Ornitorinco Medium Tank

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CMT Mark V Ornitorinco
OrnitorincoMediumTank.png
TypeMedium tank
Place of originCacertianEmpireFlag.png Cacertian Empire
Service history
In service1935—1952
Used byCacertianImperialArmyFlag.png Cacertian Imperial Army
CRAFlag.png Cacertian Royal Army
WarsSiduri War
Production history
DesignerBonple Armament Manufacturers
Designed1935
ManufacturerBonple Armament Manufacturers
Alenia Industrial
Produced1936—1948
No. built~3,421
Specifications
Weight29.5 Tonnes (32.5 Short Tons; 29 Long Tons)
Length6.32 m (20 ft 9 in)
Width2.77 m (9 ft 1 in)
Height2.56 m (8 ft 5 in)
Crew4 (Commander, gunner, loader, driver)

Armor45—75mm (1.80—3.00 in)
Main
armament
90mm RA90 tank gun (100 Rounds)
Secondary
armament
1 × Vitali MG50 (12.7mm; 1 Coaxial)
EngineBonple V12 gasoline engine
397 hp (296 kW)
Power/weight31.7 hp/tonne
SuspensionHorizontal volute spring
Operational
range
320 km (200 mi)
Speed56 km/h (35 mph)

The CMT Mark V Ornitorinco (English: Platypus) was a Cacertian medium tank that served with the Cacertian Royal Army during the Siduri War and was the final medium tank design fielded by Cacerta in large quantities before the end of the war. Developed after the opening moves of the conflict, the Ornitorinco was purposefully designed as a breakthrough and battle tank that was capable of surviving fire from enemy anti-tank weaponry and to support infantry advances.

Production of the Ornitorinco began after the first and second waves of the Uragano were deemed to have insufficient armament. While Crocetto Heavy Industries began designing an upgraded variant of the Uragano that could mount the 75mm RA Mark VI, Bonple Armament Manufacturers instead decided to use the RA90 howitzer and convert it to a tank gun.

The development of the main battle tank role in modern warfare effectively ended future development of medium tanks and the ongoing projects to design a replacement for the both the Uragano and Ornitorinco were subsequently cancelled. The last Ornitorinco units were officially retired in 1952.

Development

Production

Production Figures

Design

Operational History

Surviving Vehicles

Although mostly scrapped after their retirement, a number of Ornitorincos still exist today, surviving as static displays and residing in museums. Anzio Women's Academy maintains an Ornitorinco as a static monument to the 131st Tank Regiment and as a gate guardian to the main entrance of the Demetria Marik AFV building.

The Tank Museum in Carrera has three Ornitorinco in its collection: a 1940 pattern Ornitorinco that saw service in Mansuriyyah as a static indoors display, a working 1942 pattern which is often used for the Museum’s armored shows and parades, and a 1943 pattern that is currently undergoing restoration.

The Ruvelkan capital of Debrecen has one Ornitorinco in an indoor display as part of the city’s Siduri War Memorial Museum.