PaPø-35
| TAL-35 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | Airborne Tank Destroyer |
| Place of origin |  Trinovantum |
| Service history | |
| Used by | Trinovantum |
| Production history | |
| Designer | United Defense Land Systems |
| Designed | 1990-1994 |
| Manufacturer | United Defense Land Systems |
| Produced | 2004-Present |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 20.1 tonnes (22.2 short tons; 19.8 long tons) |
| Length | 6.2 metres (20 ft 4 in) |
| Width | 2.69 metres (8 ft 10 in) |
| Height | 2.37 metres (7 ft 9 in) |
| Crew | 3 (commander, gunner, driver) |
| Armor | Welded Aluminium |
Main armament | 12 x United Defense Aerospace GMS-52 Hypersonic Anti-Tank missiles |
Secondary armament | 1 x CAM-74 machine gun |
| Engine | 9.0L V6 turbo-diesel engine 552 hp |
| Power/weight | 28 hp/tonne |
| Suspension | torsion bar |
| Ground clearance | 410 millimetres (1 ft 4 in) |
| Fuel capacity | 570 L (150 US gal) |
Operational range | 483 km (300 mi) |
| Speed | 70 km/h (43 mph) |
The TAL-35 is a Trinovantan air-deployable anti-tank missile carrier developed by United Defense Land Systems to augment the anti-armor capabilities of Trinovantan rapid deployment forces. It uses the same chassis as the TAG-35 airborne tank and carries the unconventional GMS-52 kinetic anti-tank guided missile as its primary weapon.
Development
The development of third generation main battle tanks the during the 1980s was expected to degrade the effectiveness of currently in-service anti-tank missiles to an unacceptable degree. At this time the best and primary means of neutralizing hostile armored threats available to the Trinovantan rapid deployment forces was the ATAL-24 ATGM carrier. The current Trinovantan TAG-33 had already demonstrated an exceptional resistance to current anti-tank missile systems, including the ATAL-24. Modern foreign designs such as the Notreceauen AVS 54 and the Ostlander Panzerkampfwagen XI were believed to be similarly resistant to anti-tank missile threats. The expected proliferation of these vehicles, or other MBTs with similar capabilities, would thereby pose a significant risk to Trinovantan rapid deployment forces.
To address these concerns, a competition for a new anti-tank weapons system was initiated in 1987 to replace the ATAL-24. Requirements were simple; the weapon had to be able to defeat the armor of any current armored vehicle, it had to be capable of being paired to a airdrop capable vehicle, and it had to have a per-unit production cost that did not exceed 10 times the current cost of the GMS-23 missile used on the ATAL-24. Several designs were submitted, using various methods to achieve the criteria set out by the competition such as large tandem HEAT warheads or top-attack flight profiles. However, the United Defense Aerospace proposal utilized a novel approach, a hardened steel penetrator mated to a high-output rocket. This weapon system, mounted on a new turret designed for United Defense's recently developed TAG-35 airborne tank, would go on to win the program.
Armament
The primary armament for the TAL-35 is United Defense Aerospace's GMS-52 Hypersonic Anti-Tank missile. Instead of carrying a shaped charge warhead like most contemporary ATGMs, the GMS-52's kill mechanism is a nearly two meter long high-hardness steel penetrator. As a result of this payload, the missile is significantly larger than most other ATGMs with a 162 millimeter diameter and a 2.8 meter overall length. The entire system weighs in excess of 80 kilograms. Guidance is provided via a simple laser seeker for semi-active laser homing. Propulsion is provided by a high-output solid fuel rocket fitted with a thrust vectoring nozzle for flight control. This rocket is capable of propelling the missile up to a maximum speed of 1500 meters per second in less than a second. The GMS-52 reaches its maximum range of 5000 meters four seconds after being fired.
When travelling at its maximum speed the missile has 90 Megajoules of kinetic energy, which is approximately 8 times greater than the muzzle energy of a modern APFSDS penetrator fired by a main battle tank. During testing, the GMS-52 demonstrated that it was capable of inflicting catastrophic damage to the most heavily armored vehicles in the Trinovantan military's inventory. It is projected to be capable of destroying any current or near-future armored threat. The TAL-35 does not carry more than the 12 missiles contained within the turret. Extra ammunition for reloading must be transported in a separate vehicle. While reloading by hand is possible, due to the size and weight of the GMS-52 missile and the height of the turret it is recommended that a loading crane is used to reload the vehicle.
For defense against infantry and light vehicular threats, the TAL-35 mounts a single CAM-74 heavy machine gun above the turret.
Protection
As per the TAG-35, the TAL-35 is protected by lightweight aluminum armor. The high hardness steel plates reinforcing the TAG-35 have been stripped in order to keep the weight of the vehicle within acceptable air-dropping tolerances. Similarly, the turret of the TAL-35 is primarily constructed out of aluminium. This gives the TAL-35 protection against most anti-material rifles from the front and sides. In the event of a penetration into the fighting compartment of the vehicle, several countermeasures are in place to mitigate damage. A modern spall liner is installed along the interior of the vehicle to reduce spall fragmentation from armor perforation and an automatic fire extinguisher is present in the engine bay. The vehicle also features an overpressure system to protect the crew from CBRN threats.
Mobility
The TAL-35's powertrain consists of a Paxton Heavy Industries 9.0 Liter V6 Turbo diesel producing 412 kW (552 hp) at 2300 rpm and 1400 NM (1030 ft-lb) at 1500 rpm mated to a UE 4 speed (3 forward, 1 reverse) variable-ratio hydromechanical transmission, which is capable of propelling the vehicle up to an electronically limited to speed of 72 km/h (45 mph). The transmission also incorporates hydromechanical steering and dynamic braking, with a manually actuated service brake also integrated into the transmission unit. A rear hull ramp is present on the TAL-35 that folds down to directly access the engine compartment. The entire powerpack can be disconnected and slid onto the ramp without specialized tools.
The TAL-35 uses a simple torsion bar suspension. Hydraulic shock absorbers are installed at each of the six road wheel stations in order to improve cross-country mobility and firing stability. The suspension has a maximum object clearance of 760mm (30 in), with a trench clearance of 2100 mm (83 in). It is capable of traversing slopes of a grade up to 60 degrees, or side-slopes to up 40 degrees. Bodies of water up to 1300 mm (52 in) deep can be forded without significant preparation.
Due to its light weight and relatively compact size, the TAL-35 can be carried and delivered by most military airlift transport aircraft. As an airborne vehicle, the TAL-35 can be rapidly deployed via low-altitude parachute-extraction in situations where conventional airlifting methods are either impossible or otherwise not preferable. This type of deployment requires specialized shock-absorbing pallets and a potentially hazardous low-speed and low-altitude approach to the deployment zone. When deployed in this manner, the crew of the TAL-35 must be deployed separately from the vehicle.
Sensors and Systems
The TAL-35 has an advanced sensor suite to complement its powerful weaponry. Both the gunner and commander have access to independent, wide-angle NV/IR search and observation sights. The gunner's primary combat sight has a 1x-14x telescopic zoom with a built-in image intensification channel, which is mounted alongside the high-powered laser designator. The commander's station is equipped with 7 optical periscopes to enhance all-around visibility. The driver's station retains the TAG-35's NV equipped forward periscope for navigation.
As per the TAG-35, the turret on the TAL-35 is electrically powered rather than hydraulically powered. A 300 A generator provides electrical power to the vehicle, with four batteries (located in the engine compartment) acting as a backup. Access to the battery backup is possible through a hatch in hull roof.