VHB-55 Beruang

VHB-55 "Beruang"
File:Beruang.jpg An early model "Beruang" tank.
Type	Main battle tank
Place of origin	Negara
Service history
In service	1995–present
Used by	NRA
Wars	Al Marha Crisis
Production history
Designer	Pindad SP / SOMUA
Designed	1981-1990
Manufacturer	Pindad Sistem Pertahanan
Unit cost	ca. $4,850,000
Produced	1991–present
No. built	2,500
Specifications
Weight	55 t
Length	10m
Width	3.26m
Height	2.4m
Crew	4 (commander, gunner, loader, driver)
Main armament	SOMUA 120/52
Secondary armament	coaxial M2HB, commander's 7.62 machine gun
Engine	SOMUA 8C 1.1MW 1,200 hp (890 kW)
Power/weight	19.2 hp/t (14.3 kW/t)
Suspension	Hydropneumatic
Ground clearance	0.5m
Operational range	550 km
Speed	70 km/h on road, 40 km/h off road

The VHB-55 Beruang (Bear) is a Negaran main battle tank which entered service in 1995. Developed as a joint venture by Pindad Sistem Pertahanan and SOMUA, as a replacement for the Singa tank in Negaran service. It has since entered service in the Siamati Republican Army, as well as the Hejan armed forces.

Development

Initially started by Pindad SP as a privately funded venture, the Beruang was intended to be sold to Badawiyan and other Coian states, jump-starting production and allowing the Negaran Republican Army to place its own orders without having to substantially fund development costs. However, it quickly became apparent that few nations were interested in purchasing the Beruang, especially when attractive alternatives existed in the form of Euclean surplus from the Phoney War and other sources. The development costs of the Beruang quickly became overwhelming, causing Pindad SP to border on bankruptcy, until it was bailed out by the Negaran government in 1983.

SOMUA, which was seeking ways to reduce costs on the VHB-54, approached the Negaran government and Pindad SP with a proposal for a joint venture, whereby the Beruang would come to use parts from the VHB-54 assembly line, in return for assistance in the development process from SOMUA. The two companies eventually settled on the terms of the joint venture in February 1984, with approval from both the Negaran and Gaullican departments of defence being secured by March of the same year.

As a result of SOMUA's involvement in the design process, much consideration was given to active, as opposed to passive, protection, as well as NBC protection and the inclusion of a fire-control system, generally considered highly advanced by Coian standards. Unlike the VHB-54, however, the Beruang does not include an autoloader despite using the same gun and sharing much of the internal layout with its Gaullican counterpart.

After the Beruang entered service in 1993, a number of improvements were made in a running process, beginning with an air conditioning unit added to the production model as Series 2 of the VHB-55 design, new IR cameras in the Series 3 improvements, improved armour in the Series 4 model, culminating in the Series 9, which includes IFF indicators, an improved battlefield networking system, an improved NBC system, and remote control capabilities for the commander's machine gun.

Design

Armament

Like the VHB-54, the Beruang is equipped with a 120mm smoothbore 52-calibre long cannon designed and developed by SOMUA, capable of firing DITO standard 120mm munitions, including APDSFS, HEAT, and HE-P rounds. The VHB-55 reliably carries 44 rounds, with 8 placed in the front of the turret near the loader's station, 14 "wet" rounds stowed in the base of the tank, and a further 22 rounds in the turret bustle. It also sports a 12.7mm machine gun coaxially to the main gun, with 1,000 rounds scattered around the interior of the tank, to be fed into the coax gun as 200-round box magazines. Tanks upgraded to a Series 9 standard have the commanders 7.62 machine gun mounted in a remote weapons system above the turret: Series 8 or earlier tanks simply have the commander's gun pintle-mounted above their hatch. Some Beruang crews have been known to mount an addition 12.7mm machine gun above the loader's hatch, although this is not considered standard-issue.

Protection

Being a third-generation MBT, the VHB-55 is offered acceptable all-round protection by a ceramic-steel composite prior to the Series 8 model. The Series 8 model itself proved a significant improvement in protection at the cost of some increased weight due to the inclusion of tungsten in the tank's armor composition, although this was somewhat alleviated by the inclusion of titanium. All tanks in Negaran service have reportedly been upgraded to the Series 8 standard as of 2016. Further protection is provided by the addition of appliqué armor, specifically the Benteng ERA system developed by Pindad for the NRA.

Mobility

As part of the design process, steps were taken to minimise weight increases over earlier models of tank to maintain a high degree of both strategic and tactical mobility. As a result, the stated design goal of the initial design model was to have a weight not surpassing fifty tonnes: trials conducted in 1986 made it apparent that Pindad SP's initial 750hp power pack was insufficient, and as a result the joint venture agreement was amended to allow the 'Beruang to make use of SOMUA's VHB-54 engine. Owing to its hydropneumatic suspension and power pack, the VHB-55 is capable of safely making its way cross-country at a relatively stable pace of 40 kilometres per hour. It can cross rivers up to 4 meters deep with a snorkel, or up to 1.2 meters deep without preparation, while the relatively sleek hull of the Beruang allows it comparably favourable mobility through the densely wooded terrain of Siamat and southern Negara compared to Euclean and Asterian counterparts. The remote-controlled hydropneumatic suspension in the Series 6 model and beyond also allows the Beruang to more readily place itself in a hull-down position behind low hills and other obstacles without significantly impeding turret traverse, which greatly improves both effective mobility and protection.

Operators

• Republic of Negara - Main operator.
• Siamat - The Siamati Republican Armed Forces operate 200 VHB-55 imported from Negara in 1995 and retrofitted to Series 8 standard.
• Heja - The Federal Republic of Heja operates 400 VHB-55s imported from Negara in 1998, and upgraded to a Series 6 standard.
• East Hesia - The East Hesian Self Defence Force operates 12 VHB-55 imported from Negara in 2004 and upgraded to a Series 6 standard.