ASCOD 105

     Notes: The ASCOD 105 is a joint venture between Santa Barbara of Spain and Steyr-Daimler-Puch of Austria.  Great Britain, Greece, and South Africa have also expressed interest in this light tank.  It has also received attention in Asia.  The vehicle uses a modified ASCOD IFV chassis and a turret from a Rooikat South African light combat vehicle, armed with a 105mm NATO cannon.  The vehicle's joints are all welded, so that there are no rivets to pop loose and ricochet around if the vehicle is hit.  The commander has a hatch on the turret roof, next to the loader.  The gunner uses one of these hatches.  The driver has a hatch on the front deck, and there is a rear hatch for quick escapes under fire.  Night vision is provided for all crewmembers, as well as a sight for the commander and gunner equal to an image intensifier.  Appliqué armor is available, adding 5 points of armor to the HF and TF and 3 points on all other faces except the HR.

     The ASCOD 105 GDLS is an ASCOD armored personnel carrier reworked into a light tank, like the ASCOD 105, but this time using a casemated 105mm gun, similar to that on the Marder 105.  This offers more protection for the crew as well as increased gun laying and response time, as the casemated turret has a faster traverse time as well as a better fire control system.  All crewmembers are carried in the front of the hull, with the driver and commander side by side and the gunner behind them on a slightly elevated seat.  The hull may use the same appliqué armor as other ASCOD designs, but the turret appliqué armor may not be used.

     The ASCOD 105 (both versions) uses an MTU 8V-199-TE22 engine which develops 720 horsepower. They are equipped with a Sapa Placancia SG 850 automatic transmission, which can be switched by the driver to manual transmission if necessary.  Suspension is by torsion bar with rotary dampers at the ends.  The ASCOD 105 is able to drive at half full forward speed in reverse. On a road, the ASCOD 105 can accelerate to a Com Mov of 17 in 14 seconds.  It can cross a 2.3-meter ditch, climb a 95-centimeter wall, and ford 1.2 meters, though it is not amphibious. The ASCOD 105 has an NBC overpressure system with a collective NBC backup.

     The ASCOD 105 is equipped with the Kollsman Day/Night Range Sight (DNRS), which integrates a digital ballistic computer, day vision and night vision channels and a laser rangefinder. The Kollsman system also has an automatic target tracker; the gunner lases a target and the turret and gun slew to put the gun on target. The commander of the standard ASCOD 105 has a cupola with all-around vision blocks; the center front block has a magnification of x2.8; he also has an LCD screen which projects what the gunner is seeing. He does not have his own thermal imager. The TC has emergency controls for the gun to take care of sudden close threats. The ASCOD 105 GDLS’s commander does not have the same cupola but does have the magnified vision blocks; he has a hunter/killer sight mounted on the turret roof. The ASCOD 105 GDLS’s main gun is fed by a full autoloading system. Both are also equipped with a laser warning/detection and its smoke grenade launchers have prismatic aerosol smoke in them.

*Hull Floor, Hull Roof, and Turret Roof AV are 5.

M-41B/C/E

     Notes: These are versions of the M-41 used by Brazil, Denmark, Greece, Turkey, and Spain.  These versions have less thirsty diesel engines, upgraded armor, and a 90mm gun with one-axis stabilization. The M41B uses a Saab-Scania DS-14A 04 405-horsepower diesel; the M41C uses a Saab-Scania 430-horsepower diesel engine. The M41B and C use a 90mm Ca 76/90 M32 BR2 gun, which is a bored-out version of the 76mm M32 gun and has a barrel length of L/43.91, though the barrel has a bore evacuator and a new muzzle brake.  The M41E uses a 90mm Cockerill main gun, again with a new muzzle brake.  The M41B has a simple analog fire control computer, while the M41C adds a laser rangefinder. The M41B and C also have a white light/IR searchlight mounted above the main gun. 

     All three have side skirts added (the M41B in most cases, at any rate). All three have various armored boxes for vehicle and crew equipment added to the sides, rear, and turret sides, and the M41E has small bustle racks added to the sides of the turret bustle. One M41C would be produced with an advanced (for the time) spaced armor package.  Most M41Cs, however were essentially upgraded M41Bs.

     An upgrade to the M41B and C had spaced armor on the hull front and turret front and the hull sides. The transmission is upgraded and produces additional acceleration. The main gun has been replaced by the Ca 76/90 M32 BR3 gun, which has a thermal sleeve and upgraded fire control and night vision equipment, and is otherwise the equivalent in game terms to the Cockerill Mk 3.

     The M41E has a laser rangefinder and a digital computer.  The M41E also adds upgraded night vision equipment.  The M41E uses a General Motors 8V-71T 400-horsepower diesel.

     The M41B and C were primarily used by the Brazilians, the C by the Brazilian Marines.  The M41E was designed by Spain’s Santa Barbara as an upgrade kit, and used by Spain, Denmark, Greece, and Turkey on their M41s. The full M41C upgrade package was also bought by Uruguay.

*Hull and Turret Roof Armor is 5Sp; Hull Floor armor is 5Sp.

**Hull Roof, Turret Roof, and Hull Floor AV is 6.