries.
[Suspension]
The Type 97 relies on an upgraded suspension system, incorporating several positions by manipulating its front, center and rear bogies. To accomplish this, the Type 97 is equipped with independent hydraulic suspension manipulators, installed on every bogie on the tracks. This system gives the tank the ability not only to raise or lower itself, but to "lean" to one side or another. The hydraulic nature of the system makes it somewhat heavier than electrical systems, but is more durable, cheaper and simpler to manufacture. This active suspension is used in conjunction with a dual (fore and rear) torsion bar assembly. The Type 97 has two pairs of seven roadwheels; the drive sprocket is located at the rear and an idle compensator at the fore. There are three return rollers on the top of the track assembly. The tracks themselves are composed of vulcanized rubber blocks, designed to provide superior traction in wet or snowy climates.
[Variants and upgrades]
+Type 97 (baseline): Production started in 1997, includes addition of ERA and GPS and improved armor system.
+Type 97UP (Upgrade Package): Production started in 2001, includes addition of Hou Yi APS, replacement of L/44 with L/55, replacement of ERA with heavy ERA and replacement of 7.62 mm machine gun with WQ99 mingun.
+Type 97-D (Digital): 2005; includes addition of new Battle Management System with centralized data recovery from remote UAVs linked to the tactical net, and enhanced processing power.
+Type 97E (ZGC-06) Heixiong: Engineering variant; turret replaced with 165mm demolition gun and heavy-lift boom crane. Includes addition of 375A arc-welder.
+QFZ-06 Youhuan: Turret deleted and replaced with launchable bridge rated at 70 tons.
+HJS-03: Turret deleted and replaced with 218 mm-rocket 8-cell launcher. Can be fitted with all current Jeunese tactical rockets, including FAE, armor-defeating munitions (ADM) and the LEISA mine-scattering rocket. The HJS-03 can also utilize inert training rockets, and is designed to be able to fire the Type 91 missile (a variant of the MGM-140 designed by Lockheed).
[Camouflage]
The Type 97 comes in several types of camouflage, as is customary for Jeunese military vehicles. In addition to the standard NATO black-green-brown, there is also the Hsaio-specific desert, jungle, tropical, grassland/prairie, Arctic, woodland (variants 1 and 2, in order of increasing darkness) and urban schemes. Not all are in use by the Jeunese, but Hsaio provides the options for foreign militaries that may operate in those terrains. In addition to the painted camouflage, there is also a camouflage net contained in the bustle rack.
[Miscellaneous notes]
The Type 97 is equipped with an automatic halon fire extinguisher, a self-dig-in blade, deep fording equipment, mine clearing equipment, electronic countermeasures system and an IFF/SIF system. The Type 97 comes with a "TankMate" armored coffeemaker, made by the Smiling Chef Company.
[Statistics]
General characteristics
Crew: 3 (commander, gunner, driver)
Length: 7.74 m (25.4 ft); 10.3 m (33.8 ft) gun forward
Width: 3.8 m (12.5 ft)
Height: 2.44 m (8.0 ft)
Ground clearance: 52 cm (20.5 in)
Track: 7.5 m x 48 cm; 103 links per track
Weight: 61.8 tonnes (68 short tons)
Mobility
Power plant: Turbocharged 1500 hp (1119 kW) HM DX 1245 Yo-11 4-stroke V-12
+2 kW AB-1-P30 auxiliary power unit
Transmission: Epicyclic automatic 6-gear transmission
Suspension: Active hydraulic
Road speed: 67 km/h
Cross-country speed: 50 km/h
Acceleration: 0 to 32 km/h in 3.5 seconds
Power/weight: 24.3 hp/tonne
Ground pressure: 0.86 kg/cm²
Mileage: 2.26 L per km (road) / 4.8 L per km (offroad) / 12.28 L per km (idle)
Fuel capacity: 1,000 L in main fuel tank; 1,760 L with aux 380 L drums
Range: 440/770 km
Fording depth: 1.2 m unprepared/5 m with snorkel
Trench width: 2.75 m
Vertical obstacle: 0.95 m
Maximum gradient: 35°
Maximum tilt: 35°
Armor and armament
Armor: See Armor
Main armament: 120mm WQ96 L/55 smoothbore
Elevation: -9/+20°
Elevation rate: 30° per second
Traverse rate: 22° per second
Stabilization: Bi-planar
Rate of fire: 10 rounds/min
Sustained: 120 rounds/hour
Barrel life: 54 rounds
Ammunition: 40 rounds (18 on belt)
Ammunition types
+APFSDS
+HEAT
+MPAT
+Canister
+FAE-T
Secondary armament
+coaxial WQ99 7.62 mm minigun
+remote M2 12.7 mm machine gun
Smoke screens:
+2x6 turret-mounted smoke-discharging grenade launchers
+engine-generated smoke
Unit cost: $8.25 million USD
http://www.fileden.com/files/2006/8/1/149955/Type%2097%20camo2.png
The Type 97 design was derived from the earlier Type 89, which in turn had been based on the American M1A1. The prototype, developed by the Hsaio Motor Corporation, identified several weaknesses of the Type 89, and suggested solutions to fix these vulnerabilities.
The government of Jeuna approved the project in 1995, and in 1995–1996, the tank, then named the XT-95, underwent testing. The tank went into production in 1997, and entered service in the Jeunese Army in 1998.
[Production history]
The Type 97 design was derived from the earlier Type 89, which in turn had been based on the American M1A1. The prototype, developed by the Hsaio Motor Corporation, identified several weaknesses of the Type 89, and suggested solutions to fix these vulnerabilities.
The government of Jeuna approved the project in 1995, and in 1995–1996, the tank, then named the XT-95, underwent testing. The tank went into production in 1997, and entered service in the Jeunese Army in 1998. Since then, over 4,000 such tanks have been manufactured, primarily used by the Akimonadi Army.
[Armor]
The armor of the Type 97 (codenamed 手牌; pinyin: shǒupái) is composed of a layer of Shujex-reinforced titanium carbide with tungsten and depleted uranium rod inserts, backed by boronated polyethylene to provide protection from radiological weapons and sandwiched between two blended metal plates with bricked titanium nitride-impregnated tantalum carbide inserts. The back of the armor system is supported by angled (33°) titanium strut-supported honeycombing and surrounded entirely by steel plates. An anti-spalling layer of Shujex (http://wikistates.outwardhosting.com/wiki/Shujex) is included as a final backing. The driver controls the tank in a supine position, allowing for a frontal glacis plate slope of 70%.
The front, side and top armor is protected by appliqué Jiechu-3 ERA, a third-generation Jeunese explosive reactive armor. This was upgraded to heavy ERA (Jiechu-4) in 2001. The turret and glacis plate, taking a cue from the Abrams, has been reinforced with depleted uranium. The Type 97 is also commonly equipped with slat (or cage) armor on the rear, to guard against RPGs and other anti-tank weapons. The armor equivalences are listed below, in millimeters of RHAe.
Turret
+Mantle: 1,000mm RHAe vs. CE (w/ ERA), 625mm RHAe vs. KE (w/ ERA)
+Front: 905mm RHAe vs. CE (w/ ERA), 565mm RHAe vs. KE (w/ ERA)
+Side: 760mm RHAe vs. CE (w/ ERA), 475mm RHAe vs. KE (w/ ERA)
+Rear: 315mm RHAe vs. CE (w/ ERA), 195mm RHAe vs. KE (w/ ERA)
+Top: 190mm RHAe vs. CE (w/ ERA), 120mm RHAe vs. KE (w/ ERA)
Hull
+Glacis: 520mm RHAe vs. CE (w/ ERA), 325mm RHAe vs. KE (w/ ERA)
+Side: 420mm RHAe vs. CE (w/ ERA), 260mm RHAe vs. KE (w/ ERA)
+Rear: 225mm RHAe vs. CE (w/ ERA), 140mm RHAe vs. KE (w/ ERA)
+Top: 160mm RHAe vs. CE (w/ ERA), 100mm RHAe vs. KE (w/ ERA)
+Undercarriage: 100mm RHAe vs. CE (w/ ERA), 65mm RHAe vs. KE (w/ ERA)
[Armament]
Main armament
The main gun of the Type 97 is a conventional WQ96 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rheinmetall_L55) 120mm L/55 smoothbore tank gun, produced under license by Cui Armaments. The WQ96 is coupled with a bustle-style autoloader, which holds 18 rounds. 22 rounds are stored in the rear of the crew compartment, in front of the engine compartment, in a separate compartment lined with Shujex and equipped with a simple latching door and blow-off panels to vent the force of an explosion away from the crew. The autoloader enables the Type 97 to fire at a rate of up to 10 rounds per minute, or one round every six seconds. The WQ96 is able to fire several types of ammunition, including HEAT, tungsten APFSDS, MPAT (Multi-Purpose Anti-Tank), canister and FAE-T. The WQ98 is used with a metal thermal shroud. The tank commander has the ability to override the main gun and take control from the gunner.
The Jeunese Army is looking into making its own version of the ROK-made KSTAM or American STAFF munitions for future tanks.
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y273/blast_archives/al-97top.gif
Top view: 4) Roof; 6/7) Side armor walls; 8/9) Front and rear walls; 31) Cross-beam; 32) Electric drive; 43) Ammo cassette frame; 92) Rammer; 93) Rammer and stopper housing.
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y273/blast_archives/al-97rear.gif
Rear view: 4) Roof; 5) Bottom; 6/7) Side armor walls; 8/9) Front and rear walls; 11) Ramming trough housing; 34) Drive sprocket; 39) Chain; 92) Rammer; 93) Rammer and stopper housing.
Secondary armament
The Type 97 is equipped with two machine guns:
+WQ99 (http://nationstates.wikia.com/wiki/WQ99) gas-powered coaxial 7.62 mm minigun (slaved to gunner)
+M2 12.7 mm machine gun (slaved to commander)
The turret is further equipped with two sets of six smoke grenade launchers in front of the side-mounted cargo boxes, in addition to the ability to generate smoke through the engine. The launchers can also be loaded with grenades releasing chaff. The provision for three Type 03 rifles is included in the tank body.
Countermeasures
The Type 97, as it was originally conceived, did not incorporate defensive measures. However, during the modernization project for the tank, it became apparent to Hsaio Defense that to ensure the tank's survival in a modern combat scenario, it would have to be fitted with several hard-kill and soft-kill defense mechanisms. The first addition was the inclusion of the Hou Yi grenade-launching active protection system, in 2001.
[Aiming and other sights]
The Type 97 is equipped with a ballistic-trajectory fire-control computer, utilising data computed from the gunner's infra-red/night-vision (2.5 km range for NV mode; field of vision: 8° 10× 60° 3×) sight. It can be configured to display range, lead angle and the type of ammunition loaded. These three components are determined using a laser rangefinder (6,000 m range; accuracy to within 10 m and target discrimination of 20 m), crosswind sensor, a pendulum static cant sensor, boresight alignment and barrel temperature data, air temperature, barometric pressure, ammunition type data (retrieved from electronic tags on the rounds), ammunition temperature and target speed. In addition to the gunner's sight, the Commander's Panoramic Sight can be used to spot targets and pass them along to the gunner.
The driver is equipped with two day-time periscopes and one night-vision intensifying periscope, providing a field of view of 120°.
As a redundant measure, the Type 97 comes equipped with an auxiliary manual sight for the gunner, boresighted to the main gun. Turret traversing can be handled via manual hydraulic controls in the event of a fire-control system malfunction.
[Mobility]
The Type 97 is powered by a 1,500-horsepower (1,119-kilowatt) HM DX 1245 Yo-11 12-cylinder 4-stroke 45L diesel engine, and a six-speed (four forward, two reverse) epicyclic/planetary automatic transmission, utilizing a torque converter, giving it a governed top speed of 67 km/h (42 mph). With the governor deleted, the tank can reach speeds up to 100 km/h, although such high speeds will damage the transmission and tracks. The tank's exhaust, which exits the hull via three rear-mounted grilles, is cooled, to reduce the tank's thermal signature. The fuel tanks are placed above the actual hull, so that they must be jettisoned before entering combat, because they limit turret traversing.
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y273/blast_archives/5-transmission.jpg
The Type 97's transmission system.
The Type 97 is also equipped with a 2 kW AB-1-P30 diesel auxiliary power unit, for use when the tank is idling and for re-charging the tank's batteries.
[Suspension]
The Type 97 relies on an upgraded suspension system, incorporating several positions by manipulating its front, center and rear bogies. To accomplish this, the Type 97 is equipped with independent hydraulic suspension manipulators, installed on every bogie on the tracks. This system gives the tank the ability not only to raise or lower itself, but to "lean" to one side or another. The hydraulic nature of the system makes it somewhat heavier than electrical systems, but is more durable, cheaper and simpler to manufacture. This active suspension is used in conjunction with a dual (fore and rear) torsion bar assembly. The Type 97 has two pairs of seven roadwheels; the drive sprocket is located at the rear and an idle compensator at the fore. There are three return rollers on the top of the track assembly. The tracks themselves are composed of vulcanized rubber blocks, designed to provide superior traction in wet or snowy climates.
[Variants and upgrades]
+Type 97 (baseline): Production started in 1997, includes addition of ERA and GPS and improved armor system.
+Type 97UP (Upgrade Package): Production started in 2001, includes addition of Hou Yi APS, replacement of L/44 with L/55, replacement of ERA with heavy ERA and replacement of 7.62 mm machine gun with WQ99 mingun.
+Type 97-D (Digital): 2005; includes addition of new Battle Management System with centralized data recovery from remote UAVs linked to the tactical net, and enhanced processing power.
+Type 97E (ZGC-06) Heixiong: Engineering variant; turret replaced with 165mm demolition gun and heavy-lift boom crane. Includes addition of 375A arc-welder.
+QFZ-06 Youhuan: Turret deleted and replaced with launchable bridge rated at 70 tons.
+HJS-03: Turret deleted and replaced with 218 mm-rocket 8-cell launcher. Can be fitted with all current Jeunese tactical rockets, including FAE, armor-defeating munitions (ADM) and the LEISA mine-scattering rocket. The HJS-03 can also utilize inert training rockets, and is designed to be able to fire the Type 91 missile (a variant of the MGM-140 designed by Lockheed).
[Camouflage]
The Type 97 comes in several types of camouflage, as is customary for Jeunese military vehicles. In addition to the standard NATO black-green-brown, there is also the Hsaio-specific desert, jungle, tropical, grassland/prairie, Arctic, woodland (variants 1 and 2, in order of increasing darkness) and urban schemes. Not all are in use by the Jeunese, but Hsaio provides the options for foreign militaries that may operate in those terrains. In addition to the painted camouflage, there is also a camouflage net contained in the bustle rack.
[Miscellaneous notes]
The Type 97 is equipped with an automatic halon fire extinguisher, a self-dig-in blade, deep fording equipment, mine clearing equipment, electronic countermeasures system and an IFF/SIF system. The Type 97 comes with a "TankMate" armored coffeemaker, made by the Smiling Chef Company.
[Statistics]
General characteristics
Crew: 3 (commander, gunner, driver)
Length: 7.74 m (25.4 ft); 10.3 m (33.8 ft) gun forward
Width: 3.8 m (12.5 ft)
Height: 2.44 m (8.0 ft)
Ground clearance: 52 cm (20.5 in)
Track: 7.5 m x 48 cm; 103 links per track
Weight: 61.8 tonnes (68 short tons)
Mobility
Power plant: Turbocharged 1500 hp (1119 kW) HM DX 1245 Yo-11 4-stroke V-12
+2 kW AB-1-P30 auxiliary power unit
Transmission: Epicyclic automatic 6-gear transmission
Suspension: Active hydraulic
Road speed: 67 km/h
Cross-country speed: 50 km/h
Acceleration: 0 to 32 km/h in 3.5 seconds
Power/weight: 24.3 hp/tonne
Ground pressure: 0.86 kg/cm²
Mileage: 2.26 L per km (road) / 4.8 L per km (offroad) / 12.28 L per km (idle)
Fuel capacity: 1,000 L in main fuel tank; 1,760 L with aux 380 L drums
Range: 440/770 km
Fording depth: 1.2 m unprepared/5 m with snorkel
Trench width: 2.75 m
Vertical obstacle: 0.95 m
Maximum gradient: 35°
Maximum tilt: 35°
Armor and armament
Armor: See Armor
Main armament: 120mm WQ96 L/55 smoothbore
Elevation: -9/+20°
Elevation rate: 30° per second
Traverse rate: 22° per second
Stabilization: Bi-planar
Rate of fire: 10 rounds/min
Sustained: 120 rounds/hour
Barrel life: 54 rounds
Ammunition: 40 rounds (18 on belt)
Ammunition types
+APFSDS
+HEAT
+MPAT
+Canister
+FAE-T
Secondary armament
+coaxial WQ99 7.62 mm minigun
+remote M2 12.7 mm machine gun
Smoke screens:
+2x6 turret-mounted smoke-discharging grenade launchers
+engine-generated smoke
Unit cost: $8.25 million USD