- Yes, don’t care how
- Yes, as a researchable vehicle
- Yes, as a premium/squadron/event vehicle
- No
- Belgian or BeNeLux tree
- French tree
- Other
- I said no
Welcome to another suggestion, this time we’ll be looking at a variant of the Belgian SIBMAS vehicle, this version is fitted with Cockerill’s C25 turret.
The SIBMAS first saw the light in 1975 as a private venture by B N Constructions Ferroviaires et Métalliques. As you might notice, the type resembles the South African Ratel APC, which is no coincidence. Both vehicles seem to be designed from a common ancestor. However, despite the resemblance, SIBMAS is very much a different vehicle with some nice extras. The first prototype was finished in 1976, this was tested extensively by the Belgian and Malaysian armed forces. A second improved prototype was finished in 1979, this featured improved driver visibility and a better engine. After a large order from Malaysia, the producer continued to market the vehicle with a wide variety of turrets (yes there will be a lot of suggestions). One of these was the SIBMAS fitted with a Cockerill C25 turret which had an Oerlikon KBB 25mm cannon as the main armament, the same turret as can be found on the Cobra AFV 25. The type did not achieve export success and as such remained in the prototype stage.
Now let’s take about the details of the vehicle. As mentioned before it had a main armament of one Oerlikon-Contraves 25mm KBB cannon. This cannon is capable of firing up to 600rpm and can fire a wide variety of ammo types, these include Armor Piercing, Discarding Sabot-Tracer, Armor Piercing-Tracer, High Explosive Incendiary, and Target Practice-Tracer types. The cannon was mounted in a Cockerill C25 turret which also had a secondary 7.62mm machine gun along with an OIP/SCS-5 x 8 periscope each for the commander and gunner, a x8 night sight for the gunner and a x6 night sight for the commander. The cannon was able to be elevated to 60 degrees allowing this vehicle to double up in the air defense role as well. A stabilizer is optional in this turret, but it is currently unclear to me if the prototype had this fitted. The ~15-16 ton vehicle is powered by a MAN Diesel D 2566 MK six-cylinder water-cooled diesel engine which produces 320 hp. This gives the SIBMAS a respectable power-to-weight ratio of around 20hp/t and gives it a top speed of 100km/h. Unlike the Ratel, the SIBMAS is also amphibious. The Malaysian vehicles were all fitted with propellers which gave them a top speed of 11km/h in water. As you see (and know from the Ratel) the vehicle is unfortunately quite bulky. Measuring 7.32m long, 2.5m wide, and around 3m high.
General characteristics:
- Mass: 15-16 ton
- Length: 7.32 m
- Width: 2.5 m
- Height: +/- 3m
- Crew: 3 (commander/loader, driver, gunner)
- Engine: MAN Diesel D 2566 MK six-cylinder water-cooled diesel producing 320 hp at 1,900 rpm
- Power/weight: 20 hp/ton
- Operational range: 1,000 km
- Maximum speed: 100 km/h
Armament:
- 1x 25mm Oerlikon-Contraves KBB cannon.
- 1x coaxial 7.62mm machine gun.
Systems:
- NVD
- (optional) stabilizer
- Thermal sight
In-game:
The SIBMAS C25 would probably be quite comparable in role to the Type 87 RCV, albeit a bit bulkier. It would be a rather fast vehicle capable of flanking enemy troops and scouting them, or it can engage lightly armored targets if the opportunity allows it. This similarity in playstyle is only reinforced by the two vehicles sharing (almost) the same gun (Type 87 uses an a slightly inferior version, the KBA). The SIBMAS is also amphibious which will allow it to reach some unexpected positions on the map. All-in-all this should be a fun and engaging vehicle that can be enjoyed by players of whatever nation it ends up coming to.
