Ariete Main Battle Tank

CMBT Mark I Ariete
The Type 3 variation of the Ariete as it is currently deployed.
Type	Main battle tank
Place of origin	Cacerta
Service history
In service	1983—present
Used by	Cacertian Royal Army
Wars	FedCom Civil War Nalayan Civil War
Production history
Designer	Alenia Industrial
Designed	1978—1982
Manufacturer	Alenia Industrial Crocetto Heavy Industries Gabrielli S.p.A
Produced	1982—1984 (Type 1) 1984—2006 (Type 2) 2006—present (Type 3)
Variants	See variants
Specifications (Type 3)
Weight	42.8 Tonnes (47.2 short tons; 42.1 long tons)
Length	6.33 m (20 ft 9 in)
Width	3.45 m (11 ft 4 in)
Height	2.3 m (7 ft 7 in)
Crew	3 (Commander, gunner, driver)
Armor	Classified
Main armament	125mm RA Mark II V2 smoothbore gun (40 rounds)
Secondary armament	1 × Vitali SMMG (7.62mm; coaxial) 1 × Vitali MG50 (12.7mm; commander’s hatch)
Engine	Alenia 12C 12-cylinder diesel engine 600 kW (800 hp)
Power/weight	13.4 kW/tonne (18 hp/tonne)
Transmission	Automatic transmission
Suspension	Torsion bar
Operational range	400 km (249 mi)
Speed	Road: 65 km/h (40.4 mph) Off-road: 40 km/h (24.9 mph)

The CMBT Mark I Ariete (English: Aries) is a Cacertian main battle tank that was designed by the Cacertian corporation Alenia Industrial and first entered service in 1983 as the nation’s first domestically produced main battle tank. The Ariete departed from several conventions the which had become standard with the Royal Army’s adoption of the Acrean Strv 104 Lynx. It utilized the newly developed 125mm RA Mark I instead of the 105mm KvK m/55 alongside the incorporation of an autoloader which did away with the necessity of a fourth crewman. Although the successful development of the Tuono was expected to force the Ariete into retirement, their cheaper cost to produce and maintain as ensured their continued service.

Development

The proposal for the Ariete project began in mid-1970s during the Kingdom’s post-war analysis of the Royal Army’s contemporary combat capabilities. Many of the tanks designed and produced during the Siduri War and in its aftermath were becoming rapidly outclassed and outdated by vehicles produced in nations such as Acrea, Shalum, and Azurlavai. The Cacertian Ministry of Defense released its requirements for a new generation tank on 14 March 1975 which detailed that the vehicle need to be lighter than 45 metric tons and capable of negotiating most terrain.

Two companies produced prototypes based on the requirements presented by the ministry of defense, Alenia Industrial and Gabrielli S.p.A. Both companies delivered their vehicles to Anzio in 1980. Crocetto had intentions to also produce it’s own prototype for the project, but instead declined—Crocetto’s designers later began working on a successor main battle tank of their own design.

After parallel testing of both the Alenia and Gabrielli designs at Anzio, Alenia’s improved prototype was selected for further development. The next year was spent working to finalize the vehicle's design which included several minor hull changes, improvements to the turret, and the addition of an optical range-finding system. The prototype passed final testing on 22 February 1982 and was given the designation CMBT Mark I Ariete; it was approved for production on 1 March 1982.

Design

The Ariete weighed 42.8 metric tons when it first entered service and had a cast turret and rolled homogenous armor that ranged in thickness from 10mm (~0.4 in) to 80mm (~3.1 in). The armor type was later changed to composite with the introduction of the Ariete Type 3; the statistics and technical data of the Type 3’s composite armor is strictly classified. The Type 3 is also characterized for its welded turret and arrowhead armor.

Unlike the medium tanks of the Siduri era and the Strv 104 which Cacerta had adopted in the late 1960s, the Ariete is operated by only three crew members: a commander, gunner, and driver. The loader was eliminated with the implementation of an autoloader and the radio operator position was discarded with the introduction of more compact and better radio communication systems; as a result the commander assumed the responsibilities of extra-vehicular communication.

The Ariete was originally armed with the 125mm RA Mark I smoothbore gun which could successfully penetrate 300mm of RHA equivalent armor at 2500 meters using a KE penetrator with a 1,430 m/s velocity. The Ariete Type 3 would later adopt the 125mm RA Mark II V2 smoothbore gun which possessed a significantly higher penetration potential at greater distances. In testing, the Mark II—firing an APFSDS round weighing 8.35 kg—could theoretically pierce 800mm of RHAe at a maximum range of 4,000 meters. The main secondary armament of the Ariete is a coaxial-mounted Vitali SMMG. A single Vitali MG50 could also be added to a mount just above the commander’s hatch.

Operational History

The Ariete has seen limited service being deployed with Cacertian expeditionary troops during the FedCom Civil War and the Nalayan Civil War.

Variants

CMBT Mark I Ariete Type 1

The original variation of the Ariete, possessing a rounded turret and the original 125mm RA Mark I gun. As of 2020, the majority of the original Ariete variants have been retired or upgraded.

CMBT Mark I Ariete Type 2

The Ariete Type 2 is an upgraded variant of the original Ariete that was introduced in 1984. It’s primary improvement was the introduction of the 125mm RA Mark II smoothbore gun and the ability to fire APFSDS rounds. Only 300 Type 2s had been produced and built before priority shifted to the Type 3.

CMBT Mark I Ariete Type 3

The Type 3, which entered production in 2006, is the most up to date variant of the Ariete. It featured significant technological improvements by providing the tank with newer composite armor, a modern fire control system, and a modified turret designed to store the new equipment and additional ammunition. The Type 3 is considered the standard variant of the Ariete currently in service.

See Also

Related Development

• Stridsvagn 104 Lynx
• Tuono

Main Battle Tanks of Comparable Role, Configuration, and Era

• Stridsvagn 124 Pantera
• Minotaur
• T-101 MK3