RT-401 Light Tank/Armored Recce Vehicle

[Nachmere]

Specifications

General:
Type: Light Tank/Armored Recce Vehicle
Country of Origin: The Armed Republic of Nachmere
Manufacturer: Schwerpunkt | AFV Division
Production Status: In Production
Unit Cost: 3,650,000 USD
DPR: 350,000,000 USD

Dimensions:
Crew: 3
Weight: 8.5 metric tons combat ready(9.8 tons with add-on armor)
Length: 5.1 meters (5.45 with add-on armor)
Width: 2.3 meters (2.65 with add-on armor)
Height: 2.25 meters (turret roof)
Ground Clearance: 0.35 meters

Armament:
Main gun: : 30mm L80 Dual Feed automatic cannon
Main gun ammunition storage: 165 ready to fire.
Coaxial: 7.62mm machinegun
Coaxial ammunition storage: 1000 ready to fire, another 1000 stored
ATGM: 2 retractable tube launches for Assassin 2LR, 2 more stored
Commanders armament: 7.62mm machine gun
Commanders armament ammunition storage: 270 ready to fire, 1000 more stored.
Close range grenade launchers: 2X6 tube 80mm.

Protection:
Passive protection: Aluminum armor with Kevlar spall liner
Active protection: "Iron Tide" Soft/Hard Kill APS
Add-on Protection: "Veil" titanium statistic armor.

Power:
Engine: NMC 160HDD 6.7 liter, 6 cylinder diesel
Power output: 300HP at 3,500 RPM
Power to weight ratio: ~35.2hp/ton
Batteries: 12 LFP Li-Ion Batteries

Maneuverability:
Suspension: Torsion Bars
Maximum road speed (governed): 90km/h
Water speed: 7 km/h
Trench Crossing: 2 meters
Vertical Obstacle Crossing: 0.5 meters
Fording: 1 meters (amphibious with preparation)
Fuel capacity: 450 liters
Operational range: ~650 kilometers




Background

The RT-401 "Zariz"(Agile) was designed to meet specifications by an export customer for a light tank/ armored recce vehicle. The Zariz is an extremely mobile vehicle, both tactically and strategically. The light weight and small dimensions allow carrying 2 vehicles in a single medium transport aircraft (such as the C-130). The tank is meant mostly for reconnaissance work, but it is sufficiently well armed to engage heavily armored opponents if needed.
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General Design

Heavily inspired by the FV107 Scimitar, the RT-401 is a small vehicle with a crew of 3. The engine and transmission are mounted to the front and right of the tank, with the driver to their left. The commander and gunner are located in a rear mounted 360 degrees rotating turret.
The turret is extremely low profile and has the main armament located in the center, the commander to the right and gunner to the left.

Armament

1)The primary weapon of the RT-410 is a 30mm 80 calibers long automatic cannon. The cannon is mounted in the center of the turret, and has a dual feed system. Meant to engage both infantry and light armor, the cannon has 165 rounds ready to fire, usually a mix of HE and KE rounds. The FCS allows the gun to be fired in bursts of 3 and 6 rounds. The 30mm is fully stabilized in both axis and can be controlled by both the gunner and commander.

2)The Zariz is equipped with a 2 tube launcher for the Assassin 2LR, 2 more stored.

The coaxial weapon on the Zariz is a 7.62mm medium machinegun , mounted inside the turret to the left of the main gun. Loaded from a 1,000 round belt, the co-ax is meant for engaging infantry and soft vehicles at ranges of up to 1,000 yards. Like the main gun, it is fully stabilized and controlled by both commander and gunner.

A 7.62mm machinegun in a pintle mount near the commander's hatch allows for engagement of infantry at close ranges. The mount is simple and allows for a 270 degree fire arc as well as high elevation for AA fire.


In addition to the machinegun, the commander also controls the 12 tube close range grenade system.

The 80mm grenades launched by this system can engage infantry in close ranges (60 meters) and more importantly screen the tank against threats. The grenades are fired from a control panel in the commander’s compartment. Types of ammunition available for this system are White Phosphorus, HE-Fragmentation, IR-screening smoke, IR-Decoy, Less than lethal tear gas and less than lethal “flash-bang”.

Fire control and Observation

The Zariz has a solid states ballistic fire control system based on ones previously installed in Nahchmerean tanks. It features an advanced processing unit and utilizes both IIR and day time optics. The system has both pixel-lock and hunter-killer capabilities.

The turret has full electric stabilization and electric-powered controls. The gun is stabilized by digital gyroscopes in both axes. A manual traverse system is installed as a backup. The fire control computer automatically calculates the fire solution based on: lead angle measurement; bend of the gun measured by the muzzle reference system; velocity measurement from a wind sensor on the roof of the turret; data from a pendulum static cant sensor located at the center of the turret roof; temperature, and barometric pressure. Solutions to moving targets or for fire-on-the-move are given by measuring the traverse speed of the turret while tracking the target. The system is capable of “pixel-locking”, a mode in which a moving target is “locked” on to by the system and the gun automatically tracks it and adds a lead.

The gunner’s sight is a TV type observation system, with day and night capabilities. The sight is digitally connected to the main gun, and stabilized in 2 axes. The system has X1, X3 and X10 magnification in both day and night modes. The sight itself is raised to minimize the exposure of the tank in fire positions. The image from the sight is displayed on a 10” LCD screen making targeting and scanning easier and less strenuous. When in X1 magnification the reticule changes from a standard cross to a circle similar to some small arms reflex sights, allowing easier aiming at close range targets.

The CITV (Commander’s Independent Thermal Viewer) acts as a separate, fully stabilized day and night sight for the main and coaxial weapons, allowing the commander to “slave” the gunner controls to identify targets or fire. In this mode the CITV allows the commander to identify, select, and range targets before even the top of the turret is exposed, and while remaining buttoned. The CITV has X1.5 and X8 magnification as options.


The driver has either three observation periscopes or two periscopes on both sides and a Driver’s Thermal Viewer. The periscopes provide 120°field of view.



Protection

Due to the very tight weight limitations required for airborne transport, the Zariz is protected only against small kinetic threats by its passive protection. This basic protection is augmented by an active protection system capable of defending against anti-tank weapons, and an optional add-on armor package increasing the vehicles kinetic protection.

As mentioned the basic protection suit of the RT-410 is aluminum armor. This armor is mostly non-perforated single plates, but some parts have spaced aluminum plates, for grater protection. Generally the Zariz passive armor is considered to counter KE threats up to 14.5mm in the frontal arc and around the turret, and 7.62mm on the hull sides and rear.

In addition to the passive and reactive protection suites, the RT-410 is also protected by the “Iron Tide” APS. “Iron Tide” is modular soft and hard kill system designed to operate with the BASTION battle management system and take full advantage of the systems of each specific vehicle it is mounted on.

System components:
1)Main Processing Unit: a high speed compact processing unit with a 3 GHz clock rate. The processor uses a stripped down fast version of a common commercial operating system. The other software installed on it is the “Iron Tide” system. This allows the tracking, classification and engagement of threats detected by the system sensors. The software can use the data from the radar to identify threats and choose which threats to engage and which threats not to engage. It also chooses what counter measure to use against a threat. The processing unit is linked to the BASTION system, allowing one “Iron Tide” unit to network with others. This allows the systems to “warn” each other of threats, protect vehicles that have no loaded countermeasures, and use group smoke screening to protect the entire unit.
2)F/G band radar. Consisting of up to 5 flat panel antennas around the AFV (one directed upwards to identify top-attack threats), the radar is used to identify incoming threats and classify them. Threats are identified and classified in a 360 degrees arc around the protected vehicle, and the information is sent to the APS computer.
3)4 IR sensors located on sensor mast. This sensor identifies incoming projectiles by the thermal signature of their propulsion systems or the projectile itself. The IR data is sent to the APS computer where it is compared to the radar data. The use of IR sensors lowers the chance of the APS being defeated by jammers and low cross section projectiles.
4) A 360 degrees laser warning system. This comprises of 4-8 laser/active IR sensors, which identify laser designators and range finders targeting the AFV. The data is used to alert the team and give the system a “heads up” on what type of threats are about to engage it.
5) 2 twin-barreled automatically reloading, fully stabilized, 360 rotating launchers. The launchers fire fin stabilized 80mm projectiles. The projectiles are combustible and create almost no shrapnel. Exploding less than 1 meter from the threat, the projectile causes it to destabilize and either fall apart in the air or go off target. This method is effective against both CE threats and KE threats. 12 projectiles are carried in the auto-reload magazines of the system.
6) In turreted vehicles- the “Iron Tide” system is connected to the turret traverse system and can traverse the turret to fire smoke grenades if needed (requiring only a confirmation from the commander).
7) Jammers- the system includes both a radio frequency jammer and a laser/IR jammer. The R/F jammer is a high output unit which is programmed to work on frequencies used by radio guided munitions. As the missile nears the protected vehicle, the jammer out powers the guidance signal severing the tie between the missile and its launcher .The Laser and Infra Red jammer is similar to the similar to the RF jammer, and works either by directing false guidance data at the incoming threat or by blinding it completely. The jammers are located in the sensor mast of the system.
8) Commanders control panel- the entire system is controlled through a LCD panel in the commander’s compartment. This panel allows him to select modes of operation, turn different subsystems on and off, confirm turret rotation and decoy launch etc.

Operation: The fire control radar, located on top of the turret, identifies incoming rockets and missiles. The radar data is transmitted to the processing unit. The processing unit ignores birds, small weapons fire and threats that are not bound for the protected vehicle. When a threat is identified, the possessing unit selects the optimal method of engaging it. The system makes this decision based on the threat itself (guidance type, size, speed, etc.), the vehicles status (amount and type of remaining countermeasures, vehicles motion, etc), and the units status (other vehicles being more vulnerable, infantry being near the vehicle, etc). The system than engages the threat with the chosen countermeasure. The system prefers soft-kill options, but if the threat persists the system automatically uses the hard kill choice.

"Veil" light weight add-on armor package: To increase the over all protection of the Zariz against small kinetic threats(which are not engaged by the APS), it is possible to install an add-on armor package. "Veil" is a statistic armor, consisting of a "skirt" of perforated aluminum plates installed around the hull. Due to their construction, "Veil" plates cause incoming small kinetic threats to tumble before reaching the main armor, and thus increase the overall protection of the vehicle to 20mm KE threats on the frontal arc and 14.5mm KE rounds on the sides and rear. "Veil", by nature of being a sort of spaced armor, also adds protection against shrapnel and HEAT threats.

NBC protection for the Zariz is provided by an overpressure system. The tank is buttoned and an overpressure is created by pumping air into the tank through filters. This keeps contaminated air out and when combined with the use of personal masks allows continued operations in contaminated areas.


Crew and vehicle survivability

The Zariz has a Kevlar lining in the crew compartments to minimize spalling. The front mounted engine layout of the tank also adds a degree of crew survivability.

A fire suppression system is installed in the fighting compartment, engine compartment and ammo storage units. The system has 4 visual and thermal fire detectors and 4 BCF canisters. The canisters are located in the turret (2), driver compartment (1) and engine compartment (1). The entire system is controlled from the gunner’s compartment, with the engine canister also being operated from the driver’s compartment. Diesel fuel for the engine is stored in 3 tanks in the front and back of the tank, with cutoff valves allowing the use of each tank separately.

The ammunition belt for the 30mm gun is located in a milspec fire and energy resistant polymer casing. The TLFF-150 launch box is also made of such material, and the two spare missiles are similarly stored. The crew seats are all of the suspended type, to protect the crew from explosions under the tank.

Mobility

The Zariz is powered by a 6.7 liter commercially available engine providing 300 horsepower at max RPM. This diesel engine is coupled to an automatic gearbox with 3 forward gears and one reverse gear. The suspension is a torsion bar design with 5 road wheel pairs per side. The track is slack and has no return rollers. Each track section is held to the next with a pin, and the pins are designed to break before the sections, as their replacement is far easier. The vehicle is fully amphibious with short preparation and is propelled on the water by it's tracks.

Zariz is not only extremely mobile tactically, it is also stratigically mobile. due to it's light weight and small dimensions two combat ready vehicles can be flown by a single C-130 transport. The Zariz is air-drop-able and its amphibious abilities also allow it to participate in shore landings if needed(the tank easily fits small AFV landing craft)


Communications and Networking

The Zariz has a standard Schwerpunkt combined internal/external communications system. The system comprises of a main control panel and 3 personal control panels, as well as 3 headsets integrated into the ballistic helmets of the crew.

The main control panel is located in the commander’s compartment and allows him to select listening and broadcasting frequencies for himself and the crew, select which crewmembers can hear him and be heard by him, and which crewmembers can listen and broadcast to external radio. The individual control panels allow each crew member to switch select listening channels and select which crew members he can hear. The commander’s panel also allows for remotely changing the frequency in the receivers and transmitters. The PTT integrated into the helmet has three modes- internal, external, and quiet. The system has a separate tank commander to driver channel using the most protected battery for power to ensure commander-driver communications. The system also has a wireless ability, which switches on automatically when a helmet is disconnected. This prevents crew members from accidently disconnecting and allows for quick dismount.

The RT-401 can accommodate 2 transmitter-receivers and 1 receiver. The antenna bases are integral and allow lowering the antennas forwards and backwards from inside the tank. A radio-silence communications system to replace flags, comprising of two IR and regular lights on each side of the turret, allows for minimum use of radio by lower level commanders. The RT-401 is equipped with a tank/infantry telephone located at the rear of the vehicle and connected to the commander’s internal communications, as well as external communications to allow infantry to use the tank to communicate.

Networking for the RT-401 is provided by the BASTION system. BASTION is a battlefield management system for units ranging in size from platoons to brigades. BASTION mostly relies on the existing sensors a platform already has. This includes laser range finders, RADARs, observation systems, fire control components, meteorological sensors, and other sensors. It also uses GPS (either installed with BASTION or existing). Combining information from these sensors allows the system to display and network accurate real-time information not only of friendly forces, but also of hostile forces, terrain conditions and more.

BASTION can rely on several communication mediums. It can use standard military radio networks, military cellular networks, or satellite communications. It can also combine all three. According to the type of medium used, range varies from a few kilometers to thousands of kilometers.

Networking is done by an IP protocol. Each unit sends and receives information to and from all units within reception range and operating on the correct frequencies. This information is than sorted by the system, to prevent flooding the user with un-needed information. This sorting is done by both the sender and recipient, meaning he user can choose who will see his sent data and who’s sent data he receives.

The information gathered by the BASTION main processor is displayed on one or more LCD displays in the vehicle. The LCD screens are mil-spec and have control buttons on the sides. The system has 4 windows used for work before, during, and after operations.

*Battle Planning and orders: Allows for creating, sharing and viewing complete operational plans, with attached maps, orders, and ORBATS. It allows for viewing the battle image over code-maps, satellite images, or 3D terrain visualizations. The user can also calculate point-to-point distances, lines-of-sight, and radio reception areas.
*Battle Management: This is the main window, which is used during operations. It allows for viewing the battle image over code-maps, satellite images, or 3D terrain visualizations. The user can see the location of friendly forces and known hostile forces. The user can also update known enemy forces. This is done by taking a range reading to the enemy, and then adding further information manually. Artillery can be laid using a special artillery tab, which sends the artillery request to a predefined user. The user can also calculate point-to-point distances, and lines-of-sight. Information added here by the user is automatically shared with other units.
*Information Sharing: This window is used to send specific data that is not automatically sent by the system. This includes text massages, images and videos, and logistic reports. Videos and still images are captured by the AFVs existing systems. Text massaging allows free texting as well as predefined default massages. This system allows upper echelons to view the battle from the perspective of a specific tank, and also reduces the use of radio by lower tactical levels.
*Internal Status: The window is used for updating the status of the specific unit carrying the BASTION. It allows updating ammunition and fuel shortages, mechanical problems, casualties, etc. This information is only sent when the user chooses to (manually or in predefined intervals).

Crew Amenities

The RT-410 is equipped to support its crew in long term operations during fighting and when buttoned. A specially designed sun and rain plastic canopy can be raised above the hatches to ease waiting periods in harsh weather. A 30 liter NBC protected water tank located in the rear hull and supplies hot or cold water thorough a tap. Rations are kept in water tight compartments in the fighting compartment itself. corridor. 3 days worth of rations can be carried in this way. The tank has a special storage compartment holding an electric cooking boiler and frying pan.

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