SK-105 Kurassier
Encyclopedia
The SK-105 Kürassier is an Austria
n light tank
armed with a rifled 105 mm gun in an oscillating turret
. It is estimated that over 700 have been produced.
) to meet the Austrian Army's operational requirement for a mobile anti-tank vehicle. The first prototype was ready in 1967 and delivery of pre-production vehicles commenced in 1971.
The SK-105 is based on a heavily modified Saurer APC
. The hull of the SK 105 is welded steel and is divided into three compartments: driver's at the front, fighting in the center and the engine at the rear. Due to its low weight the SK-105 can be transported by C-130 Hercules transport aircraft. The turret of the SK-105 is based on a French design, developed for the AMX-13
. Its gun can penetrate 360 mm of armor. Front armor protects the crew from 20mm armor-piercing rounds over its frontal arc, while all-round protection is against small arms bullets only. Add-on armor on the front part of the chassis and turret is available as an option which provides protection against 35 mm APDS rounds at a flank arc. Some export vehicles were fitted with add-on armor.
The driver sits at the front of the vehicle on the left. On the right side of the front section of the hull, there is spare ammo for the main gun. There are three periscopes forward of his hatch cover and in wet weather a small windscreen with a wiper can be fitted. The driver's center day driving periscope can be replaced by a passive night vision periscope if required. Ammunition and the vehicle's batteries are stowed to the right of the driver. The engine and transmission are at the rear part of the vehicle and the engine compartment is fitted with a fire extinguisher which can be operated by hand or automatically. Combustion air is drawn in via a cyclone filter system.
The oscillating turret is similar to that fitted to the AMX-13 light tank. The commander is seated on the left of the turret and the gunner on the right. The commander is provided with seven periscopes, a periscopic sight. The commander's infrared night sight has a magnification of x6. The gunner has two observation periscopes, a telescopic sight and a one-piece lifting and swiveling hatch cover. Due to the design of the oscillating turret all sights are always linked to the main and secondary armament. For engaging targets at night an infrared periscopic sight is provided for the commander. A CILAS TCV 29 laser range-finder (range of 400 to 9,995 m) is mounted on the roof of the turret. The XSW-30-U 950 W infrared/white light searchlight is fitted on the left front plate of the oscillating part of the turret. A fixed fan in the turret draws out fumes when the main or secondary armament is fired. All versions of the SK-105 have a 105 mm gun designated the 105 G1. This gun is completed with a semi-automatic revolving magazine type autoloader. It allowed the reduction of the crew to three members. The vehicle has two revolving magazines holding 6 rounds each. A total of 42 rounds for the main gun are carried. Once the gun is fired the empty cartridge cases are ejected out of the rear of the turret through a trapdoor hinged on the left.
This vehicle is specifically designed for mountain terrain and has an improved climbing ability compared to heavier main battle tanks.
, 118 Austria
, 286 Bolivia
, 54 Botswana, 52 Brazil
, 17 (Brazilian Marine Corps
) Morocco
, 120, 4 (Captured from Morocco in the Western Sahara War
) Tunisia
, 55-80
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n light tank
Light tank
A light tank is a tank variant initially designed for rapid movement, and now primarily employed in low-intensity conflict. Early light tanks were generally armed and armored similar to an armored car, but used tracks in order to provide better cross-country mobility.The light tank was a major...
armed with a rifled 105 mm gun in an oscillating turret
Oscillating turret
An oscillating turret is a form of turret for armoured fighting vehicles, both tanks and armoured cars. The turret is unusual in being made of two hinged parts. Both elevation and recoil rely on the upper part of the turret moving relative to the lower part....
. It is estimated that over 700 have been produced.
History
The SK-105 was developed by Saurer-Werk (now Steyr-Daimler-PuchSteyr-Daimler-Puch
Steyr-Daimler-Puch was a large manufacturing conglomerate based in Steyr, Austria, which was broken up in stages between 1987 and 2001. The component parts and operations continued to exist under separate ownership and new names.-History:...
) to meet the Austrian Army's operational requirement for a mobile anti-tank vehicle. The first prototype was ready in 1967 and delivery of pre-production vehicles commenced in 1971.
The SK-105 is based on a heavily modified Saurer APC
Saurer 4K 4FA
The Saurer 4K 4FA is an Austrian armoured personnel carrier with caterpillar tracks. It was later replaced by the Steyr 4K 7FA G 127. It went into production in 1961. In 1956, Osterreichische Saurer-Werke of Vienna started development of an armoured personnel carrier...
. The hull of the SK 105 is welded steel and is divided into three compartments: driver's at the front, fighting in the center and the engine at the rear. Due to its low weight the SK-105 can be transported by C-130 Hercules transport aircraft. The turret of the SK-105 is based on a French design, developed for the AMX-13
AMX-13
The AMX-13 is a French light tank produced from 1953 to 1985. It served with the French Army and was exported to over twenty-five other nations...
. Its gun can penetrate 360 mm of armor. Front armor protects the crew from 20mm armor-piercing rounds over its frontal arc, while all-round protection is against small arms bullets only. Add-on armor on the front part of the chassis and turret is available as an option which provides protection against 35 mm APDS rounds at a flank arc. Some export vehicles were fitted with add-on armor.
The driver sits at the front of the vehicle on the left. On the right side of the front section of the hull, there is spare ammo for the main gun. There are three periscopes forward of his hatch cover and in wet weather a small windscreen with a wiper can be fitted. The driver's center day driving periscope can be replaced by a passive night vision periscope if required. Ammunition and the vehicle's batteries are stowed to the right of the driver. The engine and transmission are at the rear part of the vehicle and the engine compartment is fitted with a fire extinguisher which can be operated by hand or automatically. Combustion air is drawn in via a cyclone filter system.
The oscillating turret is similar to that fitted to the AMX-13 light tank. The commander is seated on the left of the turret and the gunner on the right. The commander is provided with seven periscopes, a periscopic sight. The commander's infrared night sight has a magnification of x6. The gunner has two observation periscopes, a telescopic sight and a one-piece lifting and swiveling hatch cover. Due to the design of the oscillating turret all sights are always linked to the main and secondary armament. For engaging targets at night an infrared periscopic sight is provided for the commander. A CILAS TCV 29 laser range-finder (range of 400 to 9,995 m) is mounted on the roof of the turret. The XSW-30-U 950 W infrared/white light searchlight is fitted on the left front plate of the oscillating part of the turret. A fixed fan in the turret draws out fumes when the main or secondary armament is fired. All versions of the SK-105 have a 105 mm gun designated the 105 G1. This gun is completed with a semi-automatic revolving magazine type autoloader. It allowed the reduction of the crew to three members. The vehicle has two revolving magazines holding 6 rounds each. A total of 42 rounds for the main gun are carried. Once the gun is fired the empty cartridge cases are ejected out of the rear of the turret through a trapdoor hinged on the left.
This vehicle is specifically designed for mountain terrain and has an improved climbing ability compared to heavier main battle tanks.
Variants
- SK-105 A1
- SK-105 A2
- Greif armored recovery vehicle
- Pionier engineering vehicle
- SK-105 driver training vehicle
Derivative
Argentina developed in the early 2000s the light tank "Patagón", which had a SK-105 chassis with an AMX-13 turret. The prototype was presented in November 2005. Another 39 conversions were planned to be completed in 2005-9, at an estimated cost of 23.4 million US$.Users
ArgentinaMilitary of Argentina
The Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic, in Spanish Fuerzas Armadas de la República Argentina, are controlled by the Commander-in-Chief and a civilian Minister of Defense...
, 118 Austria
Military of Austria
The Österreichisches Bundesheer , is the name for the military of the Republic of Austria....
, 286 Bolivia
Military of Bolivia
- Army :The Bolivian Army has around 55,500 men. There are six military regions in the army. The Army is organized into ten divisions...
, 54 Botswana, 52 Brazil
Military of Brazil
The Brazilian Armed Forces is the unified military organization comprising the Brazilian Army , the Brazilian Navy and the Brazilian Air Force....
, 17 (Brazilian Marine Corps
Brazilian Marine Corps
The Brazilian Marine Corps is the land combat branch of the Brazilian Navy.- Mission :...
) Morocco
Military of Morocco
The Royal Moroccan Armed Forces are the summation of the armed forces of the kingdom of Morocco.It was founded in 1956 after Morocco's independence from France and Spain...
, 120, 4 (Captured from Morocco in the Western Sahara War
Western Sahara War
The Western Sahara War was an armed conflict primarily between the Polisario Front and Morocco, the conflict erupted after the withdrawal of Spain from the Spanish Sahara in accordance with the Madrid Accords by which it gave administrative control of the territory to Morocco and Mauritania...
) Tunisia
Military of Tunisia
The Tunisian Armed Forces consist of the Army, Navy, and Air Force.As of 2008, Tunisia had an army of 27,000 personnel equipped with 84 main battle tanks and 48 light tanks. The navy numbered 4,800 operating 25 patrol boats and 6 other craft. The air force had 4,000 personnel, 27 combat aircraft...
, 55-80
See also
- American M41 Walker BulldogM41 Walker BulldogThe M41 Walker Bulldog was a U.S. light tank developed to replace the M24 Chaffee. It was named for General Walton Walker who died in a jeep accident in Korea...
- French AMX-13AMX-13The AMX-13 is a French light tank produced from 1953 to 1985. It served with the French Army and was exported to over twenty-five other nations...
- French AMX 50AMX 50The AMX 50 or AMX-50 was a French heavy tank designed in the immediate post Second World War period. It was proposed as, in succession, the French medium, heavy and main battle tank and incorporated many advanced features...
- French Panhard EBRPanhard EBRThe Panhard EBR is a light armoured car designed by Panhard for the French Army and later used across the globe, notably by the French Army during the Algerian War and the Portuguese Army during the Portuguese Colonial War in Angola, Mozambique and Guinea-Bissau.The EBR is an 8x8 wheeled...
- Russian PT-76PT-76The PT-76 is a Soviet amphibious light tank which was introduced in the early 1950s and soon became the standard reconnaissance tank of the Soviet Army and the other Warsaw Pact armed forces. It was widely exported to other friendly states, like India, Iraq, North Korea and North Vietnam. Overall,...
External links
- Technical data sheet and pictures SK-105 from ArmyRecognition.com
- Steyr-Daimler-Puch Spezialfahrzeug GmbH, manufacturer of the SK-105 Kurassier