Jane’s

Page 1 of 12

International Defence Review

Tanked up: enhancing capability and extending life

[Content preview – Subscribe to Jane’s International Defence Review for full article]

Turkey may be the only NATO country building new MBTs, but most of the others are enhancing

existing vehicles to extend their operational lives. Christopher F Foss reports on some key upgrade

programmes around the world

Shifting operational patterns and growing evidence that tank crews can no longer rely on threats

coming mainly from their frontal arc has encouraged many users to explore upgrades to improve

their capability for urban fighting and counter-insurgency roles.

These upgrades in particular have tended to focus on extending protection around and beneath the

vehicles, to defend against short-range and high-angle rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs), anti-tank

missiles, and the ubiquitous improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

Among the Western operators leading the way with these upgrades are Canada and Denmark, which

upgraded their main battle tanks (MBTs) for deployment to Afghanistan, and Italy, the United

Kingdom, and the United States for operations in Iraq.

However, as always with armoured fighting vehicle (AFV) upgrades, adding protection skews the

power-to-weight ratio and MBT upgrades usually also try to address mobility, with potential

firepower enhancements also on the cards where financially and technically feasible.

This protection can be bolstered with various combinations of advanced passive and explosive

reactive armour (ERA) while hard kill defensive aids are becoming increasingly popular, as are

electronic countermeasures (ECM) to protect against remotely detonated mines and IEDS.

Mobility upgrades usually include the installation of new high-performance diesel powerpacks.

Although this has not been deemed necessary for the Leopard 2 and M1A1/M1A2, as they already

had a good power-to-weight ratio, the US Army is still flirting with the idea of swapping the Abrams'

hot and thirsty gas turbine arrangement.

Target engagement capabilities have also been enhanced in a number of areas through the wider

fielding of the latest generation thermal imaging systems and laser rangefinders for the commander

and gunner.

Legacy electro-hydraulic gun control equipment (GCE) has also generally given way to all-electric

GCE, and fire-control systems (FCS) are today all digital.

Jane’s

Page 2 of 12

Firepower can also be enhanced with the installation of a larger calibre main armament or a longer

barrel such as that fitted to the Leopard 2A6 and Leopard 2A7, which are now armed with the

Rheinmetall 120 mm L/55 smoothbore gun.

Leopard 2A7 series undergoing trials in Qatar and firing the Rheinmetall 120 mm L/55 smoothbore

gun. (Krauss-Maffei Wegmann)

1168560

Most MBT users, however, have improved their firepower by fielding new types of ammunition

offering greater armour penetration characteristics, or optimisation for use in urban operations.

Co-axial machine guns (MGs) remain standard fittings, but the vulnerability of heads out crew in

built up areas means that unprotected roof-mounted 7.62 mm MGs have largely been replaced by

either a protected weapon station (PWS) or remote weapon station (RWS) typically armed with a .50

calibre MG.

Away from these areas, environmental factors have also driven upgrades. All in-service Western

MBTs were developed for operations in Europe, but deployments that encountered the high

ambient temperatures in the Middle East and Afghanistan have necessitated the installation of air

conditioning to protect electronics and crew. As a result, some vehicles have been fitted with

environmental control units combining air conditioning and nuclear, biological, radiological and

Jane’s

Page 3 of 12

chemical protection. Several vehicle crews encountered attack from industrial contaminants in

theatre.

[Continued in full version…]

Chinese upgrades

With such a large fleet of MBTs, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) has always fielded a mixture of

new and upgraded MBT's, and there are many continuously rolling upgrade projects.

Chinese Type 59 upgraded to Type 59P standard with improvements including installation of 105 mm

rifled gun and ERA over the frontal arc. (Poly Technologies)

1332761

Going back to early days, the PLA's first generation Type 59 was based on the Russian T-54,

upgraded with a new computerised FCS and a 105 mm rifled gun.

Today, China North Industries Corporation (NORINCO) is offering upgrades for the Russian T-54/T-

55, T-62, and T-72, and the Chinese Type 59 and 69. These upgrades cover armour (passive or ERA

types), mobility, and firepower.

Jane’s

Page 4 of 12

The largest known customer for Chinese upgrades is Pakistan, which has had a phased programme

including the upgrading of existing Type 59 and Type 69s, plus the production of new MBTs. The

latter includes the Type 85 and Al Khalid, which both feature a 125 mm gun fed by an automatic

loader enabling the crew to be reduced to commander, gunner, and driver.

[Continued in full version…]

French Leclerc upgrade

Nexter Systems built 406 Leclerc MBTs for the French Army and 436 Leclercs and variants for the

United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Nexter Systems Leclerc of the UAE showing part of the AZUR urban operations kit which includes

bar/slat armour over the rear arc. (Christopher F Foss)

1453185

The turret for the Leclerc was built at the now defunct Tarbes with hull production and final

assembly taking place at Roanne, which is today Nexter Systems' main integration facility for AFV

and artillery systems. Roanne is currently overhauling Leclercs at a rate of about 10 vehicles a year.

Under its latest restructuring, the French Army is reducing its Leclerc fleet to around 254 vehicles,

with early production vehicles already being phased out of service.

The final batch of 54 Leclercs were the Block II+, which included additional armour, a Sagem

commander's sight incorporating day and thermal channels, and a laser rangefinder.

Jane’s

Page 5 of 12

The two main rounds fired by the Nexter Systems 120 mm F1 smoothbore gun are predictably the

company's fairly standard armour-piercing fin-stabilised discarding-sabot (APFSDS) and high-

explosive anti-tank (HEAT) types, with a semi-combustible cartridge case. The bustle-mounted

automatic loader holds a total of 22 rounds of 120 mm barcoded ammunition.

The French Army has now introduced into service the 120 mm F1 high-explosive (HE) fragmentation

round, which has been developed by Nexter Munitions and NAMMO with 10,000 rounds delivered.

This HE round has a nose-mounted fuze with two modes of operation - default impact and delay - a

maximum stated range of 5,000 m and contains 3.2 kg of HE, plus 9.2 kg of fragmenting material.

Nexter Systems developed the Action en Zone Urbaine (AZUR) urban operations kit, which has been

tested by the French Army, but no orders have been placed. This kit includes additional passive

armour over the frontal arc, bar/slat armour over the rear of the turret and hull, and enhanced

protection against top attack weapons.

[Continued in full version…]

Leopard 2 upgrades

The first Leopard 2 MBT rolled off the production line in 1979 and the fleets around the world have

undergone substantial upgrades since then. Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) built a total of 990

units for the German Army with another 810 built by MaK (now Rheinmetall).

Canadian Leopard 2A4M CAN MBT upgraded for deployment to Afghanistan by KMW showing

bar/slat armour over the rear arc. (Krauss-Maffei Wegmann)

Jane’s

Page 6 of 12

1452884

There were a number of differences in the German Army Leopard 2s, the last batch being designated

Leopard 2A4. Further development for the German Army resulted in the Leopard 2A5, which

retained the standard Rheinmetall 120 mm L/44 smoothbore gun. This was followed by the Leopard

2A6, which featured the longer Rheinmetall 120 mm L/55 smoothbore gun. Both of these also had a

number of other enhancements including a passive-armour package over the frontal arc, featuring a

distinctive arrowhead array across the front of the turret.

Denmark has taken into service the Leopard 2A5 DK, which despite the later designation is an

upgrade of an older vehicle, while Sweden has the new-build Strv 122, which for a while was

considered the best protected Leopard 2 variant. Both are armed with the standard 120 mm L/44

smoothbore gun.

New-build Leopard 2A6s are in service with the Hellenic Army (Leopard 2A6 HEL) and the Spanish

Army (Leopard 2E). The first vehicles were supplied from the KMW Munich production line before

local production got underway.

The latest 2A7 version has been developed by KMW in co-operation with the German Army, which is

talking delivery of an initial batch of 20 converted vehicles. It leverages from all of the previous

Leopard 2 development work, with inputs from the user community and the vehicles optimised for

urban operations, or Peace Support Operation (PSO) as the type was also referred to.

The Leopard 2A7+ has the Rheinmetall 120 mm L/55 smoothbore gun with a 7.62 mm co-axial MG.

Mounted on the roof is the KMW FLW200 RWS, which is already in service with the German Army on

a number of its armoured platforms.

[Continued in full version…]

Rheinmetall enters the ring

As previously stated, Rheinmetall built 810 Leopard 2 for the German Army plus some for export,

bringing the total to 997.

Jane’s

Page 7 of 12

The 'MBT Revolution' has been developed by Rheinmetall for export and has been upgraded in a

number of areas. (Rheinmetall)

1364405

However, as a private venture, Rheinmetall developed an upgrade package for the export market

called 'MBT Revolution', which was first shown in mid-2010. Rheinmetall drew on it's experience in

the production of earlier Leopard 2s, as well as supplying the 120 mm main armament, ammunition,

and computerised FCS.

The 'MBT Revolution' has a new passive armour package developed by IBD that provides an increase

in protection through 360°.

Rheinmetall's ROSY grenade system has been fitted to the fully digitised upgraded turret, the

number of boxes and cables have been reduced, and all crew members are provided with flat-panel

displays.

The old electro-hydraulic GCE has been replaced by a new all-electric system and cameras provide

360° situational awareness.

The commander is provided with the Rheinmetall Stabilised Electro-Optical Sensor System (SEOSS),

which enables target detection at extended ranges under almost all weather conditions. Other

Jane’s

Page 8 of 12

features include an APU, climate control, tank infantry phone at the rear, and commander's brake in

case the driver is injured.

[Continued in full version…]

Ariete survivability enhancement

The Italian Army took delivery of 200 Ariete MBTs between 1995 and 2002, which have replaced the

phased-out Leopard 1s.

No variants of the Ariete have been developed, so Italy's specialised ARV, AEV, and armoured vehicle

launched bridges (AVLB) - based on the Leopard 1 components - remain in service.

Prime contractor for the Ariete and other AFVs developed for the Italian Army is the Rome-based

Consorzio Iveco Oto (CIO), with Oto Melara responsible for the tracked AFV and Iveco Defence

Vehicles responsible for the wheeled AFV.

Oto Melara is also responsible for all of the turrets and weapon systems for these vehicles, while

Iveco Defence Vehicles is responsible for the automotive aspects including the Italian-developed

diesel powerpacks.

Oto Melara has supplied the Italian Army with 200 enhanced protection packages for the Ariete, plus

another 30 enhanced protection packages for peace-support operations (not to be confused with

the Leopard-based PSO).

[Continued in full version…]

UralVagonZavod T-72 gets upgraded

The Russian T-72 MBT has been built in larger numbers than any other MBT in the last 40 years. In

addition to being manufactured in Russia the T-72M1 was also built in the former Czechoslovakia,

Poland, and the former Yugoslavia, often in a modified form.

As the T-72 OEM, UralVagonZavod has developed a number of upgrades with the latest version

being officially called the T-72M1 Modernised, which also covers the three areas of armour, mobility

and firepower.

The existing 125 mm gun is replaced by the latest 125 mm 2A46M smoothbore gun manufactured by

Artillery Plant No 9, which is claimed to be more accurate. It is also fitted with a thermal sleeve,

fume extractor and a muzzle reference system, which enables the gunner to boresight the main

armament without leaving the turret, and also provides greater accuracy.

A new FCS includes the gunner's stabilised Sosna-U sight with day and thermal channels and a laser

rangefinder. The gunner also has a TPD-1K sighting system. The automatic target tracker is used

together with the thermal channel of the Sosna-U with the FCS being in the main mode. The

commander has a day/night sight stabilised in elevation and can now aim and fire his roof-mounted

Jane’s

Page 9 of 12

12.7 mm MG from under armour protection, and the commander and gunner both have a video

viewing device.

The 125 mm 2A46 smoothbore gun can also fire a laser-guided projectile out to a maximum range of

5,000 m, even on the move. Those engagements can be carried out by the commander or gunner

and, according to UralVagonZavod, have a time-of-flight to that maximum range of 17.6 seconds.

The baseline T-72M1 MBT already boasts 'advanced' armour, but the survivability of the T-72M1

Modernised variant adds the latest Relikt-5 ERA, which provides a high level of protection against

both kinetic energy (KE) and chemical energy (CE) threats, especially over the frontal arc.

The vehicle is also fitted with an electromagnetic system, claimed to protect against anti-tank mines

fitted with magnetic fuzes, while a screening system has been fitted to provide immediate warning

to the crew that they are being targeted by a laser in the 0.65 to 1.54 m and 371 m range. The

system can then jam anti-tank systems with semi-automatic guidance. Integral 81 mm grenade

launchers can launch 3D17 or 3D6 grenades.

[Continued in full version…]

Challenger 2 Life Extension Programme

The British Army and the Royal Army of Oman are the only operators of Challenger 2; the Omani

vehicles are specially optimised for high ambient temperatures in the Middle East.

As a result of restructuring, the British Army is winnowing its forces down to three tank regiments,

each with a wartime establishment of 58 Challenger 2s. The total British Army Challenger 2 fleet is

expected to be around 227 vehicles (the total delivery was 386 vehicles), including those being used

for training and those undergoing maintenance. The remainder are understood to be earmarked for

spares and cannibalisation, rather than export sales disposal.

The Challenger 2 is armed with a 120 mm L30A1 rifled tank gun, which fires separate loading

ammunition (projectile and charge).

Under the 120 mm smoothbore Technical Demonstrator Programme (TDP) contract awarded to BAE

Systems, a Challenger 2 was fitted with a Rheinmetall 120 mm L/55 smoothbore gun for a series of

trials completed in the United Kingdom in 2006.

It was then expected that Challenger 2 would be put through a Challenger Capability Sustainment

Programme (CCSP), which could have included a number of enhancements such as the replacement

of the L30A1 with the 120 mm L/55 gun, to exploit the wider range of more advanced ammunition

types for smoothbore weapons.

However, the CCSP dissolved and the remaining Challenger 2s will instead be put through a Life

Extension Programme (LEP) to keep them in service out to 2035. Its exact scope is unclear, but it is

likely to concentrate on replacing obsolete subsystems rather than include any major work, with a

potential cost of around GBP500 million (USD812 million).

Jane’s

Page 10 of 12

Part of the British Army Challenger 2 fleet is to be put through a Life Extension Programme which is

expected to concentrate on sub-systems. (IHS/Patrick Allen)

1377874

Challenger 2 was originally designed by Vickers Defence Systems with production undertaken at

facilities in Leeds (now closed) and Newcastle-upon-Tyne, which will close in early 2014.

BAE Systems is now the design authority for Challenger 2, as well as the Challenger Armoured Repair

and Recovery Vehicle (ARRV), TITAN AVLB and TROJAN breacher, which all share automotive

subsystems. All overhaul work on Challenger 2 has been carried out at the Defence Support Group's

(DSG's) facilities at Bovington.

[Continued in full version…]

M1 Abrams upgrades

The General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) M1 Abrams has received constant upgrades since the

first vehicles rolled off the production line in 1980 armed with the 105 mm M68 series rifled gun

(which was also installed in the older M60).

The M1 was followed by the M1A1 and the M1A2, both armed with the 120 mm M256 smoothbore

gun developed from Rheinmetall's L/44.

All of the original M1 Abrams have been phased out of service, however later vehicles still remain in

service with Australia (M1A1 AIM), Egypt (M1A1 co-production), Iraq (M1A1), Kuwait (M1A2), and

Saudi Arabia (M1A2), as well as the United States (M1A1/M1A2 army and M1A1 marines).

Jane’s

Page 11 of 12

Key elements of the M1A2 SEP v1 and SEP v2 upgrades. (General Dynamics Land Systems)

1334103

For operations in Iraq, Abrams were fitted with the Tank Urban Survival Kit (TUSK) - developed under

the leadership of GDLS - which included enhanced situational awareness and improved protection.

Production of the M1A1/M1A2 has ended, but the US Army has continuously upgraded a major part

of its fleet under a System Enhancement Package (SEP) programme, resulting in the M1A2 SEP v1

and SEP v2.

The main objective of the project is to add capability and replace obsolete and insupportable sub-

systems, without touching the main armament and powerpack. This work is carried out by GDLS at

its Lima, Ohio facility in conjunction with Anniston Army Depot.

As of late 2013, about 1,600 Abrams had been upgraded to the M1A2 SEP v2 standard, from a total

fleet of nearly 2,400 MBTs.

[Continued in full version…]

M60A1/M60A3 upgrades

The M60 MBT was originally manufactured by the Chrysler Corporation, which was subsequently

sold to GDLS.

In US Army service the M60 was replaced by the GDLS Abrams, but significant numbers of M60

series MBTs armed with the 105 mm M68-series rifled tank gun still remain in some parts of the

world.

Jane’s

Page 12 of 12

Israel Military Industries developed the Sabra M60 MBT upgrade package for the export market

drawing on experience upgrading MBTs for the Israel Defence Forces (IDF).

Sabra is a modular MBT upgrade that can be tailored to the end users' operational requirements.

Meanwhile, the Turkish Land Forces Command (TLFC) has taken delivery of 170 M60A3 MBTs under

the local name M60T.

The first prototype was upgraded in Israel with the main batch being worked on at the TLFC facilities

in Kayserie, where earlier M48 MBTs were upgraded.

This M60T upgrade includes swapping the legacy 105 mm gun for a 120 mm smoothbore gun. A

computerised FCS enables stationary and moving targets to be engaged under almost all weather

conditions with increased first round hit probability.

Survivability has been enhanced with new passive and ERA armour.

A new 1,000 hp MTU diesel powerpack was coupled to a Renk transmission, and the suspension was

upgraded to take into account the increased weight.

[Continued in full version…]

Copyright © IHS Global Limited, 2014

For the full version and more content:

For advertising solutions contact the IHS Jane’s Advertising team

Jane's Defence Equipment and Technology Intelligence Centre Jane's Defence Equipment & Technology Intelligence Centre delivers the world's most comprehensive and reliable commercially available global defense equipment and technology profiles and specifications, as well as world-leading defense industry news and analysis.

SUBSCRIBE TO JANE’S DEFENCE EQUIPMENT AND TECHNOLOGY INTELLIGENCE CENTRE

FOR ACCESS TO THE LATEST NEWS, ANALYSIS AND DATA