Ramses II (T-54E)

History of Ramses II (T-54E)

The Soviet Union managed to gain a foothold in MENA countries during the Cold War, leading to increased proliferation of its ubiquitous T-54/T-55 series of main battle tanks (MBTs). One of these operators of the T-54 system became Egypt where the breed was widely used. Over time, however, this type proved ineffective on the modern battlefield, especially against the Israelites, many of whom fell into enemy hands as trophies - only to be reconstituted and used against their former masters.

Therefore, the modernization of the fleet was finally ordered, resulting in the designation of the Egyptian army "Ramses II".

Ramses II development began when Egypt and the United States agreed to work together to help retrofit existing T-54s with Western equipment - primarily the M60A3 Patton's 105mm M68 main gun and his Fire Control System (FCS). The choice of the M68 is notable because the Egyptian Army also manages its own fleet of M60A3 Patton MBTs, which it purchased in bulk to form its main MBT product. As a result, the modified T-54 will be able to utilize existing stockpiles of ammunition and vehicle equipment, simplifying logistics. American engineers at Teledyne Continental Motors (now General Dynamics Land Systems) lengthened the fuselage to accommodate a new engine arrangement (TCM AVDS-1790 diesel engine) that shared parts with the original M60A3 model. The same Fire Control System (FCS) found on the more advanced M60A3 was also introduced into the revised T-54 design.

The completed prototypes were then sent back to Egypt for official trials, which lasted until 1987, and the vehicles were dubbed "T-54E," with the "E" designating their Egyptian modification. Additional testing began in 1989, after which the model entered service in 1990 under the designation "Ramses II". All in all, the Ramses II offers even more maneuverability than the M60A3, and its FCS proves to be an accurate long-range mount.

The production/refit of the Egyptian Army's existing T-54 fleet spanned the period 2004 to 2005, of which approximately 260 prototypes were produced and converted on site by the ETP Egyptian Tank Factory.

The Ramses II weighed 48 tons (the original T-54 was a 40-ton vehicle), had a barrel length (before the gun) of 9.6 meters, a width of 3.42 meters, and a height of 2 to 4 meters. It is piloted by a crew of four, including the driver, commander, gunner and loader. The driver sat in the front of the fuselage, and the remaining three crew members sat in the turret. The turret offers 360-degree rotation and is equipped with an upgraded Fire Control System (FCS) to increase the probability of first shots.

The protection scheme of the standard armor configuration is limited, although this can be compensated by installing armor blocks. In addition, armored skirts can be used to protect the rails and sides of the hull.

An NBC (Nuclear, Biological, Chemical) system is standard, as are an air filtration system and a fire detection and suppression system. The vehicle is mounted on six large wheels on one side of the track, using two chain return rollers, a rear drive sprocket and a front chain idler.

The Ramses II was equipped with the M68 rifled 105mm gun, which also appeared on the M60A3 Patton and was widely used by the Egyptian army (it replaced the original, now defunct 100mm DT by the Soviet-era 10T series) . ). Additionally, the weapon is designed around NATO standards that allow the weapon to use all types of NATO standard ammunition and is fully stabilized by the HR Textron system. The vehicle is defended by a coaxially mounted 7.62mm SGMT general purpose machine gun mounted next to the main gun. Additionally, air defense support is provided by 12.7mm Browning M2HB heavy machine guns.

The smoke screen can be generated by itself thanks to the installation of two rows of three electric smoke grenade launchers.

Ramses II is powered by a TCM AVDS-1790-5A turbo diesel engine producing 908 hp. This enables the mount to reach a top speed of 70 km/h and a range of up to 530 km. The engine is connected to a Renk RK-304 series drivetrain with four forward gears and four reverse gears.

The vehicle is suspended on a General Dynamics Land Systems Model 2880 hydropneumatic internal arm suspension system for improved off-road driving.

A total of 425 Ramses II vehicles will eventually fall within the scope of the program. The Ramses II tank was named after the Egyptian pharaoh, so there was no "Ramses I" tank in the project line.

Specification

Basic

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Performance

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Armor

48x105mm bullet

700 x 12.7mm ammo

4,500x7.62mm ammo

8 x Smoke Grenade

Changes