HTV-2014
| HTV-2014 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | Main Battle Tank |
| Place of origin |  Khyragus |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | TALON National Arms Corporation |
| Unit cost | $7.68 million |
| Produced | 2014–present |
| Variants | Variants list |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 43.1 tonnes (48.1 tons) |
| Length | Hull length: 7.2 m (23 ft 7 in) Gun forward: 7.6 m (24 ft 11 in) |
| Width | 3.8 m (12 ft 6 in) |
| Height | 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in) |
| Crew | 3 (driver, commander, gunner) |
| Armor | Nano-crystal steel, modular ceramic composite armor |
Main armament | 125mm K08 smoothbore gun with automatic loader (36 rounds) 4 × missile launch tubes (loaded with either ATGMs, SAMs, or MVER-2012 loitering munitions |
Secondary armament | 12.7mm MWSAC-64 coaxial machine gun or 20mm MWSAC-98 grenade launcher RCWS with 7.62mm MTG-54 or 40mm GLM-88 grenade launcher |
| Engine | SHI GMTE-12 Mark II multi-fuel turbine engine 1,600 hp (1,193 kW) |
| Transmission | Continuously variable transmission (Hydraulic Mechanical Transmission) |
| Suspension | Hydropneumatic suspension |
Operational range | 600 km (373 mi) without external fuel tanks |
| Speed | 70 km/h (43 mph) (road) (governed) 40 km/h (25 mph) (cross-country) (governed) |
History
Design
Armament
The HTV-2008 is armed with the K08 electronically stabilized 125mm cannon as its primary weapon. The HTV-2014's cannon features an eight round cylindrical magazine allowing it to rapid fire several rounds in a quick salvo – or engage multiple hostile combatants simultaneously. An automatic loading system keeps 36 rounds at the ready.
Additional offensive capabilities are provided by the four missile launch tubes, on the sides of the HTV-014’s turret. The missile launch tubes can be fitted with either anti-tank guided missiles, or anti-aircraft missiles, reconnaissance drones or loitering munitions.
Protection
Stealth was an important design consideration during the development of the HTV-014. Both sides of the HTV-014 are equipped with an exhaust gas mixing system. The system continuously mixes high volumes of outside air into the exhaust gasses to reduce their temperature. The exhaust gas system greatly increases the difficulty for the vehicle to be spotted and subsequently targeted by thermal systems.
The majority of the HTV-014’s armor is composed of nano-crystal steel alloy. Nano-crystal steel, also called triple hardness steel, is a carbon nanotube metal matrix composite. The nano-crystal steel incorporates carbon nanotubes into a high strength alloy comprised mostly of steel and titanium. The nano-crystal steel alloy used in the HTV-014 has over three times the hardness of conventional rolled, homogeneous steel armor. Although denser than rolled homogeneous steel armor, the high strength of the material used allows for overall weight reduction compared to other armor materials.
In conjunction with nano-crystal steel, the HTV-014 utilizes composite armor. Composite materials are primarily used to further increase protection levels. The interior of the vehicle's armor is lined with aramid to protect crew members from spall, or small pieces of the vehicles armor that break off upon impact from a projectiles.
Atop the outer skin of the armor, explosive reactive plates can be fitted. The explosive reactive armor (ERA) detonates outwards when hit with a projectile. When the ERA plates detonate both the velocity and angle of the projectile are altered, reducing their effectiveness. The outermost layer of the vehicle is capable of fitting slats to protect the vehicle from rocket propelled grenades.
The armor on the HTV-014 is subdivided into single piece armor plates. Each armored plate can be quickly replaced if it becomes damaged – allowing for rapid field repairs. The armored plates come in three levels, with Level I at the lightest and level III at the heaviest. Level I was designed for rapid deployment vehicles – saving weight wherever possible to allow for easy air transport and amphibious operation without any modification. Level II is intended for cross-country combat and is the standard outfitting of the HTV-014. Level III was created for urban environments, where attacks of any caliber can come from anywhere around the tank; special attention was paid to armoring the rear and top of the HTV-014.
The HTV-014 is also equipped with the PROTEKTANO active protection system. The PROTEKTANO system is a computer controlled active protection system providing defense from rocket propelled grenades, anti-tank guided missiles, and anti-tank mines. The PROTEKTANO system is comprised of a C-band RADAR system, a ground penetrating radar system, optical sensors, millimeter wave jamming systems, a central computing unit, and ballistic projectiles. The PROTEKTANO system protects the vehicle from anti-tank guided missiles and rocket propelled grenades in a fashion similar to that of Israel's famed Trophy system. A high-speed computer monitors information from RADAR and optical sensors to detect incoming projectiles. If a projectile is detected then ballistic projectiles are fired to intercept and premature detonate the projectile. Millimeter wave jamming systems further enhance defense from anti-tank guided missiles by jamming the guidance system of incoming missiles.
Various sensors located on the outside of the vehicle utilized by the PROTEKTANO system are also capable of detecting if the HTV-014 is being targeted by hostile forces. The PROTEKTANO system gives the vehicle crew members an advanced warning allowing them to take action to evade being hit, such as deploying smoke screens or re-positioning the vehicle to a less vulnerable position. The PROTEKTANO system also provides a countermeasure system to anti-tank mines. A ground-penetrating RADAR system installed at the bottom slope at the front of the vehicle detects for anti-tank mines. If a mine is detected a high velocity ballistic projectile will fire at the mine to prematurely detonate it, reducing its effectiveness.
The bottom of the turret is equipped with 12 launch tubes for smoke grenades. The smoke grenades can conceal the tank from both thermal and optical sighting. While operating on diesel fuel, the HTV-015 can utilize an engine based smoke screen as well. Diesel fuel can be sprayed directly into the turbine exhaust, creating a smoke screen.
Crew protection was one of the key design features of the HTV-014. One of the more novel design features of the HTV-014 was its incorporation of explosive bolts into the hatches of the crew members. Activated in a manner similar to ejection seats of aircraft, once the cord has been pulled the hatch is blasted open allowing for an immediate egress of the vehicle.
An automatic fire fighting system is present throughout the vehicle, with modules in the engine compartments and ammunition storage areas. The system can be activated either automatically, by the triggering of thermal or pressure sensors, or by the activation button, located within reach of each crew member. The firefighting system, upon activation, a rapid release of fire suppressant foam extinguishes fires. Unlike comparable systems, the firefighting system does not use toxic halon gas.
The ammunition for the HTV-014 is kept in the rear of the turret. The ammo storage section of the turret is equipped with several blow out panels. In the even stored munitions were to detonate, the resulting explosion would be directed away from the manned section of the turret.
CBRN, or chemical, biological, radioactive, and nuclear protection systems can be equipped on the HTV-014. Air filters cartridges can be loaded into the HTV-014 climate control system without the need to exit the vehicle. An over pressure system in the HTV-014 keeps the manned compartments kept at a higher pressure than the outside air to keep contaminants outside the compartments in the event of a leak or breech of the compartment.
Electronics
At the heart of the HTV-014 is Metix Digital System's Central Combat Vehicle Computing System (CCVCS). The CCVCS is constructed of shock resistant, rugged electronic components and housed in an EMP resistant armored compartment made from a titanium matrix composite. The CCVCS serves to tie together all the vehicle's subsystems such as fire control, engine performance, communications, combat networking, navigation, damage control, and crew environmental controls. In addition to the CCVCS, back-up modules are equipped in the critical subsystems in the event the CCVCS is disabled or data cables become severed.
The exterior of the HTV-014 is equipped with a number of armored sensor units to provide the "eyes" of the vehicle. Mounted atop the turret is the commander's multi-spectral camera capable of rotating 360° and an optical zoom of up to 12x. To the right of the main gun is the gunner's sighting unit. The recessed multi-spectral camera is paired with a laser range finder. The gunner's camera unit is slaved to the main gun and provides the main method for the primary, coaxial, and ATGM launch tubes to be aimed. Lastly, a rear facing 270° camera is mounted to provide a 360° fixed view around the vehicle at all times.
The HTV-014 is capable of being integrated with the GLAVO suite of combat networking technologies. With the usage of the GLAVO combat networking suite (CNS), armored vehicle formations are transformed into highly-capable, highly-integrated, highly-coordinated teams. On a command level, the GLAVO CNS allows for battlefield commanders to view the location and status of all friendly units in a battle zone, view surveillance drone data, locate and designate enemy forces, set navigational way-points. On a vehicle level, the GLAVO CNS maximizes the capabilities of each vehicle. Crew members can see the location of friendly and known enemy forces, view surveillance drone data, and highlight targets. Target highlighting allows for multiple vehicles to simultaneously engage and attack the same enemy vehicle in a highly coordinated fashion. The target sharing capability extends to field artillery units and aerial units as well. Ground based targets can be quickly targeted fired upon from artillery strikes or airstrikes.
Fire control systems on the HTV-014 are typically controlled by the CCVCS, but a back-up module is fitted into the vehicle turret in the event of a systems failure. The fire control system actively electronically stabilizes the main armament of the HTV-014 ensuring accuracy. The fire control system combines information from the multi-spectral camera systems, RADAR systems, range finders, temperature and humidity sensors, and the gunner's eyepiece for targeting and calculating firing solutions. The combination of highly advanced sensors, electronic gun stabilization and high speed computing systems ensures a hit percentage of 98% at typical ranges.
The crew stations in the HTV-014 may more closely resemble a jet fighter than what one would expect to find in a main battle tank. A multitude of cleanly mounted digital displays, LED status panels, and a helmet mounted display comprise the bulk of the HTV-014's user interface. The digital displays mounted display information such as vehicle status, camera displays, and navigational data. The graphics used by these consoles are kept mostly monochrome and minimal to prevent information overload. The most relevant information is displayed with more emphasis. Graphics are also commonly used in place of text to allow for quick and easy operation. The helmet mounted display gives crew members the ability to have data displayed on their helmets, rather than displays. The helmet mounted display can be tied in with externally mounted cameras to allow for the crew members to get a panoramic, real time display of their surroundings as if they were not in the vehicle. For the gunner/commander of the HTV-014, the helmet mounted display can track their eye movements to target vehicles.
Electronic systems allow for the HTV-014 to be operated in all weather conditions, in any climate, day or night. The front mounted headlight units are equipped with high output, high efficiency LED bulbs which can emit both visible light or infrared light for night operations. The commander’s independent sight, and the camera unit slaved to the main cannon are multispectral, capable of showing images in the visible light spectrum, as well as in the infrared/thermal spectrum. All of the hard mounted cameras are equipped with image intensification technology which amplifies incoming light to produce an image from complete darkness, without using infrared lighting.
Mobility
The HTV-014’s is powered by the GMTE-12 Mark II high-efficiency, multi-fuel turbine engine. The GMTE-12 Mark II is capable producing 1,600 shaft horsepower. It can be run on a wide variety of fuels such as ethanol, diesel, gasoline, kerosene, or jet fuel. The GMTE-12 uses modular components to reduce maintenance costs and repair times.
Paired with the HTV-014’s turbine engine is continuously variable transmission. The continuously variable transmission (CVT) provides improved fuel use, decreased maintenance costs, and allows the HTV-014 to move at its maximum speed of 60 km/h in both forwards and reverse.
The active hydropneumatic suspension system maximizes chassis and turret stability while the vehicle is in operation. The suspension system is controlled by an on-board computer system to control the movement of wheels relative to the vehicle, rather than relative to the road surface. Crew members onboard can raise and lower the chassis.
