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CV90120 (CV90120-T / CV90-120)

2001 MODERN

History

CV90120-T is related to the Swedish family of armored vehicles, collectively referred to as "Combat Vehicle 90". The CV90120-T is essentially a modified version of the CV90 Armoured Fighting Vehicle (AFV) chassis, although as its name suggests, it is armed with a 120mm main gun and is officially classified as a "light tank". As such, the CV90120-T can be seen as a counterpart to the more expensive main battle tank (MBT) systems currently available, offering the same level of inherent firepower as its 120mm main gun in a more economical package, resulting in increased maneuverability. Although V90120-T is of excellent quality and thoughtful, it seems that it has not received any quantitative production orders.

Manufactured under the BAE Systems Hagglunds label, the well-known CV90 vehicle family includes 105mm armed light tank versions, dedicated anti-aircraft vehicles and other battlefield-specific vehicles, some of which are already operational in NATO - leading the Afghanistan - campaign.

The first CV90120-T prototype was introduced in 1998, although development was handled as a private company - meaning the vehicle was not designed to respond to a customer's existing military needs. Experiments followed, and the final design emerged in 2001. All in all, the CV90120-T is a capable main battle tank with good crew and system protection and standard firepower for buyers on a budget who cannot afford a more expensive modern main battle tank.

Additionally, the CV90120-T's "light tank" classification ensures that it is more portable than the full-fledged MBT, enabling it to be airlifted using the latest medium and heavy "movers" available to modern militaries. By comparison, the CV90120-T weighs about 32 tons, while most modern MBTs are over 60 tons - making the CV90120-T about half as heavy as the modern MBTs it was designed to compete with.

Dimensionally, the CV90120 measures 21'3"L x 10'2"W and 9'6"H.

The design of the CV90120-T has clean, sharp lines consistent with the design of other modern Swedish military vehicles, and is extremely traditional in appearance and layout. There are seven wheels on one side of the track, and the top "range" of each track is protected by a "serrated" style side armor skirt.

The hull profile is low, with well raked glacis plates (almost horizontal) and vertical hull sides. The hull is of fully welded heavy duty steel construction. The driver sits on the front left of the fuselage, just ahead of the worn turret, with an access hatch and applicable sights. The turret itself also has a very low profile design with many highly sloping surfaces for basic ballistic protection. Various optics and sensors are mounted on top of the turret, and the side of the turret is clearly marked with an electric smoke grenade launcher.

The top of the turret also contains two entry/exit hatches at the commander and gunner's positions. The CV90120-T is piloted by a crew of four, including the driver in the fuselage and the commander, gunner and loader in the turret (commander and gunner on the right, loader on the left). The basic overlapping modular armor protection of the CV90120 vehicle can be further enhanced with optional Explosive Reactive Armor (ERA) to further increase protection. Additionally, the crew relies on the latest active detection and countermeasures system (via the Defense Assistance Kit), which can alert (and automatically respond to) the crew if the CV90120-T vehicle is scanned, tracked and attacked by an enemy. This is achieved through sensors used to detect incoming missiles, radar and laser threats.

A unique self-defense measure involves active countermeasures to a "mist" system (called Multispectral Aerosol = MSA on BAE Systems' website), designed to "cover" the outside of the tank with water and help absorb the tank's infrared heat to delay the signal. "Top Attack" radar and intelligent munition identification also make the CV90120 one of the most modern and advanced combat vehicles in the world.

The CV90120-T is powered by a 670 hp Scania V-8 series 4-stroke diesel engine revving at 2,375 rpm, mounted in the rear passenger compartment. This enables the vehicle to reach road speeds of around 43 miles per hour at a range of 415 miles. The automatic transmission allows four forward gears and two reverse gears, the latter of which can reach a top speed of 25 mph.

The CV90120 can handle up to 60% slope and 40% side slope. It can also cross vertical obstacles up to 1 meter high and traverse 1.5 meters of water. Suspension is provided by a torsion bar assembly with rotary dampers.

The CV90120-T base product includes several crew-friendly measures and amenities such as air conditioning (for high temperature operations), NBC protection (nuclear, biological, chemical) and integrated fire suppression system (to protect crew and tanks from ammunition) explosion) and an integrated communications suite for dialogue between crew members and external dialogue with other tanks and sitting commanders. The fast data bus takes over the vehicle electrical system.

120mm L/50 Compact Tank Gun (CTG) The smoothbore main gun armament is located in the front center of the motorized turret, and the 7.62mm coaxial machine gun for infantry defense (to the left of the main gun). An optional 12.7mm heavy machine gun for anti-aircraft and light armoured vehicle combat is also available, mounted on top of the turret in the commander's hatch. The central part of the main gun has a large smoke exhaust port with perforations at the end of the muzzle, without any discernible brake.

The turret allows 360-degree traversal, allowing the CV90120-T crew to provide acquisitions in full proximity to the target at any perceived angle. The 120mm main gun reserves 45 rounds of projectiles, and the machine gun reserves thousands of rounds of ammunition. Twelve 120mm shells are "ready to fire", while 33 are stored around the turret and hull. As with any modern tank system, the CV90120-T's main gun is digitally stabilized along two axes for accurate fire "on the move" and can be fought day or night. The gun is also approved for firing all known 120mm NATO standard projectiles.

The rate of fire is estimated at 12-14 rounds per minute, while its design is semi-automatic. Rifle groups can use laser rangefinders as well as hot night channels.