Leclerc T40
Mark Shasillan was widely recognized in certain circles. This man once participated in the works of the French main battle tank AMX-56 Leclerc. As it turns out, a few years after the first demonstration of "Terminator" GIAT designers began work on a similar machine But for a more successful promotion of the project initially positioned as a reconnaissance tank, and not as a vehicle to support the main tanks. The project, entitled Leclerc T40, removed from the tank AMX-56 theoriginal turret and installed in its place a new combat unit.
The T40 became the base for 40 mm caliber automatic cannons. Auxiliary weapons of the "reconnaissance tank" was a machine gun, placed on the remotely operated turret in the upper part of the turret, and two Quadruple smoke grenade. The crew consists of 3 people: a driver, gunner and commander. In contrast to the Russian BMPT, T40 did not have automatic grenade in fender and did not need additional ammo for them.
French engineers developed the overall concept of vehicles to accompany tanks, and tried to copy the Russian "Object 199". So, the upgraded Leclerc with a new weapon system has the ability to simultaneously transport and introduction of a huge number of guided anti-tank missiles. Furthermore, existing images do not show any devices to install the transport-launch containers like the MILAN anti-tank or ERIX. Maybe in the future development of the project would receive T40 rocket armament.
Both Russian and French tank support combat vehicles were built on the basis of the main battle tank hulls, and generally inherited the concept of the protection of the crew and the main nodes of the structure. T40 was fully compatible with implements project Leclerc AZUR. At the front of the armored corps establishes additional protection modules. A set of equipment for the Leclerc tank under the title AZUR (Actions en Zone Urbaine — Acts of urban criteria), as is clear from its name, was created to ensure the safety of armored vehicles in the city on similar criteria and their battleground, where the highest speed is not required, but it needs a good level of protection from all angles.
The technical properties of the "Leclerc» T40, unfortunately, were not publiscly reported. Maybe the lighter turret of the "reconnaissance tank" would allow a slightly increment the highest speed. But all the advantages of a new combat unit could be "eaten up" by the weight of additional protection.
The fate of the projects "Object 199" and Leclerc T40 is identical to a certain extent. First there are a few prototypes and small series. For the French military machine, there were only drawings. The fact is that the design of a refreshed "Leclerc" ended just at the moment when the French government was to cut spending for the defense. When promoting T40 it did not help even offering to make these machines from tanks withdrawn from service. The military department was unwavering. It was not allowed to collect and test even the new military unit.
Monsieur Shasillan wrote about the T40 in 2012, but specifically at the moment it was not entirely clear. Yes, the technique of both projects designed to fire cover tanks of tank hazardous purposes. But the kind of machines varied considerably: the arms of "Framework" allows storming and destroying an enemy tank. The T40 does not have enough massive arms, and was designed to work with vulnerable or lightly armored targets and manpower of the enemy. Protecting the French military machine was transparent enough to hints at the planned conditions of implementation — the city or other similar location where the threat can come with all the sides. Specifically, it is a prerequisite for their lack of anti-tank missiles, and T40 of the respective equipment.
Machines tank support, despite the common elements of the concept, rather vary between themselves and their background information in one article is a separate issue. A.Khlopotov expressed the view that French engineer did not fail to recall the project with "political" purposes. Certainly, it is clear Shasillan existence of a large number of disputes over BMPT and he tried such an unusual way to promote your own Leclerc T40, telling the public about it. In this case, the pressure of the masses interested T40 will be able to reach even to the stage of the layout. Of course, this is just a guess, but in promoting their own projects and engineers sometimes go to great tricks.
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