STRV 103 S Tank Documentary

the buers s103 was an unusual attempt to gain the best benefits of both protection and Firepower it is popularly known as the sank some people believe it should not be called a tank at all because it lacks a turret all tanks have a fully tracked chassis which give them good Mobility over smooth or uneven ground conventional tanks have a gun mounted fairly high above the ground in a revolving turret the S tank however has its 105 mm weapon mounted in the top of the low slung Hull fed by an automatic loader at the rear the S tank is normally crewed by three men seated centrally where they are best protected at a pinch it could be operated by two or even one man occupying either of the two front positions in comparison to a conventional tank the S tank has a remarkably low silhouette lacking a turret the S tank aims its gun by swiveling its whole chassis elevation and depression are achieved by raising or lowering the hydron numatic suspension with a combat weight of just under 40 tons the S tank is also capable of traversing smoothly despite minor obstacles in its path if a larger object gets in its way it can swivel on its own axis to bring its gun to Bear a low silhouette is an obvious Advantage allowing the S tank to hide easily in a true H down position awaiting its prey if cover is not immediately available it can dig itself in using a frontal Dozer blade which when folded back into the traveling position also adds extra armor protection particularly to the tracks the tank elevates and depresses its guns smoothly through 22° which is better than most tanks can manage the advanced suspension gives an even ride over tricky obstacles at the Tank's rear the automatic loader is fed to capacity with 50 rounds the crew scramble into their positions the internal layout though futuristic in appearance is designed for maximum Simplicity of operation This eases Crew fatigue and makes them more efficient the driver usually aims and fires the gun acting on directions from the commander however the commander has duplicate controls and can take over at will using his gyro stabilized sites this can be important when an unexpected Target suddenly appears as soon as a Target presents itself the S tank comes to a halt and engages cartridge cases are automatically ejected after firing saving clutter within the vehicle the tank can then move forward again should a threat to the flank emerge the commander can Traverse to meet it or lay down smoke from has eight dischargers and tell the third crew member to beat a hasty Retreat this man is normally the radio operator but he has his own rearward facing driving controls the S tank has built-in flotation screens which can be erected quickly to make it fully amphibious in the water the tank is propelled and steered by its tracks for all its advanced technology though including a gas turbine engine to give easy starting in cold weather and a subsidiary engine to keep the systems ticking over while stationary the S tank has one major drawback it cannot fire while on the move which makes it primarily a defensive rather than an offensive weapon system the same

Channel: GrimlockUK

Views: 876,358

Keywords: STRV, 103, Tank, S-Tank

Id: fARGfVA7Mm8

Length: 7min 7sec (427 seconds)

Published: Thu Oct 26 2006