Just to add a little more to the mix, the Swedish forces had upgraded Centurions as their MBTs and the Infanterikanonvagn 91 (AKA Ikv 91) as an anti-tank vehicle (the Ikv 91 was used by the infantry divisions to provide anti-tank support). The Ikv 91 is essentially the Pbv 302 APC with a turreted 90mm gun.
While Sweden may have classified the Stridsvagn 103 (AKA Strv 103 and S-Tank) as a tank, it is a classic tank-destroyer design in everything but name. It probably got the designation as a tank because its design concept started as a tank and the Swedish employed it throughout its life as a tank.
The main criteria of the Strv 103 design was for a lower profile, that then drove the design into a turretless concept. It was felt by the design team that a lower profile would enable it to survive longer on a battlefield flooded with Soviet tanks.
While it was originally proposed as a replacement for the Centurion MBTs then in service, it never did. Instead it served together with the tank it was meant to supersede. Obviously the design had its advantages but if it never completely replaced the tank it was supposed to supersede, then there were probably enough disadvantages associated with the design to cause this?
|