Monday 22 November 2010

Tank Spotting


These five tanks all share a particular design feature not found on most other tanks.











What is it?

35 comments:

Domo said...

A Kettle?

Chuck Hill said...

Not my area, but is it that they can carry infantry?

GrandLogistics said...

Hello,

hmmm,now I know British tanks can heat water and I know American tanks are getting that capability but I have no idea if Israeli tanks can heat water.

Challenger can not carry dismounts unfortunately,it's one major downside.

The feature I am thinking of is shown in each of those pictures.

GrandLogistics.

Chuck Hill said...

Does it have to do with the skirts at the treads?

GrandLogistics said...

Hello Chuck Hill,

it is not the skirts or tracks but you are closish.
I added another picture.


GrandLogistics.

D. E. Reddick said...

Well,

Now you've got three tanks along with one APC. The IDF APC and Merkava tank both feature an engine mounted in the front space within the hull. I suppose that might be the feature common to all four vehicles.

GrandLogistics said...

Hello D.E.Reddick,

the Challenger has a rear engine.
Have a look at those pictures you can see this feature in each one.


GrandLogistics.

D. E. Reddick said...

OK,

They all have black or rubberized skirts or bumpers over the treads at the edges of the hull.

GrandLogistics said...

Hello,

it is something more useful in combat than that.
A fundamental part of the tank's design.


GrandLogistics.

D. E. Reddick said...

Well,

The IDF Namer APC carries reactive armor panels, so perhaps that's the shared feature you're looking for us to identify.

Then, to it might be aspects of the composite armor, the suspension system, or the power-drive mechanisms.

GrandLogistics said...

Hello D.E.Reddick,

you are getting a lot warmer.
You just mentioned one part of it but not the second related and more visible part.


GrandLogistics.

D. E. Reddick said...

Laminated composite armor.

GrandLogistics said...

Hello,

no,but closely related.
Have a look at the pictures again,you might notice they are all taken from front or back.


GrandLogistics.

D. E. Reddick said...

Treads / tracks.

The treads of the Merkava and Naver are derived from those of the Centurion. I suppose the Challenger and some other AFVs might share that same ancestral origins for their own tread designs.

Chuck Hill said...

They all have sloped armor, but almost goes without saying.

GrandLogistics said...

Hello Chuck Hill,

you are very warm.
This has something to do with sloped armour and something else D.E.Reddick mentioned earlier.

GrandLogistics.

GrandLogistics said...

Hello D.E.Reddick,

Challenger,Namer and Merkava do share some ancestry (though they are not exactly blood relatives) and this has got something to do with that.

But it has nothing to do with tracks.

GrandLogistics.

D. E. Reddick said...

OK,

Sloped, reactive (explosive) layer of armor laid atop sloped, laminated composite armor.

D. E. Reddick said...

Crew protection provided by a rear hull hatch.

GrandLogistics said...

Hello D.E.Reddick,

it is something more visible than armour composition.


GrandLogistics.

steve said...

They all have Chobham armour.

steve said...

IR paint?

GrandLogistics said...

Hello steve,

it's not the paint.

There is another picture up of a tank with the same feature.


GrandLogistics.

D. E. Reddick said...

Smoke grenade launchers.

Turret-top machine-gun mounts.

RWS machine-gun mounts.

GrandLogistics said...

Hello D.E.Reddick,

no.
This is a fundamental aspect of the tank's construction and is visible in each photograph.

GrandLogistics.

steve said...

The only thing I can see common to all is NATO hooks........

well apart from tracks etc.

GrandLogistics said...

Hello,

have a look at this picture of an Abrams:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/53/
US_Army_M1A1_Abrams_main_battle_tank.jpg

The Abrams does not share this feature with the tanks shown.


GrandLogistics.

GrandLogistics said...

Hello steve,

it is something a lot bigger than a hook or a track.


GrandLogistics.

steve said...

Well I am stumped. The only thing I can see is the bottom of the hull seems to slope back more on the vehicles you have posted.

D. E. Reddick said...

The angle / slope of the glacis plate!?!

GrandLogistics said...

Hello D.E.Reddick,

close but no.
Have a look at the pictures then compare to the Abrams.
Think of something which might be important in Afghanistan.


GrandLogistics.

D. E. Reddick said...

V-shaped anti-IED under-hull.

Anonymous said...

It's the reinforced v-shaped belly armor pack.

GrandLogistics said...

Hello D.E.Reddick,

that is it.
Chieftain,Challenger I and II and all 4 Merkavas all have a shallow V hull(I think that is called "double v" sometimes) and externally mounted suspension.
For a number of reasons this is a very good thing if you run over a mine.

Most other tanks have hull penetrating torsion bar suspension,usually with a flat bottom like the Abrams (sometimes the bottom is shaped around the bars like the Leopard II).

This causes a number of problems.
The tin opener effect of a whipping torsion bar.
Ingress of high energy gasses through lower hull penetrations.
Transmission of shock to the vehicle interior via the torsion bars which can destroy the occupant's legs.
Structurally weaker lower hull more prone to being stoved in by mines.
Increased blunt trauma due to vehicles being thrown around more because the lower hull shape traps rather than deflects blast.

This is just one reason why I hope the British Army does not end up driving around in A.S.C.O.D. for the next 50 years.

Incidentally,Merkava is related to Challenger via the Chieftain.
Israel was going to buy Chieftains at one point.
They were tested there in 1967 and Israel Tal visited the Chieftain production line before developing the Merkava.
The two tanks have a number of similarities.


GrandLogistics.

steve said...

Whoops! Yes of course.....

I was too fixated on what I could see clearly. Further I was too idle to go and get my copy of Jane's.

@ TheRagingTory

You mean a BV or boiling vessel.

"If in danger or if in doubt get the brew can out."