Heracles 2

Heracles 2
Heracles 2E2 main battle tank
Type	Main battle tank
Place of origin	Romaia
Service history
In service	1995–present
Used by	Romaia, Iavonia, Dunavie
Production history
Manufacturer	Consortium EVORA-Mikelis-Origen (EMO), a consortium formed by EVORA, Mikelis and Origen
No. built	≈2000
Specifications
Weight	54.5 t (53.6 long tons; 60.1 short tons) Y2E2 63 t (62 long tons; 69 short tons) Y2E3 68 t (67 long tons; 75 short tons)
Length	9.52 m (31.2 ft)
Width	3.61 m (11.8 ft)
Crew	3
Armor	modular composite armor Y2E2 3rd generation composite; including high-hardness steel, tungsten and plastic filler with ceramic component.
Main armament	Y2 Y24 1×120 Michelis mm smoothbore gun (40 rounds) Y2E2 Y25 1x120 Michelis mm smoothbore gun (40 rounds)
Secondary armament	1x12.7 mm coaxial machine gun (1,100 rounds) Y2E3 1x25 mm autocannon
Engine	EVORA 12V diesel Y2E3 UEC 12V diesel 1,500 PS (1,479 hp, 1,103 kW) at 2,600 rpm
Transmission	Automatic X209
Suspension	Torsion bar suspension
Fuel capacity	1,300 litres (286 imperial gallons; 343 US gallons)
Operational range	550 km (342 mi)
Speed	71 km/h (44 mph) on the road 55 km/h (34 mph) off road
References

The Heracles 2 is a 3rd generation main battle tank originally developed by TBD in the 1990s for the Romaian Army. The tank first entered service in 1995 and succeeded the earlier Heracles 1 as the main battle tank of the Romaian Army. It is armed with a 120 mm smoothbore cannon, and is powered by a V-12 twin-turbo diesel engine.

The Heracles 2 is in service with the Romaian Army and Iavonian Army . In production since 1994, the Heracles 2 entered Romaian service in 1995, replacing the Heracles 1 as the country's main armoured platform. Romaia operates about 2000 tanks (with 200 more in storage).

Design

Armament

Primary

The Heracles 2 is armed with a modern and massive 120 mm version F1 smoothbore gun designed by Mikelis. Its barrel is 55 calibres long instead of the 44 calibre common on most main battle tanks of its generation, giving the projectile a higher muzzle velocity.

Secondary

The Heracles is also equipped with a 12.7 mm coaxial heavy machine gun and a turret-mounted 7.62 mm machine gun.

Autoloader

Located inside the turret bustle, the autoloader is designated TBD and was designed by Mikelis. The autoloader itself weighs 500 kg (empty) and has a total volume of 1.68 m³ (1.40 × 2.40 × 0.50 m). In case of ammunition cooking off, the deflagration is vented by two blow-out panels.

The autoloader allows the reloading of the gun while firing on the move, providing it a sufficient rate of fire to deal with six targets in one minute. The nominal firing sequence is below 8 seconds and the repetition rate (loading two ammunition of the same type one after another) is below 6 seconds. The autoloader is managed by a TM Origen A890120 microprocessor.

The autoloader consists of a continuous link carrier magazine made of 22 cells and a rammer assembly. It can accommodate all types of ammunition, up to six different types of ammunition can be selected. The cell positions the selected round for loading. At the same time, the main gun is decoupled from the stabilization system, indexed to 1.8° elevation and locked in alignment with the loading gutter. Then, a telescopic rammer pushes the round from the cell into the gun breech via a fiberglass gutter. After loading, the weapon is automatically driven back to the specified angle in accordance with the fire control system. In case of power outage, the conveyor can be put into motion by using a hand-cranked electric generator.

The ammunition is normally inserted in the autoloader through a port in the rear wall of the turret bustle. A control panel allows the autoloader cells to be rotated to present a new empty cell. Two barcode readers identify the introduced ammunition in order to manage its position in the conveyor at any time. If the ammunition does not have a barcode, its type is entered through the control keyboard. It is possible to replenish the autoloader under armor, through a port in the inner bulkhead by using the 18 rounds cylinder located to the right of the driver's position.

Fire-control system and sights

The fire-control system (FCS) consists gunner's primary sight (GPS), commander's panoramic sight (CPS), ballistic calculator, electrical gun and turret drive system (EGTDS), and dynamic muzzle reference system (DMRS).

The gunner's primary sight is made by Origen and Iconica it has two day channels; a direct one with ×3.3 and ×14 and a video channel with ×10 magnification. The thermal channel offers ×3 and ×10 magnifications.

The Heracles 2 is equipped with an advanced fire-control system linked to an Extremely High Frequency (EHF) L-band Pulsed Doppler Radar system deployed on the frontal arc of the turret, along with a laser rangefinder and crosswind sensor. The system is capable of a "lock-on" mode, which can acquire and track specific targets up to a range of 9.8 km (6.1 mi) using a thermographic camera. This allows the crew to fire accurately while moving as well as engage low-flying aircraft.

The commander of the tank has the ability to override the gunner's command, to take control of the turret and gun. Moreover, unconfirmed reports state that, in the event of an emergency, the vehicle can be operated by only two crew members, or even a single one. It is speculated that the fire-control system can automatically spot and track visible targets, compare them using the data link established with other friendly vehicles to prevent redundant target engagements, and fire its main gun without manual input.

Heracles 2 has an Automatic Target Detection and Tracking System (ATDTS) controlled by the Automatic Target Recognition (ATR) algorithm. When the target is identified as a foe by the IFF/SIF (Identification Friend or Foe/Selective Identification Feature) system, the tank automatically aims and performs laser distance measurements on the target even if the tank is maneuvering on irregular terrain while the target is moving. It can lead the target and fire automatically based on ballistic data calculated by the turret mounted laser rangefinder and crosswind sensor. This feature enhances the performance of inexperienced gunners significantly

Propulsion

The Heracles 2 has an eight-cylinder V12X-1500 1,500 hp Hyperbar diesel engine and a automatic transmission, with five forward and two reverse gears. The official maximum speed by road is 71 km/h and 55 km/h cross country (speeds in excess of 80 km/h were reported on road). The maximum range is given as 550 km, and can be extended to 650 km with removable external tanks. The "hyperbar" system integrates a small gas turbine in the engine, acting both as a turbocharger and an APU giving auxiliary power to all systems when the main engine is shut down. The Hyperbar name comes from the unusually high boost pressure of 7.5 bar and the resulting mean effective pressure of 32.1 bar.

The engine exhaust, exiting at the rear left, is cooled to reduce the thermal signature of the Heracles 2. Transmission is hydromechanical, with five forward and two reverse gears. Fuel tanks carry 1,300 litres and act as extra protection for the tank; two 200-litre external tanks can be fitted on the rear of the hull, though they have to be jettisoned before entering combat because they limit turret rotation.

The gearbox is equipped with a hydrokinetic retarder, which can slow the Heracles 2 down at a deceleration rate of 7 m/s2 (0.7 g) which is automatically used over 30 km/h.

Technical data

Description	Heracles 2	Heracles 2E2
Date	1994–2006	2006-2023
Crew	3
Combat weight	61 t	65 t
Gunner sight	S90	S06
Commander panoramic sight	S92	S08
Engine	EVORA V12 Hyperbar 12-cylinder diesel engine
Engine displacement	16,470 cm3
Forced induction ratio	7.8
Power output	1500 hp (1,118 kW) at 2500 RPM
Maximum torque	4850 Nm at 1700 RPM
Acceleration from 0–32 km/h (0–20 mph)	5 seconds
Transmission	EVORA X 209
Suspension system	12 EVORA OP twin-cylinder oleopneumatic suspension
Tracks	V2 (aluminium alloy)	V5 (steel)
Maximum speed	71 km/h (backwards 38 km/h)
Fuel capacity	1,300 liters (up to 1700 liters with external fuel drums)
Width	3.7 m (3.76 m with ballistic side skirts)
Height	3.03 m (turret roof)
Ground clearance	540 mm
Wading depth without preparation	1.1 m
Wading depth with snorkel	4 m
Trench passability	3 m
Climbing ability	1.1 m
Turret rotation time (360°)	12 seconds	8 seconds

Operators

Current operators

Country	Type	Quantity (Estimated)	Origin	Notes
Iavonia	Y2	200	Romaia	The Iavonic Army acquired 200 tanks in 2004.
Romaia	Y2	350	Romaia	Primarily used for training purposes. The rest 520 units have been upgraded to Y2E2 version.
	Y2E2	760	Romaia	To be upgraded to Y2E3 version.
	Y2E3	440	Romaia
Swysia	Y2SW	440	Swysia	A Swysian version of Y2E2 later upgraded with Swysian-made APS.