TAM (tank)
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| TAM | |
|---|---|
| General characteristics | |
| Crew | 4 |
| Length | 6.75 m |
| Width | 3.25 m |
| Height | 2.42 m |
| Weight | 30.5 tonnes |
| Armour and armament | |
| Armour | |
| Main armament | Rheinmetall 105mm LTA2 rifled gun |
| Secondary armament | 2×7.62 mm machine gun |
| Mobility | |
| Power plant | MTU-MB 833 Ka-500 6-cylinder 22.4 l diesel 720 hp (537 kW) |
| Suspension | torsion-bar |
| Road speed | 75 km/h |
| Power/weight | 24 hp/tonne |
| Range | 550 km, 940 km with auxiliary fuel tanks |
TAM (From Spanish:Tanque Argentino Mediano or Argentine Medium Tank) is a medium tank designed by Thyssen-Henschel of Germany and built in Argentina for the Argentine Army.
Contents |
[edit] Overview
The TAM (see picture) was developed to meet Argentine requests for a medium tank to replace obsolete M4 Sherman and Sherman Firefly then in service with the Argentine Army. A similar armored personnel carrier version was also required to replace M9 half-tracks. Thyssen-Henschel was awarded the development, and used their TH-301 light/medium tank design based on the highly successful Marder IFV in service with Germany.
The tank is in the 30 ton class and carries a moderate 105 mm gun on a highly mobile chassis with moderate armor protection. It can fire APFSDS-T, HEAT-T, HESH, HE, HEP-T, Canister, Smoke, and Illumination rounds and has onboard stowage for 50 rounds.
The first few TAM's were equipped with the locally produced variant of the L7A1. Later vehicles were armed with the Rheinmetall LTA2, and the last produced vehicles were equipped with a locally produced modified version of the French CN-105-57, produced in the TAMSE military factory of Rio Tercero, in Cordoba province.
The TAM has provided Argentina with a relatively modern design sufficient for its regional security needs. Only one other country, Ecuador, chose the TAM but the negotiations failed when that country faced economical problems.
This vehicle has not had the chance to prove itself in combat yet, although some VCTPs were involved in counter insurgency operations at La Tablada in 1989 and the last attempted coup d' etat in 1990.
[edit] Variants
- VCTan (or just TAM) : Medium tank
- Licence-built British Royal Ordnance L7A1 105 mm tank gun (first vehicles)
- Rheinmetall LTA2 105 mm tank gun (most vehicles)
- Licence-built French CN-105-57 105 mm tank gun (final vehicles)
- VCTP (Spanish: Vehiculo Combate y Transporte Personal) Infantry fighting vehicle
- Oerlikon 20 mm gun
- VCTM (Spanish: Vehiculo Combate Transporte Mortero) Self-propelled morter
- Fabricaciones Militares Mortar 120 mm
- VCA (Spanish: Vehiculo Combate Artilleria) Self-propelled artillery
- Palmaria 155 mm gun
Also built in much less numbers are :
- VCLC (Spanish: Vehiculo Combate Lanza Cohetes)
- 160 mm launch rockets
- VCPC (Spanish: Vehiculo Combate Puesto Comando) Command Post vehicle
- VCDT (Spanish: Vehiculo Combate Direccion Tiro) Self-propelled artillery Fire direction & control
- VCMun (Spanish: Vehiculo Combate Transporte de Munición) Self-propelled artillery ammunition supply vehicle
- VCRT (Spanish: Vehiculo Combate Recuperador Tanques) Armoured recovery vehicle ARV
Designed but not Built:
- Air-defence variant
[edit] See also
- German Marder (IFV)
