NV-3
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| Nárrodat Vovdna 3 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | Turretless main battle tank |
| Place of origin | Lappland |
| Service history | |
| In service | 19XX - Present |
| Used by | Lappland Home Guard |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | Ruoigu |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 42.5 t (46.8 short tons; 41.8 long tons) |
| Length | 9 m (29 ft 6 in) incl. gun |
| Width | 3.80 m (12 ft 6 in) |
| Height | With topmounted MG: 2.43 m (8 ft 0 in) To cupola: 2.14 m (7 ft 0 in) To vehicle roof: 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) To barrel centre when horizontal: 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) |
| Crew | 3 (Commander, gunner/driver, rear driver) |
| Armor | LOS: ≈192–337 mm Actual: 40–70 mm |
Main armament | B74 10.5 cm L/62 rifled gun with autoloader and 50 rounds |
Secondary armament | Two fixed 7.92 mm machine guns one anti-aircraft 7.62 mm KSP 58 machine gun two 71 mm Flare mortars |
| Engine | Gas Turbine |
| Power/weight | 13.6 kW/t (18.3 hp/t) |
| Transmission | 2 forward and 2 reverse speeds |
| Suspension | Gas-hydraulic hydropneumatic suspension |
Operational range | 390 km (240 mi) |
| Speed | 60 km/h (37 mph) maximum road speed forwards or reverse |
The NV-3 (Nárrodat Vovdna 3) is a main battle tank produced by Lappish arms manufacturer Ruoigu and is in service with the Lappland Home Guard as their main battle tank. The name of the tank translates to battle wagon, designated as the NV-3 for being the third tank concept produced in Lappland, despite the previous projects having been abandoned. The NV-3 is the first turretless main battle tank and adjusts its gun elevation by adjusting the hull suspension. The NV-3 is the only main battle tank currently in use by Lapplands armed forces. The hull of the NV-3 was also used for the HV-1 self-propelled Howitzer, also in service by the Lappland Home Guard
Development
Following the outbreak of the Omandan Contintental war, the Lappland Parliament began efforts to build up their armed forces, and began searching for a main battle tank. Ruoigu began work on their first tank designs in (year), with the first two designs being traditional turreted tanks. The Home Guard determined these designs to be too vulnerable to incoming fire and requested a tank with a reduced visual signature and better crew protection. After examining recorded tank losses in the Omandan war, Ruoigu began working on designs that eliminated the need for a turret as many tank losses involved hits to the turret ring or the turret itself.
An early version of the NV-3 had the gun in a small separate turret on top of the tank with the crew housed entirely within the hull. One such model was constructed and tested by Ruoigu before the production variant was constrcuted instead with the gun built into the hull. This model was tested and approved by the Home Guard in 1968
Design
The NV-3 uses a turretless design, removing a major weak point and giving it a lower overall height. The NV-3 therefore performs well in hull-down positions with a low visual profile. The tank was equipped with a 105mm cannon developed by Ruoigu with an autoloader. The tank is crewed by three people, a driver, gunner/commander and second driver/radio operator. The Radio operator is capable of driving the tank in reverse while the driver and commander both have the sights and controls to fire the main gun. The tank can be made amphibious by mounting a flotation screen and using the tracks to propel the tank through the water.