Military

Stingray light tank

The Stingray light tank was developed to fill requirements for a light tank with increased strategic and tactical mobility and main battle tank firepower. Stingray fires all NATO 105-mm ammunition, as well as British and U.S. armor-piercing, fin-stabilized discarding sabot (APFSDS) ordnance. It travels at speeds of 44 mph (71 km/hr), climbs 60-percent gradients, and traverses 2.7-foot (82 cm) vertical obstacles and water depths to 3.5 feet (107 cm). The Stingray is the only light tank mounting the NATO 105-mm cannon in production. Textron Marine & Land Systems has now completed an advanced version of the Stingray, known as Stingray II. The Stingray II, which had increased ballistic protection and improved fire control, is expected to have wide appeal to many international customers.

This system, produced by Textron Marine and Land Systems Division [formerly Cadillac Gage], is not used by the US military, although it was available for Foreign Military Sales. In all a total of 106 vehicles were built and delivered to Thailand. Development of the tank began in 1983, a prototype was created in August 1984, deliveries in Thailand were carried out in 1988-1990.

Since the beginning of the 1960s, the company "Cadillac Gage" had produced more than 3,500 multi-purpose vehicles "Commando» (4x4), mostly for export. Later, the company developed and started producing machine V-300 6x6 and "Commando Scout» (4x4), as well as in large quantities produces Commando (4x4) light armored vehicle for the Air Force United States.

The "Stingray" was clearly inadequate for modern warfare, so it was used primarily as a reconnaissance vehicle. Even in the frontal part of the body armor can withstand armor-piercing ammunition caliber hit a maximum of 14.5 mm, and the side armor - not more than 12.7 mm. The layout of the tank is made in a classic form - a driver in the front of the hull, is set in the center of the turret and the fighting compartment at the workplace for the three crew members, and in the stern established diesel engine and automatic transmission.

The hull of the tank is welded, made of sheets of Cadloy armor steel of high hardness. Fore-body sheets are located at large angles of inclination. It provides protection against 7.62 mm armor-piercing bullets and shell fragments. Front projection can withstand firing 14.5-mm armor-piercing bullets.

The turret has armor plates set at acute angles, equipped with electro-hydraulic drive. The turret is welded, made of steel armor and provides the same level of protection as the body armor. The design of the turret allows for its installation on the tank M41, V-600 armored vehicle and other chassis produced by Cadillac Gage weighing more than 13 tons. The use of flat slabs in the construction of the turret allows you to further enhance the armor protection without significant rework.

The driver is located in the center of the car in front of the case. The cover of the driver's hatch mounts three periscopes, providing a field of view of 120 degrees. Central periscope can be replaced with a night vision device. The commander is in the turret, and the gunner sits in front of and below the loader - on the left of the gun. The gunner has a combined sight M36E1 company "Optic-Electronic", mounted in the roof of the tower. Instead, a combined sight M36E1 IPE with a laser rangefinder and thermal imaging can be installed. The commander has a combined sight and seven periscope observation devices.

The tank's transversely mounted 8-cylinder Diesel 8V-92TA company Detroit Diesel has a power 393 kW (535 hp). It is associated with an Allison XGT-411-2A automatic transmission . In order to reduce the heat radiation of the power plant, the engine exhaust gases are mixed with air flow from the cooling system in the exhaust manifold, which is mounted in the rear of the machine.

Suspension of the individual torsion-type suspension set up on the basis of 155-mm self-propelled howitzer M109 and consists of six dual rubber-tyred road wheels, three supporting rollers (from the M41 light tank), drive wheel (aft) and the steering wheel (front casing). In the first, second and sixth road wheels mounted hydraulic shock absorbers. The chassis included torsion bar suspension, six double rollers and three support rollers on each side, the drive wheels positioned behind the guide in front.

The main armament consisted of a stablized rifled L7A3 105-mm gun with reduced recoil, created on the basis of the British L7 (a modernized version of the tank gun on the M1 Abrams). The main armament was equipped with a muzzle brake, the new recoil device and cradle and modified ejector - all this helped to halve the force recoil. Ammunition for the gun is 32 shots, 26 of which are placed in the tank's hull and four in the turret. Angles of pointing guns vertically from -7.5 ° to + 20 °. The structure further includes a coaxial 7.62-mm machine gun, with 2400 rounds of ammunition rounds. Rotating of the turret and lifting the gun barrel is by means of an electro-hydraulic system with redundant manual transmission. The turret can be rotated 360 degrees at 40 degrees per second.

As a subsidiary of weapons on the tank installed coupled with the gun 7.62 mm machine gun and a heavy 12.7 mm anti-aircraft machine gun M2HB. Ammunition is 2400 Pieces. 7.62-mm ammunition and 1,100 pieces. 12.7-mm rounds. On each side of the turret blocks set of four smoke grenade projectors [loaded with 16 smoke grenades] with the electric drive. Installed in the commander's cupola on top of the turret is a 12.7mm anti-aircraft machine gun with 1100 rounds of ammunition. The tank mounted infrared homing device and a laser rangefinder. It includes a system of protection against weapons of mass destruction.

The fire control system was from the Italian firm "Marconi", in addition to sights including the remote control commander, sensors crosswind speed and tilt angle pins guns, ballistic computer, drive up-and-swivel mechanism and gun towers. A characteristic feature is the built-in fitness device in which the computer can be synthesized in the field of the sight picture of objectives, allowing to train gunners. The tank used the standard M13A1 set for filtering. Upon request, the tank may install different models of radio, navigation and other equipment and systems.

Stingray II

The "Stingray II" modification featured an advanced digital fire control system and the availability of protection from weapons of mass destruction. In addition, upgrades in the front part provides protection against armor piercing projectiles caliber up to 23 mm, some of the improvements made to the design of the chassis. the first copy was made in late 1996. Combat weight was 22.6 tons. Upgraded engine (550 hp), a laser rangefinder, but the ammunition to the gun reduced to 32 shells.

The Stingray II was an upgrade version of the Stingray, developed by Cadillac Gage as a private-venture armored fighting vehicle (AFV) for the export market. The light tank's baseline armor, while thin, was adequate for a cavalry, reconnaissance or light infantry fire support role; it protects its occupants from armor-piercing, heavy machine gun rounds up to 14.5 mm in size. Additional armor appliqué can be fitted to increase ballistic protection. The Stingray's main armament was a Low Recoil Force (LRF) version of the British L7 series 105 mm rifled gun installed in a well-angled and electro-hydraulically powered turret (with optional stabilization) and eight rounds, with another 24 rounds stored in the hull. Complementing the main gun is a 7.62 mm co-axial machine gun with 2,400 rounds and 12.7 mm AA machine gun with 1,100 rounds on the commander's hatch.

The design was actively offered for export, but without success.

The AGS-Stingray was a Stingray modified for the Armored Gun System [AGS] competition, and the AGS-Sheridan was a mating of the standard M551 Sheridan hull with the turret of the Stingray light tank. It was entered for the Armored Gun System competition. Both lost to the FMC/UDLP/BAE Close Combat Vehicle Light which became the type-classified M8 Buford.