[Necro99]

http://w1.500.telia.com/~u50015076/strv_103.html
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/lsm/dhmg/s103.html
http://www.haaland.info/sweden/tank/
http://home.swipnet.se/tanks/tanks/mbt/strv103.html






Has anybody more info on this freaky (foxeh!) thing?

[jaakko]

It's the Stridsvagn 103, by Bofors (Sweden). Produced from 1966 to 1971 (300).

Armament consists of a 105mm gun, two 7.62mm coax MG, 7.62mm anti-aircraft MG. 8 smoke grenade dischargers, 2 Lyran illuminating rocket launchers (Strv 103C)

Has no night vision equipment nor NBC protection.

Crew: 3
Length: 7.04m (hull), 8.99 (hull+gun)
Width: 3.63
Height: 2.43
Weight: 37tons, 39.7tons (combat)
Max speed: 50km/h (road), 6km/h (water)

Stridsvagn 103 is unique in that the 105 mm gun is fixed in the glacis plate and is aimed in traverse by pivoting the vehicle on its tracks, and in elevation by adjusting the hydropneumatic suspension from -10 to +12 degrees. The 105mm gun has an automatic loader and fires APDS, APFSDS, HE and smoke rounds, empty cases being ejected from the rear.

From 1986 the S-tanks were modernised. Rolls-Royce diesel engine was replaced by a more powerful Detroit Diesel 6V-53T. Transmission was modified. Laser rangefinder, Lyran launchers and fuel cans arranged alonside hull sides were added. This modernised version is known as Strv 103C.

(source: Jane's tank recognition guide)

[Krasniy Yastreb]

The strv103 cannot fire when moving if I remember rightly.

But apart from that It's a pretty damn good piece of weaponry. I like vehicles like it that have nearly infinite versatility. The Red Army was good at this, half the vehicles they had were tracked, amphibious, carried loads of troops and had heavy armament all at the same time.

[Necro99]

Has no night vision equipment nor NBC protection.

Really?
In the book i discovered it it says that the crew had EXCELLENT NBC!

[jaakko]

Has no night vision equipment nor NBC protection.

Really?
In the book i discovered it it says that the crew had EXCELLENT NBC!

I don't understand why wouldn't it have NBC. But that's what Janes Tank Recognition guide says:
Armour: Classified
Armour type: Steel
NBC system: None
Night vision equipment: None

As for Yastreb's suspicion, it may be that the gun will fire even on the move if the gunner pushes the fire button. But for obvious reasons (as the gun is FIXED and always points EXACTLY in the same direction as the hull), it can't be aimed while moving. It must stop and use its suspension to aim.

Anyway, it's an interesting tank. It seems to be intentioned for defensive use. I think it might have been good tank-destroyer at the time when it was designed. Now it's being replaced by the Leopard 2.

[Necro99]

It looks more like an engineering vehicule or bridgelayer than a MBT!

[The Apostate]

It's basically an update of the German assault gun/fixed emplacement tank destroyers of the Second World War. It is virtually the ideal defensive tank killer.