M-95 Degman

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M-95 Degman
Degman Main Battle Tank
Type	Main battle tank
Place of origin	Croatia
Production history
Manufacturer	Đuro Đaković specijalna vozila d.d.
Specifications
Weight	44.5 tonnes without reactive armour, 48.5 tonnes
Length	10.1 m
Width	3.6 m
Height	2.2 m
Crew	3 (commander, driver and gunner)

Armor	over composite armour plus Reactive armour
Primary armament	125 mm smoothbore
Secondary armament	Samson Remote Controlled Weapon Station
Engine	12-cyl. diesel 1200 hp (895 kW)
Power/weight	27 hp/tonne
Transmission	two gear-boxes with side transmission in gear-box axes
Suspension	independent, with torsion bars, 6 hydraulic dampers, 6 road wheels and 3 return rollers per side
Ground clearance	428 mm
Operational range	700 km
Speed	70 km/h
Steering system	hydraulic

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M-95 Degman is a prototype Croatian main battle tank, developed in the factory Đuro Đaković specijalna vozila d.d., located in Slavonski Brod, Croatia. The Đuro Đaković factory is best known for its principal role in the production of M-84, a Yugoslav version of the Soviet T-72 MBT produced under licence. M-95 Degman represents a further development on the M-84.

The principal improvement over the M-84 is the application of explosive reactive armor on the turret, hull front and side skirts, offering more protection against HEAT shaped-charge munitions as well as separate ammunition compartment at the back of the turret a bustle which protects the crew if tank gets hit from behind.

Đuro Đaković offers optional thermal imaging, which would allow enhanced night activity and optional 1,200 hp (890 kW) engine, which would raise the power to weight ratio to approximately 27 hp/t. There are also numerous smaller changes in fire control, communications equipment, track etc. The Degman has also a 15% faster auto loader meaning 9 shells per minute instead of 8 shells per minute.^[1]

The Degman M-95 has not entered serial production yet, however two prototypes were ordered by the Croatian Government, a M-95 model and the other M-84D sample (for export). Đuro Đaković is going to be producing the export version the M-84D (for Kuwait and other potential buyers), essentially, an M-84A4 with significant upgrades. The Kuwaiti Army has confirmed interest in modernizing its 149 dated M-84 to the new M-84D standard, as well as the procurement of an additional 65 new M-84D's.^[2] The far superior M-95 model will be ordered by the Croatian government.

1 History, production and modernization
2 Deployment
3 Users
4 See also
- 4.1 Similar tanks
- 4.2 Upgrade links
5 References
6 External links

[edit] History, production and modernization

M-95 Degman tank was largely based on M-91 Vihor tank. A full working prototype of Vihor tank completed basic testing at the Đuro Đaković but due the hostilities in mid-1991 tank was never delivered to JNA. Đuro Đaković was already working on 2nd prototype (hull was completed) but due to the hostilities works on 2nd Vihor stalled until 1994 when it was completed with the new turret.

Meanwhile, 1st prototype was upgraded and modernized, powerful 1200 hp engine was installed which provides higher power to weight ratio, storage basket and slat armor at the back of the turret where added, increasing the protection to the tank. Racal communication suite was installed to improve range and digital battlefield compatibility, new CBRN suite was also added, SZ 2000 CBRN suite gives substantially superior performance over the older nbc suite used on M-84 tank; in times of nuclear or chemical/biological warfare, SZ-2000 shuts the engines down and automatically filters fresh air in to the tank.

Optics and fire control system was developed by Fotona, Slovenian company, and now comes as standard on all current Croatian and Slovene M-84 tanks. Vihor/M95 tank received new laser range finder, LIRD-4B - Laser irradiation detector and warner. Fotona/Končar/Đuro Đaković digital battlefield computer was added to improve battlefield performance of the tank. Diehl provided new tracks giving the tank better performance on road and off the road.

Project received considerable assistance from Elbit of Israel. Explosive Reactive Armor developed by Elbit is one major upgrade and gives distinctive look to M95 tank. Rafael - Samson Remote Controlled Weapon Station which consist of 12.7mm heavy machine gun and 40mm grenade launcher is another upgrade. Remote Controlled Weapon Station acts also as commander's independent thermal viewer. Additional upgrades are planned, new 120mm compact gun developed by RUAG Defence of Switzerland and few additional systems including LAHAT anti tank missiles.

[edit] Deployment

Currently, 2 M-95 tanks are operational, but there are plans to modernize the Croatian Army and Army of Kuwait M84AB fleets. Kuwait is negotiating upgrade package with the Croatian manufacture Đuro Đaković specijalna vozila d.d.. Kuwait is looking at Advanced concept (advanced upgrade package - 2.5 million USD per tank) where as Croatian MOD is proposing slightly less costly venture for its M-84D program, only 5.85 million Kuna package per tank (1.18 million USD).

Croatian M-95 variants will be built from scratch and this package will cost 25.5 million Croatian Kuna per tank. Croatian Army might order up to 30 M-95 Degman tanks and 74 M-84D tanks - entire upgrade is set to cost 1200 million Kuna. Kuwaiti Army program is set to cost in excess of 1.8 billion Croatian Kuna.

Libyan leader Muammar al-Gaddafi has expressed interest in the Croatian M-95 Degman MBT and Libyan Army might be a potential client.

[edit] Users

Croatia: 75, the Croatian Army plans to upgrade all its M-84 tanks to the M95/M84D standard.
Kuwait: 215, the Kuwaiti Army plans to modernise its fleet of 149 M-84AB to M-84D standard, as well as 66 new M-84D's.