- Yes
- No
caid’s suggestion #171
I would like to suggest a rather unique tank, the Swiss Mowag Tornado Mk2
The Mowag Tornado Mk.2 was a Swiss made IFV that was created on the base of the Tornado which was a prototype intended to replace the M113 in the Swiss army. the Tornado Mk.1 & Mk.2 was his success and aimed for the export
The Tornado Mk.2 was built in 1981 in the base of the Tornado Mk.1 the tank featured serial difference which can be somehow considered as an improvement. one of which is the the new transmission that was used with the engine which allows 4 forward speeds and 4 backward with a torque converter which sort of double the quantities of geat (in the game it works that way). this greatly improved the vehicle’s mobility in ad made it about as good as the Marder, which was the main competitor.
as the Swiss were thinking that the potential future customers would prefer the American engine, they decided to replace their Mowag engine with the much more powerful V8 Detroit Diesel V8-71A-TLK of 575 hp. but this comes at the cost of the reduced range from 600 km to 400 km. the rear was changed to reposition the Apex mount on the rear and offer better protection in close combat. an adiitional fire-port was added for the 9mm SMG which allows the crew to fight from the inside. On the opposite of the Mk.1, the crew was sitting face to face to allow a larger cargo space but reduce the comfort when fighting from inside the vehicles. the ATGM launcher was removed as it was considered as impracticable and unneeded. the Tornado Mk.1 comes with many different turrets for different needs, according to the preference of the user.
the turret is the GBD COA which features a 25mm gun and was the basic model of this tank. this tank was never ordered for services. this prototype/demonstrator was preserved in the Museum of Full in perfect condition.
Firepower
the main armament been a 25mm oerlikon KBA. this auto-cannon is featuring a very high rate of fire for his size. it also packs quit firepower and can engage enemy tanks in flanking manoeuvres when used well. this gun can even penetrate the early MBT. On the downside, this turret is not stabilized or includes night-vision or thermal images. the turret is operated by the crew member who is sitting below the gun. the ammo load is 800 rounds of which 200 are ready to use. To be honest, i know little about this turret so far. it probably has the same elevation as the GBD B20, and visibly includes a coaxial and smoke launcher which the GBD B20 does not have, but it also seems to have an improved sight and may include a stabilizer. I am still looking for more information about this turret but so far, my search was been unfruitful
Mobility
The tank was powered by a V8 Detroit Diesel V8-71A-TLK offering 575 hp and had a Mowag transmission offering 4 forward speed and 4 backward this allowed the tank to have a pretty good acceleration and be very reactive. the vehicle’s combat weight reach 22.3 tonnes. this weight may vary from the Mk.1 and Mk.2 and with different turrets, but the source (which is from various encyclopedias and author books) only states 22.3 tonnes without precising if there is a difference in weight from one to another. This remains a pretty decent weight for the engine as the tank remains with about 25 hp/tonnes which is good. the top speed reaches 70 km/h in both directions which is perfect for those who love to use the mobility of their vehicles.
protection
The exact armor of the tank is unknown, but due to the weight and size, it is expected to be around 30-35mm on the front and 20mm on the side. besides the protection was reported to be capable of taking fire from a 23mm auto-cannon on the front and a 14.5mm heavy machine gun on the side. this should allow the tank to have a fairly good resistance against HMG and some auto-cannon but not in a way to be immune to them. for sure compared to its main competitor, the AMX 10P, BMP-1, and Marder, this tank has fairly good protection but it remains an IFV. the did receive a smoke grenade launcher in the late stage of its test which allowed the tank to fire 2x smoke at the time to cover his movement, the crew normally includes a driver, a gunner, and a commander, but we should also give it 2x passenger who are normally operating the LMG turret (they was on the disposal of the embarked infantry)
sources
IDF Jane's
International defense review
Spoiler
Armament
Spoiler
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If you like to see some wacky tanks if you want to see unique aircraft, if you want to see something about a new nation that could make it to the game. Switzerland is for you
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