Strike Fighters is a flight simulator. Having said that, there is also a ground war in progress during an offline campaign. Here you will find Australian Army Objects, such as the Leopard 1 MBT.

In 1977, the Leopard AS 1 Main Battle Tank entered service with the Royal Australian Armoured Corps. It was the replacement for the Centurion Tank, which had given sterling service since 1952, including four years on active service in South Vietnam. Although it has been in service now for 23 years, the Leopard AS1 still has a formidable battlefield presence, and with some upgrading will remain a key weapon system in the Australian Army inventory.

The Leopard AS1 (AS is the NATO abbreviation for Australia) utilises the Leopard 1 hull and the fabricated steel turret of the introduced with the Leopard 1A3 series. The vehicles were manufactured by Krauss Maffei and the MBTs carry the factory hull numbers 17001 to 17091. In Australian service, the MBTs carry the Army Registration Numbers (ARN) 27706 to 27781, and 29386 to 29399. The hull of the MBT and Bridgelayer use stowage boxes, rather than the more common tool racks of German vehicles, in which to stow the pioneer tools and other implements. Two boxes are mounted on the right side, equispaced around the heater outlet, and one box on the left side towards the rear. They are similar to the boxes mounted on Danish and Dutch Leopards. On the glacis plate are mounted three rails for carrying 20 track grousers, which can replace some of the rubber track pads in adverse ground conditions. Fifteen tanks have special lugs welded to the lower glacis plate, where it meets the hull floor. These are for the mounting of the special equipment interface kits for the dozer blade, the mine plough and the mine roller sets.

The vehicle is powered by a Daimler Benz V10 diesel engine developing 610 kW, which drives though a ZF automatic gearbox with four forward and two reverse gears. The power pack is a tropicalized version of the standard unit allowing operation at 50ºC ambient temperature. Speeds of up to 62 km/hr can be attained. Standard torsion bar suspension with seven roadwheel stations and four track support rollers (return rollers) each side provide the tanks excellent cross country mobility. Diehl double pin track is fitted. The driver sits on the right side of the hull, and has a floor escape hatch as well as his swinging roof hatch.

The turret is of all welded construction with spaced armour, providing increased protection levels over the original cast turret. A British - designed 105mm L7A3 gun with thermal jacket and fume extractor is the main armament of the Leopard AS1. The Tank Fire Control System (TFCS), by the Sabca Company of Belgium comprises a laser rangefinder, seven ballistic sensors and a fire control computer. The laser range finder operates through an aperture on the right of the mantlet - there is no corresponding opening on the left. The sensors provide data to the computer on air temperature and pressure, charge temperature, barrel wear, cross wind and vehicle cant. The cross wind sensor is mounted on the forward part of the turret roof, surrounded by a round wire cage for protection. The commander has a panoramic sight, mounted on the turret roof forward of his cupola. Two 7.62 mm machine guns are carried - one is co-axial with the main armament, the other can be mounted either on the commander's or loaders cupola, and in both positions it can be used in the anti-aircraft role. The gunner and commander sit on the right side of the turret, with the loader occupying the left side. A searchlight is carried in one of the armoured bins at the rear of the turret, and can be mounted on top of the left side of the mantlet.

TECHNICAL DATA

Crew:4 comprising Commander, Gunner Loader/Operator and Driver

Weight (combat laden) 42 400 kg

Length 9.54 metres (gun forward)

Width 3.37 metres

Height 2.62 metres (top of sight)

Ground Clearance 0.44 metres

Main Armament 105mm L7A3 QF gun

Ammunition 59 rounds ( 17 in turret and 42 in hull)

Machine Guns 7.62mm MG2A1 Co-axial 7.62mm MG3 externally on cupola

Smoke Dischargers Four 76mm on each side of turret

Engine Daimler Benz MB838 V10 cylinder Four stroke diesel
610 kW (830hp) at 2200 rpm

Gearbox ZF 4 HP 250 with four forward speeds and two reverse speeds

Fuel Capacity 950 litres

Maximum speed 62 km/hr

Range 500 km

Maximum Vertical obstacle 0.91 metres

Maximum trench 3 metres

Maximum fording depth unprepared 1.2 metres

Link to SF Leopard AS1 MBT:

Gabilon’s Leopard 1A3 modded by me into the Leopard AS1

Thanks Gabilon!

The armament consists of one 50 cal and one 30 cal machine gun that can be fired individually or together, mounted in the T50 turret which, not standard, was added to the vehicle by the Australian Army to afford the Crew Commander greater protection.

Each M113 had a crew of two, a commander and a driver, and could carry eleven men and their equipment. The driver sat on the L/H side of the vehicle, and had a good field of vision through four periscopes which were mounted in the cupola. The commander was situated centrally in the vehicle and had a fully rotating cupola with five periscopes. The commander also acted as the gunner and operated the .50 cal machine gun, this could be rotated through a full 360 degrees to give an all-round field of fire if needed. The ammo for the 50 was stored in portable boxes behind the infantrymen's seats.

Originally the .50 cal gunners position was exposed and VERY unprotected. After the battle on Jan 2nd 1963 at Ap Bac, (in which fourteen ARVN M113 gunners had been killed) a combination shield and turret was designed which afforded much needed protection. This eventually was fitted as standard to all M113s.

The cold rolled alloy hull of the M113 was made from Aluminium, Manganese and Magnesium. It's armour thickness varied from 3/4" to a maximum thickness of 1 1/4". This thickness provided protection from small arms fire and shell fragments, but would not stop a round from the soviet made RPG-7, or withstand the blast from a land mine.

One of the best features of the M113 was it's ability to operate in an amphibious roll with out the need of specialist preparation. The hull of the M113 was constructed as a watertight unit, with all hatches and doors fitted with rubber seals to make them watertight. The front of the vehicle was fitted with a hinged breakwater plate which helped to stabilize the vehicle during operations through water.

In the amphibious role the M113 was propelled by it's tracks, this was further enhanced by the rubber track shroud on each side of the hull, giving the M113 a top speed of 3 mph through water.

On 15 July 2002, the Minister for Defence announced that his department had signed a $400m contract with Tenix Defence Land Division for the upgrade of 350 M113 tracked armoured fighting vehicles.

The M113AS Family of Vehicles (FOV) will have greater firepower, protection and mobility than the existing M113A1 fleet.

A powerful EURO III four-stroke DaimlerChrysler-MTU engine coupled to a six gear ZF automatic transmission will improve speed and mobility

Yoke steering with true pivot turn and natural steering input in reverse

Upgraded vehicles will have base level protection enhanced by external appliqué armour and spall curtains for increased vehicle and crew protection

A new Tenix designed and manufactured turret will provide a platform to ensure superior firepower

Day/night sight (including a unity vision periscope channel)

New electric powered turret drives with stabilisation as future growth capability

New M2 HB QCB 12.7mm machine gun

Revised seating and stowage layouts in the M113AS4 APC(S) to provide improved habitability for the vehicle crew and passengers

Hull reinforcement to improve mine blast protection

Link to SF’s Australian M-113:

Thanks to Charles and Kesselbrut for the Aussie M-113!

What would the Army be without Diggers!

Link to SF’s Aussie Infantry: