- Yes
- No
Introduction
The Ikv 91 was developed during the 1960s as part of the Swedish Army’s effort to replace a large quantity of obsolete Second World War equipment with a modern, highly mobile fire support vehicle. In 1964 the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) issued requirements for the ‘Ikv new’ project, calling for a lightweight, amphibious vehicle capable of operating in the forests, marshes, and underdeveloped terrain of northern Sweden. To keep costs low while still providing effective anti-tank capability, the vehicle was to use a 9cm low-pressure gun capable of firing modified ammunition derived from the Pvpj 1110 recoilless rifle. Several Swedish companies submitted proposals, including Bofors, Landsverk, and Hägglunds, ranging from traditional casemate tank destroyers to advanced turreted vehicles with autoloaders. After years of evaluation, Hägglunds’ design was selected largely because of its extensive parts commonality with the already successful Pbv 302 APC, simplifying production and maintenance. Three prototypes were ordered in 1968, tested extensively from 1969 onward, and eventually refined into the production Ikv 91 adopted by the Swedish Army in 1975.
The Ikv 91 chassis also formed the basis for several experimental and proposed variants, the most significant being the Ikv 91-105. Early experiments with mounting a 105mm gun in a makeshift turret began as early as 1971, proving that the lightweight chassis could handle considerably greater firepower than originally intended. During the 1980s, amid growing international interest in light tanks, Hägglunds developed the Ikv 91-105 as a major modernisation of the original design.
Now, I know you may be thinking, we already have the Ikv 91-105 in-game. And that’s true, we have the Ikv 91-105 armed with a Bofors low-pressure 105mm cannon. But another variant of the Ikv 91-105 was built, armed with a stabilised Rheinmetall RH 105-20 low pressure cannon, capable of firing NATO standard 105mm ammunition, including APFSDS. This variant also had the engine upgraded to 360/380hp (sources are conflicting here), and, as an extra bonus, was also fitted with thermal sights.
So, despite being rather similar to the existing Bofors IKV 91-105, the Ikv 91-105 (RH 105) would be a good oppurtunity to get a light tank that packs a little more punch. With thermal sights, and potentially DM33 (the current one in-game only gets DM23), alongside decent mobility with over 20hp/t, the Ikv 91-105 (RH 105) would be a capable light tank to fill out 9.3 Sweden, roughly equivalent to something like the Leopard 1A5.
Comparison of the Ikv 90-105 with the RH 105 (top) vs the Bofors 105 (lower). Note the different muzzle brake, fume extractor, and mantlet
Specifications
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