2005-26-342 Future Main Battle Tank - Mobility Requirement Poses a New Dimension to the Tank Design J. Roopchand and B. Rajagopalan. Combat Vehicles Research and Development Establishment, Avadi, Chennai 600 054, India Copyright 2005 Society of Automotive Engineers, Inc. ABSTRACT CURRENTDESIGNPHILOSOPHY The Main Battle Tank (MBT) is a mobile weapon platform The design concept of MBT is based on its three and its design is dictated by its strategic / tactical and important characteristics - Firepower, Protection and battlefield mobility requirement in the battlefield. Mobility. Firepower has remained as on the top priority. Strategic / tactical mobility of the current MBT is by rail or The tank exhibits its superiority by its volume of fire, road transportation. The tank dimensions are arrived speed of engagement, accuracy of fire and ability to based on this requirement. The battlefield mobility penetrate heavy armour at more and more ranges. Tank requirement dictates the vehicle performance like speed primarily fires a high velocity kinetic energy projectile with acceleration, obstacle crossing ability etc. But the likely high hit probability from stationary or a moving tank on a operational requirement of the Future MBT is that it stationary or moving tank. Protection against the anti should be rapidly deployable with air transportation tankammunitionareachievedbypassivearmour capability and high agility. This mobility requirement material. Current vehicles are protected heavily on the poses a new dimension to the battle tank design. The frontalarcwithdecreasinglevelonthetopandsides. Future Main Battle Tank needs to be lighter, smaller, The critical dimensions and weight has been arrived faster and yet it should offer maximum punch on the basedonthefirepowerandprotectionrequirement.The enemy. This paper describes the current design overall dimensions are dictated by its mobility philosophy, future operational requirement, change in the parameters in addition to its weight. Mobility concepts of the future MBT, choice and technologies of the propulsion system and suspension. The mobility consists of three distinct components strategic, tactical and battlefield. Strategic mobility is the INTRODUCTION one theatre to another theatre. The strategic mobility is Main Battle Tank (MBT)is a mobile weapon platform and based ontherail transportingcapabilities.The has been considered as a symbol of power for any army capabilititis of railways is a constraint on the dimensions of the world and likely to be equally true in the future as of the vehicle design. The tactical mobility is the ability to well. The recent Gulf and Irag wars confirmed that the move the fighting potentials within a theatre of operation. MBT would continue to be playing a central role in the Availability of roads, bridges, their classification etc, puts a constraint on the weight of the vehicle. Battlefield ground operation. The design of the MBT is dictated by the strategic / tactical and battlefield mobility requirement mobility is the ability to tactically maneuver the fighting in the battlefield. Strategic / tactical mobility of the potentials on the battlefield such as ability to change fire current MBT is by rail or road transportation.The.vehicle position. Thus acceleration, maneuverability, agility of the dimensions are arrived based on this requirement. The tanksandqunswillassumeimportance.Vehiclemobility is part of battlefield mobility. The battlefield mobility thus battlefield mobility requirement dictates the vehicle performance like speed, acceleration, obstacle crossing ability to overcome all obstacles -- trenches, vertical ability etc. But operational requirement of the Future obstacles etc.encountered on the battlefield. MBT is that it should be rapidly deployable with air transportation capability and high agility. This mobility The mobility related design parameters of the tank are requirement poses a new dimension to the battle tank given in the