SAETECHNICALPAPERSERIES962220962220 TheDesign&Development of TheMainBattleTank MajorGeneralA. G.Sharman CEngFIMechEChairman Automobile Division1996/97 1996SAE/IMECHE EXCHANGE LECTURE International Truck&Bus Meeting &Exposition Detroit,MichiganQctober14-16,1996 400Commonwealth Drive,Warrendale, PA15096-0001 U.S.A.Tel:(412)776-4841 Fax:(412)776 5760 Downloaded from SAE International by University of New South Wales, Tuesday, September 18, 2018Theappearance oftheISSNcodeatthebottomofthispageindicatesSAE'sconsent thatcopiesofthepapermaybemadeforpersonalorinternaluseofspecificclients. Thisconsentisgivenontheconditionhowever,thatthecopierpaya$7.00perarticle copyfeethroughtheCopyright Clearance Center,Inc.Operations Center,222 Rosewood Drive,Danvers, MA01923forcopyingbeyondthatpermitted bySections 107or108ofU.S.Copyright Law.Thisconsentdoesnotextendtootherkindsof copyingsuchascopyingforgeneraldistribution, foradvertising orpromotional purposes, forcreatingnewcollective works,orforresale. SAEroutinelystocksprintedpapersforaperiodofthreeyearsfollowingdateof publication. DirectyourorderstoSAECustomer SalesandSatisfaction Department. QuantityreprintratescanbeobtainedfromtheCustomerSalesandSatisfaction Department. Torequestpermission toreprintatechnicalpaperorpermission tousecopyrighted SAEpublications inotherworks,contacttheSAEPublications Group. Nopartofthispublication maybereproduced inanyform,inanelectronic retrieval systemorotherwise, withoutthepriorwrittenpermission ofthepublisher. ISSN0148-7191 Copyright 1996SocietyofAutomotive Engineers, Inc. Positionsandopinionsadvanced inthispaperarethoseoftheauthor(s)andnot necessarily thoseofSAE.Theauthorissolelyresponsible forthecontentofthe paper.Aprocessisavailablebywhichdiscussions willbeprintedwiththepaperif itispublished inSAETransactions. Forpermission topublishthispaperinfullorin part,contacttheSAEPublications Group. Personswishingtosubmitpaperstobeconsidered forpresentation orpublication throughSAEshouldsend the manuscript ora300wordabstractofaproposed manuscript to:Secretary, Engineering Meetings Board,SAE. PrintedinUSA 960049 Downloaded from SAE International by University of New South Wales, Tuesday, September 18, 2018962220 TheDesign&Development ofTheMainBattleTank MajorGeneral A.G.Sharman CEngFIMechEChairman Automobile Division1996/97 SYNOPSIS: Thispapersketchesthehistoryofthedevelopment ofthemainbattletank,whyit developed asitdidandfinisheswithamoredetailedanalysisofthedesignanddevelopment of theBritishArmy'snewChallenger 2.Whilstemphasising automotive aspectsoftankdesignthe paperrehearsestheothertechnologies criticaltomakingthetanksuchaformidable weapon system. 1INTRODUCTION Tanksaredistinguishable fromotherarmoured fightingvehiclesinthattheyareautomotive, tracked,armoured carriersofheavydirectfireweapons. Theaimofthispaperistoexplainthe evolutionanddevelopment ofthemodernBritishMainBattleTank(MBT)andit'stechnology. 2EVOLUTION TO1945 2.1Origins TheideaofthetankpredatesWorldWarIandanumberofunarmoured trackedtractorsto towguns,wheeledvehicleswithgunsandevenwheeledvehicleswithgunsandarmourwere considered formilitaryapplication. Butavehiclecombining tracks,armourandagunwas neverproducedbeforetheWar,inspiteoftherecognition byanumberofvisionaries ofthe potentialofamobileweaponplatform. 2.2WorldWarI Thestagnation oftrenchwarfaregaveenormous impetustothedevelopment ofthetank, thoughit'srolethen,andconsequent design,wasseenasbeingtoassistinfantryintheassault. Thefirstseriousproduction vehiclewastheMk1(seeFigure1),basedonaprototype called BigWillie,orMother.BuiltbyWilliamFoster&CoLtditweighed28tons,hadacrewof8, achievedaspeedof5.9kms/hourandhadarangeof37kmsfromits105hpDaimlerengine.It cameinamaleversionwith57mm,6poundernavalgunsinsponsonsoneachsideanda femaleversionarmedonlywithmachineguns.Armoured protection wasabout8mm.The veryhighlozengeshapewithallroundtracks,necessarytoovercome trenchesandbarbedwire (it'scapabilityherehasneverbeenbettered),precluded thefittingofaturret.Bytheendofthe