MT-55

MT-55A armoured bridgelayer

MT-55 at speed in Uffenheim in 2015
Type Armoured vehicle-launched bridge
Place of origin Soviet Union
Specifications
Weight 36.0 tonnes
Length 9,880 mm (with span)
Width 3,300 mm (with span)
Height 3,350 mm (with span)
Crew 2 (commander, driver)
Engine V-55 12-cyl. 38.88 liter water-cooled diesel
580 hp (430 kW)
Power/weight 14 hp/tonne
Suspension Torsion bar
Operational
range
 580 km (On roads)
Speed 50 km/h

The MT-55A (Slovak: Mostný tank) is an armoured vehicle-launched bridge (AVLB) tank, manufactured by ZTS Martin in Slovakia. The AVLB is based on a T-55A medium tank chassis, with the turret detached and replaced by a special bridge launching equipment.[1]

The MT-55A was produced for the armies of the Warsaw Pact (including the Soviet Army), as well as for export clients.

Design and development

BLG-60 at the Bundeswehrmuseum Dresden.

The MT-55A was designed and produced by ZTS Martin from 1962 (the former Czechoslovakia was one of the countries that build the T-54/55 series under licence). The development phase ended in 1967 after which five pre-series vehicles were built. Series production started in 1969.[2]

The transformed T-55A chassis differs only by the arrangement of the compartments in the hull. The bridge tank is proposed for an easy and swift crossing of antitank barriers (trenches) and other obstacles with the purpose of facilitating the passage of mechanised and tank units.[1]

The bridge initiating equipment is controlled by a system of hydraulic cylinders; the allocation of hydraulic oil can be controlled both manually by mechanical levers and automatically. The pressure of the liquid is provided by high-pressure piston pumps motorized by the tank engine. All mechanisms of the MT-55A used for laying and recovering the bridge can be controlled by the crew from inside the tank with the hatch covers closed.[1][3]

To begin the launching process, the vehicle stops short of the gap; then, the bridge swings ahead and down while its two sections open like scissors.[1] The MT-55A span is 18 meters long and can support loads of up to 50 tons. Later, the MT-55A was modified with a gap measuring mechanism and infrared equipment for bridge laying in darkness.

Total production of the MT-55A between 1969 and 1983 amounted to 1,762 vehicles, including 183 export versions MT-55KS (from 1971) and 301 hulls for East Germany's BLG-60 programme.

Variants

Operators

MT-55KS bridgelayer in Yad La-Shiryon Museum, Israel.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "T-54 / T-55 Series Tanks". GlobalSecurity. Retrieved 2007-06-07.
  2. ↑ http://img.valka.cz/viewtopic.php/title/CZK-MT-55A-mostni-tank/t/10857
  3. 1 2 "Bridge Tank MT-55A". Ministry of Defence of Czech Republic. Retrieved 2007-06-07.
  4. ↑ http://forum.valka.cz/viewtopic.php/t/13328
  5. ↑ The Arab Republic of Egypt, Tel Aviv University Archived 2007-02-24 at the Wayback Machine.
  6. 1 2 Army & Society in Georgia
  7. ↑ http://indianarmy.nic.in/Site/FormTemplete/frmTempSimple.aspx?MnId=MsOFU3dQt/s=&ParentID=MxMOr7Ttp9I=%5B%5D
  8. ↑ History of the Tiran in IDF service, Archived 2014-09-15 at the Wayback Machine.
  9. ↑ NORTH KOREA COUNTRY HANDBOOK, MARINE CORPS INTELLIGENCE ACTIVITY Archived 2007-04-11 at the Wayback Machine.
  10. ↑ Romanian Land Forces Magazine
  11. ↑ Serbian Armoure Archived 2007-12-08 at the Wayback Machine.
  12. ↑ Slovakia, ArmyRecognition
  13. ↑ Saferworld's research project on arms and security in EU Associate Countries, Czech Republic Archived 2008-10-02 at the Wayback Machine.
  14. ↑ The Arab Republic of Syria, Tel Aviv University Archived 2006-05-23 at the Wayback Machine.
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