| High Survivability Test Vehicle (Light) | |
|---|---|
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| Type | Light tank |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Production history | |
| Designer | AAI Corporation / Pacific Car and Foundry |
| Designed | 1977 |
| Manufacturer | AAI Corporation |
| No. built | 1 Testbed built |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 20.45 t (with instrumentation and partial applique armor) |
| Length | Hull: 5.981 m, Gun Forward: 8.528m |
| Width | 2.794 m |
| Height | Overall: 2.414 m, To Turret Top: 1.994 m, To Hull Top: 1.422 m |
| Crew | 3 (Commander, Gunner, Driver) |
Main armament | 75 mm XM274 CTA autocannon |
Secondary armament | coaxial 7.62 mmM240 machine gun |
| Engine | Lycoming 650 gas turbine 650hp |
| Power/weight | 31.78 hp/tonne |
| Transmission | GMC Detroit Diesel Allison cross drive, single-stage automatic with 4 forward and 1 reverse |
| Suspension | hydro-pneumatic |
| Ground clearance | 0.508 m |
| Fuel capacity | 409 litres |
Operational range | 160 km |
| Maximum speed | 83 km/h (51.6 mph) |
TheHigh Survivability Test Vehicle (Lightweight) (HSTV(L)) was aU.S. Armylight tank manufactured byAAI Corporation. It was developed under theTank-automotive and Armaments Command (TACOM)Armored Combat Vehicle Technology (ACVT) program.[1]
In early 1977 the Army selected proposals fromAAI andPacific Car and Foundry for HSTV(L) concept feasibility analysis.[2]
In December 1977, the Army awarded the HSTV(L) fabrication contract to AAI.[2]
One reported early challenge was meeting the HSTV(L)'s weight target. As of September 1981, no significant problems were reported with the HSTV(L).[3]
Martin Marietta expressed interest in a joint venture with the AAI Corporation to enter a version of the HSTV-L into the U.S. Army'sArmored Gun System competition. The corporation apparently decided that the technology was not sufficiently advanced to proceed with radical changes in the HSTV-L to meet the new AGS requirements, therefore, they did not bid on the program.[4]
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The AAI HSTV(L) is powered by aAvco Lycomming 650hp gas turbine (derived from theLTS101). It is connected to an automatic 4-speed X-300 transmission made by Detroit Diesel Allison, the turbine being placed behind the transmission. It used a fixed heighthydro-pneumatic suspension system and tracks modified from those used on theM551 Sheridan.[5]
The Pacific Car and Foundry HSTV(L) is powered by a General Motors 8V71T diesel engine connected to a General Electric HMPT-500 transmission.[6][7]
The main armament consisted of anAres IncorporatedXM274 75 mmCTAautocannon with 2-axis stabilization[5] capable of firingArmour-piercing fin-stabilized discarding sabot andhigh-explosive. Secondary armament consisted of acoaxial 7.62 mmM240 machine gun and a commander's M240.[1] AAI had originally planned to place a .50 caliber (12.7 mm)heavy machine gun at the commander's hatch.[8]
Pacific Car's proposal mounted the Ares 75 mm gun in an external elevatingtrunnion mount alongside acoaxial 25 mmM242 Bushmaster autocannon. Twenty-two 75 mm ready rounds (11 APFSDS and 11 HE respectively) could be carried in a magazine and thirty-three more could be carried in hull storage.[8] A 40 mm grenade launcher was originally included, but removed during a review of the proposal.[6]
The AAI proposal called for sixty 75 mm rounds. As built, the test vehicle had only 26 rounds, but provisions existed for the original 60 rounds in the turret.[8] The projectiles were stored vertically in a magazine beneath the right side of the turret and fed vertically into the rotating breech, with the shell casing being ejected vertically upwards.[6] Unlike the Pacific Car and Foundry proposal all rounds were accessible to the autoloader and there was no secondary ammunition storage.[6]
The armor thickness and layout are unknown; however it most likely used an aluminum alloy similar to the M2 Bradley and M113.[citation needed]
The AAI HSTV(L) had an unconventional crew layout, with the commander located in the turret, and the driver and gunner being located in the hull. The commander had access to a 2-axis stabilized hunter sight produced byTexas Instruments that was independent of the turret and allowed him to freely locate targets, and then slave the turret to his sight. The gunner would then engage the target while the commander looked for the next target. Both the gunner's sight and commander's hunter-killer sight were 2-axis stabilized, had both direct vision andFLIR optics, and with the gunner's sight having access to a CO2 eye safe laser rangefinder made byRaytheon. Any crewmember could use the armament as both the hunter-killer sight and gunner's primary sight were available through a tv screen mounted at each crew station, but only the gunner and driver could drive. there was also a fixed rear view tv camera to help with reversing.[5]
For the Pacific Car HSTV(L) the crew layout was more conventional, having the commander and gunner located in the turret in the turret basket below the external gun system.[6]
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain.