Hetairos
| Hetairos | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | Main battle tank |
| Place of origin | Syara |
| Service history | |
| Used by | Syara |
| Production history | |
| Produced | 2015-Present |
| No. built | ~650 built, 1,200 ordered |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 51 tonnes |
| Length | 7.075 m (23 ft 2.5 in) |
| Width | 3.400 m (11 ft 1.9 in) |
| Height | 2.800 m (9 ft 2.2 in) |
| Crew | 3 |
| Armor | Spara armor package |
Main armament | 125mm smoothbore main cannon, 46 rounds |
Secondary armament | 1 x 12.7mm AA gun 1 x 7.62mm coaxial machinegun |
| Engine | KML-15 opposed piston 6-cylinder diesel 1,500 hp |
| Power/weight | 30 hp/t |
| Suspension | torsion bar |
Operational range | 500 km |
| Speed | 70 km/h (43 mph) |
The Hetairos is a Syaran main battle tank (MBT), a development of the Myrmidon MBT introduced in 1998. Development of the Hetairos began in 2012 following the conclusion of the Zemplen War, data from which provided guidance in designing the vehicle. The Hetairos was designed in part with assistance from Cacerta, which was developing the Tuono MBT around the same time period. Like its predecessors, the Hetairos is capable of firing standard tank ammunition as well as guided missiles.
Development
Although the Syaran National Army had largely been satsified with the performance of the Myrmidon tank during the Imerti Conflict and the Zemplen War, by 2011 the SNA announced its intention to field a new tank based on experience gained in Ruvelka. In 2012 the design team of the state-owned Photios Heavy Industries put forth the initial design for the Hetairos. Around the same time, the Syaran Commonality Armed Forces was delivering its post-war after action report on the performance of the AFGSF-5 Tartaruga Ground Strike Fighter to the armed forces of Cacerta, during which the concept of a joint effort to tank development was proposed and accepted. Cacerta would end up providing many components of the fire control system and night vision equipment, while Syara in turn shared its 125mm main cannon design.
As Syaran armored doctrine posits the primary usage of the tank is to serve as a breakthrough element designed to bring weapons to bear on the enemy's rear echelon, a key point of importance for the Hetairos needed to be a powerful and reliable engine that would allow the tank to travel far under combat conditions to reach the enemy's supporting elements and infrastructure. The tank also needed an advanced communication suite to allow it to communicate with other Syaran forces such as infantry, artillery, and aircraft, and a capable protecion scheme that could defeat enemy anti-tank guided missiles.
Design
The Hetairos bears a generally similar appearance to previous Syaran tanks, with a low profile and dome shaped turret. The tank is manned by three crew members; a gunner, driver, and commander, with an autoloader replacing the typical fourth crewmember found in most other tanks in Tyran. The primary weapon is a 125mm smoothbore cannon capable of firing high explosive anti-tank shells, armor piercing fin stabilized discardong sabots, high explosive-fragmentation rounds, and gun launched anti-tank guided missiles. Supporting armarment consists of a 12.7mm machinegun located on the commander's cupola and a 7.62mm machinegun. The two manned turret of the Hetairos is all-welded and is protected in part by explosive reactive armor blocks, which itself is augmented by an active protection system and electronic countermeasure systems in what the Syaran National Army calls the Spara defense package. Ammunition is stored in separate compoartments and the autoloader is included with the turret bustle.
The Hetairos is powered by a KML-15 opposed piston 6-cylinder diesel engine which produced 1,500 hp. The power-to-weight ratio is 30 horsepower per ton, giving the Hetairos a very high hp/t compared to most other main battle tanks. The KML-15 is also more fuel efficient, consuming 20% less fuel than the Myrmidon and can be fueled by deisel, kerosene, or jet fuel. Suspension is provided by a torsion bar with hydraulis dampeners for cross country maneuvers. The Hetairos can climb a gradient of 32 degrees or a slide slope of 25 degrees, and can ford a water depth of 5 meters with appropriate equipment. The Hetairos is protected against nuclear, biological, chemical, and radiological threats, and also features a robust filtration system to keep the crew comfortable.
Production
The initial Hetairos prototype was created in early 2014 and underwent testing until 2015. In May 2015 the Syaran Army placed an order for 100 vehicles, which were delivered between June and July the same year. The 11th Armored Division of 2nd Army under Realm Force Galania was the first unit to recieve the Hetairos. The Hetairos made its "debut" in Exercise Bura in the winter of 2015. Between 2016-2020 the Syaran Army purchased an additional 550 tanks, equipping armored brigades of 1st Army in Realm Force Makedon. By 2019 the Syaran Army had placed an additional order of 1,200 tanks to be delivered between 2020-2022. Primary tank production takes place in Parjov, Makedon, Tavrita, Galania, and Lerok, Scitaria.