Tanks converted to APCs?

[Foo Fighter]

Yet the poster child for an MBT chassis converted to APC, the Namer, is actually heavier than the Merkava.



Yes, any rear engined APC has the engine in the way of the troops. It's why the Ukrainians were turning the T64 chassis around, even though the engine was mostly out of the way even in the back.

I think the weight growth is down to the increased threat from IED and portable anti armour weapons, the infantry going in closer than tank units tend to.

Considering the use the Jordanians made of the Cent hull, it would have (IMHO) made much more sense to go all out and keep just the running gear. The hull CAN be cut and shut and a relocation of the engine (Again IMHO) to the front is no worse a solution than all the faffing they have actually gone through.

Yes, considering that they could have turned the hull around too. Either way, dismounting infantry ate the rear of the vehicle can help with street clearing and the dismounts being covered by open access door properly proofed against small arms but my infantry training was a long time ago.

Perhaps what we did in NI with Saracen etc may not be relevant now. In a certain Israeli deployment, possibly.

Basically any half arsed conversion is less use than the componants which make it, and a waste of money/time.

 

[Foo Fighter]

That there front load/dismount system is an exercise in pointlessness.

One small automatic weapon, let alone a .3 or .5 (Even an old school M2) would make the interior into a mincemeat grinder. That and seriously degrade the situational awareness of the remaining crew to the point where they become an easy target.

Not even able to confront conventional threats let alone drones.

I wish they could teach joined upo thinking and threat assessment on a local level, to those making decisions.

No, not holding my breath either.

 

[Foo Fighter]

No idea if it is 100% accurate but wiki lists the Merkava at 65 tons and the Namer at 62.5 tons.

 

[Scott Kenny]

No idea if it is 100% accurate but wiki lists the Merkava at 65 tons and the Namer at 62.5 tons.

And also quotes the designers as saying they reinvested the weight that a turret would have had into more armor, making the Namer heavier than the Merkava.

 

[Foo Fighter]

Namer 62.5 tons, Merkava 65 tons.

Not a lot of difference but that would not be possible if the Namer was on the same armour package as the Merkava so even with the extra armour there is a slight weight difference.

 

[F.L.]

Ukrainian modified T-62 into IFV, but I think with no internal troop capacity.

https://mil.in.ua/en/news/ukrainian-volunteers-transform-t-62-tanks-into-heavy-infantry-fighting-vehicles/

 

[Foo Fighter]

This would make it more of an infantry support vehicle than an IFV, much more useful if you are going in for house clearing which is a lesson that has needed to be repeated numerous times.

 

[Newtonk]

Another Russian bastardisation, a modernised design based on the immortal T 72...

 

[Andrei_bt]

actually an old BMO-T upgrade

 

[Scott Kenny]

Another Russian bastardisation, a modernised design based on the immortal T 72...View attachment 734308
View attachment 734308

So, space for 5 inside? How do they get out of the tank?

 

[skylancer-3441]

New seats provide about 56cm of shoulder width per person, that's 95th percentile (not in extreme cold weather uniform, and without bulkier gear).

That's how soldiers dismount on BMO-T:

 

[Newtonk]

Yep, that blows, the Israelis had it right with the Achzarit, turn the engine 90° and exit via a tunnel with ramp. Going up and over the engine is an injury in the making.

 

[Scott Kenny]

Yep, that blows, the Israelis had it right with the Achzarit, turn the engine 90° and exit via a tunnel with ramp. Going up and over the engine is an injury in the making.

And kinda takes the soldier out from behind the armor a lot sooner.

 

[Newtonk]

True, I hadn't considered that aspect... Looking at the images above, the dismounts are exposed also as soon as they exit the hatch, damn

 

[skylancer-3441]

Israelis had it right with the Achzarit, turn the engine 90° and exit via a tunnel with ramp.

Achzarit has its engine transversely mounted, same as T-54/55/62/72/90. It has space for passageway because it uses V8 instead of V12 - same V8 as on M108/109/110 SPH and XM701 MICV, where it's also transversely mounted (to leave some space for driver which is sitting side by side with it).

There was however a German proposal with longitudinally mounted V8 side by side with passageway - in mid90s, from Wegmann & Co, for NGP