American experienced light tank HSTV-L

In the 1970s The American strategy was reoriented from the confrontation in European territory to local operations in various parts of the world. This situation raised the question of the need to adopt the lung rapid reaction forces. tankwith the mass and mobility of the Sheridan, and the firepower of the M60A3 main battle tank. Among the first vehicles to meet these requirements was the experimental tank HSTV-L (High Survivability Test Vehicle - Lightweight - "an experimental vehicle with high survivability on the battlefield and low weight").

As a basis for the development of a light tank HSTV-L steel "Sheridan", which was armed with an ARES gun caliber 75 mm, and an experimental tank HIMAG having a mass of about 35 tons. However, this machine, developed by AAI Corporation (Aircraft Armament Industries, Maryland), was a new design. The tank had the original chassis, tower and hull. The chassis (on board) consisted of five support rollers of average diameter and three supporting rollers. The width of the track roller - 121,7 mm, diameter - 355 mm. Suspension - individual, torsion. The height of the case was reduced to the maximum. The driver and gunner were reclining in front of the hull (jobs to the left and right of the tank axis, respectively). The body in the area of ​​the engine compartment was raised. Also managed to significantly reduce the height of the single tower.

In front of the turret, an ARES automatic caliber 75 mm with an initial projectile speed of up to 3000 m / s was mounted. To the right of the gun, an 7,62-mm machine gun М240, paired with a gun, was installed, another machine gun М240 was equipped with a remote control and was placed on the turret openly near the tower hatch of the commander. The angle of vertical guidance of the instrument ranged from -17 to + 45 degrees. Automatic charging contained 20 shells. Ammunition includes anti-aircraft projectiles and sub-caliber armor-piercing projectiles with a detachable APFSDS pan. The turn of the tower was made at a speed of 57 degrees / s.

In the tower to the left of the gun was located the workplace of the tank commander. The HSTV-L tank was equipped for that time with the most modern control system. weapons. Its development was carried out by Texas Instruments. The gunner had a sight stabilized in two planes, with an integrated laser rangefinder, a television camera and a thermal imager. The optical head of the sight was located under the armored rooftop turret. The gunner's auxiliary sight was tightly tied to the gun. The commander had an independent optical panoramic sight, allowing him to search for targets and not be distracted by the solution of the task of hitting detected targets (this function was performed by the gunner). If the gun barrel tracked the position of the optical axis of the commander’s sight, its sight would “close” to the gun. The optical head of the sight was located in the center of the commander's hatch.

Also, eight fixed periscopic devices were mounted around the perimeter of the hatch, providing a total circular view. The gunner and the commander had night optics. The image from either of the two thermal imagers mounted on the tank could be displayed on displays that equipped all crew members' jobs. The data for firing was generated by a digital ballistic computer that automatically received data from sensors of atmospheric parameters and a laser rangefinder. Any member of the crew could fire from the main gun. The rear hemisphere view camera was mounted on the roof of the tower. The image from it was displayed on the display of any crew member.

The power plant of the tank HSTV-L 600-strong gas turbine engine "Avko 650" and hydromechanical transmission "Allison" ХХNUMX-300А with a differential turning mechanism and hydrovolume stepless drive control of rotation. The design made it possible to install the Avko 4 turbine of greater power on the tank. On an experimental sample of a light tank HSTV-L, it was possible to change the mass of the tank. The design of the chassis makes it possible to change its individual parameters to determine the required optimum performance. Suspension hydropneumatic individual. The caterpillar had a rubber hinge. The machine is equipped with a system of protection against the PPO and OMP and two radio stations.

The development of the HSTV-L light tank began in January 1979. The prototype was completed in September of the same year. Trials that began in the year 1982 continued for 10 years. They were held in Fort Louis, in the divisions of the 9 Infantry Division and in Fort Knox.

Comments

[abrakadabre]

automatic gun ARES of 75 mm caliber with an initial projectile speed of up to 3000 m / s.
Judging by the photographs, the gun’s barrel is rather thin-walled. I wonder what is the survivability of the barrel and how to solve the problem of heat at such projectile speeds - 3 km / s? Or is there, as in some battleships, license plates with a gradual gradual increase in caliber?

[postman]

Quote: abrakadabre

at such projectile speeds - 3 km / s?

such speeds in the barrel artillery CAN NOT BE(in our world, anyway)
the limit of the velocity of the projectile with a decrease in the degree of expansion of the gas in the barrel tends to the critical velocity of the gas flow in the barrel, the value of which for existing artillery systems is in the range of 800-1000 m / s

German super long-range cannon firing at Paris in 1918
Calculation shows that the achieved projectile speed of 1600 m / s in the German ultra-long-range gun is very close to its limit of 1750 m / s.

the limit of the velocity of the projectile for existing artillery is the speed of free (in the absence of a projectile) movement of powder gases along the barrel


At 3000 m / s this generator would probably sew 7 MBTs standing next to each other and there would still be an EIGHT, and at a rate of 20 per minute ..... just come on, the adnality on the hinged one would approach 300km (so rounded)

[bask]

"" "In the tower to the left of the gun was the workplace of the tank commander. The HSTV-L tank was equipped for that time with the most modern weapon control system. Its development was carried out by Texas Instrument. The gunner had a sight, stabilized in two planes, with built-in laser rangefinder, TV camera and thermal imager "" "
An interesting line-up of the HSTV-L light tank, and of course the LMS, is modern even now.
Amer’s is not the first project of a light tank, tanks were produced in small batches. But in series, not one was not produced.
Light tank XM8.
Light tank CCVL.
Light tank STINGRAY, etc.

[postman]

Author: with an initial velocity of the projectile up to 3000 m / s.
Touched.
Isn’t it a thing?
Up to 1st space 1,5 steps

[abu]

It turns out that not only our experimental equipment is rusting,

[FAO_48E]

Photos for the article were taken at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Aberdeen, MD, 21005, Aberdeen, Maryland. The cars are on the lot, along with other museum exhibits from the US Army Ordnance Museum, removed from pedestals and awaiting sandblasting and subsequent repainting.

[slacker]

Maybe someone understands and tells me why the casing, in my opinion, is strange, with holes in it above the gun barrel?

[postman]

Quote: Loafer

What is the casing with holes, strange in my opinion, for

1.High rate of fire, high heat load = heat sink (and the convection is semi-passive and surface area: square against the circle)
mb there is alcohol in GSh-30-1 (well, not 700cm3, but more), ablative cooling
2. Relatively thin and long barrel-bearing in transport position, in order to avoid deformations, the bearing is shifted as far forward as possible, respectively, bending moments are reduced
3. redistribution of large recoil forces (due to the low tower, the specific mask, these mechanisms are hidden there)
4.protective functions (splinters and landmines reflected from armor)

it also happens

[agent]

some kind of tree .... IMHO

[vladsolo56]

For some reason, it seems to me that the light tanks abandoned the category in vain. With the modern development of electronics and technology, it is entirely possible to create a single or double tank of a modular design with very decent properties

[postman]

Quote: professor

Here is her performance characteristics:

you'd better talk about the barrel (gun), otherwise the author’s appetite has broken out:
3000 m / s projectile speed, ett not khukhura muhra

[cobalt]

Based on the test results, in mid-1992, the US Army chose the PMC Corporation’s armored cannon system (AOZ) to equip the mobile forces, in particular the 82nd Airborne Division. This system - a light tank - represents a further development of a light melee combat vehicle created in the early 8s on an initiative basis.

The first sample of such an armored vehicle was produced in August 1985. He largely repeated the design of the BMP M2 "Bradley", in particular, the engine-transmission unit was placed in the front right part of the hull, the driver to the left of him, and the tower was shifted to the stern. However, the second sample had a different layout, which was traditional for light tanks and a more powerful engine. Major changes to the XM8 over previous systems include the installation of a 105mm rifled gun, developed by the Waterflight Arsenal, and the rejection of a separate commander's thermal imaging device. In order to reduce the total cost of the tank for the life cycle, existing well-developed assembly units are widely used in its design, for example, the engine, which is installed in a heavy (8x8) M977 truck, transmission and manual drives for guidance of the commander and gunner with the BMP "Bradley", a laser rangefinder and a crosswind sensor from the M1A1 tank, a ballistic computer panel from the Challenger Mk 2 tank.
All will be released about 300 light tanks XM8. The contract for their production provides for three stages. At the first of them, by April 1996, 6 prototypes were manufactured, as well as a hull and a tower for ballistic tests (costs amounted to about 119 million dollars). On the second - September 1996 - December 1997 - 69 cars (180 million dollars) were produced and purchased in small batches. In the third - by the beginning of 2000 - mass production was planned for the time being 231 cars worth $ 600 million.

[FAO_48E]

Hacked her. The Army began to struggle with Secretary of Defense William Perry, as a result of which, all requests for financing the M8 program evaporated during the layout of the budget for the 1997 fiscal year.

[Bersaglieri]

Quote: Postman

Quote: abrakadabre

at such projectile speeds - 3 km / s?

such speeds in the barrel artillery CAN NOT BE(in our world, anyway)
the limit of the velocity of the projectile with a decrease in the degree of expansion of the gas in the barrel tends to the critical velocity of the gas flow in the barrel, the value of which for existing artillery systems is in the range of 800-1000 m / s

Wrong. The muzzle velocity of the BPS gun T-72 or T-80 - 1700 m / s. Flat-bore, however, with a propelling charge of increased power.
3000 m / s - apparently, nevertheless, an over-estimate. This speed is already given by the ETX or light gas guns. Powder throwing above 2000 m / s will not, physics will not allow (more precisely, physical chemistry). :)

[postman]

Quote: Bersaglieri

Wrong.

What does "wrong" mean?
Where you saw 3000 m / s.
Repeat:

the limit of the velocity of the projectile for existing artillery is the speed of free (in the absence of a projectile) movement of powder gases along the barrel
all calculations (true for 76mm) give 1750m / s
mb T-72 and higher, but not 3000m / s!

Quote: Bersaglieri

Powder throwing above 2000 m / s will not, physics will not allow (more precisely, physical chemistry). :)

and what did I write about?

Quote: Bersaglieri

This speed is already given by the ETX or light gas guns.

I don’t know what light-gas engines are, but probably neither they nor the ETH were in the 1970s
(they still aren't there, they just work)
BUT EVERYTHING IS EQUAL 3000m / s and they won’t give, and on free radicals (which Kaptsov O. muslim) the same won’t give 3000m / s

[Peter Tsar]

Futuristic device turned out.

[fish69]

The gun fired a variety of ammunition, including armor-piercing fin-stabilized sabot (APFSDS), high-explosive (HE), high-explosive proximity (HE-P), and anti-aircraft repeater. The ammunition used fiberglass casings that were originally designed for use with the Army 60mm automatic cannon. The APFSDS round, a long-rod depleted uranium round, was initially noted to have comparable performance to the 105mm M774 round used on the M1 Abrams. This was deemed insufficient and led to an ammunition development initiative called Delta 3. The gun's breech was lengthened three inches as part of the Delta 3, allowing the hull to be lengthened and the muzzle velocity increased from 4800 fps (1463 m/s) up to 5300 fps (1615 m/s). The Delta 3 projectile was designated XM885.

The Delta 3 was followed by another initiative called the Delta 6. The Delta 6 could penetrate approximately 16,9 inches (430 mm) of homogeneous steel armor, although this too was considered insufficient. Ares developed and tested two 90mm guns to address this shortcoming, but the Army will ultimately select conventionally equipped 105mm guns for future light vehicles.