In the eighties of the last century, all the leading countries of the world were engaged in the development of the so-called. tanks of limiting parameters. By this time, the main battle tanks were already in service, their characteristics significantly different from the equipment of previous generations. It was believed that the existing MBT should be replaced by new armored vehicles with even higher combat qualities. These views of the military led to the emergence of several original projects. In the late seventies, Sweden, seeing global trends and taking into account the state of its armored forces, began developing its own "tank of maximum parameters".
Project start
As in the case with other similar projects, the Swedish promising tank was developed for two main reasons. Firstly, foreign countries constantly have new equipment with higher characteristics, and secondly, the state of their own equipment already left much to be desired. A study carried out by the Swedish military in the late seventies showed that the existing Strv 103 tanks and numerous modifications of the British Centurion vehicle (Strv 101, Strv 102, etc.), thanks to timely repairs, can serve for the next several years or even decades. Nevertheless, in the nineties, it would be necessary to start building new tanks designed to replace the existing fleet of equipment.
In the late seventies and early eighties, Swedish scientists and tank builders created and tested several experimental tanks that could become the basis of a promising combat vehicle. Projects UDES 03, UDES 19, etc. allowed to collect a lot of necessary information, which to a certain extent facilitated the development of a new tank. However, the vehicles under study did not become prototypes for a promising tank. The project, called Stridsvagn 2000 or Strv 2000 ("Tank of 2000"), was developed taking into account the existing experience, but not on the basis of ready-made solutions.
The development of the promising MBT Strv 2000 was entrusted to HB Utveckling AB, a joint venture of Bofors and Hägglunds & Söner. These organizations had serious experience in the creation of armored vehicles and various weapons. In addition, it was planned to involve some foreign organizations in the project, primarily suppliers of various equipment, weapons, etc.
The Strv 2000 project began by examining data collected during tests of several experimental machines. It was required to study the capabilities of the industry and determine the required characteristics of a promising machine. In addition, it was planned to consider the possibility of buying a license for the production of any tank of foreign design. In the event of an unsuccessful completion of their own project, it was planned to equip the troops with licensed equipment.
By the mid-eighties, the developers of the project formed a list of the main requirements for a promising tank. MBT Strv 2000 in its characteristics should have surpassed all the equipment available in Sweden, as well as not be inferior to foreign competitors. In addition, there were some interesting and unusual requirements. So, in the first version of the technical task there was a clause on the mandatory use of a turret, which allows you to turn the gun in any direction (probably, the experience of operating the Strv 103 tanks affected). It was also required to ensure the survival of the crew in the event of the defeat of the ammunition.
Using the experience, the employees of HB Utveckling AB proposed three main options for a promising MBT. The first involved the use of a classic layout and a crew of four. The second version of the tank had a compact turret and a crew of three. The third version of the project proposed developing an uninhabited tower and isolating three tankers from the fighting compartment. In the future, these ideas were developed, which resulted in the appearance of several variants of the Strv 2000 project at once, differing from each other in layout, weapons and other features.
A curious feature of the Strv 2000 project was the use of information about foreign developments. When determining the requirements for a promising tank, the capabilities of foreign MBTs of that time were taken into account. At the same time, the Soviet T-80 tank was considered the main "competitor" of the new Stridsvagn 2000. For example, information about the use of combined armor on the T-80 in combination with reactive armor made the Swedish designers smash their brains over the armament complex and ammunition for their tank.
The characteristics of the guns of Soviet tanks and shells for them became the reason for the imposition of high demands on the protection of the new Swedish vehicle. In the eighties, new armor-piercing sub-caliber projectiles appeared in service with the Soviet army, posing a particular danger to armored vehicles. The new tank was supposed to have a reservation that provided protection against existing and promising foreign shells.
Formation of appearance
According to calculations, the "tank of limiting parameters" Strv 2000 turned out to be quite heavy. Its combat weight was supposed to reach 55-60 tons. Thus, to ensure the required mobility characteristics, it was necessary to use an engine with a capacity of about 1000-1500 hp. The vehicle had to be equipped with an automatic transmission, a power plant control system and other equipment characteristic of modern tanks of that time.
Given the firepower of existing foreign tanks, Swedish engineers decided to provide protection for their new armored vehicle in several ways. So, it was planned to reduce the likelihood of detecting a tank by reducing its visibility in several ranges at once: in infrared, optical and radar. For this reason, the Strv 2000 had to carry special equipment to reduce the temperature of the exhaust gases and to cool the engine. In addition, it was proposed to form the outer surface of the hull and turret in such a way that the radiation of the enemy's radar was reflected to the sides. Finally, it was planned to reduce the size of the combat vehicle so that it would be more difficult to see it with optical instruments.
The means of reducing the visibility were supposed to complement the existing booking. It was on the armor that the main responsibility was assigned to protect the tank from enemy weapons. Like other MBT developers, HB Utveckling AB had to find a way to create a relatively light armor with a high level of protection. Research has shown that the best weight-to-protection ratio is found in combined armor based on metal and ceramic. This armor design provided the required protection characteristics, but did not make the tank heavier.
In the second half of the eighties, several Swedish companies were involved in the study and creation of new combined armor. Various ceramic materials and armor structures were studied. Due to the complexity, such work dragged on for several years. In parallel, the option of acquiring a license for the production of Chobham armor with its subsequent modernization was considered. Such armor could also provide the required level of protection.
In the event of a defeat of the tank, it was planned to provide some means of additional protection for the crew. For example, one of the variants of the proposed project provided for the placement of the crew in a volume isolated from the ammunition load. Another version of the project involved the use of armored curtains for stowing ammunition and ejection roof panels, modeled on some foreign tanks.
Initially, it was planned that the Strv 2000 tank will receive a 120-mm smoothbore gun Rh-120, similar to those used on foreign M1A1 Abrams and Leopard 2 machines. However, in the future, the views on the armament of the promising tank were revised. "Tank of extreme parameters" had to have the appropriate firepower. For this reason, already in the mid-eighties, it was decided to switch to a new caliber - 140 mm. According to some reports, due to the lack of their own developments in this area, the Swedish tank builders decided to resort to the help of their German colleagues. At this time, the Rheinmetall company began work on the project of the 140-mm NPzK-140 tank gun, intended for the rearmament of the Leopard 2 MBT.
By the time the design work was completed and the prototype was assembled, the German 140 mm gun was an enlarged and slightly modified version of the Rh-120 gun. By increasing the caliber, German gunsmiths managed to double the muzzle energy with the corresponding consequences for the fighting qualities. However, despite all the advantages, the NPzK-140 gun never went into production. Until the beginning of the 2000s, Rheinmetall specialists worked to reduce the recoil momentum and ensure an acceptable resource, and also improved the weapon in other ways. Only at the beginning of the XXI century were several experimental guns made, which were not without drawbacks.
As a result, the Bundeswehr refused to further support the NPzK-140 project, and Rheinmetall was forced to curtail all work. As a result, the German armed forces did not receive a modernized version of the Leopard 2 tank. In addition, development problems should have affected the Swedish project, since even by the early nineties, Rheinmetall was not ready to share the new weapon with colleagues.
The 140 mm caliber gun ensured complete superiority over any modern and promising tanks of foreign countries. However, it had several disadvantages. The main one is the large size of the gun itself and the shells for it. Because of this, it was not possible to place a large ammunition load inside a relatively small fighting compartment. In this case, the promising Strv 2000 tank turned out to be very limited in combat capabilities.
It was proposed to modify the armament complex of the tank, taking into account the real capabilities of the proposed "main caliber". For this reason, specialists from HB Utveckling AB proposed to supplement the 140-mm gun with an automatic 40 mm cannon and several machine guns. Thus, a 140-mm gun could be used to attack tanks and enemy fortifications, and less protected targets could be destroyed with an automatic cannon. To defeat manpower, in turn, machine guns were offered.
Project options
By the end of the eighties, HB Utveckling AB offered the customer several options for a promising tank. As it turned out, there were several ways to fulfill the requirements. The customer was presented with several options for a promising tank under the general name Stridsvagn 2000. At the same time, all versions of the "tank of limiting parameters" had their own designations.
T140 or T140 / 40
The most interesting and realistic version of the tank. This version of the project involved the construction of a combat vehicle with a crew of three and a front engine. Due to such a layout and the use of combined armor, it was possible to provide an acceptable level of protection for both vehicle units and the crew. In addition, the ammunition load was reliably protected from attacks from the front corners. The proposed layout, with all its advantages, had a significant drawback: the combat weight of the T140 / 40 tank reached 60 tons.
The crew of three was to be located in the hull (driver) and turret (commander and gunner). The turret of the T140 / 40 tank was supposed to have an unusual design. In the center, inside a relatively large swinging casing, was the main 140-mm gun. To the left of it, in a similar installation of a smaller size, an auxiliary 40-mm cannon was supposed to be located. The turret feed was given to accommodate 40 shells for the main gun. On the left side there were boxes for the ammunition load of a 40-mm cannon, on the right side there were workplaces for two tankers.
L140
The L140 tank was a simplified version of the T140 / 40 with one gun and a different chassis. As a basis for such a tank, a seriously redesigned chassis of the Stridsfordon 90 infantry fighting vehicle (Strf 90 or CV90) was proposed. Such a chassis retained its layout with a front engine, and part of the ammunition was located inside the aft troop compartment.
Due to the lack of an additional 40-mm cannon, it was possible to place the commander and gunner to the right and left of the main 140-mm gun. The main stowage of ammunition with automatic loading units was located in the rear of the tower. Additional packing was placed inside the former troop compartment, in the rear of the hull.
The chassis of the BMP Strf 90 had certain restrictions on the combat weight of the finished tank. For this reason, the armor of the hull of the L140 tank hardly differed from the protection of the basic infantry fighting vehicle. Thus, the proposed MBT L140 did not meet the requirements and could hardly get the customer's approval. The downside of the problems with protection was the low combat weight - no more than 35 tons.
O140 / 40
It was also proposed to build this version of the tank on the basis of the modified chassis of the BMP Strf 90, however, due to some technical solutions, it met the customer's requirements. To ensure the required level of protection, the front-engine hull was planned to be equipped with additional hinged booking modules. Such parts fit into the weight limits, but gave a significant increase in the level of protection.
Instead of the classic O140 / 40 turret, it was supposed to receive a monitors' combat module with two guns of 140 and 40 mm caliber. The commander and gunner were located inside the hull, in the lower rotating part of the combat module. Observation devices and sighting equipment were provided in the roof. On the roof of the combat module, it was proposed to mount a common swinging installation for two guns. The main gun ammunition and the automatic loader were located in the rear of the hull. During loading, the shells had to be fed from the hull to the inside of the cannon casing.
Through the use of a 1500 hp engine. and a modified undercarriage, it was possible to provide the required mobility of the O140 / 40 tank with a combat weight of 52 tons. Weight savings in comparison with the T140 / 40 were achieved through the use of a combat module of the original design.
Final project
At the end of the eighties, the Swedish military considered all the proposed options for the Strv 2000 tank and made their choice. In terms of the totality of characteristics, the T140 / 40 project became the best option for arming armored units. Due to its own original chassis and a non-standard turret, such a machine fully met the requirements. In addition, the 140-mm gun provided a noticeable advantage over all existing foreign armored vehicles, and the 40-mm automatic cannon made it possible to optimize the ammunition consumption.
Other proposed projects had certain disadvantages. For example, the L140 tank had insufficient protection and was not equipped with an auxiliary cannon, which seriously limited its combat capabilities. In fact, the L140 vehicle was an anti-tank self-propelled artillery unit, and not a full-fledged main battle tank. The O140 / 40 project did not suit the customer due to its complexity. The original combat module with an automated swinging artillery unit was considered too complicated and expensive to manufacture.
Around 1990, the military ordered the construction of a mock-up that could show the main features of a promising tank. HB Utveckling AB soon presented a model assembled from wood and metal. Outwardly, this product resembled the Strv 2000 tank in the T140 / 40 version. The model did not have a power plant or an operating chassis. Nevertheless, it provided for the "weapons" aiming drives.
Already in the late eighties, it became clear that the Strv 2000 project faced several specific problems that hindered its full implementation. One of the main ones was the lack of the necessary 140-mm cannon. Rheinmetall continued to develop such weapons and was not ready to present a ready-made sample suitable for mass production. Thus, the Swedish MBT Strv 2000 was left without its main armament, and the use of the 120 mm Rh-120 gun was associated with a loss of combat qualities.
The lack of a gun and other problems called into question the further fate of the entire Stridsvagn 2000 project. Long before the start of the construction of the model, the Swedish Ministry of Defense began to show more and more interest in a different way of updating the material part of the armored forces. The state of the available equipment and the progress of the Strv 2000 project forced the military to intensify work to check the prospects for the purchase of imported equipment.
In 1989-90, the American tank M1A1 Abrams and the German Leopard 2A4 were tested at Swedish proving grounds. This technique has shown good performance. It should be noted that the calculated characteristics of the new Strv 2000 in the T140 / 40 version were noticeably higher, but the American and German cars had a serious advantage over the Swedish competitor. They already existed in metal and were even built in series.
By 1991, the Swedish military became disillusioned with the Strv 2000 project and, being limited in money and time, decided to update the fleet of armored vehicles at the expense of foreign vehicles. A license for the production of the Leopard 2A4 MBT was acquired from Germany. In the Swedish Armed Forces, this technique has received a new designation Stridsvagn 122.
All work on the Strv 2000 project was curtailed as unnecessary. The only mock-up of the T140 / 40 tank was disassembled and was no longer shown. Over time, vehicles of the Strv 122 type became the main type of main battle tank in the Swedish army. Other tanks were decommissioned and cut into metal during the nineties and two thousandths. The Strv 2000 project is currently the latest Swedish tank development. Attempts to create new own tanks have not yet been made.
