T70125
| T60110 | |
|---|---|
.png) T70125-M1 (top) and T70125-MX (bottom) | |
| Type | Main Battle Tank |
| Place of origin |  Velikoslavia |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1970 - present |
| Used by | Velikoslavia |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Vushok Design Committee |
| Designed | 1962-1969 |
| Manufacturer | Vushok Armor Plant |
| Produced | 1970-1990 |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 43 tonnes |
| Length | 9.0 m (barrel forward) 6.9 m (hull only) |
| Width | 3.12 m |
| Height | 2.50 m |
| Crew | 3 (M1-MX) 2 (MX) |
| Armor | Cast turret 250 (300 on later variants) mm turret front |
Main armament | 12.5 G01T L/55 smoothbore gun |
Secondary armament | 1 x 12.7mm EA15 10 x 76mm smoke grenade launchers |
| Engine | Pantra F18 4 stroke 12 cylinder 40 liter water cooled diesel engine 750 hp at 2500 RPM |
| Suspension | Torsion Bar |
Operational range | 650 km (with fuel drums) |
| Speed | 60 km/h on-road 48 km/h off-road |
The T70125 is a family of Velikoslavian main battle tanks that entered production in late 1969. Around 3,500 units were built as the intended replacement for older T60110 and T50100 units that made up the armored forces. Through refurbishment programs and modernizations, the vehicle has remained in service globally, though it was relegated to storage in 2001 when the T80125 fully replaced it within front line armored divisions. Vushok Armor Works has since offered an upgrade package to allow older vehicles to remain in service for longer and though it has left production, it is still capable of being ordered after it was cleared for Level 3 export clearance in 2002. The Elatian V-74 main battle tank is a subsequent development of the T70125.
Development
Design characteristics
The T70125 shares many design characteristics with older Velikoslav tanks. Though being lighter than its Ostrozvan and Ludvosiyan counterparts caused it to be considered a weaker overall vehicle, though this was later considered an incorrect assertion. Velikoslav tanks were designed to fit into large, fast moving formations and travel great distances under their own power, whereas heavier vehicles such as the Bv.65 were employed differently. Though later variants had increased armored protection, the T70125 was always very much designed to fight fast moving conflicts over the large, less developed areas of the Velikoslav-Ludvosiyan border regions. The experiences of the Second Partisans' War also greatly influenced Velikoslav armor design from the T60110 onwards and the T70125 was no exception, with packages for heavy urban fighting introduced from day one.
Weight
The original T70125 variants had a lower weight when compared to other nations at only 45 tons. Bridges and roads in eastern Velikoslavia tended to be older with less weight capacity, thus it was deemed essential to have an armored vehicle that was capable of passing over them. This had the added bonus of creating a scenario in which heavier foreign vehicles would have difficulty using Velikoslav roadways, especially in the east. This decision proved controversial, and debates within the procurement committed resulted in two separate initial prototypes for the design. Rather than develop a new engine for the vehicle, the Pantra F12 4 stroke 12 cylinder 40 liter engine was bored out, creating a 43 liter block with a larger diameter turbocharger, resulting in an engine that made 820 horsepower. This would initially cause issues with cylinder wall cracking, resulting in the development of the Pantra F14, which would be employed on later variants.
The T70125 is designed to cross rivers up to 5 m (16.4 ft) deep submerged using a small diameter snorkel assembled onsite. If stalled out under water, the engine must be restarted in 10 seconds or the engine compartment will flood due to loss of pressure.