AMX-45

AMX-45
Type	Main battle tank
Place of origin	Sieuxerr Gothia
Service history
In service	1988-Present
Used by	Sieuxerr Solevant Wazikavu
Production history
Designer	GIAT Industries Gothic Tractor Factory
Designed	1983-1988
Manufacturer	Roanne Tank Plant Gothic Tractor Factory Other overseas factories
Produced	1988-
No. built	3000~
Specifications (AMX-45 (1988))
Weight	49.8 tonnes (Basic) 54.5 tonnes (Combat)
Length	7.2 m (24 ft) (w/o gun forward) 10.04 m (32.9 ft) (w/ gun forward)
Width	3.74 m (12.3 ft)
Height	2.4 m (7.9 ft) (To turret roof) 3 m (9.8 ft) (To commander's sight)
Crew	4 (Commander, gunner, driver, loader)
Armor	Laminated steel/ceramic/composite mixture along with modular armor packages
Main armament	GIAT CN120-25 (44 rounds, plus 14 more stowed outside)
Secondary armament	2 × MAG 60.40 (1 coaxial, 1 commander's copula) (7,500 rounds)
Engine	12-cylinder diesel engine 1,300 hp (970 kW)
Power/weight	23.8 hp/t (17.7 kW/t)
Transmission	Automatic, 4 forward, 2 reverse
Suspension	torsion bar
Ground clearance	.4 m (1.3 ft)
Fuel capacity	1,300 l (340 US gal) (Option for 400 more liters in fuel drums)
Operational range	550 km (340 mi) (750 km (470 mi) with fuel drums)
Speed	70 km/h (43 mph)
References

The AMX-45 is a joint-Sieuxerrian/Gothic main battle tank produced by GIAT Industries and Gothic Tractor Factory. The tank was a result of the unification of the Gothic Lince main battle tank and the Sieuxerrian AMX-40 projects. Both tanks were designed for the export market, however a memorandum of understanding was signed in 1985 which combined the projects as to avoid Sieuxerr and Gothia competing against each other. The hull and automotive components would be mostly Gothic in origin, with the turret and much of its advanced fire control systems being Sieuxerrian. The tank, along with their precursor projections, would be foundations for later advanced Entente main battle tank designs.

Development

Development of the AMX-45 began after the lackluster trial performance of the AMX-30 in the 1960s, citing automotive and protection inefficiencies.

Design

Armament

Primary

GIAT CN120-25

In the mid-1970s it had become understood the SA47 100mm gun was rapidly reaching the end of its development life. While the use of hotter powders could be used to increase effectiveness of sabot munitions, this would require new-build guns with stronger chambers to handle the increased pressures. The cost of changing over the entire fleet of AMX-30s for marginal gains was deemed not worth major investment. Improvements to the SA47 gun and new ammo would happen, but Sieuxerr and Gothia would themselves seek development of a new, larger gun.

Development of a new 120mm tank gun would lead to the CN120-25, which would be first trialed in the AMX-32 prototype tank. The gun was found to be effective with better armor-penetration abilities as well the 120mm high-explosive rounds were well liked for their anti-fortification ability.

The CN120-25 fires semi-combustible propellant cases and is manually loaded. The gun has an average rate of fire of 7.5 seconds, however experienced loaders can achieve a faster rate through various means. Effective range is 2,000 meters with a max range of 4,000 meters. The gun has a wide selection of ammo including both tungsten and depleted uranium alloy sabot rounds. HE, HEAT, practice, as well as a guided round known as POLYNEGE is available for purchase.

Starting in 1992, the CN120-26 became the standard gun. The CN120-26 is able to handle higher chamber pressures, meaning it can safely fire the modern sabot ammunition Sieuxerr developed like the OFL 120 F1 and OFL 120 F2.

23 rounds are stored in the turret under blow-out panels with an additional 21 stored in the hull for a total of 44 rounds. As well, the AMX-45 can carry up to two 7-round drums in place of the fuel drums, giving it an extra 14 rounds if need be. The blow-out panels have an additional screen above the roof armor to pre-detonate bomblets.

Secondary

MAG 60.40

While the original AMX-40 had an M693 20mm automatic cannon as a coaxial gun, in order to increase the frontal protection of the AMX-45 the 20mm was removed in favor of a more traditional MAG machine gun chambered in 7x51mm Entente.

The commander’s TOP 7 cupola retains its MAG machine gun as featured on the AMX-32 and AMX-30 for AA purposes.

Upgraded models of the AMX-45 have a remote weapon station with a MAG, as well as a loader’s MAG on a skate mount, these have the commander’s TOP 7 cupola replaced with a different model which deletes the cupola-mounted machine gun.

Depending on vehicle model, anywhere from 7,500 to 5,000 rounds of 7x51mm EC is carried.

Fire Control

Taking the fire control system from the AMX-40, which itself was taken mostly from the AMX-32, the AMX-45 features a completely digitalized fire-control system. Both gunner and commander have access to the M581 COTAC fire control system through TV monitors. The M581 provides a 10x magnification scope with an integrated M550 laser rangefinder, the system is stabilized with the gun. The commander has an M527 panoramic sight which provides a 2x or 8x magnification daytime optic or a low-light level television nighttime optic. The commander’s sight is stabilized with the gun and can allow firing on the move. The fire control system has a “hunter-killer” ability that allows the commander to independently acquire, range, and either hand off the target to the gunner or to override and engage the target himself.

The difference between the AMX-30B2 or AMX-32 was the replacement of the older DITV-13 LLLTV sight with a new CASTOR DIVT-16 thermal sight. With an effective range of some 4,000 meters, the DIVT-16 was very good for the late 1980s, but was very expensive, bumping costs up too much for some potential customers. In the early 1990s, a cheaper, less effective thermal sight was offered, the DIVT-18. Along with the DIVT-18, the DIVT-13 LLLTV sight, used on the AMX-30B2 and AMX-32, was also offered for even less than the 18.

The 120mm gun was also stabilized, an upgrade which had not yet been done even to the in-service AMX-30s in the Sieuxerrian Army.

Protection

The baseline AMX-40 offered protection only against 76mm APCR ammunition to the front and older shoulder-fired rocket warheads to the front, with sides and rear only protecting against 23mm AP-I. This protection was achieved with an early but thin composite armor array that had been first implemented on the AMX-32.

Protection would be increased drastically with the AMX-45. Armor arrays were thickened, with the turret face reaching over 700mm line-of-sight with new more advanced armor arrays. Protection now could stop 105mm sabot ammunition and, current issue (For the 1980s) shoulder-fired rockets and a number of light and older ATGMs. Hull armor, taken from the Lince, was similar in protection.

The sides of the AMX-45 had varying levels of protection. On the turret, the crew space sides were roughly 170mm LOS of the composite armor array. It offers the same protection as what the AMX-40’s baseline frontal armor offered. Armor over the turret ammo stowage is 80mm, able to stop 30mm APDS rounds and artillery shrapnel. Roof armor is enough to stop artillery shrapnel. Side hull armor is a consistent 50mm protected by side-skirts that are 12mm thick. On the 1st ⅓ of the hull, over the hull ammo storage, thick ballistic side-skirts of 50mm are applied. This gives protection against 30mm APDS and older shoulder-fired RPG rounds. The rest of the hull and rear is protected only against artillery shrapnel.

Variants

• AMX-40 Amélioré

Modified AMX-40 prior to being mated with the Lince hull.

• AMX-45

First production model.

• AMX-45E1

Additional frontal turret and side hull armor arrays to increase protection levels to 125mm sabot rounds at combat distances. As well a ERIEL soft-kill APS system was added to spoof and decoy SACLOS guided anti-tank missiles.

• AMX-45E2

Digitization of the fire control system, options latest generation thermal gunnery sights like the Catherine FC and in 2012 Catherine MP was available, in addition the commander received an independent thermal sight (CITV). As well, a new remote weapon station was added replacing the commander's machine gun. The loader receives a machine gun mount on his hatch. More hull side armor modules and bar armor was added for all round hull protection against PG-7V warheads and various autocannon rounds. The ERIEL was removed due to modern SACLOS missiles being very resistant to the ERIEL's jamming methods.