Ratmil MLVM AR Mountaineers’ Fire Support Vehicle

     Notes:  This vehicle is an MLVM Mountaineers Combat Vehicle with a turntable mounting a 120mm mortar in the rear instead of troop seats.  The vehicle also carries a baseplate and bipod for firing the mortar away from the vehicle, along with aiming stakes.  The roof of the MLVM is slightly raised to allow the rear deck hatches to be closed over the mortar barrel, as the MLVM is small, with low sidewalls and the mortar could be closed completely over the top of the mortar unless the vehicle was raised.  The roof was raised only about 100mm, though the raised section is obvious, as are the enlarged roof hatches.  MLVM ARs are built both in early and upgraded forms.  As the MLVM itself was rare, the MLVM AR was exceedingly rare – of the 73 MLVMs still in service in 2005, only six are MLVM ARs.  It appears that they will be replaced by RN-94-based vehicles and possibly Patria or Saab-based NONA-carrying vehicles.

     Construction is largely of steel, but armor is relatively light.  The hull layout is almost like a scaled-down BMP-1, having the same general shape, though the MLVM AR is not related to the BMP series and has no turret.  The driver is on the front left and has three vision blocks to the front, the center of which can be replaced by a night vision block.  To his rear is the commander’s hatch; he commander has a hatch two wide-angle vision blocks to his sides and a periscope/vision block which can be raised and rotated to allow the commander to view the area around the vehicle from under armor.  The MLVM AR has a cupola instead of the turret of the MLVM, with a pintle-mounted weapon. The rather cramped passenger compartment has three firing ports in each side and two in the rear door.  The passenger compartment is accessible by a pair of rectangular roof hatches and a large door in the rear.  Like the BMP series, the rear doors carry some of the vehicle’s fuel supply. The MLVM is powered by a 154-horsepower Model 798-05M2 supercharged diesel engine. The MLVM is amphibious with a minimum of preparation; a trim vane must be erected at the front and bilge pumps turned on, taking no more than 5 minutes. An additional long-range radio is fitted.

     In the same way that the MLVM was upgraded for the modern battlefield, an upgrade program was begun for the MLVM AR.  In addition, the upgraded MLVM AR was fitted with a laser warning system, linked to the smoke grenade launchers on the lower glacis of the vehicle.  The system also provides target information (distance, range, and estimated time of weapon impact if applicable).  The MLVM AR has clusters of five smoke grenades on the upper front hull. The commander’s periscope is fitted with an image intensifier.  A major upgrade is in the powerpack – the MLVM AR received a giant power upgrade by installation of a compact 340-horsepower Mercedes-Benz supercharged diesel engine coupled to an automatic transmission, as well as an associated suspension upgrade.  The vehicle will be further protected by an automatic fire detection and suppression system, one for the crew/passenger compartment and one for the engine.  Radios are to be upgraded with up-to-date British-made Thales frequency-hopping types that are NATO-compatible.  The easy amphibious operation is retained; water speed is actually increased due to the increase in engine power.  The extra radio as mentioned above is data-capable, the vehicle has a mortar ballistic computer, and a mapping computer is fitted. It should be noted that on an MVLM AR, the mortar fires over the rear of the vehicle; on the Upgraded model, the mortar fires over the front of the vehicle.    A package of appliqué armor has been devised for the MLVM AR, consisting of bolt-on spaced steel plates.  The extra weight is a problem for the basic MLVM AR, but for the upgraded model, the extra engine power makes the appliqué armor package less detrimental to performance.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: The Upgraded MVLM AR is not available in the Twilight 2000 timeline.

RATMIL TAB-71AR

     Notes:  Sometimes referred to as the TAB-73, this is a mortar carrier version of the standard TAB-71 armored personnel carrier.  Though there a number of differences between the TAB-71AR and the TAB-71, the primary differences arise from the installation of the 82mm mortar and the internal and external design modifications necessary for that installation.  The TAB-71AR was never upgraded; the only work that was done was that needed to keep the vehicle functioning until something new came along. The TAB-71 is no longer marketed, nor are any upgrades (by the Romanians); production stopped in the 1980s.  However, they will probably be updated more in the future and soldier on.

     Internally, what is normally the rear troop area is largely occupied by the mortar (at roughly the center of the vehicle), ammunition, and fuzes.  Unusually for such a vehicle, the TAB-71AR retains it’s turret. The front of the vehicle has a boat-shaped nose, and the driver on the left and commander on the right have bullet-resistant windshields to their front and small windows to either side. The windshields have armored shutters which may be closed over the windshields with vision slits in them.  The commander has a hatch overhead which opens forwards, but no sort of weapon mount.  The driver does have hatch on the TAB-71AR hatch, and retains the head for a night vision block in the hatch. At the rear corners of the TAB-71AR are small hatches, and each of these have a pintle mount with a machinegun mounted. There are no firing ports and no special provisions for fire other than manual fire extinguishers.  The crew and troops have a collective NBC system to plug into.  A front-mounted winch is mounted for self recovery; this has a capacity of 5.5 tons and 60 meters of cable. The “suicide hatches” of the TAB-71 remain, but due to the mortar and associated equipment, are even more difficult to use than on the TAB-71 APC.

     The mortar used on the TAB-71AR is based on a positively ancient Soviet design. The TAB-71AR uses old-style “fire control,” consisting of maps and markers, a plotting board, aiming stakes, and the standard mortar sight.  (TAB-71ARs were never equipped with an MBC or a navigation system; they rely on fire coordinates from an FDC).  The effective width of fire from the mortar is 135 degrees on either side of the vehicle; unusually, the mortar fires over the front of the TAB-71AR.  Atop the TAB-71AR is a pair of hatches comprising a large circular hatchway; this roughly in the center of the vehicle, and replaces the TAB-71’s normal roof hatches. Upon a fire mission, the crew becomes the mortar crew.

     Like the TAB-71, the TAB-71AR is powered by twin Saviem SR-225 gasoline engines each developing 140 horsepower.  The vehicle is very difficult to drive, as transmission is manual with the driver having to shift each engine individually in gear simultaneously in order for the vehicle to continue to operate smoothly. The vehicle is amphibious with minimal preparation (a trim vane must be erected from the driver’s compartment and bilge pumps turned on), requiring 4 minutes. Once in the water, the TAB-71AR is propelled by the motion of its wheels. Suspension is 8x8 and of the off-road-type, with central tire pressure regulation.

RATMIL TAB-79AR

     Notes:  The TABC-79AR is the mortar-carrier version of the ABC-79M Family of Vehicles.  The member of the family that looks closest to the TABC-79AR is the TABC-79M turretless APC variant.  The TABC-79AR, however, has received heavy modification inside to accommodate the mortar and its ammunition and fuzes, as well as ancillary equipment.  The TABC-79AR (and indeed, the entire ABC-7M) family are used solely by Romania, and have recently been used by the Romanian Army in Afghanistan. The TABC-79AR uses several common components with the TAB-77 APC, though some have upgraded.

     What is normally the rear troop area has, of course, been given over primarily to the mortar and its ammunition and gear.  Actual equipment room is on the short side, though there are positions for every crewmember during a march.  The normal ABC-79M turret is removed; in its place is a large, round, two piece hatch for use with the mortar.  In front of that hatch are two smaller hatches, one for the driver on the left and for the commander on the right.  The commander and driver also have four vision blocks, three up front and one to the left side (for the driver) and right side (for the commander).  Both can also remove the center front vision block and replace it with a night vision block. The commander has a pintle mount outside his hatch for a light weapon; on the roof behind his hatchway, he also has an IR searchlight. The commander and driver have a windshield to the front that may be covered by an armored shutter (they then use vision blocks); they also have hatches above their positions.  At the rear of the vehicle is another small hatch; the gunner or ammo bearer mans this position when the vehicle is not stopped for bombardment.  The TABC-79AR has hatches on either side of the vehicle between the wheels, and another door on the rear; the side hatches are small, similar to the “suicide hatches” of the TAB-71M; it has a rear door, but it is cramped and narrow, and weapon racks mean that the rear hatch is not useful for much more than mortar ammunition restocking. The TABC-79 has a collective NBC system for the crew and troops. Protection also includes an automatic fire detection and suppression system. The passengers have firing ports, two to a side and two in the rear.  The TABC-79 has a 5.5-ton winch on the front with 50 meters of cable.

     The mortar is once again a Romanian development of an earlier Soviet design and fires over the front of the vehicle. It has a muzzle device which prevents double-loading and also acts as a muzzle brake, reducing the stress on the suspension.  Some ergonomic thought has been given to how mortar operations will have to be conducted in the vehicle, meaning that it is not as hard work and that work flows evenly in long bombardments. The TABC-79AR is powered by a single Savia 798.05N2 154-horsepower turbocharged diesel engine, with an automatic transmission.  The driver has conventional controls.  The engine is relatively compact, allowing for that small hatch in the rear, though it is mounted at the rear of the vehicle. The TABC-79AR is amphibious without preparation, requiring only that a waterjet be switched on when the vehicle begins floating.  Suspension is 4x4 and of the off-road-type. Armor is a little better than most mortar carriers of this type, particularly from the front arc.

     An upgraded version, the TABC-79ARM, is in existence; it will not be long until Romania has upgraded all of its TABC-79ARs to this standard.  The primary improvements are automotive and in the suspension; the entire drive train is more reliable, and the now-unitary powerpack is much easier to service or remove and replace if desired.  The engine has been replaced by a Diesel Euro Type 3 turbocharged engine with 160 horsepower.  This version of the TABC-79AR is equipped with a second long-range radio; this one is data-capable.  The Upgrade includes a mortar ballistic computer and a second computer to accept digital transmissions from the second radio.  The TABC-79ARM has a mapping computer linked to the primary computer (which is more of a small laptop, like a Toughbook), along with an inertial navigation system.  (The Romanian Army is mulling over permanently mounting GPS or GLONASS and integrating it with the TABC-79AR’s mapping computer, but no hard decisions have been made.)  Likewise, a variety of appliqué and ERA packages are being considered, but no final decision has been made.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: the Upgraded TABC-79 does not exist in the Twilight 2000 timeline.