Al-Hussein (Challenger 1) Falcon - The goofy CR.1

Please no Indian tank in my wonderful ZA tree.

No, it should go: Olifant Mk.2 → TTD→ Olifant Mk.1B Optimum→ Falcon→ Loggim (TTD 120), the Arjun would be better coming after the Vickers Mk.7

Edit: For some reason this comment was flagged I don’t know why and if it does then hopefully the community managers will see I didn’t say anything bad or controversial

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‘Coolie’ is a highly derogatory term, especially in South Africa, where it is considered hate speech. I suggest you remove it

why put the mk1B after TTD?

You know what the Mk.1B is right? Its basically a super olifant :)))

Cos the SA line is practically a none UK line… tho id wish the CH2E was after the mk7 tbh… also hopefully someone would create a suggestion for the Tariq 2 tank…

its not 120mm like people commonly think

It’s still quite the upgrade and some consider it superior to the 105mm TTD.

it has a worse engine and hull armour to get an arrowhead addon and rubber sideskirts

Because it has a better gun, armour and optics but the TTD has better mobility

Same turret except for the arrowhead so sights and gun are the same

No, the turret composite armour is better and it has full composite addon armour (it is Not hollow like the Leo 2, it is fully made of composites). Look on the official forum; Olifant MK1B "Optimum" suggestion

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Screenshot 2024-11-05 at 17.12.25

Turrets (optimum without arrowhead) are practically identical. Yes I have already read that thread, the only difference implied is the arrowhead containing additional composite. Nothing about gun or optics.

Same gun, same optics. Only the turret is stronger. It would probably be around 9.7-10.0.

10.7

Compared to the TTD at 10.3:

  • Same gun
  • Worse hull armour
  • Better turret armour
  • Worse mobility
  • Same sights

= +0.3 BR? Elaborate on your logic

Wrong, it has a better gun with handling and DM 63 105 has more pen

Depending on the version they add it’ll either have the same sights or the same sights as the Rooikat 105 and MTTD

The better turret with how Gaijin have added similar situation tanks in the past, if I was doing the BR system myself I would put it at the same BR

on par with the MBT70/XM803 alright

Rooikat 105 and TTD have the same sights.

TTD has dm63 like mk1b , mk2, mk1b has a different gun (gt-8 same as Olifant mk2) which has worse handling (at least in game) see here vs here (you will have to go to the mk2 and TTD pages to see gun handling)

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With the different optical configurations they could add a TT version after the TTD and a premium/squadron version. I think it would sell decently with its uniqueness.

Would be interesting to see if more information could be dug up for the turret weight and armour layout.

Honestly I was expecting to see it quite some time ago, but then I have also been expecting the Scimitar every update for the last 6 years…

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Technically, the vehicle’s official name should be AB9C5 MBT Falcon II, which is a development program initiated by the King Abdullah II Design & Development Bureau (KADDB).




The gunner’s primary sighting system of AB9C5 Falcon II can be traced back to the AB9C4 Falcon I (based on a upgraded Centurion, called Tariq) rolled out in 2002, , which was developed by South African company 4-Sight for Thales Optronics.



Note that the gunner’s EO/IR sight is mounted on the left side of the gun.

The Falcon II turret was originally designed to have an gunner EO sight, designed by 4-Sight, mounted on the left side of the gun. The turret roof turret has a panoramic sight the the commander.

But for unknown reasons, the prototype of Al-Hussein Falcon II built in 2003 was only equipped with a panoramic sight for the commander, and the gunner only had a Thales’ DNGS-B day/night gunnery sight mounted on his hatch roof.



The Falcon II was originally equipped with the same CS2000 roof-mounted panoramic sight as the Falcon I




The gunner of the Falcon II turret initially had only a DNGS-B sight available, with x6 magnification and Image intensifier (II)


The first prototype of Al-Hussein Falcon II was on display at IDEX 2003

In August 2004, the Falcon II was upgraded with new electro-optical sensor system developed by 4-Sight/IST Dynamics, consisting of the commander’s CS2001 and the gunner’s GS2000, based on a KENIS third-generation thermal imager.





Falcon II turret upgraded with IST’s Fire Directing System exhibited at SOFEX 2006

Regarding the Falcon II’s autoloader, it was actually developed in the UK by the FHL Division of Claverham Ltd (formerly Fairey Hydraulics). Including a round in the transfer tube the total number of rounds in the autoloader is 11. The 11 ready-use rounds are stored in turret bustle with a blowout plate, while remaining 17 rounds are stored inside the hull.



The nominal rate of fire is 8 rounds per minute, but the autoloader cycle is 4.5 seconds, with one round in the chamber and another in the transfer tube the two could be fired in 3 seconds. According to KADDB, the first 3 rounds can be fired in 10 seconds, and the average rate of fire is up to 10 rounds per minute.






The Falcon II turret weighs 17.5 tonnes, while the Challenger 1 hull weighs 41.7 tonnes, so the Al-Hussein Falcon II prototype weighs about 59 tonnes.


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