How fast can a tank go?
Tank
Tanks are highly mobile and able to travel over most types of terrain due to their continuous tracks and advanced suspension. The tracks disperse the weight of the vehicle over a large area, resulting in less ground pressure. A tank can travel at approximately across flat terrain and up to on roads, but due to the mechanical strain this places on the vehicle and the logistical strain on fuel delivery and tank maintenance, these must be considered "burst" speeds that invite mechanical failure of engine and transmission systems. Consequently, wheeled tank transporters and rail infrastructure is used wherever possible for long-distance tank transport. The limitations of long-range tank mobility can be viewed in sharp contrast to that of wheeled armoured fighting vehicles. The majority of blitzkrieg operations were conducted at the pedestrian pace of , and that was only achieved on the roads of France.
Tanks of the post–Cold War era
The "Leclerc" is equipped with a GIAT (Nexter) CN120-26 120 mm smoothbore cannon. This cannon is capable of firing the same NATO standard 120 mm rounds as the German Leopard 2 and US M1 Abrams, but in practice only French-produced ammunition is issued. The gun is insulated with a thermal sleeve and has an automatic compressed-air fume extraction system instead of the usual bore evacuator. The Leclerc has a unique autoloading system which was specifically designed for it, and reduces the crew to three by eliminating the human loader. The turret of the Leclerc was designed around the auto-loading system in order to avoid the problems common to other tanks with an autoloader. The "Leclerc" autoloader allows a rate of fire of 12 shots per minute and holds 22 rounds of ready ammunition; it can accommodate up to six different types of ammunition at once, although like most autoloader systems it cannot change ammunition types once a round has been loaded. The most common types are the armour piercing fin-stabilised discarding sabot (APFSDS) with a tungsten core and the high explosive anti-tank (HEAT) round. There are 18 other rounds available for reload. A Leclerc tank can fire while traveling at a speed of 50 km/h on a target 4,000 metres away. The gun is 52 calibres long instead of the 44 calibres common on most tanks of the Leclerc's generation, giving the rounds a higher muzzle velocity.
Tanks of the interwar period
The final tank designs of 1918 showed a number of trends. The joint US and British Mark VIII tank was supposed to be a common heavy tank design for them and the French. The design should have overcome the limitations of the earlier British heavy tanks. The , 37-ton armored vehicle was powered by a 300-hp (224 kW) V-12 engine and capable of 7 mph (11 km/h) cross-country. Although 100 were built, it was the much smaller Renault FT that set the pattern for almost all tanks that followed it; these tanks generally had lower track profiles and more compact hulls, and mounted their weapons in turrets.
Fire Power (video game)
Three different tanks are available: one is fast and fragile, one is slow but powerful, and the third is rated in between the two. Each tank could carry a different amount of POWs. You could swap tanks at any time by re-entering your garage at your home base. To capture the enemy flag, you had to carefully maneuver your tank into the flag building and wait for the flag to be transferred onto your vehicle. Your weapons could not destroy the building that housed the flag or the tank garages.
LRAC F1
The watertight rear plug of the rocket container is removed just before firing, which closes the firing circuit and allows the rocket to be fired. The rocket is propelled by a large number of long sticks of tubular propellant that produce a constant pressure while burning, providing constant acceleration. The engine burns out before the rocket leaves the launcher at a velocity of approximately 300 metres per second. As soon as the rocket leaves the launcher, nine fins fold backwards from the rear. These fins provide stability for the rocket while it is in flight. There are two safeties. The first is a bore-riding pin located mid-body of the projectile that blocks the warhead firing circuit. After the projectile leaves the tube, the bore-riding pin falls out releasing the second safety which prevents detonation until the rocket has traveled at least 10 metres from the launcher. The rocket reaches a range of 330 metres in about 1.25 seconds, and 360 metres in 1.36 seconds.
Stridsvagn 103
Other features of the tank were also quite radical. The rifled gun, a Bofors 105 mm L74 with a barrel length of 62 calibres, was able to use the same ammunition as the British Royal Ordnance L7, and would be equipped with an autoloader allowing a rate of fire of one round every third second, also allowing the crew to be reduced to two; a gunner/driver and the commander (most designs of the era used a crew of four), with a single person being able to handle all functions of the tank from his ordinary position due to duplicate controls. This would of course only be used in emergencies, as the workload would be overwhelming, but apart from providing redundancy it also allowed the crew to shift tasks between them as situation required. The concept went through practical tests, that quickly revealed that a two-man crew would not be self-sufficient when considering the many tasks not directly related to handling the tank: in particular, routine maintenance, bivouacking, track-changes and reloading in field. While the last issue could have been solved by adding staff to the ammunition crews, it was decided that a third crew-member was needed. To enhance combat effectiveness, the third man was to be assigned as a rear driver/radio operator, facing the rear of the tank and equipped with a complete setup for driving. This allowed the tank to be driven backwards at the same speed as forwards, keeping its frontal armour pointed at the enemy, while relieving the commander of routine radio duty. The commander and gunner/driver both had the same set of sights and controls to fire the gun and drive the tank.
The tank was uniquely powered by two different kind of engines, a Rolls-Royce K60 opposed-piston diesel for slow cruising and manoeuvring the tank in aiming, and a Boeing 502 turbine for additional power when travelling at higher speed or in severe terrain; the same layout that later gave the naval configuration called CODAG (COmbined Diesel And Gas), even if many ships had instead the simpler CODOG (COmbined Diesel Or Gas) thanks to the difference between the diesel and turbine power (see, as example, many frigate built for the NATO navies, like Maestrale and Bremen classes). The turbine was quickly found to be underpowered, and was replaced by a Caterpillar turbine delivering after no more than 70 tanks had been produced, and retrofitted to all previous vehicles. This was the first use of a turbine engine in a production tank; the Soviet T-80 and US M1 Abrams would later be built with gas turbines for main propulsion. The concept was interesting enough that Bofors was asked to build a prototype of the suspension/drive train, which they completed successfully.
Cruiser tank
The emphasis on speed unbalanced the British designs; on limited engine power, the speed was possible only by sacrificing armour protection (by comparison infantry tanks operating at soldiers' pace could carry far more armour). The idea that "speed is armour" was considered most important in the Royal Tank Corps. It was not realised that the principle of mobility was a liability against the German policy of accepting lower speeds for superior armour and armament, ensuring that even one round from a German medium tank could easily destroy a cruiser.
An even bigger problem for most cruiser tanks was the small calibre of their main gun. The first cruisers were armed with the 2-pounder (40 mm) gun. This gun had adequate armour penetration against early war tanks, but was never issued high explosive ammunition. This made the cruisers less able to deal with towed anti-tank guns, which became a major issue with the extended combat ranges of the Desert Campaign. the additional machine gun turret (as mounted on the Crusader) was no substitute for HE rounds. As the armour of German tanks increased British cruisers were up-gunned with the more powerful 57 mm QF 6-pounder gun, starting with the Crusader Mk. III (an interim move pending the introduction of the next cruiser tank). Early marques of what would become the Cromwell were also fitted with the 6-pdr but this gun still did not have a satisfactory HE round. The Cromwell as planned was to have a High Velocity 75 mm gun but the design was not sufficient to mount one and so decided that the new Cromwell tanks would be fitted with the QF 75mm (a bored out 6-pdr design that could take US 75 mm ammunition). The new 75 mm gun providing greater HE capability at the expense of some armour penetration, however it was still adequate to deal with the majority of German armoured vehicles. Part of the Cromwell's success was its high-power to weight ratio, provided by the adoption of the Rolls Royce Merlin engine as the Meteor, which delivered sufficient power for the Cromwell to have a maximum speed around on roads. The new powerplant enabled the tank to be far more heavily armoured and armed than previous cruiser designs.
Tanks in World War I
Tank crews who had read press reports depicting the new weapon driving through buildings and trees, and crossing wide rivers, were disappointed. Most World War I tanks could travel only at about a walking pace at best. Their steel armour could stop small arms fire and fragments from high-explosive artillery shells. However they were vulnerable to a direct hit from artillery and mortar shells. The environment inside was extremely unpleasant; as ventilation was inadequate the atmosphere was heavy with poisonous carbon monoxide from the engine and firing the weapons, fuel and oil vapours from the engine and cordite fumes from the weapons. Temperatures inside could reach 50°C (122°F). Entire crews lost consciousness inside the tanks, or collapsed when again exposed to fresh air. Crews learned how to create and leave behind supply dumps of fuel, motor oil, and tread grease, and converted obsolete models into supply vehicles for newer ones.
Chieftain (tank)
This work led to a War Office specification for a new tank. The General Staff specification drew on the experience of Centurion tanks in the Korean War as well as that of the Conqueror tank. The tank was expected to be able to engage the enemy at long range, from defensive positions, and be proof against medium artillery. To this end, the gun was to have a greater angle of depression than the 8 degrees of Conqueror and would be equipped with better frontal armour. The tank was expected to achieve a firing rate of 10 rounds per minute in the first minute and six per minute for the following four.
List of ships of the Republic of Vietnam Navy
The Landing Ship, Tank (LST) was a vessel created to support amphibious operations by landing vehicles, cargo, and troops directly to shore. These 1,625 ton, vessels had a crew of around 120 men, and a top speed of . It could transport 140 troops and between 1,600 and 1,900 tons of cargo in the form of various vehicles, as well as six LCVPs. The main armament was a single 3"/50 caliber gun, along with a number of 40 mm and 20 mm guns, and .50 and .30 caliber machine guns.
Landing Craft Utility (LCU) were 314 ton, amphibious assault ships designed to land tanks on beachheads. They were originally classified as the Mk.6 LCT. With a crew of 13, they had a top speed of , and a range of at . They were capable of carrying three or four medium or heavy tanks, or 150 tons of cargo, while armament consisted of two twin 20 mm guns and two .50 caliber machine guns.
The Salvage Lift Craft, Light (YLLC), was a 400-ton, salvage craft with a lift capacity of 25 tons, based on the hull of the Mk.6 Tank landing craft. With a crew of 16, it had a top speed of , and was armed with two .50 caliber machine guns.
The "PGM-9"-class gunboats were built in the U.S. and transferred on completion to South Vietnam. They were assigned hull numbers, but not commissioned into the United States Navy. They were 122 ton, vessels, with a top speed of and armed with one 40 mm gun, two 20 mm guns and an 81 mm mortar.
Tank
Modern tanks also use sophisticated light intensification and thermal imaging equipment to improve fighting capability at night, in poor weather and in smoke. The accuracy of modern tank guns is pushed to the mechanical limit by computerised fire-control systems. A fire-control system uses a laser rangefinder to determine the range to the target, a thermocouple, anemometer and wind vane to correct for weather effects and a muzzle referencing system to correct for gun-barrel temperature, warping and wear. Two sightings of a target with the range-finder enable calculation of the target movement vector. This information is combined with the known movement of the tank and the principles of ballistics to calculate the elevation and aim point that maximises the probability of hitting the target.
Char G1
In October, a special commission revealed to the French industry the changed specifications for the "twenty tonne tank": a maximum speed of at least 40 km/h; a range of 200 km; a protection level equal to that of the Char B1 bis (i.e. 60 mm all around); a trench crossing capacity of 250 cm; a complete protection against gas attack; the dimensions should not impede rail transport and the armament should consist of a high-velocity gun capable of destroying all expected enemy medium tanks, combined with two machine guns.
Tank gun
A tank gun is the main armament of a tank. Modern tank guns are large-caliber high-velocity guns, capable of firing kinetic energy penetrators, high explosive anti-tank rounds, and in some cases guided missiles. Anti-aircraft guns can also be mounted to tanks.
Battle of Sedan (1940)
That said, however, additionally, the French lacked neither relatively mobile tanks nor relatively offensively-intended tanks, in the local area of battle just as well so, for the most part, as in the whole broad Western European theatre of war and campaign of military operations of the time. French military doctrine dictated that the tanks, mostly FCM 36s, predominantly and primarily designed and intended as basically defensive-oriented infantry-support units, were to advance with the infantry. The speed of the FCM 36 was not designed to go any faster for this reason, so its top speed was only 24 km/h (15 mph). It took from 07:30 to 08:45 on 14 May for the French armour to traverse the last to the ridge. Lead elements of the 1st and 2nd Panzer Divisions had reached the ridge just minutes before, having travelled in less time. But the initial clash was not in the Germans' favour. Instead of making sure the medium Panzer III and Panzer IV tanks had priority in crossing the Meuse, the Germans had sent few across, and the van of the advance contained mostly lightly armed and lightly armoured although faster Panzer Is and Panzer IIs.
Al-Zarrar tank
It is an upgrade of Pakistan's aging Chinese Type 59 tanks (a design that in turn was based on the Soviet T-54A from the mid 1950s), developed with Ukrainian assistance and manufactured by the Heavy Industries Taxila (HIT), featuring a 125 mm smoothbore gun as primary weapon. The Al-Zarrar can achieve a maximum speed of per hour, weighs around 44 tons and has a four-man crew: commander, gunner, loader and driver.
Fast attack craft
A fast attack craft (FAC) is a small, fast, agile and offensive warship armed with anti-ship missiles, gun or torpedoes. FACs are usually operated in close proximity to land as they lack both the seakeeping and all-round defensive capabilities to survive in blue water. The size of the vessel also limits the fuel, stores and water supplies. In size they are usually between 50–800 tonnes and can reach speeds of 25–50 knots.
Light tank
The Soviet BT tanks were the most advanced in the 1930s, extremely fast and mounting high velocity 45 mm cannons. Their only drawback were their petrol engines which caught fire often and easily during the Nomonhan fighting which lasted from about May through September 1939. The Japanese Type 95 Ha-Go light tank was equipped with a diesel engine, and although mounting a 37 mm cannon, it was a low velocity gun with a maximum effective range of about 700 meters. However, this conflict would be instrumental in developing the famous T-34 medium tank.
History of the tank
The Italian C1 Ariete MBT was among the latest all-new MBTs to be fielded, with deliveries running from 1995 to 2002. The tank is nearly the same size of the very first tank, both being 8 feet (2.5 m) high. The Mark I had a ~9.9 m long (hull) and the Ariete as a 7.6/9.52 m long (hull/hull+gun). However, the Ariete weighs over double and can travel ten times faster, 54,000 kg vs. 25,401 kg and 40 mph vs. 4 mph (60 v 6 km/h).
Tank desant
Riding on tanks during actual combat is very dangerous. Tank riders are very vulnerable to machine gun and high explosive fire, and the high silhouette of most tanks would draw enemy fire. Smoke and covering fire may be used to reduce the hazards. Tank riding is mostly used when troops need to move faster than is possible on foot and there is a shortage of motor transport or armoured personnel carriers.
Type 63 (tank)
The torsion bar suspension consists of six road wheels with the drive sprocket at the rear and the idler at the front. The suspension doesn't have return rollers. The track is composed of metal and is 2.82 meters long. The first limited production variant of Type 63 was powered by the same 6-cylinder 4-stroke inline water-cooled diesel engine developing 241 hp (180 kW) at 1800 rpm as the one used in early Type 60 amphibious light tank. The second production run, designated Type 63-I, was given the more powerful 12150L-2 12-cylinder liquid-cooled diesel engine, which developed 402 hp (300 kW) at 2,000 rpm. The more powerful engine gave the Type 63-I a maximum road speed of 64 kilometres per hour and a maximum cross country speed of 30 km/h. The Type 63 can cross 2.9 meter wide trenches and 0.87 meter high vertical obstacles, as well as climb 60° gradients and handle 38° side slopes. The vehicle has a manual, planetary transmission system with five forward gears and one reverse gear. The tank can fitted with additional fuel tanks to increase vehicle's operational range.
2S25 Sprut-SD
While driving, the 2S25 can reach a top speed of on an even road; the average speed being 45−50 km/h when driving off-road. The vehicle exerts a ground pressure of 0.36 to 0.53 kg/cm² depending on the type of tracks. It can overcome vertical obstacles as tall as and cross trenches. Like many other Russian armored fighting vehicles, the Sprut-SD is completely amphibious and moves with the help of two water jets that allow it to reach a speed of 8–10 km/h depending on the state of the currents. To increase the buoyancy, wheels are with airtight chambers and powerful water pumps; extracting water from the lower chassis. The vehicle is sea worthy and can cross water obstacles without preparation in a sea state of up to 3. While waterborne, the 2S25 retains the capability of firing the gun within a ±35° sector towards the front of the chassis.
Stingray light tank
The Stingray has a 105 mm bore cannon. Its cruise speed is 44 mph (71 km/h). Maximum grade is 60%. The maximum vertical distance it can scale is 2.7 feet (82 cm). It can ford water up to 3.5 feet (107 cm). It is air transportable in a C-130 cargo aircraft. The original Stingray program was launched in 1983, with the first prototype vehicle ready in August 1984. As of 2004, the only country to have purchased the Stingray is Thailand, which ordered 106 tanks that were delivered between 1988-1990. The Stingray turret was also marketed separately for retrofit installation on the hull of the M41, M47 or M551 tank or on the V600 armored car.
Railgun
Railguns are being researched as weapons with projectiles that do not contain explosives or propellants, but are given extremely high velocities: (approximately Mach 7 at sea level) or more. For comparison, the M16 rifle has a muzzle speed of , and the 16"/50 caliber Mark 7 gun that armed World War II American battleships has a muzzle speed of ), which because of its much greater projectile mass (up to 2,700 pounds) generated a muzzle energy of 360 MJ and a downrange kinetic impact of energy of over 160 MJ (see also Project HARP). By firing smaller projectiles at extremely high velocities, railguns may yield kinetic energy impacts equal or superior to the destructive energy of 5"/54 caliber Mark 45 gun Naval guns, (which achieve up to 10MJ at the muzzle), but with greater range. This decreases ammunition size and weight, allowing more ammunition to be carried and eliminating the hazards of carrying explosives or propellants in a tank or naval weapons platform. Also, by firing more aerodynamically streamlined projectiles at greater velocities, railguns may achieve greater range, less time to target, and at shorter ranges less wind drift, bypassing the physical limitations of conventional firearms: "the limits of gas expansion prohibit launching an unassisted projectile to velocities greater than about 1.5 km/s and ranges of more than from a practical conventional gun system."
T-54/55 Fire Controls
The T-54 and T-55 tanks received full gun stabilisation in 1956 with the STP-2 Tsyklon stabiliser system (from D-10 tank gun). The STP-2 stabilised the main gun in both horizontal and vertical planes. However the lack of a ballistic computer still remained an issue. The tank was not accurate firing if moving left or right respectively to the target, because even though the gun was stabilised, it couldn't keep a lock on the target, the shell fired from such a platform would keep on moving sideways as fast as the tank moved sideways off the target. For example, if the T-54/55 was moving at 40 km/h speed with the stabilised gun aimed at the target at a 1000-meter range, moving sideways (the hull facing the target with its side), the shell fired by the T-54/55 would fly approximately 1.5 meters off to the side from the point of aiming. Same drawback also applies for vertical movement. If the T-54/55 was moving down hill at considerable speed, with the gun aimed at the target, the fired shell would fall lower than the point it was aimed at. The gunner had to be careful to figure out where to aim the stabilised gun around the target to avoid such overshooting. That's one of the particular reasons why a well-trained gunner was a very useful asset in a T-54 and T-55 tank. Nevertheless, the tank could fire accurately despite the lack of ballistic computers if the tank was moving at lower speed, or if heading straight towards its target. Also, additional markings to either sides of the main aiming chevron on the TSh2B-32 sight could help the gunner to aim more precisely on the move.
Tanks of the United States
The only niche where the M81 was not ideal was the medium and long-range anti-tank engagement. The muzzle velocity was so low that a HEAT round fired at longer ranges would have to be "lofted", making aiming difficult, and the flight time would be so long that a moving target would be very difficult to hit. However, it appeared there was a solution to this problem by equipping the tank with gun-fired anti-tank missiles. For longer range engagements a missile would be fired instead of a HEAT round, and although its velocity would also be relatively slow, the guidance system would make a hit highly likely anyway. A number of vehicles mounting only ATGM's, or alternately recoilless rifles like the US's own Ontos tank were already in service, but typically these vehicles had limited firepower in the infantry support role, or in the case of Ontos could not be reloaded from within the vehicle. The XM551 appeared to offer the best of both worlds; for infantry support the large calibre gun allowed it to fire full-sized artillery rounds and canister shot, while also giving it reasonable short-range anti-tank performance from the same gun. Although the Shillelagh missile was considered a risky project, if it worked the XM551 would be able to deal with even the largest tanks at extreme ranges.
Type 97 Chi-Ni medium tank
In 1935 news had reached Japan of the United Kingdom's development of an new tank, the A6 medium tank. A multi-turreted design that mounted a 47 mm tank gun and was capable of reaching speeds of 50 km/h. In comparison, Japan's tank force had not undergone any significant changes in tactics or organization in six years. The country's most widely fielded medium tank, the Type 89 I-Go, while popular with troops and tank crews had begun to show its age, attempts to update the design with the Type 89B I-Go Otsu were made in 1934, but no fundamentally new design was undertaken. In comparison, the A6 was seen as having superior offensive and defence capabilities over the Type 89 I-Go. The appearance of Britain's new tank design, along with reports from Manchuria of the Type 89's inability to keep up with other motorized vehicles–given its inadequate 25 km/h top speed–brought about plans for a replacement.
Hovercraft tank
While it is extremely difficult to estimate the possible combat effectiveness of such an exotic concept as a hovering tank, it is obvious that speed and amphibious capabilities would be its major advantages, while technical reliability, as well as general plausibility of such a vehicle, are in question, considering the 1930s level of technology and the novelty of hovercraft vehicles back then altogether. Also thin armor and presumably large size would make it an easy target for anti-tank artillery or even large calibre machine guns and autocannons.
Main battle tank
MBTs, like previous models of tanks, move on continuous tracks, which allow a decent level of mobility over most terrain including sand and mud. They also allow tanks to climb over most obstacles. MBTs can be made water-tight, so they can even dive into shallow water ( with snorkel). However, tracks are not as fast as wheels; the maximum speed of a tank is about ( for the Leopard 2). The extreme weight of vehicles of this type (45-70 tons) also limits their speed. They are usually equipped with a engine (more than ), with an operational range near .
Rocket engine
Vehicles typically require the overall thrust to change direction over the length of the burn. A number of different ways to achieve this have been flown:Rocket technology can combine very high thrust (meganewtons), very high exhaust speeds (around 10 times the speed of sound in air at sea level) and very high thrust/weight ratios (>100) "simultaneously" as well as being able to operate outside the atmosphere, and while permitting the use of low pressure and hence lightweight tanks and structure.
FCM F1
In June 1929, the STCC ("Section Techniques des Chars de Combat") began another heavy tank study, proposing a faster design with a Johnson track, an engine of 500 hp, a speed of 12 km/h, 65 tonne weight, a turreted 120 mm gun and 50 mm front protection. In January 1930, this was changed into a project for a 70 tonne tank, with a high-velocity 75 mm gun, 40 mm all-round protection and a great length of 9.35 metres. The design was soon discontinued and for many years no French super-heavy tank development took place.
Haunted Tank
As the Haunted Tank fights from Africa to the European Theater of Operations, the crew goes through several M3 tanks. When their latest M3 is destroyed, the crew scavenge spare parts and wreckage from a "tank graveyard" to build themselves a new tank, known as the "Jigsaw Tank", which serves them from that point. This tank has a modified Russian T-34 Hull, a Christie Suspension System and a Russian Y2 12-Cylinder diesel engine of 500 H.P. the nearly 15 foot track gives this rolling jigsaw puzzle excellent traction and it is capable of speeds up to 21 m.p.h.
Arena (countermeasure)
The system uses a multi-function Doppler radar, which can be turned on and off by the tank commander. In conjunction with radar input, a digital computer scans an arc around the tank for threats, and evaluates which of the tank's 26 quick-action projectiles it will release to intercept the incoming threat. In selecting the projectile to use for defeating the threat, the ballistic computer employs the information processed by the radar, including information such as flight parameters and velocity. The computer has a reaction time of 0.05 seconds and protects the tank over a 300-degree arc, everywhere but the rear side of the turret. The system engages targets within of the vehicle it is defending, and the ammunition detonates at around from the threat. It will engage any threat approaching the tank between the velocities of and , and can detect false targets, such as outgoing projectiles, birds and small caliber bullets. "Arena" works during the day and night, and the lack of electromagnetic interference allows the system to be used by multiple vehicles as a team. The 27-volt system requires approximately one kilowatt of power, and weighs around . "Arena" increases a tank's probability of surviving a rocket-propelled grenade by between 1.5–2 times.
M18 Hellcat
The M18 Hellcat (officially designated the 76 mm Gun Motor Carriage M18 or M18 GMC) was an American tank destroyer of World War II, also used in the Korean War. It was the fastest U.S. tank on road. The speed was attained by keeping armor to a minimum, using the innovative Torqmatic automatic transmission, and by equipping the relatively light vehicle with the same radial engine used on the much larger Sherman tank.
Tank
Tank design is a compromise between its technological and budgetary constraints and its tactical capability requirements. It is not possible to maximise firepower, protection and mobility simultaneously while incorporating the latest technology and retain affordability for sufficient procurement quantity to enter production.
For example, in the case of tactical capability requirements, increasing protection by adding armour will result in an increase in weight and therefore decrease in mobility; increasing firepower by installing a larger gun will force the designer team to increase armour, the therefore weight of the tank by retaining same internal volume to ensure crew efficiency during combat. In the case of the Abrams MBT which has good firepower, speed and armour, these advantages are counterbalanced by its engine's notably high fuel consumption, which ultimately reduces its range, and in a larger sense its mobility.
Tank
Strategic mobility is the ability of the tanks of an armed force to arrive in a timely, cost effective, and synchronized fashion. For good strategic mobility transportability by air is important, which means that weight and volume must be kept within the designated transport aircraft capabilities. Nations often stockpile enough tanks to respond to any threat without having to make more tanks as many sophisticated designs can only be produced at a relatively low rate. The US for instance keeps 6,000 MBTs in storage.
Renegade Legion
Because of the use of Grav vehicles, roads are not nearly as important to armies of the Renegade Legion setting. Rivers often become major routes of travel as they are clear of obstructions. Tank battles can also occur far out at sea, as grav tanks fly above the surface of the ocean, popping up from the troughs of large waves and exchanging fire with the enemy forces. However, the altitude limit of anti-gravity is usually several hundred feet, and the top speed is 500 miles per hour at that altitude. Flying a few feet above the ground is safer as grav vehicles are vulnerable to hits from below, and this also slows their top speed as they avoid crashing into terrain.
AMX-50
As it was already obvious in the early 1950s that the AMX 50 might well turn out to be too heavy — the eventual weight of 53.7 tonnes came as a shock — a parallel medium tank project was initiated in 1952. A prototype was built by the Lorraine factory. It too had an oscillating turret, with a 100 mm SA 47 gun, but hull mass was diminished by fitting a light-weight suspension using five road wheels with inflated rubber tyres. Total weight was thus limited to 39.7 tonnes. The length was 10.80 metres, width 3.30 metres and height 2.85 metres. Its maximum speed was 60 km/h. It had a crew of four.
Type 95 Ha-Go light tank
It is considered one of the best light tanks in 1935, being armed with a 37 mm cannon, and powered by a diesel engine, a fuel considered by some to be superior due to its low volatility. As with most armies in the 1930s, including the US Army, the tank, and the light tank in particular, were used primarily to support infantry or serve as cavalry reconnaissance and to a lesser extent, as raiding vehicles. Its speed was about 18 mph cross country, which was comparable to the M3 Stuart's 20 mph nearly 6 years later in 1941. In armor, road speed, and weaponry, the Type 95 was far inferior to the (five years younger) American M3 Stuart light tanks, but the environment of the Philippines (where roads were sparse and tank engagements took place at near point blank range) largely minimized these disadvantages and allowed the Type 95 to be competitive, as its off-road speed and turret rotation were comparable.
Fórmula Truck
The trucks have enough power to exceed 200 km/h, but, just in one point of the circuit, is a speed limit of 160 km/h, to ensure better safety. The inspection takes place with the help of "radar" installed at some points around the track.
Leclerc tank
The Leclerc has an eight-cylinder SACM (now Wärtsilä) V8X-1500 1,500 hp Hyperbar diesel engine and a Renk AG automatic transmission, with five forward and two reverse gears. The official maximum speed by road is 72 km/h and 55 km/h cross country (speeds in excess of 80 km/h were reported on road). The maximum range is given as 550 km, and can be extended to 650 km with removable external tanks. The "hyperbar" system integrates a Turbomeca TM 307B gas turbine in the engine, acting both as a turbocharger and an APU giving auxiliary power to all systems when the main engine is shut down. The Hyperbar name comes from the unusually high boost pressure of 7.5 bar and the resulting mean effective pressure of 32.1 bar. To compare, the largest diesel engine in the world (the Wärtsila RTA96) has a mean effective pressure of 18.6 bar. In addition, with boost available even at idle, this arrangement also works as an anti-lag system.
7.5 cm Pak 97/38
It was tempting to adopt the readily available French gun to the anti-tank role. In the original configuration, those guns were ill-suited for fighting tanks because of their relatively low muzzle velocity, limited traverse (only 6°), and lack of a suitable suspension (which resulted in a transport speed of just 10–12 km/h). It was decided to solve the traverse and mobility problems by mounting the 75 mm barrel on the modern split trail carriage of the 5 cm Pak 38 anti-tank gun. To soften the recoil, the barrel was fitted with a large muzzle brake. The gun was primarily intended to use HEAT shells as the armor penetration of this type of ammunition does not depend on velocity.
M55 self propelled howitzer
The M55 uses components of the M47 Patton tank, but the automotive aspects are reversed. The engine is mounted in the front and is driven through a front-drive sprocket capable of a top speed of 30 mph (50 kmh). The driver's cupola is visible on the front left of the turret, and spare track blocks are stored on the turret front. Because the driver's seat is in the turret, a special seat is used to keep the driver facing forward, independent of the turret facing.
Bradley Fighting Vehicle
The Bradley is highly capable in cross-country open terrain, in accordance with one of the main design objectives of keeping pace with the M1 Abrams main battle tank. The Bradley was initially designed to float by deploying a flotation curtain around the vehicle, allowing it to "swim" at a speed of . Later armor upgrades have negated this capability.
Tanque Argentino Mediano
In 1973 the Argentine Ministry of Defense drew up a series of requirements for a tank to enter service in the 1980s. The armored vehicle would weigh no more than , move at a maximum speed of , and cover at least on roads. It would be armed with a modern 105 mm main gun, two machine guns, and grenade launchers. The tank designers also had to take into account Argentina's existing infrastructure, including railroad capacity, bridges and road capacity, as well as the country's varied terrain. In late 1973 the "Proyecto de Tanque Argentino Mediano" (Argentine Medium Tank Project) was founded with the goal of designing and developing a tank for the Argentine Army. Lacking the experience and the necessary technology, the Argentine government sought collaboration with a foreign company, resulting in a contract with the German company Thyssen-Henschel. The contract called for a transfer of technology resulting in a program to develop a tank in line with the government's requirements and under a technical team that included both German and Argentine engineers. The hull of the German Marder armored personnel carrier was used, and the chassis was strengthened to support the increased weight of the TAM. Two prototypes were manufactured in late 1976 and early 1977, which were put through extensive testing for two years and over a road range of . Simultaneously, another prototype was manufactured to further the investigation of the new vehicle and complete the three prototypes as agreed in the contract.
M-84AS
Apart from external differences to the M-84, it also has different internal structure and equipment, far surpassing the M-84AB in both capability and durability. Developed originally from the M-84, the M-84AS is more than just a quick tweak to bring it up to standard. Many improvements were adopted from what can be argued to be its sister tank, the T-90. With slight differences in armour and maneuverability; the T-90 is better armoured while the M-84AS is faster and more maneuverable. Considering the speed perspective, the M-84AS moves at 75 km/h on road while the T-90 moves at 60 km/h on road with off-road speeds varying according to terrain. The armor on the T-90 is somewhat superior with thicker composites, NBC protection as well as having the option of Active Protection System and KMT mine sweeping systems. Aside from the propulsion and armor, the targeting system is equivalent.
Leclerc tank
The Leclerc is equipped with a GIAT (Nexter) CN120-26 120mm smoothbore cannon. This cannon is capable of firing the same NATO standard 120mm rounds as the German Leopard 2 and US M1 Abrams, but in practice only French-produced ammunition is issued. The gun is insulated with a thermal sleeve and has an automatic compressed-air fume extraction system instead of the usual bore evacuator. The Leclerc has a unique autoloading system which was specifically designed for it, and reduces the crew to three by eliminating the human loader. The turret of the Leclerc was designed around the auto-loading system in order to avoid the problems common to other tanks with an autoloader. The Leclerc autoloader allows a rate of fire of 12 shots per minute and holds 22 rounds of ready ammunition; it can accommodate up to six different types of ammunition at once, although like most autoloader systems it cannot change ammunition types once a round has been loaded. The most common types are the armour piercing fin-stabilised discarding sabot (APFSDS) with a tungsten core and the high explosive anti-tank (HEAT) round. The gun is 52 calibres long instead of the 44 calibres common on most tanks of its generation, giving the rounds a higher muzzle velocity.
Tank
The three traditional factors determining a tank's capability effectiveness are its "firepower", "protection", and "mobility". Firepower is the ability of a tank's crew to identify, engage, and destroy enemy tanks and other targets using its large-calibre cannon. Protection is the degree to which the tank's armour, profile and camouflage enables the tank crew to evade detection, protect themselves from enemy fire, and retain vehicle functionality during and after combat. Mobility includes how well the tank can be transported by rail, sea, or air to the operational staging area; from the staging area by road or over terrain towards the enemy; and tactical movement by the tank over the battlefield during combat, including traversing of obstacles and rough terrain. The variations of tank designs have been determined by the way these three fundamental features are blended. For instance, in 1937, the French doctrine focused on firepower and protection more than mobility because tanks worked in intimate liaison with the infantry. There was also the case of the development of a heavy cruiser tank, which focused on armour and firepower to challenge Germany's Tiger and Panther tanks.
Tank gun
While high velocity tank guns were effective against other tanks, for the most part British tanks moved to a dual purpose 75 mm gun capable of firing a useful HE shell; later in the war adding 76mm 17pdr gun armed tanks for better antitank capability.
Tank
A tank is an armoured fighting vehicle designed for front-line combat, with heavy firepower, strong armour, tracks and a powerful engine providing good battlefield maneuverability. The first tanks were designed to overcome the deadlock of trench warfare in the 1910s; they are a mainstay of modern ground forces and a key part of combined arms combat. Modern tanks are versatile mobile land weapon system platforms, mounting a large-calibre cannon in a rotating gun turret, supplemented by mounted machine guns or other weapons. They combine this with heavy vehicle armour which provides protection for the crew, the vehicle's weapons, and its propulsion systems, and operational mobility, due to its use of tracks rather than wheels, which allows the tank to move over rugged terrain and adverse conditions such as mud, and be positioned on the battlefield in advantageous locations. These features enable the tank to perform well in a variety of intense combat situations, simultaneously both offensively with fire from their powerful tank gun, and defensively due to their near invulnerability to common firearms and good resistance to heavier weapons, all while maintaining the mobility needed to exploit changing tactical situations. Fully integrating tanks into modern military forces spawned a new era of combat, armoured warfare.
Main battle tank
The German Army has prioritized mobility in its Leopard 2 which is considered the fastest MBT in existence.
The MBT is often cumbersome in traffic and frequently obstructs the normal flow of traffic. The tracks can damage some roads after repeated use. Many structures like bridges do not have the load capacity to support an MBT. In the fast pace of combat, it is often impossible to test the sturdiness of these structures. In the 2003 invasion of Iraq, an M1 Abrams attempting to cross a bridge to evade enemy fire plummeted into the Euphrates river when the bridge collapsed. Though appreciated for its excellent off-road characteristics, the MBT can become immobilized in muddy conditions.
Type 96 tank
Export variant of Type-96A. Debuted at the 2012 Defence Services Asia Exhibition. Can be equipped with Remote Weapons Station and has a maximum speed of 70 km/h (on road). Capable of turning on its own axis.
Valiant tank
Construction was like that of the Matilda infantry tank – large cast armour pieces bolted together. Suspension was by six equally sized wheels on each side, with independent wishbone suspension units for each, rather than bogies. Concern was expressed about the possible fragility of these units in combat, but Valiant was never taken seriously off-road to test them. The drivetrain was to the rear, from a 210 bhp diesel. This low power limited the tank to a predicted top speed of 12 mph, although this was still acceptable to both the infantry tank and "assault tank" concepts.
Modern Medium Weight Tank
Dynamic and mobility test taken in 7-16 August 2018 to prove the specification design. The tank uses a Caterpillar C13 diesel engine generating 711 HP, coupled with Allison/Caterpillar X300 transmission. During the test the tank is able to reach 78 km/h in road speed. The prototype is able to cross 2 m trench and 0.9 m vertical obstacle.
Tanks of the post–Cold War era
The "Arjun" features a 120 mm main rifled gun with indigenously developed APFSDS ammunition, one 7.62 mm coaxial machine gun, and a 12.7 mm machine gun. It is powered by a single MTU multi-fuel diesel engine rated at 1,400 hp, and can achieve a maximum speed of and a cross-country speed of . It has a four-man crew: commander, gunner, loader and driver. Automatic fire detection and suppression and NBC protection systems are included. All-round anti-tank warhead protection by the newly developed Kanchan armour is claimed to be much higher than available in comparable third generation tanks.
The Al-Khalid tank (—, "lit." The Immortal Tank) and MBT-2000 refers to the main battle tank of Pakistan of jointly developed variants made by Pakistan and China during the 1990s. About 300 Al-Khalid tanks were in service with the Pakistan Army as of 2009.
Operated by a crew of three and armed with a 125 mm smooth-bore tank gun that is reloaded automatically, the tank uses a modern fire-control system integrated with night-fighting equipment and is capable of firing many types of anti-tank rounds as well as guided anti-tank missiles. Al-Khalid is named after the 7th-century Muslim commander Khalid bin al-Walid (592–642 AD).
Altay (tank)
The tank is projected to have a smoothbore gun and will include CBRN defense elements, to protect it from chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear weapons. The planned maximum speed is set at , provided by an engine (the first two batches will have engines), and the MBTs will be able to function under of water.
Merkava
The tank's 1,500 horsepower turbocharged diesel engine was designed by MTU and is manufactured under license by L-3 Communication Combat Propulsion Systems (formerly General Dynamics). The Mark IV's top road speed is 64 km/h.
History of the tank
In 1914, the British War Office ordered a Holt tractor and put it through trials at Aldershot. Although it was not as powerful as the Foster-Daimler tractor, the Holt was better suited to haul heavy loads over uneven ground. Without a load, the Holt tractor managed a walking pace of . Towing a load, it could manage . Most importantly, Holt tractors were readily available in quantity. The War Office was suitably impressed and chose it as a gun-tractor.
Heavy tank
Heavy tanks achieved their greatest successes both fighting other, lighter tanks, and destroying fortifications with their very large guns. Although it is often assumed that heavy tanks suffered inferior mobility to mediums, this was not always the case, as many of the more sophisticated heavy tank designs featured advanced suspension and transmission precisely to counteract this drawback. But the greatest drawback is cost which translates into production quantities and/or design. The German Tiger I, for example, had similar speed and better terrain-handling characteristics when compared to the significantly lighter Panzer IV medium tank, albeit at the cost of low reliability and only 1,355 were produced compared to 8,800 Panzer IV and over 59,000 Soviet T-34 and over 45,000 American M4 Sherman medium tanks. This case repeated itself in the operational use of the Tiger II of which only 492 were produced.
Gale Banks Engineering
Banks-powered race vehicles have won numerous marine racing events and championships, and have set many speed records. These include "World’s Fastest Passenger Car" and "World’s Fastest Diesel Truck". The Banks Sidewinder S-10, built from the ground up at Gale Banks Engineering, produces 1250 horsepower and is the "world's fastest and quickest diesel drag truck" with a 7.72 second elapsed time and 179+ mph top speed in the quarter mile. These records have been certified by official motor racing sanctioning organizations, including the FIA and NHRA, and are detailed in the History below.
Tanks in World War I
Finally, in a preview of later developments, the British developed the Whippet. This tank was specifically designed to exploit breaches in the enemy front with its relatively higher speed (around 8mph vs 3-4mph for the British heavy tanks). The Whippet was faster than most other tanks, although it carried only machine gun armament, meaning it was not suited to combat with armoured vehicles but instead with infantry. Postwar tank designs reflected this trend towards greater tactical mobility.
SMS Von der Tann
"Von der Tann" was powered by 18 naval coal-fueled double boilers, separated into five boiler rooms. The boilers produced steam at a pressure of 235 psi (16 atmospheres). "Von der Tann" was the first large German warship to use turbine propulsion. The ship used two sets of turbines: high pressure turbines, which ran the outer two shafts, and low pressure turbines, which powered the inner two shafts. Each shaft had a propeller 3.6 m (12 ft) in diameter. The ship was designed to have a power output of at a speed of 300 rpm, which enabled a rated top speed of 24.8 kn (45.9 km/h). However, as was the case with all later German battlecruisers, the ship could be run dramatically higher. During sea trials, the turbines provided at 339 rpm for a top speed of 27.757 kn (51.39 km/h). In one instance during a cruise from Tenerife to Germany, the ship averaged 27 kn (50 km/h), and reached a maximum speed of 28 kn (52 km/h). At the time of her launch, she was the fastest dreadnought afloat. The ship had two parallel rudders, which were controlled by steam-powered engines. "Von der Tann"s electrical plant consisted of six steam turbo generators that had a total output of 1,200-kW (1,600-hp).
DD tank
The Schwimmpanzer II was a modified version of the Panzer II which, at 8.9 tons, was light enough to float with the attachment of long rectangular boxes to either side of the tank's hull. The boxes were made of aluminum and filled with Kapok sacks to preserve buoyancy if water leaked into the pontoons. Motive power came from the tank's own tracks which were connected by rods to a propeller shaft running through each float. The Schwimmpanzer II could make 5.7 km/h in the water. An inflatable rubber hose around the turret ring created a waterproof seal between the hull and turret. The tank's 2 cm gun and coaxial machinegun were kept operational and could be fired while the tank was still churning its way ashore. Schwimmpanzer IIs were deployed from a specially modified landing barge (Type C) and could be launched directly into open water from a hatch cut into the stern. The Germans converted 52 of these tanks to amphibious use prior to Sea Lion's cancelation.
Tanks of the U.S. in the Cold War
The vehicle designed to mount the gun had a steel turret and aluminum hull. It was powered by a large diesel engine. The M551 thus had excellent mobility, able to run at speeds up to 45 mph, which at that time was unheard of for a tracked vehicle. Swimming capability was provided by a flotation screen. Production started on late July 1966, and entered service in June 1967. More than 1,600 M551s were built between 1966 and 1970. Total cost of the M551 program was $1.3 billion.
M104 Wolverine
Since the 1960s the United States Army has made use of armored bridge-laying vehicles based on the M48 Patton/M60 series of tanks. In recent years, however, the Army discovered that the aging M60 AVLB (Armored Vehicle Launched Bridge) was too slow to keep up with the M1 Abrams' top speed of roughly 70 km/h during field maneuvers. Additionally, the Abrams was so heavy that it could safely cross the AVLB's bridge only at a very slow speed.
Medium Tank M1921
The tank featured armour of up to 1 inch of steel. Its top speed was 15 kilometres per hour. The turret housed a main 57mm gun, as well as two machine guns for secondary defence. It weighed 23 tons.
Tank
The tank is the 20th century realization of an ancient concept: that of providing troops with mobile protection and firepower. The internal combustion engine, armour plate, and continuous track were key innovations leading to the invention of the modern tank.
Many sources imply that Leonardo da Vinci and H.G. Wells in some way foresaw or "invented" the tank. Leonardo's late 15th century drawings of what some describe as a "tank" show a man-powered, wheeled vehicle with cannons all around it. However the human crew would not have enough power to move it over larger distance, and usage of animals was problematic in a space so confined. In the 15th century, Jan Žižka built armoured wagons containing cannons and used them effectively in several battles. The continuous "caterpillar" track arose from attempts to improve the mobility of wheeled vehicles by spreading their weight, reducing ground pressure, and increasing their traction. Experiments can be traced back as far as the 17th century, and by the late nineteenth they existed in various recognizable and practical forms in several countries.
British Army uniform and equipment in World War I
Another tank in use was the Medium Mark A Whippet, while the Mark I tanks had been designed to attack the German trenches the Tank Corps now wanted a lighter, faster tank to work with the cavalry over open country. The Whippet had a crew of four and was armed with three Hotchkiss Machine Guns, they weighed 14 tons and had a road speed of just over per hour and a radius of . They were very fast by 1918, standards but tank crews found them difficult to drive and combat experience showed that it was not suitable for working with the cavalry.
Whippets first saw service during the German Spring Offensive in 1918, by the end of the war the Whippet was responsible for more German casualties than any other British tank of the war.
Dragoon 300
The Dragoon is completely amphibious, and is propelled in water by its wheels, at a speed of 4.8 km/h, while three drain pumps remove water entering through the doors. Utilized like an armoured personnel carrier, the Dragoon is usually equipped with a turret identical to that of the M-113A2 armed with a machine-gun of 12.7 mm or 7.62 mm assembled on pivot. The vehicle can also receive two-seater turrets carrying a gun of 25 or 90 mm and coaxial and anti-aircraft machine-guns of 7.62 mm. There are more specialized versions of the genus, including recovery and command vehicles.
Type 1 Chi-He medium tank
The Type 1 Chi-He's 47 mm high-velocity gun had a barrel length of 2.250 m, a muzzle velocity of , and a penetration capability of 55 mm/100 m, 40 mm/500, 30 mm/1,000 meters; over double that of the Type 97s low-velocity main gun. It was more reliable and more accurate, with the gun barrel having a 16 groove rifling and an improved firing mechanism. The gun did require the installation of elevation gear (on the earlier Type 97 the gunner had to physically move the gun up or down on his shoulder). In light of these improvements, the gun was adequate against Allied armor. The ammunition was the same as used with the anti-tank version of the gun. The tanks carried 120 rounds of ammunition with both armor-piercing and armor-piecing high explosive shells. The gun was placed in a three-man turret, which had space for the commander, gun-layer and loader. The gun could be elevated and depressed between +20 and -15 degrees. This gun was used in the Type 97-Kai Shinhoto Chi-Ha tank, and on the Type 3 Ka-Chi Amphibious Tank.
British heavy tanks of World War I
They were used and upgraded until the 1930s, when they were given to Canada for training; some M1917s were sold to the Canadians at nominal scrap value. The tank itself was over 34 feet (10 m) long, and there had been an even longer 44 foot (13 m) version planned but never made (the Mark VIII*). The tank was outdated by the 1930s due to its speed (under 6 mph/10 km/h) and armour (16–6 mm), but it did have one of the longest independent trench crossing capabilities of any armoured fighting vehicle (AFV) ever made. Modern main battle tanks and AFVs rely on bridge laying tanks for crossing large deep trenches.
Tank (video game)
"Tank" is a two-player maze game in which the players, each controlling a tank, attempt to shoot each other. The maze is a set of blocks set at right angles to each other with an empty square central area all viewed from above; the shape of the maze is not symmetric, and is the same between games. One of the tank sprites is white and the other is black, while the central area is filled with black X marks representing land mines. The tanks can fire shells, which destroy the other tank if they hit; tanks are also destroyed if they hit a land mine. The destruction of a tank grants the opposing player a point and causes a brief explosion and accompanying sound, during which time the other tank cannot shoot, before restoring the tank at the same position. Destroyed land mines do not return. Points are displayed above the play area, and flash during the final twenty seconds of the round. The game continues until the time runs out, after which the player with the higher point value wins the match. Each game typically costs a quarter and lasts for 60 seconds, but an internal toggle adjusts it to two quarters and 120 seconds. The time can be further adjusted by operators.
Armoured fighting vehicle
The tank eventually proved highly successful and, as technology improved. it became a weapon that could cross large distances at much higher speeds than supporting infantry and artillery. The need to provide the units that would fight alongside the tank led to the development of a wide range of specialised AFVs, especially during the Second World War (1939-1945).
T-62
Each time the gun is fired, the tube must go into détente for cartridge ejection; though the system can be deactivated making this unnecessary or in case of facing a NBC environment. The T-62 maximum average rate of fire is limited to 8 rounds per minute, which falls behind the capabilities of Western 105 mm gun equipped tanks.
AMC 34
Alarmed by the rapid build-up of the Red Army the French Army on 24 December 1931 conceived a preliminary plan for the mechanisation of the Cavalry. This foresaw the development of several types of "automitrailleuses" — the official term for cavalry tanks because "chars" ("tanks") were by law part of the infantry arm — among which an "Automitrailleuse de Combat" or AMC, a lightly armoured (weighing no more than nine tons) but swift (30 km/h cruise speed) and strongly armed (47 mm gun) combat tank, capable of fighting enemy armour. The plan was affirmed by the French Supreme Command on 23 January 1932 and approved by the ministry of defence on 9 December.
Supermarine Spitfire (late Merlin-powered variants)
The F Mk VIII's top speed was at 25,000 ft (404 mph for the LF Mk VIII at and for the HF Mk VIII at 26,500 ft), with a service ceiling of 43,000 ft (41,500 ft for the LF Mk VIII and for the HF Mk VIII). The two main tanks were given an extra 11 gal for a total of 96 gal which, along with the wing tanks, allowed the fighter to fly for a maximum distance of with a full internal fuel load and with a full internal load and a 90 gal drop tank. Provision was made to allow the Mk VIII to carry a single "slipper" drop tank of 30, 90 or 170 gal capacity. With a 170 gal tank, the aeroplane could fly over . When carrying the 90 or 175 gal tank the aircraft was restricted, once airborne and at cruising altitude, to straight and level flight. A maximum external bomb load of 1,000 pounds (1 × bomb attached to the centre bomb-rack plus a bomb under each wing) could be carried.
Fast tank
Fast tank may refer to:
Tanks in the Spanish Army
While the army was studying a possible modernisation of its brand-new AMX-30E fleet, the Spanish Ministry of Defense had set aside 120 billion "pesetas" (1.1 billion dollars) for a future tank programme and attracted interest from five foreign companies. A bid by Krauss-Maffei's, known as the Lince, provided the clearest technical designs. The tank would be and equipped with a 120-millimeter main gun. It could fire this gun on the move and aim at targets with effectiveness in day and night operations. Fitted with a 1,200 horsepower (894.84 kW) engine, the Lince could travel as fast as 70 kilometers per hour (43.50 mph) on the roads. Although heavily based on the Leopard 2A4, the Lince was smaller and lighter, trading protection for mobility. Specifically, the Lince prioritised enhanced mobility over the irregular Spanish terrain. Furthermore, size restrictions were imposed due to the existing capabilities of Spain's railroad and highway network. Although the reduced armor conflicted with the problems that the Spanish had with AMX-30E's thin armour, the Lince used a multi-layer armor similar to that of the German Leopard 2A4, providing greater protection than standard armour for a similar weight. The protection was further enhanced by the low profile turret, again similar to that of the Leopard 2A4. Despite the offer and ongoing collaboration with the Italians, Spanish investment in the German-Spanish Lince programme grew up to 200 billion pesetas (1.8 billion dollars). However, the Spanish government did not announce any winner for the contract. This indecision led Krauss-Maffei to freeze their bid for the Lince. Krauss-Maffei also cited the loss of millions of dollars due to failures on part of Santa Bárbara Sistemas, who would manufacture the Lince. In 1987, the Lince program was pushed aside and postponed by the Spanish Ministry of Defense's decision to instead go on with the modernisation of the Spanish Army's AMX-30E fleet. Ultimately, the purchase of a number of M60 Patton tanks, the modernisation of the AMX-30E and the continued fiscal problems finally caused the Spanish Ministry of Defense to cancel the Lince programme in 1989.
Matilda I (tank)
The hull and turret were well protected against contemporary anti-tank weapons but the tracks and running gear were exposed and more vulnerable than on tanks that had protected tracks. The lack of a gun with anti-tank capability severely limited its utility on the battlefield. Besides operating the machine gun, the commander had to direct the driver and operate the radio. There being no room in the turret for the radio, it was placed in the hull; the commander had to duck down inside and lie almost prone to operate it. The driver's position was equally cramped and the turret could not be traversed forward while the driver's hatch was open. The top speed of 8 mph (13 km/h) was thought to be sufficient for supporting an infantry advance.
Japanese tanks of World War II
The O-I experimental super-heavy tank had three turrets and weighed 120+ tons, and required a crew of 11 men. It was 10 meters long by 4.2 meters wide with an overall height of 4 meters. The armor was 200 mm at its maximum, and the tank had a top speed of 25 km/h. It had two gasoline engines, and was armed with 1 x 105 mm cannon, 1 x Type 1 47 mm gun (in a forward-mounted sub-turret), and 3 x Type 97 7.7 mm machine guns (one mounted in a forward sub-turret and two in rear hull sub-turrets). It has been reported that a prototype of the O-I was built in 1943, with the project ending after the tank proved to be "unpractical". However, the exact development status of the O-I prototype is unknown. No images of the O-I are known to exist.
Char G1
On 18 December 1935 the first specifications were issued by the Infantry of a "Char Moyen d'Infanterie de 20 tonnes" ("twenty tonne medium infantry tank"). They called for a tank with a road speed of 50 km/h, an off-road speed of 20 km/h, a range of 400 kilometres, a trench crossing capacity of two metres, a wading capacity of 120 centimetres, a climbing capacity of eighty centimetres and 45° slope, a 47 mm gun and 7.5 mm machine-gun, an armour thickness of 40 mm, a gas-proof hull and the possession of a radio set. The weight limit of twenty metric tonnes was chosen because of railroad, bridge carrying and pontoon constraints. Overall these features were close to those of the SOMUA S35.
Tank Mark VIII
The twelfth crew member was the mechanic, seated next to the 300 hp Liberty V-12 (or in British tanks Ricardo V-12) petrol engine) cooled by a large horizontal radiator. Three armoured fuel tanks at the rear held 200 Imperial gallons (240 US gallons, or 909 litres) of fuel giving a range of 89 km. The transmission used a planetary gearbox giving two speeds in either forward or reverse. Top speed was 5.25 mph (8 km/h).
T7 Combat Car
The vehicle was powered by a 7-cylinder radial engine Continental R-670, producing 250 horsepower. The four rear wheels were powered and were equipped with brakes. The two front wheels were steerable when driving without tracks. Since the vehicle weighted only 11 tons, it could go as fast as 56 km/h on its tracks and 85 km/h on its wheels. Another advantage was that the external suspension components saved a lot of space inside this small vehicle. The crew consisted of the tank commander, driver, and gunner. The rear wheels were attached to bogies and the construction was generally similar to commercial 3-axle trucks of the period. As a tank, it was not ideal. However, its simple and more promising design was much better received than Christie’s designs.
Kenneth S. M. Davidson
During World War II, the entirety of the work going on in the tanks was for the war effort. The size of his team grew to 63, and Davidson hired women to help build the models. The tank was being used for almost 16 hours a day, everyday. Since Davidson wanted his own tank instead of having to go to Columbia on the weekends to run tests, he submitted a proposal for another tank. In 1942 the plan was approved and construction began on Tank 2. Tank 2 was a 75-foot square with a depth of 4.5 feet. Once the tank opened it was the world's first indoor maneuvering basin. This meant that Davidson did not have to go to Columbia to run tests on the turning abilities of boats. Like Tank 1, Tank 2 had state of the art sensors and measuring equipment. In November 1942, Davidson started to run test on seaplane hulls for the Bureau of Aeronautics. The problem was that neither of the two existing tanks were suitable for the tests needed, so a proposal for another tank was submitted. Tank 3 opened in November 1944. This tank was designed for high speed towing. Tank 3 had a length of 313 feet, was 12 feet wide, and 6 feet deep. This tank was able to tow models at speeds of up to 60 ft/sec. A wave maker was also installed to make waves of up to 8 inches tall. Once the tank opened it was flooded with tests on seaplane hulls. By 1944 45% of all the work being done in the lab was on seaplane hulls.
Landsverk L-100
Landsverk L-100 was a Swedish prototype tank in development during World War II. It had a crew of two, and its armament consisted of a 20 mm gun or one 6.5 mm machine gun. Top speed was around 55 km/h, and the vehicle weighed almost 5 tons. The Landsverk L-100 was never adopted by the Swedish Army.
Tanks in the British Army
The Carden Loyd tankettes (two-man vehicles with machine guns) influenced the tankette concept through export and similar designs such as the Soviet T-27, Italian CV-33, German Panzer I and other copies. Another notable design was the Vickers Medium Mk II, a pivotal design which combined some of the best traits of WWI tanks into a much faster tank. Eventually, by the 1930s, British experiments and policy and their strategic situation led to a tank development programme with three main types of tank: light, cruiser, and infantry. The Infantry tanks were intended to support dismounted infantry. The maximum speed requirement matched the walking pace of a rifleman, and the armour on these tanks was expected to be heavy enough to provide immunity to towed anti-tank guns. Armament had to be sufficient to suppress or destroy enemy machine gun positions and bunkers as well as enemy tanks. Cruiser tanks were to carry out the traditional cavalry roles of pursuit and exploitation, working relatively independently of the infantry. This led to cruiser tank designs requiring greater speed. To achieve this they were lightly armoured, and tended to carry anti-tank armament. In practice both cruiser and infantry tanks entered the Second World War with the same gun. The light tanks were tasked with reconnaissance and constabulary-type colonial roles, with cost the major design factor.
Tank biathlon
Participating tanks drive a three-lap route of 6–10 km. During the first lap, crews fire at targets positioned at distances of 1,800, 1,700 and 1,500 m. In the second lap, different targets imitating an anti-tank mortar (RPG) squad and an infantry unit are fired upon. These targets are at a distance of 600–700 m, and must be engaged with a 7.62 mm coaxial machine gun. In the third lap the tank crews fire at targets shaped like an anti-tank gun and ATGM unit using of the turret-mounted heavy machine gun at a distance of 1,200 m. One or more misses leads to an extra penalty lap 500 m long. On the final lap tanks have to go through various terrain obstacles; an obstacle missed or improperly traversed adds 10 seconds to the crew's final timing.
T1 tanker
The T1 tanker or T1 are a class of sea worthy small tanker ships used to transport fuel oil before and during World War II, Korean War and Vietnam War. The T1 tanker classification is still in use today. T1 tankers are about 200 to 250 feet in length and are able to sustain a top speed of about 12 knots. The hull designation "AO" is used by the US Navy to denote the ship is a T1 oil tanker and "AOG" that the T1 is a gasoline tanker. The small size allows the T1 to enter just about any sea port or to anchor around a small island, this was very useful during the Pacific War. The T1 tanker can carry about 48,000 to 280,000 BBLs. Some T1 tankers were used to transport goods other than oil, a few were used for black oil-crude oil, diesel, chemicals and rarely bulk cargo like grain. T1 tankers are also called liquid cargo carriers. The T1 tanker has about a 6,000 to 35,000 DWT of cargo. The small size also gives the ships short turn around time for repair, cleaning, loading and unloading. A T1 tanker carrying dirty cargo, like crude oil needs a few weeks of labor to clean before carrying clean cargo. Most T1 ships during World War II were named after major oil fields. T1 tanker are operated by the US Navy, War Shipping Administration and United States Maritime Commission. Some T1 were loaned to England in the Lend-Lease program for World War II, after the war most were returned to the USA. After World War II many of the T1 ships were sold to for civilian use. Each T1 had emergency life rafts on the boat deck. The ships had cargo booms and piping to load and unload fuel. During war time the T1 are armed for protection with deck guns. A typical ship may have one single 3"/50 dual purpose gun, two 40 mm guns and three single Oerlikon 20 mm cannon. A T1 at war time normally had a crew of 38 and up to 130. If operating as a United States Merchant Marine ship, the crew would be a mix of civilian Merchant Marines and United States Navy Armed Guards to man the guns.
Tide of Iron
In the way of comparison, a halftrack (which can transport 1 squad) can normally move up to 7 hexes in one action. A Sherman tank can move up to 6 hexes in a single action, assuming no obstructions. A truck (which can transport 2 squads) can move up to 4 hexes across clear terrain but up to 12 hexes if on a road.
Tanktics (1999 video game)
There are four main parts to make tanks in the game. The "track" determines what areas of terrain the tank can cross. These included "wheels", tracks which can only cross basic terrain, such as stone, "half-tracks", tracks which can cross desert, "snow-mobiles", tracks which can cross over snow, "boats", which can cross over water, and "hover-crafts", tracks which can cross over anything without suffering the effects of the ground. Making tanks without tracks renders them immobile, similar to turrets. The "engine" determined not only how fast the tank can go, but how many weapons an individual tank can possess. Weapons weighed down a tank and made it slower, in effect a tank with a total of five engine power and three weapons would travel the same speed as a tank with a total engine power of two and no weapons. The "weapons" automatically shoots at enemies within its range. The player can place as many weapons in a tank as it has engine power, and can not exceed a fixed height limit. The player can also order tanks to attack a specific tank or area of terrain. There are over sixty weapons in-game throughout the five time periods. Finally, the radar only comes in one variety, and is needed to make the tank function.
T57 (tank)
The T57 was powered by a Continental AV1790 12 cylinder air-cooled gasoline engine that could propel the vehicle to a maximum of 35 km/h, a comparable speed to the M103 tank which utilised the same engine. This was however far slower than medium tanks at the time such as the M48 and Soviet T-54/T-55, which could easily reach 40-50 km/h of speed. A significant downside of the T57 was its very low range of 80 miles or 130 km due to its very inefficient engine, a similar issue that had also befallen the M103.
Armor Attack
Tanks periodically spawn from different locations on the edge of the screen and drive towards the player. The tanks always travel along horizontal or vertical lines, unlike the freely moving jeep. Tank turrets move to track the player, allowing them to shoot in any direction. Tanks normally take two hits to kill, and the player can have only two rockets on the screen at a time. The helicopter spawns from any point, and approaches the player in looping paths flying over the jeep and periodically firing. If hit, the helicopter spirals in. Destroying the helicopter rewards the player with an extra life.
Tanks in World War I
The first fifty had been delivered to France on 30 August. They were 'male' or 'female', depending upon whether their armament comprised two 6-pounder cannon and three Hotchkiss machine guns or four Vickers machine guns and one Hotchkiss. It had a crew of eight, four of whom were needed to handle the steering and drive gears. The tanks were capable of, at best, 6  km/h (4  mph), matching the speed of marching infantry with whom they were to be integrated to aid in the destruction of enemy machine guns. In practice, their speed on the broken ground could be as little as 1  mph.
Challenger 2
The Challenger 2 is an extensive redesign of the Challenger 1. Although the hull and automotive components seem similar, they are of a newer design and build than those of the Challenger 1 and only around 3% of components are interchangeable. A visual recognition feature is the armoured housing for the TOGS thermal gunsight; the Challenger 2 has this above the gun barrel, the Challenger 1 has it at the right hand side of the turret. The tank's drive system provides a 550 km range, with a maximum road speed of 59 km/h.
Type 99 tank
The driver sits in the center front of the hull. The suspension system consists six rubber tired road wheels on each side with power sprocket at the rear. The first, second and sixth road wheels are fitted with special hydraulic shock-buffer. The Type 99A tank is powered by a 1500 hp diesel engine giving it a power-to-weight ratio of about 27.78 hp/ton. The original Type 99 had a manual transmission but later Type 99 variants have a semi-automatic transmission with six forward gears and one reverse gear. The maximum road and off-road speeds are 80 km/h and 60 km/h respectively. The cruising range is 500 km.
MBT-70
The MBT-70 was equipped with eight smoke grenade dischargers in two rows of 4, while the KPz was equipped with 16 in four rows of 4. Both tanks had the smoke launchers mounted on either side of the turret.
The MBT-70 was capable of reaching a top speed of , and maintained a higher level of mobility than any tank of its time. It was considerably faster than the M60 and even faster than the Leopard 1 tank, while easily besting Soviet vehicles such as the T-62 and T-64. It also could accelerate three times faster than the M60. In cross-country performance the high power engine and hydropneumatic suspension allowed it to travel almost three times as fast as the M60 without causing problems for the crew.
History of the tank
The Christie tank embodied the ability to operate both on tracks and on large, solid-rubber-tired bogie wheels. The tracks were removable to permit operation on wheels over moderate terrain. Also featured was a suspension system of independently sprung wheels. The Christie had many advantages, including the amazing ability, in 1929, to attain speeds of 69 miles per hour on wheels and 42 miles per hour on tracks, although at these speeds the tank could not carry full equipment. To the infantry and cavalry the Christie was the best answer to their need for a fast, lightweight tank, and they were enthusiastic about its convertibility. On the other hand, the Ordnance Department, while recognizing the usefulness of the Christie, was of the opinion that it was mechanically unreliable and that such dual-purpose equipment generally violated good engineering practice. The controversy over the advantages and drawbacks of Christie tanks raged for more than twenty years, with the convertible principle being abandoned in 1938. But the Christie ideas had great impact upon tank tactics and unit organization in many countries and, finally, upon the US Army as well.
AMR 33
The AMR 33 was a very small vehicle, long, wide and tall. It weighed only 5.5 metric tonnes; the unloaded weight of the hull 4.5 tonnes. The eight-cylinder 84 hp 4241 cc Renault Nervasport 24 CV engine allowed for an official maximum speed of — the Renault export brochure claimed and an off-road speed of . A Cleveland differential was used; there were four forward and one reverse gears. A fuel tank of allowed for a range of 200 km. The tracks were 22 centimetres wide. It had a wading capacity of sixty centimetres; could cross a trench wide, or climb a vertical obstacle or a 50% slope.
The (riveted) armour of all vertical plates was 13 mm, of all inclined plates 9 mm, of the top 6 mm and of the bottom 5 mm. There was a crew of two: the driver to the left next to the engine and the tank commander/gunner behind him in the turret which was armed with a 7.5 mm Reibel machine gun. There was also a reserve machine gun that could be optionally placed on a pedestal on top of the turret for defence against aircraft. The original proposal had foreseen the use of a special expensive Schneider turret; the prototypes had a very high octagonal Renault turret at the very back of the hull. This proved to be too awkward and was replaced on the series vehicles by a flatter design from the army "Atelier de Vincennes", the AVIS-1, which was moved about a foot to the front to improve visibility. The AVIS was produced by Renault and had, unusually for a French tank turret of the thirties, a hatch in the top for observation. The normal access to the tank was by means of large double hatch at the back of the hull.
Arjun (tank)
The Arjun features a hydro-pneumatic suspension. This coupled with the Arjun's stabilisation and fire control system allows the tank excellent first-hit probability against moving targets while on the move. Its ride comfort is highly praised. Though on the negative side, it is a more maintenance-intensive and expensive system, even if more capable than the simpler and cheaper torsion bar system utilised on many older tanks worldwide. During trials, the Arjun showcased its fording capability, by driving under 1.8 metres of water for 20 minutes.
Military tactics
Mobility, which determines how quickly a fighting force can move, was for most of human history limited by the speed of a soldier on foot, even when supplies were carried by beasts of burden. With this restriction, most armies could not travel more than per day, unless travelling on rivers. Only small elements of a force such as cavalry or specially trained light troops could exceed this limit. This restriction on tactical mobility remained until the latter years of World War I when the advent of the tank improved mobility sufficiently to allow decisive tactical manoeuvre. Despite this advance, full tactical mobility was not achieved until World War II when armoured and motorised formations achieved remarkable successes. However, large elements of the armies of World War II remained reliant on horse-drawn transport, which limited tactical mobility within the overall force. Tactical mobility can be limited by the use of field obstacles, often created by military engineers.
Al-Zarrar tank
The Al-Zarrar is powered by a liquid-cooled 12-cylinder diesel engine, giving a power output of and torque output of 305 kg.m at 1300–1400 rpm. A combat weight of 40 tonnes gives Al-Zarrar a power-to-weight ratio of 18.3 hp/tonne and a top speed of 65 km/h. 
Crew comfort is improved over the Type 59 by a modified torsion bar suspension system.
List of United States Navy oilers
The "Cimarron"-class was a T3 Tanker class of 35 large, fast twin-screw oilers that began entering service in 1939, the Navy for several years having campaigned for oilers adequate to its needs, as the "Patoka/Alamedas" clearly were not. "The high [18-knot] speed intended for these ships (12 to 13 knots was then considered the norm for a tanker) led to the introduction of the term "fast tanker," which was coined to describe these and all subsequent high-speed tankers subsidized by the maritime commission before World War II. The increases in speed and the extraordinary size of the propulsion system (the fastest commercial tankers then being built in the United States had only 5,000 s.h.p.) were obviously made to accommodate the navy's wishes, demonstrating once again the mutual interests shared between the navy and the maritime commission." The original 12 and the 18 wartime repeats of these ships were of the U.S. Maritime Commission's Type T3-S2-A1 (7,256/24,830 tons displacement); the last five were of the very similar but slightly larger T3-S2-A3 type (7,423/25,480 tons), sometimes called the "Mispillion" class. Four of the ships, including were converted into escort carriers (CVEs) in 1942, and two others were lost in combat.