P48 Tachibana
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| P48 Tachibana | |
|---|---|
 P48 Tachibana on display in Fort Amatriain, Gallia-Bruhl | |
| Type | Main Battle Tank |
| Place of origin |  Gallia-Bruhl |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1953-1990 |
| Used by | Gallia-Bruhl and others (see Users) |
| Wars | War of Lorican Aggression Post-War of Lorican Aggression Crisis |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Gallian Army Ordinance |
| Designed | 1950 |
| Manufacturer | Merscher Tank Arsenal |
| Produced | 1952-1972 |
| No. built | 15,000+ |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | M48: 49.6 short tons (44.3 long tons; 45.0 t) combat ready |
| Length | 9.3 m (30 ft 6 in) |
| Width | 3.65 m (12 ft 0 in) |
| Height | 3.1 m (10 ft 2 in) |
| Crew | 4 (commander, gunner, loader, driver) |
| Armor | Upper Glacis: 110 mm (4.3 in) at 60° = 220 mm (8.7 in) LoS Turret Front: 178 mm (7.0 in) at 0° |
Main armament | 90 mm T54; P48A3 90 mm gun M41; P48A5 and later variants: 105 mm M68 gun |
Secondary armament | .50 cal (12.7 mm) .50 Theimer machine gun .30 Theimer machine gun |
| Engine | Continental AVS-55 gasoline engine M48A2: Continental AVS-60 diesel engine 750 hp (560 kW) |
| Power/weight | 16.6 hp (12.4 kW)/tonne |
| Transmission | Hartsen CBD-21, 2 ranges forward, 1 reverse |
| Suspension | Torsion bar suspension |
| Fuel capacity | 200 US gal (760 l; 170 imp gal) |
Operational range | P48 and P48A1 113 km, P48A2 258 km, P48A3-P48A5 400 km (all on road) |
| Speed | M48A5: 30 mph (48 km/h) |
The P48 Tachibana was a main battle tank designed in Gallia-Bruhl. It was the third tank to be named after Lucian General and Savior of Gallia recipient Harry S. Tachibana. It is a further development of the P47 Tachibana. Later, it was replaced by the Leopard Mk I after a change in the Gallian Armoured Doctrine in 1960. The P48 was given across Allied nations, including Joyonghea, Quenmin, and Bethausia.
It was design as a countermeasure and a more cost-effective alternative to the Lucian Centurion tank, which had seen service since 1940 and was considered the best tank ever made during the Second Europan War. By the time the P48 was placed in service, the Centurion remained a favourite in the Gallian Armoured Corps and has been constantly upgraded with a computerized firing system, making the P48 redundant and was mostly sold to other nations.
Development
Combat History
Users
Concordia and the Soryu
Dalmasca and Nabradia
Esthar and Balamb
Gallia-Bruhl: In limited use
Joyonghea
Quenmin