New British Tank - Vickers Defence FV-4040 Centaur

[mpipes]

I've created a few armored vehicles for use. This is the Centaur. I've used Paul's site in creating it.

Vickers Defence FV-4040 Centaur
Notes: Vickers began work on an enhanced version of Challenger using a casemated hull and unmanned turret just as done by the Americans and Germans with the Abrams IV and Leopard III designs. The primary change was switching to a crew-in-hull configuration in a modified Challenger 2 hull. The Centaur uses the German MTU-EuroPowerPack, with a turbocharged diesel engine developing 1500 horsepower, identical to that of the Challenger 2E. Larger fuel tanks are installed. The suspension uses an updated version of the Challenger 2 hydrogas system and an improved track system installed. An improved CITS with a dedicated laser range finder is installed. The gunner’s sight is similar, roof mounted, and provides a panoramic view. Both sights are also gyrostabilized. The Centaur is fitted with the same BMS (Battle Management System) used in the 2E. The L-30A2 120mm main gun is essentially identical to the one used on the Challenger 2, but was further optimized to fire DU rounds and had slightly improved range. The Centaur can ford to a depth of 2.3 meters using a kit or 1.5 meters without one, and if installed, the system merely has to be turned on to allow the deeper fording. Standard commander’s machinegun is a CROWS-type remote weapon station. Air conditioning and heating are included. One significant improvement was installation of reclining seats for the all the crew, which could be used for sleeping.
A soft-kill VIDS system is mounted. The VIDS automatically triggers laser dazzlers and countermeasures which add one level difficulty to hit for laser-guided missiles are one level more difficult to hit. Those using laser rangefinders against the protected vehicle must make a Difficult: INT roll to obtain a correct proper range. The laser can also be used (manually) to attempt to temporarily blind an enemy gunner (Difficult:INT; range 2000 meters). The VIDS also includes a laser sensor to trigger the VIDS system. An IR sensor activates an IR jammer to decoy heat-seeking missiles, adding one level difficulty for most fire-and-forget ATGMs to hit the protected vehicle (unless the missile description states that it does not use IR guidance). The IR sensor can also trigger IR-obscuring smoke and flares if needed. An electro-optical jammer is used confuse missiles using MCLOS and SACLOS wire-guided missiles; at short ranges (about 500 meters), it can also confuse the actual guidance units of the ATGM launchers themselves as well as laser designators (as this is an automatic system, such jamming has a base roll of 14 to succeed). Launchers for 32 additional flares and 32 additional IR-obscuring smoke grenades are also installed.
Work progressed to the advanced prototyping and initial production stage, with a bit more than 60 completed by mid-1996. However, when the Twilight war began, not all the necessary tooling was in place for full-scale, rapid production, and instead, the British settled on focusing on the Challenger 2E version and ceasing further production of the Centaur, concentrating instead on producing more 2Es. All of the completed Centaurs went to Germany, serving in the 4th and 7th Royal Dragoon Guards, with a total of about 100 completed.
Vehicle Price Fuel Type Load Veh Wt Crew Mnt Night Vision Radiological
Centaur $1,525,000 D, A 600 kg 58.7 tons 3 28 Passive IR (D), Image Intensification (G), Thermal Imaging (C, G) Shielded
Vehicle Tr Mov Com Mov Fuel Cap Fuel Cons Config Susp Armor
Centaur 129/91 29/22 2100+600 586 CiH T6 TF145Cp TS45 TR25 HF180Cp HS45Sp HR25
Vehicle Fire Control Stabilization Armament Ammunition
Centaur +5 Good L-30A2 120mm Gun, M-2HB (C), EX-34 55x120mm, 3000x7.62mm, 1200x.50

[RN7]

It would be a nice looking tank and if the American and German armies were building turretless tanks then why not the British Army too! but I really don't see it ever being built for a number of reasons.

The Challenger 2 is an extremely powerful tank and its armour protection is considered the toughest on any tank in the world. Only one has ever been destroyed in combat and that was by another Challenger 2 in a friendly fire incident. Its vastly superior to anything the Soviet have and even the Challenger 1 is better than anything the Soviets had, so why would Britain build a new tank?

The British Army never adopted the Challenger 2E because it wasn't designed for its needs. The Challenger 2E was designed for export to the Middle East; it has a few different sensors and its German MTU engine is smaller than the British Perkins but has a more powerful power pack and a cooling system and air-intake filtration system for desert use with increased range and it can stow a few more rounds. It's a bit faster on roads or on flat surfaces, but has no real advantage in the European countryside which is where the British Army will be fighting. But British Army units sent to the Middle East might have a few of them.

The L-30A2 120mm main gun might be developed, but the L-30 on the Challenger 2 uses APFSDS L26 (Charm 1) and APFSDS L27A1(Charm 2) with depleted uranium long rod penetrator projectiles.

Britain only has two tank factories in Newcastle and Leeds both owned by Vickers. The production rate for a tank as big and sophisticated as a Challenger 2 is likely to be no more than 20 a month, so unless they build a new tank factory for the Centaur I couldn't see them squeezing it in.

[Louied]

Just a quick 2 cents,
According to Simon Dunstan, the then DRAC wanted Challenger 2 to be named 'Corsair'. But I guess he was overruled a second time !

[James Langham2]

Originally Posted by Louied

Just a quick 2 cents,
According to Simon Dunstan, the then DRAC wanted Challenger 2 to be named 'Corsair'. But I guess he was overruled a second time !

Easier to get politicians to agree if it sounds like an upgraded version... (source Osprey Challenger II)

[James Langham2]

Nice work - I may incorporate a few parts in Challenger II variants in my UK Vehicle Guide if that's ok.