ZTA-1

ZTA Light Tank
Type	Light tank
Place of origin	Zacapican
Service history
In service	1970
Used by	Zacapican
Production history
Designer	NTT 114
Manufacturer	Cuauhquetztia
Unit cost	1.5 million.
Produced	1970-2020
No. built	1500
Variants	See Variants
Specifications
Weight	30.5 t (30.0 long tons; 33.6 short tons)
Length	6.75 m (22 ft 2 in)
Width	3.25 m (10 ft 8 in)
Height	2.42 m (7 ft 11 in)
Crew	4
Main armament	105 mm (4.13 in) NM O4 canon
Secondary armament	2×7.62 mm (0.30 in) machine gun
Engine	Ci-500 6-cylinder 22.4 L (1,370 cu in) diesel 540 kW (720 hp)
Power/weight	24 hp/tonne
Suspension	Torsion-bar
Operational range	590 km (370 mi), 800 km (500 mi) with auxiliary fuel tanks
Speed	75 km/h (47 mph)

The Light Armored Vehicle (Nahuatl:𐐞𐐰𐑆𐐰𐐻𐐯𐐹𐐬𐑆𐐻𐑊𐐨 𐐈𐐿𐐬𐐿𐐶𐐨, Zazatepoztli Acocqui) better known as the ZTA Light Tank is a Zacapine light tank design which serves as the basis for a family of armoured fighting vehicles in service with the Zacapine Armed Forces in a variety of roles. The light tank and its variants were introduced in the early 1970s as a compliment to the heavier O74 main battle tank and its derivatives. Both families of vehicles were the products of the major military modernization efforts of the mid to late 1960s which saw all aspects of the Zacapine military and its equipment revisited. As with the O74, the ZTA tank and the many vehicles based on its chassis remain in active military service in Zacapican and a number of nations around the world. The ZTA platform remained in production for 50 years before the Cuauhquetztia factories allocated to ZTA production were diverted to produce the ZTA and O74's replacement, the O17 and its new variants. Components for maintenance and sustainment will continue to be produced until such time as the Zacapine military retires its fleet of venerable ZTA vehicles.

The ZTA light tank was designed by NTT 114, the same design bureau responsible for the O17 family which is planned to replace it. At the time of the commissioning of the project by the Zacapine government in 1965, the ZTA represented the first fully indigenous design for an armored vehicle in Zacapine history. Before 1965, Zacapican had first imported the early generation of armored vehicles, then established domestic production of foreign designs, and even established semi-indigenous modifications and derivatives of foreign designs such as the O43 Nahua, but had never created a fully indigenously designed and manufactured vehicle type. The ZTA was one of many projects designed to foster autarky in the arms industry and defense-related sectors, whilst bolstering the credibility and standing of the Zacapine arms industries on the world market.

Design

The ZTA Light Tank is operated by a crew of 4 in the role of driver, loader, gunner and commander. The tank's engine is located in the front left of the hull, with the driver in the front right. The commander, gunner and loader are housed within the circumference of the turret ring. The hull and turret of the ZTA are made of a nickel-chromium-molybdenum steel alloy chosen for its favorable material characteristics, such as corrosion resistance and tensile strength. The armor protection of the ZTA design is relatively limited in order to allow for greater mobility and speed without incurring the added cost and complexity of a stronger engine and added fuel that thicker armor would entail. As a result of its lighter weight, the ZTA has a favorable ratio of 24 horsepower per tonne and a top speed of 78km/h.. The mobility of the tank is highly emphasized in its design, both in its general speed and maneuvering characteristics as well as in the strategic mobility desired by the Zacapine military. The ZTA is designed to operate in varied terrain types of Zacapican as well as the low-infrastructure conditions of those foreign regions where the ZTA might be deployed, requiring the tank to be able to cross large distances and difficult terrain unsupported by rail infrastructure or good roads. To accentuate this, the tank is semi-amphibous, capable of water of 1.4 meters of depth without preparation, 2.5 meters with preparation and up to 4 meters with a snorkel. Its operation range of 550km is derived from 680 liters of fuel capacity onboard, which can be extended to a range of 900 kilometers with the addition of 2 external 200 liter fuel tanks.

The turret was one of the most complicated components of the ZTA tank, taking up more development time than any other single section of the vehicle. This long development time was caused by numerous reworks and rejected proposals for the shape of the turret, which was the subject of contention within the design unit as not all the engineers could agree whether to prioritize ballistic protection or other characteristics. In the end, while ballistic protection was deemed a significant factor, the generally lightly armored concept of the ZTA merited the prioritization of other favorable qualities over maximizing protection. The frustum-shaped final design maximizes internal space allowing more room for equipment and the crew, while minimizing the profile of the turret and by extension the tank. The whole of the turret assembly would be rear mounted on the hull and occupy the rear two thirds of the vehicle. The turret houses the main gun, a 105mm canon, as well as 20 shells (13 stored in a ready rack). An additional 30 shells are stored in the hull of the vehicle. The canon is capable of firing APFSDS, HEAT and HESH munitions as well as gun-launched ATGMs. The ZTA turret is also outfitted with two 7.62x51mm machine guns, one in a coaxial mount and the other on a separate mount on the roof for the commander or loader's use.

Variants

ZTA-O2

O2 is a full overhaul modernization of the ZTA light tank, designed to increase its service life and postpone the obsolescence of the aging design. The ZTA-O2 could be built new from the factory, but was primarily designed as an upgrade kit that could be used to retrofit the existing fleet of ZTA tanks and bring them up to par with the contemporary technology of the O2's development, the early 2000s. The most significant components of the O2 upgrade are in the spotting and fire control systems of the vehicle. Modern thermal sights would replace the infrared spot-light system and the commander would receive a separate thermal sight to facilitate his role in spotting targets during night operations. The main gun would also receive a new stabilizer that would enable the tank to fire more accurately while in motion, where the original design had opted for a simpler stabilizer system in order to cut down on costs. The exterior of the O2 is also fitted with explosive reactive armor in order to help degrade the penetration of anti-tank weapons and augment the ZTA's relatively light armor protection.

ZTATZ

The ZTA Tlacazazaca personnel transporter is an infantry fighting vehicle built on the ZTA chassis, armed with a 20mm automatic canon. The significantly modified hull incorporates a passenger compartment with a capacity for 10 dismounts, as well as a rear door and collapsible ramp for the quick deployment of the passengers. ZTATZ was introduced alongside the main ZTA light tank model in 1970 and has received significant retrofit and modernization, particularly in the turret and weapon systems. Sights and thermal imagers have been added, alongside a total turret refit adding a second 20mm canon, an automatic grenade launcher and two anti-tank guided missiles to dramatically increase the firepower of the ZTATZ and improve its ability to provide fire support to its disembarked troops.

ZTATZ-C

Cocoxcacalli combat ambulance variant of the ZTATZ, with turret and armaments removed and passenger compartment refitted into a medical suite.

ZTATZ-T

Command version of the ZTATZ variant, with added communications equipment and internal command post. Passenger capacity reduced to 6 due to added equipment placed in the rear compartment, only 2 of which may serve as dismounted infantry with the remainder being communications officers and command personnel.

ZTA-PT

The Parapotlatopon ("Parabolic Canon") variant of the ZTA is a self-propelled gun armed with a powerful 155mm howitzer. This primary weapon required a total redesign of the turret and some components of the chassis and suspension to tolerate the weight and recoil of the howitzer, as well as to carry a sufficient number of artillery shells. The fully enclosed turret and the howitzer, as well as the other modifications to the ZTA chassis necessary add an additional 10 metric tons to the vehicle, resulting in a total weight of 40 tonnes compared to the original tank's 30 tonnes. It is roughly comparable to the O74's HT variant, which is armed with the same 155mm howitzer albeit with greater armor protection and shell storage space. However, it is significantly cheaper than the O74 HT and has been manufactured in larger numbers as a more economical self-propelled gun.

ZTA-PTN

Open topped mortar carrier vehicle designed to provide a protected firing position for a 120mm mortar, with many of the ZTA base systems removed to simplify the design. Originally designed for the Zikzi O6 120mm infantry mortar, now used exclusively with the Tepoztli 120mm mortar system which provides computerized targeting and automatic aiming.

ZTA-MT

The Mimina-Tlemitl ("Rocket Launcher") variant is a multiple rocket launcher built on the ZTA chassis, serving as the rocket artillery counterpart to the ZTA-PT and being roughly comparable to the formidable O74 Tzitzimitl. Its main armament is a set of two launchers, each containing 18 160mm rockets with a range of 12km minimum and 45km maximum. A turret variant fitted with two hexagonal 6 rocket cells enables the ZTA-MT to fire 220mm rockets of the type used by the Tzitzimitl, including those armed with a thermobaric warhead.

ZTA-AP

Combat engineering vehicle for armored recovery, disarmed and with a heavily modified hull to accommodate a dozer blade, winch and other equipment.

ZTATP

Combat support vehicle, armoured vehicle-launched bridge variant of the ZTA, enabling the passage of ZTA tanks and other armored vehicles over rivers, gaps, trenches and other obstacles.