Expeditionary Tank
| Expeditionary Tank | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | Light tank |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Teledyne Vehicle Systems |
| Designed | early 1980s[1] |
| Manufacturer | Teledyne Vehicle SystemsandGeneral Dynamics Land Systems(GDLS) |
| Produced | mid-1980s (prototype)[2] |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 21 t (21 long tons; 23 short tons)[1] |
| Length | 7 m (23 ft 0 in) |
| Width | 3.6 m (11 ft 10 in) |
| Height | 2.8 m (9 ft 2 in) |
| Crew | 3 (commander,driverandgunner)[1] |
Main armament | 105 mmM68A1 gun[2] |
Secondary armament | 7.62 mmM240 machine gun(coaxial)[2] 7.62 mmM60D machine gun,7.62 mmM240 machine gun,12.7 mmM2HB machine gunor40 mmautomatic grenade launcher(optional)[2] |
| Engine | CumminsVTA-903T 8-cylinderdiesel[1] 500 horsepower (370 kW)[1] |
| Transmission | GDLS HMPT-500 hydro-mechanical transmission[1] |
| Suspension | hydropneumatic |
| Maximum speed | 45–50 mph (72–80 km/h)[1] |
TheExpeditionary Tankwas alight tankdeveloped in the 1980s initially byTeledyne Vehicle Systems.[3]Later joined byGeneral Dynamics Land Systems(GDLS), thecompaniesentered theUS Army'sArmored Gun System(AGS) competition with the design.[1]Since thetanknever entered service, it did not receive an official designation. Alternative names for the Expeditionary Tank include theTeledyne Light Tankand theSlammer.[1]
Development[edit]
In the late 1970s, Teledyne carried out multiple studies on a highly mobile lighttracked vehicledesign, which could be used for a variety of tasks. The in-house trials lasted from 1980 to 1981 and in 1982, a detailed design had been developed, which Teledyne designated the Light, Future Armored Combat System (LFACS).[1]The joint entry by Teledyne and GDLS into the AGS competition was based on the LFACS design.[1]
Theprototypehullwas completed in December 1983, and theturretwas completed by mid-1984. In October, testing took place in theNevadatest center on mobility and reliability, and in April 1985, the chassis and turret were united. A month later, the vehicle was presented for the first time at the U.S. Army Armor Conference atFort Knox.Test firing took place in 1986.
In 1992, the Expeditionary Tank design lost out in the AGS competition toFMC Corporation's andUnited Defense'sClose Combat Vehicle, Light(CCVL), which was type classified as theM8 Armored Gun System.[4]The Expeditionary Tank and its low-profile turret were offered for export by Teledyne and later GDLS, but no orders materialised.[2]
Design[edit]
Teledyne defined key requirements that shaped the tank's design:
- roll-on, roll-off air transportability inC-130andC-141aircraft with the capability to useLAPES;
- maximum use ofoff-the-shelfcomponents;
- a105 mmmaingunwith anautoloader;
- afire control systemas accurate as theM60A3main battle tank;
- high cross-country mobility;
- a low profile to increase survivability.[1]
The Expeditionary Tank was an unconventional design with an externally mounted overhead autoloaded gun, a crew in-hull configuration and a front-mounted engine.[1]The unmanned turret was located in the rear section of the vehicle, above the fighting compartment. All three crewmembers were positioned in the hull, thedriversat in the driver's compartment that was separated from the fighting compartment with abulkhead.[3]Thecommanderand thegunnersat side by side in the fighting compartment.[1]
The tank had lightarmourthat consisted ofrolled homogeneous armour,a steel andceramiccomposite,ballisticaluminium andKevlar,and ceramic appliques that offered protection against23 mmautocannonshells from the front and against7.62–14.5 mmmachine gun bullets from the sides.[1]Protection level could be increased or decreased depending on the threat level or delivery method via bolt-on armour plates.[1]The Expeditionary Tank had a double-spaced hull floor to improve protection againstmines.[1]
The Expeditionary Tank was armed with an autoloaded 105 mmM68A1rifled gun and a coaxial7.62 mmM240machine gun. The M68A1 gun was expected to be replaced by theM35 tank gunin production vehicles. It also had an optionalweapon mountfor the commander's position, which could have been equipped with a machine gun (7.62 mm or12.7 mm) or a40 mmautomatic grenade launcher.The commander and gunner were seated below the turret in an aluminum basket withspall liners.Ammunitionfor the externally mounted gun was located in the hull.[2]
The tank design used many off-the-shelf components to reduce development costs and time. It shared multiple components with theM2/M3 Bradley,notably theCumminsVTA-903Tdiesel engineand GDLS HMPT-500hydro-mechanical transmission.[1]The electric turret drive with a manual backup was also initially developed for the Bradley.[2]The prototype also used the M68A1 gun instead of the then-experimental M35.[1]
Fate[edit]
The joint venture between Teledyne and GDLS lost the AGS competition to the CCVL design that would become the M8 Armored Gun System.[4]The tank was offered to export customers without success. Its low-profile turret design was more successful.
Teledyne offered the turret developed for the tank for export.[2]It was tested on theCenturionMk 5 hull and an installation kit was designed for the M60.[2]The company proposed the low-profile turret as a part of an upgrade package forPatton tanks,T-54/55/62series tanks, theAMX-30and the Centurion.[2]
In 1999, a version of the turret was integrated onto theLAV IIIarmored personnel carrierchassis.[5]A modified version of the design was submitted to theInterim Armored Vehiclecompetition. Having won the competition, the improved design became theM1128 Mobile Gun System.
The fate of the Expeditionary Tank prototype is unclear. Photos from a blog posted in 2014 indicate that the hull of the tank was outside the former Teledyne plant inMuskegon,Michigan.[6]No evidence is available about the fate of the turret, although it is probable that the turret was used for testing in other development programmes after the failed AGS bid.
References[edit]
- ^abcdefghijklmnopqrsFreeman, Carl H. (1991).The Army Needs a Strategic Armored Gun System—Now!.U.S. Army War College Carlisle Barracks.
- ^abcdefghijCullen, Tony, & Foss, Christopher F. (Eds.). (1993).Jane's Armoured Fighting Vehicle Retrofit Systems.Janes Information Group.
- ^abNichols, Nick. (May 1988).Tanks for Tomorrow.Popular Mechanics, 165(5), 68–71.
- ^abNichols, Nick. (January 28, 2021).'Tanks for Tomorrow': PM Meets the Army's New Stealth Tanks.Popular Mechanics.
- ^Foss, Christopher F. (Ed.). (2011).Jane's Armour and Artillery 2011–2012.Janes Information Group.
- ^Tank and AFV Blogger. (April 1, 2014).Teledyne Low Profile Turret.The Tank and AFV Blog.
