Heracles 2
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| Heracles 2 | |
|---|---|
 Heracles 2E2 main battle tank | |
| Type | Main battle tank |
| Place of origin | Romaia |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1995–present |
| Used by | Romaia, Iavonia |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | Consortium EVORA-Mikelis-Origen (EMO), a consortium formed by EVORA, Mikelis and Origen |
| No. built | ≈2000 |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 56.3 t (55.4 long tons; 62.1 short tons) |
| Length | 9.52 m (31.2 ft) |
| Width | 3.61 m (11.8 ft) |
| Crew | 3 |
| Armor | modular composite armor Y2E2 3rd generation composite; including high-hardness steel, tungsten and plastic filler with ceramic component. |
Main armament | 1×120 Michelis mm smoothbore gun (40 rounds) |
Secondary armament | 1x12.7 mm coaxial machine gun (1,100 rounds) Y2E3 1x35-mm autocannon |
| Engine | EVORA 12V diesel Y2E3 UEC 12V diesel 1,500 PS (1,479 hp, 1,103 kW) at 2,600 rpm |
| Transmission | Automatic X209 |
| Suspension | Torsion bar suspension |
| Fuel capacity | 1,300 litres (286 imperial gallons; 343 US gallons) |
Operational range | 550 km (342 mi) |
| Speed |
|
| References | |
The Heracles 2 is a 3rd generation main battle tank originally developed by TBD in the 1990s for the Romaian Army. The tank first entered service in 1995 and succeeded the earlier Heracles 1 as the main battle tank of the Romaian Army. It is armed with a 120 mm smoothbore cannon, and is powered by a V-12 twin-turbo diesel engine.
The Heracles 2 is in service with the Romaian Army and Iavonian Army . In production since 1994, the Heracles 2 entered Romaian service in 1995, replacing the Heracles 1 as the country's main armoured platform. Romaia operates about 2000 tanks (with 200 more in storage).
Design
Armament
Primary
The Heracles 2 is armed with a modern and massive 120 mm version F1 smoothbore gun designed by Mikelis. Its barrel is 55 calibres long instead of the 44 calibre common on most main battle tanks of its generation, giving the projectile a higher muzzle velocity.
Secondary
The Heracles is also equipped with a 12.7 mm coaxial heavy machine gun and a turret-mounted 7.62 mm machine gun.
Autoloader
Located inside the turret bustle, the autoloader is designated TBD and was designed by Mikelis. The autoloader itself weighs 500 kg (empty) and has a total volume of 1.68 m3 (1.40 × 2.40 × 0.50 m). In case of ammunition cooking off, the deflagration is vented by two blow-out panels.
The autoloader allows the reloading of the gun while firing on the move, providing it a sufficient rate of fire to deal with six targets in one minute. The nominal firing sequence is below 8 seconds and the repetition rate (loading two ammunition of the same type one after another) is below 6 seconds. The autoloader is managed by a TM Origen A890120 microprocessor.
The autoloader consists of a continuous link carrier magazine made of 22 cells and a rammer assembly. It can accommodate all types of ammunition, up to six different types of ammunition can be selected. The cell positions the selected round for loading. At the same time, the main gun is decoupled from the stabilization system, indexed to 1.8° elevation and locked in alignment with the loading gutter. Then, a telescopic rammer pushes the round from the cell into the gun breech via a fiberglass gutter. After loading, the weapon is automatically driven back to the specified angle in accordance with the fire control system. In case of power outage, the conveyor can be put into motion by using a hand-cranked electric generator.
The ammunition is normally inserted in the autoloader through a port in the rear wall of the turret bustle. A control panel allows the autoloader cells to be rotated to present a new empty cell. Two barcode readers identify the introduced ammunition in order to manage its position in the conveyor at any time. If the ammunition does not have a barcode, its type is entered through the control keyboard. It is possible to replenish the autoloader under armor, through a port in the inner bulkhead by using the 18 rounds cylinder located to the right of the driver's position.
Fire-control system and sights
The fire-control system (FCS) consists gunner's primary sight (GPS), commander's panoramic sight (CPS), ballistic calculator, electrical gun and turret drive system (EGTDS), and dynamic muzzle reference system (DMRS).
The Leclerc tank features the HL 60 gunner's primary sight from SAGEM. The sight has two day channels; a direct one with ×3.3 and ×10 magnification (×14 in case of the UAE version) and a video channel with ×10 magnification. The thermal channel offers ×3 and ×10 magnifications. The Athos thermal imager has a detection range of 5000 m, can recognize targets at 2500 m and identify them at 2000 m. The laser range finder is of the Nd:YAG type. No emergency or auxiliary sights are mounted.
The gunner's primary sight is made by Origen and Iconica it has two day channels; a direct one with ×3.3 and ×14 and a video channel with ×10 magnification. The thermal channel offers ×3 and ×10 magnifications.
The Heracles 2 is equipped with an advanced fire-control system linked to an Extremely High Frequency (EHF) L-band Pulsed Doppler Radar system deployed on the frontal arc of the turret, along with a laser rangefinder and crosswind sensor. The system is capable of a "lock-on" mode, which can acquire and track specific targets up to a range of 9.8 km (6.1 mi) using a thermographic camera. This allows the crew to fire accurately while moving as well as engage low-flying aircraft.
The commander of the tank has the ability to override the gunner's command, to take control of the turret and gun. Moreover, unconfirmed reports state that, in the event of an emergency, the vehicle can be operated by only two crew members, or even a single one. It is speculated that the fire-control system can automatically spot and track visible targets, compare them using the data link established with other friendly vehicles to prevent redundant target engagements, and fire its main gun without manual input.
Heracles 2 has an Automatic Target Detection and Tracking System (ATDTS) controlled by the Automatic Target Recognition (ATR) algorithm. When the target is identified as a foe by the IFF/SIF (Identification Friend or Foe/Selective Identification Feature) system, the tank automatically aims and performs laser distance measurements on the target even if the tank is maneuvering on irregular terrain while the target is moving. It can lead the target and fire automatically based on ballistic data calculated by the turret mounted laser rangefinder and crosswind sensor. This feature enhances the performance of inexperienced gunners significantly
Network-centric warfare capabilities and operability
Propulsion
The Heracles 2 has an eight-cylinder V12X-1500 1,500 hp Hyperbar diesel engine and a automatic transmission, with five forward and two reverse gears. The official maximum speed by road is 71 km/h and 55 km/h cross country (speeds in excess of 80 km/h were reported on road). The maximum range is given as 550 km, and can be extended to 650 km with removable external tanks. The "hyperbar" system integrates a small gas turbine in the engine, acting both as a turbocharger and an APU giving auxiliary power to all systems when the main engine is shut down. The Hyperbar name comes from the unusually high boost pressure of 7.5 bar and the resulting mean effective pressure of 32.1 bar.
The engine exhaust, exiting at the rear left, is cooled to reduce the thermal signature of the Heracles 2. Transmission is hydromechanical, with five forward and two reverse gears. Fuel tanks carry 1,300 litres and act as extra protection for the tank; two 200-litre external tanks can be fitted on the rear of the hull, though they have to be jettisoned before entering combat because they limit turret rotation.
The gearbox is equipped with a hydrokinetic retarder, which can slow the Heracles 2 down at a deceleration rate of 7 m/s2 (0.7 g) which is automatically used over 30 km/h.
Variants and upgrades
Technical data
| Description | Heracles 2 | Heracles 2E2 |
|---|---|---|
| Date | 1994–2006 | 2006-2023 |
| Crew | 3 | |
| Combat weight | 61 t | 65 t |
| Gunner sight | S90 | S06 |
| Commander panoramic sight | S92 | S08 |
| Engine | EVORA V12 Hyperbar 12-cylinder diesel engine | |
| Engine displacement | 16,470 cm3 | |
| Forced induction ratio | 7.8 | |
| Power output | 1500 hp (1,118 kW) at 2500 RPM | |
| Maximum torque | 4850 Nm at 1700 RPM | |
| Acceleration from 0–32 km/h (0–20 mph) | 5 seconds | |
| Transmission | EVORA X 209 | |
| Suspension system | 12 EVORA OP twin-cylinder oleopneumatic suspension | |
| Tracks | V2 (aluminium alloy) | V5 (steel) |
| Maximum speed | 71 km/h (backwards 38 km/h) | |
| Fuel capacity | 1,300 liters (up to 1700 liters with external fuel drums) | |
| Width | 3.7 m (3.76 m with ballistic side skirts) | |
| Height | 3.03 m (turret roof) | |
| Ground clearance | 540 mm | |
| Wading depth without preparation | 1.1 m | |
| Wading depth with snorkel | 4 m | |
| Trench passability | 3 m | |
| Climbing ability | 1.1 m | |
| Turret rotation time (360°) | 12 seconds | 8 seconds |
Operators
Current operators
| Country | Type | Quantity (Estimated) | Origin | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Iavonia
|
Y2 | 200 |  Romaia |
The Iavonic Army acquired 200 tanks in 2004. |
| Romaia
|
Y2 | 350 | Romaia |
Primarily used for training purposes. The rest 520 units have been upgraded to Y2E2 version. |
| Y2E2 | 1200 | Romaia |