Vickers Main Battle Tank
The Vickers MBT was developed as a private venture for countries which required a simple, yet powerful MBT at minimum cost. It used many components of the Chieftain and Centurion. The first two prototypes were built in 1960 and one was sent to India and the other retained in the Uk for trials.
It has a maximum road speed of up to 50kph. Its battle speed is between 20 and 30kph. The Vickers has six gears, including two reverse ones. It has an automatic transmission. It has a fuel capacity of 1,000 litres, and this gives it a range of about 650km. It can climb a gradient of more than 30 degrees, is not amphibious but can plough through water obstacles 1.1 metres deep. It can go through rough terrain, cross ditches three feet wide and can turn around on its own length. The tank has a crew of four - a commander, a gunner, a driver and a loader/operator.
In the late 1950's Vickers developed a design for an alternative tank with a 20-pounder cannon. When the Chieftain went into series production, this plan was developed as a simpler, cheaper tank than the Chieftain. The first prototype was completed in 1963, though by 1961 Indian forces were already interested in the project. Thus at that time India had already agreed with Vickers to manufacture the MBT in India, where it carries the designation Vijayanta. Production in England began in 1964 and one year later parallel to it production began in India for the Indian armed forces. Further customers were later 1968 Kuwait and 1977 Kenya.
The design is conventional, with driver in front right, combat area in the center and engine in the tail. The driver had a roof hatch, those opens to the right and a winkelspiegel, which by a night-vision device are exchanged. Beside the driver a part of the ammunition is stowed away. The engine compartment in the tail has a fire suppression plant.
The turret in the center is of the welded type. The commander and the gunner sit in tandem arrangement right from the cannon, the gunner in front, the commander in the back. The loader sits left from the cannon. The commander uses a periscope (x10) over a roof hatch. The gunner has a sighting periscope with hair cross. The loader has a roof hatch.
The main armament consists of fully stabilized 105 mm L7A1 a cannon. Left beside it is a 7.62 mm coaxial mg. The commander had a ring-mounted 7.62 mm mg on the left.
The vehicle is wading-capable without preparation. An NBC protection ventilation is optional.
