Re:Tanks vs. APCs

David Brewer wrote:

> > However, the Israelis have also re-built lots of old tanks - the
> > Merkava MkIII's aren't old - into pure APCs, just like Thomas said.
> > I don't remember which type they used either, but I can check 
> >that  tomorrow.
> 
> Jane's Armour and Artillery will have the specs.

I know :-) I have access to the on-line Jane's Defence Library at work
but
not from my home computer, thus the "can check tomorrow" part <g> 

>Centurions and T-62's, IIRC, increased in height. The troops have to
>bundle out of a big hole in the top of the vehicle, suspiciously
turret-ring->sized. 

Centurions have been refitted into Puma combat engineer APCs and
Nagmash'ot and Nakpadon heavy APCs, but JAA gives no specs on either
beyond that the turret has been removed and the hull has been more or
less rebuilt. The IDF also uses the Nagmachon, which seems to be the
same as the Nagmash'ot but built on an M48 hull instead of a Centurion.
Judging from the pictures in JAA the hull has been raised on all of
these, but the overall height seems to be a bit less than the original
turreted tanks.

The Achzarit is built on T-54 and T-55 hulls. Overall height of the
Achzarit
is "about two meters" while the T-55 is 2.35m over the commander's
cupola, so they must have raised the hull on the Achzarit somewhat -
the T55 turret is low, but not *that* low :-/ The Achzarit section says
"Specifications: Not available" so I don't have any more exact
measurements than this, but the text says that the new power pack has
left enough space in the rear of the hull to fit a door - it still has
roof hatches, of course, but the grunts don't have to dismount through
them.

The Russian BTR-T is a T-54/55 turned into an APC which lacks rear or
side doors. This may be the one you're thinking of, or it could be the
Centurion and M48 conversions.

Couldn't find any mention of T-62s being used, though. They are
mentioned as having been considered for the Achzarit conversion and
some prototypes seem to have been made, but in the end the IDF opted
for the T-54/55 version instead.

> It's a cheap way to produce an APC fleet 

I don't think the refits aren't that cheap compared to, say, buing more
M113s... but they are probably cheaper than replacing the extra
casualties
they'd take with lighter APCs.

> Oddest looking Israeli APC has to be the M113's with the really
> shallow-sloping reactive panels, sloped to about 30 degrees. At
> the side of the vehicle these slope out, then in, then out and
> then in again. Having such an extreme slope, they're supposed to
> stop a LAW rocket or RPG-n, such as might be used for sniping at
> Isreali occupying forces by disgruntled locals.

Just as importantly, the extreme slopes helps stopping the ERA back
plate
from going through the ERA through the thin M113 hull :-/ Avoiding
potentially serious damage frpm the own ERA has been one of the major
problems with designing ERA upgrades for lightly armoured vehicles.

Regards,

Oerjan Ohlson
oerjan.ohlson@telia.com

"Life is like a sewer.
  What you get out of it, depends on what you put into it."
- Hen3ry