The FReeper Foxhole's TreadHead Tuesday - Stridsvagn 103 (Swedish S-Tank) - June 8th, 2004

http://afvinteriors.hobbyvista.com/stank/stank.html ^

[SAMWolf]

Lord,

Keep our Troops forever in Your care

Give them victory over the enemy...

Grant them a safe and swift return...

Bless those who mourn the lost.
.

FReepers from the Foxhole join in prayer
for all those serving their country at this time.

...................................................................................... ...........................................

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The Swedish S-Tank

The Swedish S-Tank was developed through both a prototype and pre-production vehicle testing program in the early 1960s and reached the armored troops in mid 1967. It is probably one of the most unique AFV designs of the modern tank era, utilizing a number of different approaches to the primary problems of firepower, protection and mobility. Even though the S-Tank has been replaced in front line service by the German produced Leopard 2, the S-Tank is destined to be remembered as one of the most interesting AFV designs of the Cold War period.



The S-Tank designers, lead by Sven Berge as the head of the tank design section of the Vehicle Division of the Swedish Army Ordnance, were interested in solving a number problems faced in AFV design sections in the world. First, they were driven to provide the lowest profile possible to decrease the probability of the AFV being sighted and hit by opponent forces. This required the removal of the traditional turret and mounting of the main weapon directly in the hull of the machine, reducing the total height to 1.9 meters. With this done, the next problem was aiming the now fixed weapon, and a complicated system of steering and suspension were developed to allow the entire vehicle to aim at a target. With a stationary gun mount in the hull, an autoloader could be fitted and the typical fourth crew member/loader could be eliminated entirely, reducing the crew to three. Finally, by placing the tank engine(s) in the front of the AFV, extra protection of the vulnerable frontal arc could be increased. The results of this planning are shown in this sketch of the prototype tank, similar in most respects to production vehicles from A to C models.



The driver/gunner's seat is located to the left in the hull with the radio operator directly behind him and facing the rear. To the right in the hull is the commander with a revolving cupola over head. His seat is slightly elevated above the other crew members to better use the cupola. The main gun tube effectively divides the fighting compartment in half, ending with the breech at the rear of the tank. Both driver/gunner and commander have controls for driving and aiming/shooting the weapons, the commander's controls over-ride the driver/gunner. The gun is manufactured by Bofors and is a L74 105mm weapon very similar to the British L7 gun fitted to the Centurion, also used by the Swedish army in limited numbers at the time. This allowed the S-Tank to use the same ammo, although its gun tube is longer and therefore provides a higher velocity for the rounds which equates to better hitting power.



It takes only 15 minutes to load the 25 rounds/bin by two soldiers, which is very quick in comparison to typical tanks of the time. The twin ammo storage bins feed the hydraulic auto-loader and the main weapon passes right through the tank, ending in the breech placed directly above and between the ammo bins. Spent casings are ejected through a small port on the back plate of the tank, which eliminates smoke buildup in the tank. The engine compartment access plates dominate the entire front armor slope (there are actually three plates to take up this space, one bolted up the center under the gun and two hinged hatches on either side). The fuel cells occupy the space outside the fighting compartment and under steel along both side sponsons.



Both driver/gunner and commander are equipped with a unique control box for steering and firing the main gun. The radio operator also has rudimentary driving controls and the S-Tank can travel backwards just as well as forwards. The entire box pivots along the vertical axis, which in turn rotates the tank by hydrostatic steering. Rotating the hand grips (motorcycle style) elevates and depresses the hydro-pneumatic suspension and thus controls elevation of the weapon through vehicle tilt. The push buttons on the control are for loading and firing the main weapon and auxiliary MGs. The gun can fire 15 rounds per minute--typically one bin is filled with HE and smoke rounds and the other with AP. A Jungner OPS-1 combination periscope and sight is used for both the driver/gunner and commander with contains a unity magnification prismatic periscope with a wide 102 degree field of vision. This is combined with a binocular sight with X6, X10 or X18 magnification. The driver/gunner periscope is fixed in position but the commander's rotates with his powered cupola and is stabilized in elevation. The cupola also mounts four periscopes and there is one for the driver/gunner and two others facing the rear for the radio operator.



The engine, or actually engines, are of two different types. On the left is a Rolls Royce K60 diesel and the Boeing 502-10MA gas turbine is on the right. Both are connected to a Volvo hydro-kinetic torque converter automatic transmission closest to us. The transmission has two forward and two reverse speeds, one of the forward selections is higher geared for road travel and the other is lower for cross country. The twin power plants were planned to allow the vehicle to cruise with the economic diesel pushing the AFV along and then, during periods of high power needs, the turbine is switched on. The gas turbine also can be used as a starting engine for the diesel during extreme cold weather and the twin engine idea also allows either one to be used during an emergency or failure of the other unit.



The diesel is a 6-cylinder opposed-piston water-cooled two-stroke unit, which was developed to a British Army requirement (used for the FV432 APC and FV433 Abbot SPG) and develops 240bhp. The gas turbine (without heat exchanger) is compact and proven, being used in quantity by the US Navy where diesel/gas turbines do most of the heavy marine work. The turbine produces 330bhp, but provides more power than a piston engine for its size and weight. The large amount of air necessary for the turbine is ducted through large access gratings for both intake and exhaust at the left of the AFV (see the drawing above) while the diesel intake and exhaust are to the right. The second production series of the S-Tank, known as 103B has the original turbine replaced by a more powerful Boeing 553, develops 490bhp and has really improved the performance of the tank. Maximum speed was increased to 50km/h. The 103C currently in use has raplaced the original diesel with a Detroit Diesel D6V-53T, providing 300bhp. Along with the new diesel came a new three step automatic gear box and other changes.

[SAMWolf]

Cuz' we'd be all alone here.

:-(

[Iris7]

Everybody always says speed and mobility is most important, then gun, then armor. Guderian used to say this, back before the war. When the shooting starts the old lesson, from WW2, every Israeli war, Korea, is learned again. Armor first (they call it "good protection" these days), then gun, then mobility. The simple fact is that your crews will not perform unless the armor is good enough. People want a fighting chance, not a death sentence.

There is an old saying, "Armor makes courage." This was from the old days, pre-firearm. Still true. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

[PhilDragoo]

Sans fording skirts. Note the clean lines.

Above and below from this site.

Tom Clancy chasing his ex-wife in between taping anti-Bush interviews for the telly.

Do not miss the other twelve S-Tank photos at this site.

35538 Strv 103 S-Tank

Slow-loading but worthwhile:

Swedish Armor

In event of time-out or hot-link block, pull emergency lever

103StankAmmoLoadMattiasBrehag.jpg

From this neat page.

By loading on a trailer ramp maximum declination is attained.

From Swedes at the RAAC Tank Museum

But despite the extremely minimal silhouette, nothing, repeat, nothing is as low as Jean-Fraud Kerry, Komrade du Komunistas:

That Monroe Doctrine thang was bypassed by the Communist Congress' 1982 Boland Amendment making Communism in the Western Hemisphere a protected endangered species.

Jean-Fraud Kerry, not just French, not just Communist, not just anti-American--

Jean-Fraud is the real Red deal: French anti-American Communist.

[Cue Howard Dean/Al Gore stereophonic schizophrenic screamphony in F Minor with Ted Kennedy on mooing, cowbell.
Deutchegrammefon 666]

[Iris7]

President Reagan used a good metaphor in Winston Churchill.

Churchill became Prime Minister on May 10th, the very same day the Nazis crossed the French border. The world watched the catastrophe in France with dread and amazement.

The Germans offered the English peace terms right after Dunkirk. (Folks mostly don't know this, was maximum secret at the time. Historian John Lukacs has written the definitive book.) Great Britain would keep control of the sea and the Empire, and a guarantee of no invasion. (If Hitler said he was not going to kill you, he meant not right this minute.)

Lots of British Big Dogs were hot for the peace treaty. Lukacs traces the details; Churchill kept them from going wobbly. Real pressure, too. Life sentences were promised, with daily beatings. Lukacs makes the convincing case that Churchill single handedly prevented disaster of an awesome magnitude.

[Cannoneer No. 4]

S-Tank

[E.G.C.]

BTTT!!!!!!!!

[fdsa2]

Wow!

Getting a little misty-eyed over here in Sweden. As one of the last batch of pluton commanders on the 103C I have a special love/hate relationship to the tank.

One of it´s best features (a detail) but which no one has mentioned here but what saved our "bacon" in lots of situations was the ability for the tank commander to 1. take control of the tank and operate and fire from that position and 2. the ability to "ensa" (roughly slang for bringing together) which means that I could spot an enemy position or tank and lock on to it through my miniscule turret (complete with joystick operated 7.62 gun) while the shooter/driver finished engaging his target, then with a flick of a button the whole tank would swing into firing postion on my target.

That said the design was old and the tank certainly had it´s flaws but it sure as hell beat marching any day and on the jet engine exhaust next to my turret I could bring a brew up to cooking temperature in 2,5 seconds flat.

Or as our bumber sticker said "Infanterister på marsch uppskattar när man vinkar till dem" (Marching infantry appreciates when you wave to them).

IMHO Best VetsCoR thread ever - thank you!!!!

[Professional Engineer]

Sans fording skirts. Note the clean lines.

Oops. Looks akin to "forgot to put the gear down". LOL

[Professional Engineer]

and on the jet engine exhaust next to my turret I could bring a brew up to cooking temperature in 2,5 seconds flat.

LOL. A soldier's ingenuity is a wonderful thing.

[Johnny Gage]

Thanks for your posts. I love all the pictures and commentary you add to each days threads!

[Darksheare]

I got yelled at for not running down the Captain when he said "Stop" while I was on the sand.

[snippy_about_it]

LOL. And if the student saw only movies he would think we were all beautiful!

[Darksheare]

Yes, I am short.
That's what makes people overlook me while I sneak into a good defensible position...
..unless I'm up against people the same height or shorter than I.
;-)

[SAMWolf]

Don't fret too much, the results in America would probably be worse. The teaching of our History is sorely lacking here.