PV-95 Main Battle Tank
| This page is a work in progress by its author(s) and should not be considered final. |
| Pantserä Vagn-95 "Ulven" | |
|---|---|
|
300px Line drawing of a PV-95A6 | |
| Type | Main battle tank |
| Place of origin | The United Federation of Prizyetsa |
| Service history | |
| In service | 2013-present |
| Used by | See Operators |
| Wars | n/a |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 1998 |
| Manufacturer | Sverd Industries |
| Unit cost | $5.50 million |
| Number built | ~6,000 |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 53.4 tonnes |
| Length | 9.63 m |
| Width | 3.75 m |
| Height | 3.00 m |
| Crew | 4 (commander, loader, gunner, driver) |
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| |
Main armament |
Siljeborg 120mm HV L/55 |
Secondary armament |
7.62 mm turret-mounted GPMG 12.7 mm GPMG |
| Engine | 1,500hp |
| Transmission | Automatic |
| Suspension | torsion bar suspension |
Operational range |
600km |
| Speed | 80 km/h |
The PV-95 (Pantserä Vagn-95/Tank (Type) 95) Ulven, or "Wolf" is a main battle tank developed by Sverd Industries for use with the Prizyetsi Armed Forces. Work on the PV-95 began in 1998 as it was realized that the PV-80 was slowly becoming obsolete with the advancement of technology in the field of armored warfare. Since it's introduction in 2007, the PV-95 has split into two distinct trees of development, the PV-95A4 branch which encorporates thick high density-to-weight armor, the the PV-95A7 branch, which sheds the thick armor in favor of state of the art ceramic-composite blend appliqué armor. The A4 branch of the tank was canceled in 2011 due to poor test results compared to the A7 variants.
The PV-95 is outfitted with an array of advanced electronic systems to aid the tank crew in combat, and to keep the crew comfortable should they be required to stay in the tank for long periods of time. These support systems include infrared cameras mounted on the gun and on the top of the turret, night vision targeting systems, thermal night sights, two telescopes (one for the commander and one for the gunner), a solid-state laser rangefinder, and several image intensifiers. To add to the crew's comfort, the crew compartment is equiped with climate control, small storage spaces for food and drink, and a kettle for boiling water.
The two most remarkable features of the PV-95 are it's extensive use of ultra-modern lightweight armor modules (AMPS) and the integration of onboard information management systems which allow the crew member to communicate with one another, as well as with other tanks and vehicles as well as with unit commanders elsewhere, all in real time.
Contents
Development
Even as the PV-80 was in service and performed well on the battlefield, the inevitable need for a replacement was apparent. In order to keep up with contemporary advances in armored warfare technology, the new tank would need to keep up with new advances in armor and weapon technology. Instead of increasing the armored carried by tanks, and developing larger and larger guns, it was decided that developing more advanced light-weight armors and higher velocity guns was a more effective route, which would allow the tank to maintain it's maneuverability.
The first concepts of a tank designated PV-90 were drawn up as a private venture of the then Siljeborg Stahl company in 1990 and was led by Colonel Ernst Julberg. Emphasis was placed on keeping the tank's weight down, so work on developing new alloys for the construction of the chassis was prioritized over other parts of the project. When the Siljeborg Stahl company was absorbed by Sverd Industries in 1996, the PV-90 project was taken over and continued as a private venture by Sverd and was left under the leadership of Col. Julberg. Work continued on the project as a whole until the requirements for the PV-95 were released by the Prizyetsi Ministry of Defense.
The design of the PV-95 body developed quickly thanks to the work started by Col. Julberg. The main concern during the design of the original chassis was the protection of the crew, as opposed to that of the PV-80, which concentrated on an outer shell of armor which was found to be unable to protect the crew in the case of an engine-fire. Unlike the PV-80, there would be an explosion shield between the tank's power-pack and the crew compartment. The lightweight chassis is made of a titanium alloy, the exact composition of which is kept strictly classified, is reinforced with a high strength-to-weight steel-composite mix. The blast shield between the power-pack and the crew compartment is made of a ceramic-composite material.
Once the design of the body was complete, work on the tank's turret began. The turret was to hold three of the four man crew of the tank, specifically the commander, gunner and loader. The driver's position was placed fore of the turret in the hull. The turret also had to contain the 120mm high-velocity tank gun, and ammunition storage unit which would be placed aft of the turret. Again, survivability was one of the main concerns with it's design.
Production and Export
Prizyetsa is the sole producer and exporter of the PV-95 main battle tank.
Design
Protection
The PV-95 features three layers of defense, all of which are designed to increase the tank's survivability, namely the "base" armor, the appliqué armor and the additional defensive countermeasures.
Base Armor
The tank's base armor is the chassis, the crew compartment lining and the non-removable armor on the hull of the vehicle. Additionally, the base armor also extends up to the turret. All appliqué and external armor modules are attached to the base armor. The base layer of armor is divided into several "modules", or groups of parts, all of which can be replaced as some point of another.
The first armor module is the chassis which is made of a light weight titanium-steel "woven" alloy. While the exact composition and manufacturing method is strictly classified, the role of the blend has been made public. The role of the alloy chassis is to offer a strong and shock resistant skeleton on which the rest of the tank would be built, while keeping the total weight as low as possible. While the crew is contained in the greater-turret, the turret's base goes deep into the hull of the tank. To provide a good base, the turret is sat on top of a base plate which covers the tank's suspension system, which also provides protection to the crew from threats from the ground such as mines or IED's. The frame completely surrounds the power-pack cradle leaving only the top accessible for service. In the front the, the chassis goes all the way around the forward hull, offering protection to the driver, who is not in the tank's turret.
The role of this "skeleton" is to provide a final layer of protection should the outer layers fail, and to form a final layer in the tank's anti-HEAT protection which is made up of layering the various armor layers causing the shell to have to penetrate the tank multiple times in order to knock out the crew. The average thickness of the dense allow chassis is 50mm in most places, while reaching 70mm and being sharply angled in the front.
Atop of the chassis is the base armor. In most places there are a few millimeters of space between the chassis and the base armor plating. The armor plating covers all of the tank, while leaving access to the power pack on the top of the aft hull. In general, this layer of armor is 45mm of high density-to-weight composite-ceramic armor woven with the lightweight steel-titanium alloy.
Finally, the entire inside of the tank, including the power pack cradle, is lined with an anti-spalling lining to prevent injury caused by the spalling of armor often caused by HESH type munitions (though they lack the penetrating power to damage most modern tanks) as well as HEAT and sabot type munitions if they fail to penetrate the entirety of the armor.
Appliqué Armor
(see: Advanced Modular Protection System (AMPS))
To provide more protection than the base armor modules can deliver and to counter the ever-developing technology of anti-tank weaponry, it was decided to make extensive use of modular armor kits on top of the existing armor. Not only does this provide better protection to the tank and crew, but it also eases in maintenance as a damaged module can easily be replaced as opposed to traditional tank armor which would require hours of work in a shop.
Much of the appliqué armor used on the PV-95 is made up of light weight modules of the AMPS system. These are made by using a mix of composite ceramics, "woven" alloys and lamination, as well as by leaving spaced between the modular armor and the base armor on the tank. These spaces are in turn filled with a hexagonal mesh designed to slow down incoming projectiles, lowering the chance of penetration through the base armor and the injury of the tank's crew members.
Defensive Countermeasures
Ammunition Storage
Armament
Primary
The main armament of the PV-95 main battle tank is the advanced Siljeborg 120mm HV (High Velocity) L55 (SS-120mm-L55-HV)smooth-bore tank gun. The gun is 55 calibers long, or 55 times the bore of the cannon, making it 6.6 meters long. The gun is a development from the L44 and L50 tank guns, and a sister gun to the L70 super high velocity gun. The decision to adapt a smooth-bore tank gun for the majority of the PV-95's en lieu of a rifled barrel like the PV-80 was made in order to allow the tank to use the widest arrangement of ammunition types. The gun is also equipped with two separate gun-stabilization systems, one being a gyro system and the other being a servo. The gunner can choose which system to use as fits to the situation. The stabilization systems allow the tank to fire on the move, even in rough terrain and while maneuvering.
The SS-120mm-L55-HV's inner barrel is made up of a nano-woven steel-composite blend giving it extra strength to deal with the high pressure of the gun's high velocity rounds, while keeping the gun's inner temperature down preventing barrel warp caused by prolonged fire. Wrapped around the inner-barrel is a lightweight honey-combed structure made to conduct heat away from the inner barrel. This also lowers the weight of the barrel as a whole, easing maintenance. It is recommended to replace the tank gun every 9,000 rounds, however replacing the barrel after 7,500 rounds is common practice in the Prizyetsi military.
The current munitions available to SS-120mm-L55-HV offer the tank commander a wide range of methods to eliminate enemy armor or other targets.
- HEAT-T (High-Explosive Anti-Tank Tactical)
- HEAT-L (High-Explosive Anti-Tank Long Range)
- APDS (Armor-Piercing Discarding Shot)
- LAHAT (Laser Homing Anti-Tank)
- WP (White Phosphorous)
- Flare
The shells of the munitions used are semi-cumbustible to reduce clutter in the fighting compartment.
Assisted Loading System
There is an assisted loading system in the PV-95 tank, which is located in the tank's turret. While the system is not an auto-loader in itself, it does aid in the loading of the tank gun. The system comes with a user interface accessible to both the loader and the commander, and allows them to cycle through the available munitions and choose which munition will be presented to the gunner to be loaded into the gun.
Secondary
The secondary weapons of the PV-95 are for use at closer range or for targets which do not warrant use of the 120mm tank gun. The secondary armament of the tank is mostly customaizable, save for the coaxial 12.7mm heavy machine gun which is mounted in the turret of the tank on the same mount as the main gun. The reason for this is because the 12.7mm is used as a back up ranging device, and as the gunner's second option for when the main gun is not appropriate.
Additionally, there is the ability to mount a remote controlled weapon on the turret-top mount aft of the commander's hatch. Weapons which can be used here include general purpose machine guns, light auto-cannons, automatic grenade launchers, anti-tank missiles, and so on. This weapon mount is operated by the tank's commander, and is independent from the turret's movement.
Finally, there is also the opportunity to mount another weapon on the gunner/loader's hatch-ring as well. This can range from light machine guns to grenade launchers, and so on, and is then operated by the loader of the gunner when they are not operating the main gun.
Sensors
Fire Control
The thermal observation device and gunnery sight, designed by Hellegrev Systems, provide the tanks with thermal and digital vision, as well as night vision. The thermal image is displayed on both the gunner's and commander's sights and monitors. The gunner has a stabilized primary sight using a laser rangefinder with a range of 200 m to 10 km. The driver's position is equipped with a Hellegrev image-intensifying Passive Driving Periscope (PDP) for night driving and rear view conventional and thermal cameras.
The digital fire control computer from Sverd contains two 32-bit processors with a MIL2010HD databus, and has capacity for additional systems, for example a Battlefield Information Control System.
The fire control system of the PV-95 also features input from the Prizyetsi BSMC (Battle Space Management & Communication) Network, which allows tank crew members to communicate with one another, for tank commanders to communicate with one another and for upper layers of command to communicate with tank squadron commanders. The system helps tank commanders work together on the battlefield.
