Taiwanese M41
Variants
Notes: Taiwan,
in the spirit of “any combat vehicle is better than none,” upgraded their M41A3s
in the mid-1990s, turning them into much more capable combat vehicles than their
M41A3 predecessors ever were. They
began by replacing their M32 main guns with the 76mm M32K1 variant of the M32,
an indigenous development of the M32. The M32K1 variant has a fume extractor and
a different muzzle brake, allowing it to fire the new 76mm APFSDS rounds that
had been developed for M32-type 76mm guns.
Fire control has been significantly upgraded, with a laser rangefinder
and ballistic computer. The M41D is equipped with a thermal imager which allows
the commander to view through the gunner’s night sights, though it is not a
hunter-killer thermal imager. The M41D has lugs for ERA on the turret front,
turret sides, hull front, and hull sides.
The vehicle is fitted with armored side skirts protecting the upper track
and hull sides; these skirts also serve to keep dust down. The M41D is powered
by a 405-horsepower 8V-71T diesel engine which, while it does not have the raw
power of an M41A3’s engine, it is much less fuel-hungry. This is accentuated by
the larger fuel tanks of the M41D. The engine is coupled to a CD500 automatic
transmission. The coaxial armament of the M41D is the Type 74 (or T74)
machinegun, which is a locally manufactured version of the MAG.
The Type 65 (or
T65) is a variant of the M41D which has thick applique armor on the hull front
and sides and a new cast turret which is also much more heavily armored. The
coaxial machinegun is a locally manufactured version of the M60E2 instead of the
Type 74 of the M41D. The cast turret’s interior dimensions are smaller than
those of the M41D, which can increase crew fatigue.
The M41D and
Type 65 are currently in service with the Taiwanese Army only in small numbers;
Taiwanese M41A3s have recently been retired and the M41D and Type 65 are
probably soon to follow.
Vehicle |
Price |
Fuel Type |
Load |
Veh Wt |
Crew |
Mnt |
Night Vision |
Radiological |
M41D |
$408,096 |
D, A |
509 kg |
25 tons |
4 |
16 |
Passive IR (D, G, C), Image Intensification (G, C) Thermal Imaging (G,
C) |
Enclosed |
Type 65 |
$410,242 |
D, A |
506 kg |
26.4 tons |
4 |
16 |
Passive IR (D, G, C), Image Intensification (G, C) Thermal Imaging (G,
C) |
Enclosed |
Vehicle |
Tr Mov |
Com Mov |
Fuel Cap |
Fuel Cons |
Config |
Susp |
Armor |
M41D |
121/85 |
34/24 |
760 |
120 |
Trtd |
T4 |
TF12 TS8
TR6 HF12
HS8Sp HR6 |
Type 65 |
116/81 |
32/23 |
760 |
120 |
Trtd |
T4 |
TF16Sp TS10Sp
TR6 HF16Sp
HS10Sp HR6 |
Vehicle |
Fire Control |
Stabilization |
Armament |
Ammunition |
M41D |
+3 |
Fair |
76mm M32K1 gun, Type 74, M2HB (C) |
65x76mm, 5000x7.62mm, 2175x.50 |
M551A1 |
+3 |
Fair |
76mm M32K1 gun, M60E2, M2HB (C) |
65x76mm, 5000x7.62mm, 2175x.50 |