NJM Salah ad-Din
| NJM Salah ad-Din | |
|---|---|
| File:Ifv2.jpg A Salah ad-Din of the Riysian Joint Ground Forces in desert combat colours and with Ishraq multispectral camouflage. | |
| Type | Infantry Fighting Vehicle |
| Place of origin |  Riysa |
| Service history | |
| In service | 2001 - present |
| Used by | Riysa |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Riysian High Command |
| Designed | 1990s |
| Manufacturer | Riysian High Command |
| Unit cost | £L 3,500,000 - £L 4,100,000 |
| Produced | 1998 - present |
| Specifications (Salah ad-Din-A) | |
| Weight | 40.0 tonnes |
| Length | 7.10 m |
| Width | 3.1 m |
| Height | 2.6 m |
| Crew | 3 |
| Passengers | Up to 10, depending on variant |
| Armor | NMD composite armor on top of RHA steel |
Main armament | 42 mm MARWA autocannon Capability for one ATGM launcher |
Secondary armament | 3 x 8.54 mm RAMD machine gun |
| Engine | Amerit MDA8X-series multifuel diesel Amerit MD2X multifuel diesel-electric hybrid engine (B variant) |
| Suspension | Tracked |
Operational range | 550 km 650-700 km with hybrid engine (B model) |
| Speed | 75 kph on-road 55 kph off-road |
The NJM Salah ad-Din (Arabic: صلاح الدين, English: Saladin, also simply called Saladin) is a tracked Riysian infantry fighting vehicle, and the primary IFV of the Riysian Joint Ground Forces. Rugged and reliable, especially in desert or hot combat environments, the Saladin is unique for leading to the development of the famous Nasr tank, as well as being the first to implement several technologies seen on later Riysian vehicles.
History
Development for the Salah ad-Din started in 1993, for a high-performance infantry fighting vehicle that could effectively counter other IFVs, and could keep up with modern tanks. Development ended in 2000 and mass production started in 2001.
Description
Capabilities and Features
The baseline Saladin uses the Amerit MDA8X-series of diesel engines, similar to the ones used on the NJM Salamah. This gives it a top speed of about 75 km/h on roads, and 55 km/h off-road. The Saladin-B uses an Amerit MD2X Multifuel diesel-electric hybrid engine, increasing both its range and speed to 60 km/h off-road.
As a modern vehicle, the Salah ad-Din is fitted for modern warfare. The IFV features provisions for a battle management system which processes information from the sensors of the vehicle to keep the occupants and passengers completely aware of their surroundings, is datalinked for modern C4ISTAR and GPS systems such as Blue Force Tracking, and has an IFF/SIF system. To keep soldiers fighting at their optimal, all vehicles have an environmental control system.
Protection
Armor
The Saladin uses NMD composite armor layered over a steel body with integral spacing and a Spectra spall liner, and is the first vehicle in the Riysian inventory to use NMD armor. This combined configuration lends it excellent protection, with it being claimed protected all-around from 30 mm APFSDS and has a frontal armor equivalency of up to 200 mm of RHA steel against armor-piercing projectiles, and up to 242 mm of RHA steel against shaped charges, making the Saladin one of the best-protected IFVs in service.
The floor of the vehicle is reinforced to protect against mines and improvised explosive devices. It is currently protected against the heaviest of anti-tank mines, with 10 kilogram warheads, making it highly survivable even in asymmetrical conflicts.
The Saladin can mount reactive armor to increase its protection even further, although the risk of detonating tiles injuring or even killing nearby infantry makes its use very limited.
Active Protection Systems
The Salah ad-Din is fitted with the Khidaa' "soft-kill" active protection system, to increase its survivability against guided anti-tank missiles. Consisting of IR-obscuring smoke grenade launchers, laser warning receivers, and a pair of electro-optical dazzlers, the system helps protect the vehicle by blinding and jamming incoming guided anti-tank missiles.
Some vehicles are also fitted with the Irtibak active protection system, which consists of non-expendable decoy emitters designed to confuse and jam optically-tracked systems used by most anti-tank missiles - such as the TOW or MILAN. Up to four may be mounted on a single Saladin vehicle to provide a full 360-degree protection.
Recently, vehicles in Riysian service have been equipping the Burkan active protection system. Unlike the others used on the IFV, the Burkan is a short-ranged "hard-kill" system, designed to be safe enough to be used with nearby friendly infantry.
CBRN Defense
For detection, the Saladin is equipped with the 2NK1 portable combat vehicle CBRN detection mechanism, a basic system designed to detect quantities of biochemical and radioactive contaminants. For protection in CBRN conditions, all vehicles are equipped with an overpressure and filter system, as well as a boron-dense anti-radiation liner. All mechanisms are simple to operate, and theoretically the Saladin can maintain protection indefinitely.
Armament and Optics
Weaponry
The Salah ad-Din uses the powerful 42 mm MARWA autocannon as its main gun, which is capable of penetrating 150-160 millimeters of RHA steel at one kilometers with APFSDS ammunition. Up to 250 rounds of various ammunition types may be carried, usually a 50-50 mix of AP and HE rounds.
For secondary weapons, the IFV has an anti-tank missile launcher to make it more effective at engaging heavy armor; the Salah ad-Din can be adapted to fire MILAN, TOW, Konkurs, or SMD-12 Ain Jalut missiles, with up to 4 rounds carried. A ground mount is also carried to allow its use away from the vehicle. All vehicles in foreign service use fire control units for wire-guided missiles, while vehicles in Riysian service use units for firing SMD-12 beam-riding missile variants. In addition, the Saladin has a coaxial and two bow-mounted 8.54 mm RAMD machine guns with 1500 rounds each to increase its effectiveness against infantry targets.
The Saladin-B is further upgunned with four ATGM launchers - 2 on each side of the turret - replacing the single launcher in the baseline variant, along with two firing channels, allowing for two different targets to be engaged at a time and more missiles to be fired. Also, a Khazami 42 mm automatic grenade launcher is fitted to the commander's cupola, with 500 rounds.
Fire Control System and Optics
For optics, the Saladin uses the 1N00 optics system on all of its sights, consisting of a telescoping optical camera, image intensifier, and a thermal imaging camera. All three crew members - commander, gunner, and driver, have digital sights that can share imagery. The driver's sight has full coverage of the frontal arc, as well as having a rear-view camera. The gunner's sight is tied into the fire control system. The commander has both a wide-angle fixed sight and a panoramic sight.
The Saladin is fitted with the modular Farsa (Knight) fire control system, consisting of an environmental sensor measuring humidity, wind speed, and exterior weather conditions; a laser rangerfinder, a stabilizing mechanism, an ATGM launch unit, and the gunner's digital fire control console. The actual computer itself processes information from the various components as well as conditions such as the altitude, the turret's angle of elevation, barrel wear, and the type of the loaded ammunition. The commander can designate targets for and use it independently of the gunner. While costly at an estimated £L 1,600,000, the Farsa is deemed to be one of the most accurate fire control systems available. The Saladin was the first vehicle in Riysian service to use the Farsa FCS.
Service History
Riysa
The Saladin entered service with the Riysian Joint Ground Forces in 2001, quickly becoming the standardized IFV with hundreds produced over several years. It is planned to remain in service until at least 2035.
The Saladin first saw combat in 2014 with the 1st Infantry Division Jolan in northeastern Glisandia against the Yellow Star Republic.
Variants
- Salah ad-Din-A: Baseline variant.
- Salah ad-Din-Q: Command variant based off of A.
- Salah ad-Din-B: Upgraded variant, with additional armament and hybrid engine.