Verkhoyansk Automotive Technologies
M-2 Stalker
Main Battle Tank
Pictured are an M-2 and M-2B
M-2 Stalker
Main Battle Tank
Pictured are an M-2 and M-2B
Information
General Information
Vehicle Designation:MBT1986 (VAT Production Designation)
Type:
M-2 Stalker (USDM Standard Designation System)Main Battle Tank
Country of Origin:
Service History
In Service:1986-present with the Unified States Army
1986-present with the Unified States Marine Corps
Production History
Designer:Matthew Harkness
Manufacturer:Verkhoyansk Automotive Technologies, Land Warfare Division
Unit Cost:$4.96 million NSD (base model)
Designed:
$5.1 million NSD (A model)
$5.23 million NSD (B model)1977-1983
Variants:M-2 (First production model mounting a 105mm gun, 1986)
M-2A (M-2 with a new turret mounting a 120mm gun, 1990)
M-2B (Upgraded Electronics suite, 2006)
Specifications
Weight:63.2-71.4 tons
Length:7.9m (25.9 ft.) hull
Width:
9.7m (31.8 ft.) gun forward (Base model)
10.2m (33.5 ft.) gun forward (A and B models)3.4m (11.2 ft.)
Height:2.5m (8.2 ft.)
Crew:4
Armament1 M933 105mm smoothbore cannon (48 rounds, Base Model)
1 M803 120mm smoothbore cannon (43 rounds,A and B models)
1 coaxial 12.7mm M36S HMG (2,500 rounds)
1 pintle 12.7mm M36C HMG (1,200 rounds)
General Performance
Engine:1,200 shp multifuel turbine engine
Power/Weight:19.6 shp/ton
Suspension:Hydropneumatic
Fuel Capacity:1892 liters (500 gallons)
Operational Range:282 km (175 mi)
Speed:65 km/h (40.3 mph) road
50 km/h (31.1 mph) cross-country
Protection
Passive Protection System:Chobham, RH armor, Kevlar mesh
Active Protection System:Available upon customer request
CBRN:Fully enclosed system
Overview
The M-2 Stalker is a third-generation main battle tank developed within the Unified States of Daemyrs. The M-2 is a highly mobile tank, designed for modern armored ground warfare, balancing the trinity of armor, firepower, and maneuverability. Notable features include the use of a powerful multi-fuel turbine, the adoption of sophisticated composite armor, and separate ammunition storage in a blow-out compartment for crew safety. Weighing just over 61 short tons, it is one of the heaviest combat vehicles ever fielded by the Unified States.
The M-2 entered U.S.D. service in 1986, replacing the aging M-61 tank. It served for over a decade alongside the improved M-61D, which had entered service in 1983. The M-2 remains the principal main battle tank of the Unified States Army and Marine Corps, as well as experiencing increased use with the Daemyrs Home Guard.
Three main versions of the M-2 have been deployed, the M-2, M-2A, and M-2B, incorporating improved armament, protection and electronics. These improvements, as well as periodic upgrades to older tanks, have allowed this long-serving vehicle to remain in front-line service. The M-2D was under early development as of 2009.
History
The M-2 Stalker was developed towards the end of the Cold War as a successor to the venerable M-61. The M-2 contract went to Verkhoyansk Automotive, and was the first Daemyrtian vehicle to adopt Chobham armor. Adaptations during the early 1990s improved the vehicle’s fire control systems and CBRN protection. These systems were further upgraded in the mid 2000’s, as well as the engine, which featured improved fuel economy and was more reliable than its predecessor.
Development
The first attempt to replace the aging M-61 tank was Project 703, developed in partnership with Anemos in the mid 1970s. Project 703 had advanced features such as height-adjustable pneumatic suspension and a turret design that allowed the driver to be housed with the rest of the crew, yet always face the direction of travel. The vehicle ultimately proved too heavy, complex, and expensive. As a result of its imminent failure, the Unified States Army commissioned Project 704, which became known as the M-2
The Daemyrtian government cancelled Project 703 in October 1976, and redistributed the funds to 704 in January 1977. Prototypes were delivered 1978 armed with a 105mm gun from the M-61.
Production of vehicles for military use commenced in 1981 and vehicles officially entered service in 1986. These vehicles were manufactured at the Verkhoyansk Automotive tank plant in the small town of Sebastien, outside of Verkhoyansk.
The 1981 production model featured a 105mm smoothbore originally developed for the M-61, improved armor, and a CBRN protection system. 2,000 systems were built for the Unified States Army, at a cost of 4.6 million a unit.
In 1991, the M-2 was criticized for low fuel efficiency compared to contemporary tanks of the period. Until the mid 1990s, the M-2 served alongside the M-61D.
Upgrades
The M-2 revision 2003 was an improvement of the M-2 revision 1993 with a commander’s independent thermal viewer, weapon station, global positioning navigation system, and an integrated electronic combat control system (IECCS).
Camouflage
Unlike earlier Unified States vehicles used from the 1930s to the early 1960s, which used the brownish-green “combat” paint with full color USD roundels, the early production M-2s were painted in flat forest green paint with subdued markings.
Concealment
The turret is fitted with two four-barreled smoke grenade launchers. These can create a thick smoke that blocks both vision and thermal imaging. The engine is also equipped with a smoke generator that is triggered by the driver. When activated, fuel is sprayed into the hot turbine exhaust, creating a thick smoke. This system was disabled on most vehicles after 2001 when primary fuel was switched from diesel to JP-8, due to an increased risk of fire damage.
Active Protection Systems
In addition to the armor, some Stalkers are equipped with a Soft-kill Active Protection, the AMDS-2A Missile Defense System that impedes the function of missile guidance systems. The MDS works by emitting a massive condensed infrared signal to confuse guidance systems.
Armor
The Stalker is protected by armor based on the Britannic-designed Chobham armor, a further development of Burlington armor. Chobham is a composite armor formed by spacing multiple layers of various alloys of steel, ceramics, plastic composites, and Kevlar. An antispall liner of Kevlar is included inside of the vehicle. Beginning in 1991, all non-export production models featured a depleted uranium mesh in the front of the turret and hull.
Damage Control
If the Stalker does suffer damage resulting in a fire in the crew compartment, the tank is equipped with a halon fire-suppression system that automatically engages and extinguishes the fire in seconds. The engine compartment is equipped with a second fire-suppressions system, which is engaged by pulling a T-handle located on the right side of the hull. In addition, there are several small hand-held extinguishers located in the crew compartment. Fuel and ammunition are both stored in armored blowout compartments to protect the crew from fuel and ammunition cook-offs if the tank is damaged.
Armament
Primary
- M933 smoothbore gun (M-2 model)
The main armament of the M-2 is the 105mm smoothbore that was mounted on the earlier M-61C, firing HEAT, HE, white phosphorus, and AP canister rounds - M803 smoothbore gun (M-2A model)
The main armament of the A and B models is the M803 120mm smoothbore tank gun firing a variety of high explosive anti-tank, high explosive, white phosphorus, and anti-personnel flechette rounds.
A .50 caliber (12.7mm) M36S heavy machine gun is mounted to the left of the M812. There is also another M36C heavy machine gun mounted in front of the commander’s hatch, though this is sometimes substituted for an RWS-mounted variant.
Fire Control
The Stalker is equipped with a ballistic fire-control computer that uses user and system-supplied data in a variety of forms to compute, display, and incorporate the three components of a ballistic solution, to accurately fire the main gun. These three components are determined using a rod laser rangefinder, crosswind sensor, and a pendulum static cant sensor, data concerning the type of round in use, boresight alignment data, ammunition and air temperature, barometric pressure, and a muzzle reference system. All the gunner is required to do is keep the target reticle lined up and the system will calculated a ballistic solution, which is updated 30 times per second. Lead and tube elevation are applied to the turret by the computer, greatly simplifying the job of the gunner.
Mobility
The M-2 Stalker’s powertrain comprises a 1,200 shaft horsepower Verkhoyansk AMFTPP-1 multi-fuel gas turbine, with a six speed (four forward, two reverse) hydrokinetic automatic transmission. The multi-fuel engine can accept diesel, kerosene, gasoline, and jet fuel. This system has proven to be extremely reliable in combat, with its only downside being its high fuel-consumption.