AMX-45
| AMX-45 | |
|---|---|
| Type | Main battle tank |
| Place of origin | Sieuxerr Gothia |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1988-Present |
| Used by | Solevant |
| Production history | |
| Designer | GIAT Industries Gothic Tractor Factory |
| Designed | 1983-1988 |
| Manufacturer | Roanne Tank Plant Gothic Tractor Factory Other overseas factories |
| Produced | 1988- |
| No. built | XXX |
| Specifications (AMX-45 (1988)) | |
| Length | 7.2 m (24 ft) (w/o gun forward) 10.04 m (32.9 ft) (w/ gun forward) |
| Width | 3.74 m (12.3 ft) |
| Height | 2.4 m (7.9 ft) (To turret roof) 3 m (9.8 ft) (To commander's sight) |
| Crew | 4 (Commander, gunner, driver, loader) |
| Armor | Laminated steel/ceramic/composite mixture along with modular armor packages |
Main armament | GIAT CN120-25 (44 rounds, plus 14 more stowed outside) |
Secondary armament | 2 × MAG 60.40 (1 coaxial, 1 commander's copula) (7,500 rounds) |
| Engine | 12-cylinder diesel engine 1,300 hp (970 kW) |
| Power/weight | 23.8 hp/t (17.7 kW/t) |
| Transmission | Automatic, 4 forward, 2 reverse |
| Suspension | torsion bar |
| Ground clearance | .4 m (1.3 ft) |
| Fuel capacity | 1,300 l (340 US gal) |
Operational range | 550 km (340 mi) |
| Speed | 70 km/h (43 mph) |
| References | |
The AMX-45 is a joint-Sieuxerrian/Gothic main battle tank produced by GIAT Industries and Gothic Tractory Factory. The tank was a result of the unification of the Gothic Lince main battle tank and the Sieuxerrian [[Wikipedia:AMX-40|]] projects. Both tanks were designed for the export market, however a memorandum of understanding was signed in 1985 which combined the projects as to avoid Sieuxerr and Gothia competing against each other. The hull and automotive components would be mostly Gothic in origin, with the turret and much of its advanced fire control systems being Sieuxerrian. The tank, along with their precursor projections, would be foundations for later advanced Entente main battle tank designs.
Development
Development of the AMX-45 began after the lackluster trial performance of the AMX-30 in the 1960s, citing automotive and protection inefficiencies.
Design
OFL 120 F2
EIREL
Armament
Primary
GIAT CN120-25
In the mid-1970s it had become understood the SA47 100mm gun was rapidly reaching the end of its development life. While the use of hotter powders could be used to increase effectiveness of sabot munitions, this would require new-build guns with stronger chambers to handle the increased pressures. The cost of changing over the entire fleet of AMX-30s for marginal gains was deemed not worth major investment. Improvements to the SA47 gun and new ammo would happen, but Sieuxerr and Gothia would themselves seek development of a new, larger gun.
Development of a new 120mm tank gun would lead to the CN120-25, which would be first trialed in the AMX-32 prototype tank. The gun was found to be effective with better armor-penetration abilities as well the 120mm high-explosive rounds were well liked for their anti-fortification ability.
The CN120-25 fires semi-combustible propellant cases and is manually loaded. The gun has an average rate of fire of 7.5 seconds, however experienced loaders can achieve a faster rate through various means. Effective range is 2,000 meters with a max range of 4,000 meters.
The gun has a wide selection of ammo including both tungsten and depleted uranium alloy sabot rounds. HE, HEAT, practice, as well as a guided round known as POLYNEGE is available for purchase.
Sighting for the tank is done with a digitalized gunnery system. The gunner as well as access to a CASTOR DIVT-16 thermal gunnery camera. Options to export customers for toned down thermal gunnery sight like DIVT-18 or even DIVT-13 LLTV camera.
Starting in 1992, the CN120-26 became the standard gun. The CN120-26 is able to handle higher chamber pressures, meaning it can safely fire the modern sabot ammunition Sieuxerr developed like the OFL 120 F1 and OFL 120 F2.
23 rounds are stored in the turret under blow-out panels with an additional 21 stored in the hull for a total of 44 rounds. As well, the AMX-45 can carry up to two 7-round drums in place of the fuel drums, giving it an extra 14 rounds if need be. The blow-out panels have an additional screen above the roof armor to pre-detonate bomblets.
Secondary
MAG 60.40
While the original AMX-40 had an M693 20mm automatic cannon as a coaxial gun, in order to increase the frontal protection of the AMX-45 the 20mm was removed in favor of a more traditional MAG machine gun chambered in 7x51mm Entente.
The commander’s TOP 7 cupola retains its MAG machine gun as featured on the AMX-32 and AMX-30 for AA purposes.
Upgraded models of the AMX-45 have a remote weapon station with a MAG, as well as a loader’s MAG on a skate mount, these have the commander’s TOP 7 cupola replaced with a different model which deletes the cupola-mounted machine gun.
Depending on vehicle model, anywhere from 7,500 to 5,000 rounds of 7x51mm EC is carried.
Protection
The baseline AMX-40 offered protection only against 76mm APCR ammunition to the front and older shoulder-fired rocket warheads to the front, with sides and rear only protecting against 23mm AP-I. This protection was achieved with an early but thin composite armor array that had been first implemented on the AMX-32.
Protection would be increased drastically with the AMX-45. Armor arrays were thickened, with the turret face reaching over 700mm line-of-sight with new more advanced armor arrays. Protection now could stop 105mm sabot ammunition and, current issue (For the 1980s) shoulder-fired rockets and a number of light and older ATGMs. Hull armor, taken from the Lince, was similar in protection.
The sides of the AMX-45 had varying levels of protection. On the turret, the crew space sides were roughly 170mm LOS of the composite armor array. It offers the same protection as what the AMX-40’s baseline frontal armor offered. Armor over the turret ammo stowage is 80mm, able to stop 30mm APDS rounds and artillery shrapnel. Roof armor is enough to stop artillery shrapnel.
Side hull armor is a consistent 50mm protected by side-skirts that are 12mm thick. On the 1st ⅓ of the hull, over the hull ammo storage, thick ballistic side-skirts of 50mm are applied. This gives protection against 30mm APDS and older shoulder-fired RPG rounds. The rest of the hull and rear is protected only against artillery shrapnel.
Variants
- Char de combat principal - ARE Modèle 1966, CCP-ARE M.66
- Prototype model produced in the 1960s, only 8 produced before the vehicle was rejected.
- Char de combat principal - ARE Modèle 1969, CCP-ARE M.69
- An overall improved turret design that was also rejected.
- Char de combat principal - ARE Modèle 1974, CCP-ARE M.74
- First production model.
- AMX-45D
- Armored recovery vehicle based on the AMX-45.
- Engin Blindé du Génie
- Combat engineering vehicle.
- Series of large caliber air defense guns.
- Series of smaller caliber air defense vehicles.
- AMX-45B
- First upgrade to the tank in 1983. Added hunter-killer capabilities to the FCS and improved armor protection.
- AMX-45B Amélioré
- Adaption of the AMX-45B to be applied to older AMX-45 series tanks.
- AMX-45B2
- Digitization of the AMX-45. Accepted in 1985. Added vastly improved armor protection as well as improved drive train. Applied to new build and older tanks.
- AMX-45EX
- Final production model accepted into Sieuxerrian service. Further improved digitization.
- Self-propelled howitzer