Shipbucket

After the end of Second Great War Russia stood as the dominant power in Eurasia with territory and satellites that stretched from the Rhine to Korea. The Greater Russian Army had the largest and best armored force in the world, but it had used many different models of tanks and they were showing their age, another factor was wartime construction quality, which was barely "good enough". So the Kharkov State Factory 272 began to design a universal tank to replace almost every tank in the Russian arsenal in late 1945

By mid-1946 the first prototypes were completed and sent for intensive testing and trials but given that the Russians wanted to replace all their tank lines as soon as possible the Greater Russian Army ordered a pre-production run of five hundred examples for the 45th tank regiment for training and troop evaluation. Those trials took place in January 1947 and proved to be a greater success than was predicted and thus the tank was accepted into service by March 1947 with the designation of T-47.

The T-47 was armed with the 100mm D-10 gun with a 7.62mm coaxial and a 14.5mm AA gun mounted to the turret roof.
The armor was 100mm angled at 65 degrees on the front upper glacis with a 90mm lower glacis. The turret was 205mm at the front with 120mm at the sides. The rest of the armour was no more that 80mm thick and most of it was flat. This was seen as acceptable as it had more space for provisions and crew that with sloped sides.

The Engine was a V-12 diesel engine of 600 HP which propelled the tank up to 50 KPH with a range of about 450 KM without refueling from a tanker.
It was the first serial Russian tank to use torsion bar suspension which unlike the Christie suspension didn't take up much room in the sides of the tank which limited room.



The tank was widely exported and copied thoughout the 1950s and 1960s seeing combat and use all over the world some notable users are depicted here.

I presume you had no idea that checkerboard is only used on planes in Poland?

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Nobody expects the Imperial Inquisition!

De Schelde SD 777 Bolwerk

The program culminating in the SD 777 Bolwerk started in 1957, and was intended to supplement and eventually replace the previous Beest universal tank from the late 1940s. It was envisioned to act as organic support in the Batavian Mechanized Infantry Divisions like the previous Beest had been used. The program objectives included providing 250+mm RHA equivalent of effective turret front armour, increased mobility over Beest, 50+ km/h road speed, 500km road range, ABC protection, night fighting capability and not exceeding 55 tonnes or 3.5m in width. The first mockups were created by the Army Ordnance shops by placing a prototype turret with a PK m/49 103mm gun on a modified Beest chassis. Chassis contract work was given to Republikeinse Maatschappij De Schelde, which offered a 6 cylinder opposed-piston 2-stroke diesel engine from Brons, the L2106K, offering 735hp @2400rpm. The chassis featured a highly sloped glacis 120mm thick at 75°, a reclined position for the driver to allow for this sloping, and hydropneumatic suspension on five units per side, chosen to allow the tank to effectively fight from prepared and natural hull down positions. The biggest innovation was a new 113mm/49 smoothbore gun, designed to retain good anti-armour performance while making it a better infantry support gun. This required adopting fin stabilized ammunition, and its repertoire included APDS-T (initially), APFSDS, HE-FRAG, HEAT and canister shot. The gun was first mounted in 1962 on the 3rd prototype and standarized in 1963 as the PK m/63.
The first Bolwerk Mk.As were rushed to Japan in late 1964 as part of the 17th Armoured Batallion to participate in the ongoing war against the Holy Roman Empire backed Christian Theocrats. The tank did not enjoy much export success in the Zürich Pact or even within Batavian armies initially; the Kaaprepubliek Army trialled the tank but preferred to adopt a re-engined Beest as their standard tank, finding the Bolwerk’s speed unimpressive and its transmission unreliable. De Schelde quickly went back to work, the Mk.B variant introducing a more reliable transmission made in-house, a new laser rangefinder, fittings for a 15mm autocannon on the commander’s cupola and functional ABC protection, and began production in 1965.
The breakout to success came with the Mk.C version in 1968. Bolwerk finally achieved the desired 50km/h roadspeed thanks to different transmission gearing, a reinforced suspension and most importantly, better quality tracks. It was also fit for tropical conversion from the factory, had a new auxiliary 4-cylinder generator and a new commander’s cupola. The C-2 version also introduced a new Fire Control Computer. This version was chosen by the Swedish Army in 1970 to supplement its fleet of Beests. It was known as the Bolwerk Mk.C-2S in the Batavian Union and as the Stridsvagn 105 in Sweden. It was also bought by the Kingdom of Persia, the Republic of Korea.
De Schelde collaborated with the Army Ordnance Shops to develop a series of experimental versions, the most advanced one being the Mk.D, which featured a 163mm gun/launcher in a new turret, which went into production in 1973. It was deployed in Company strength but was not adopted due to the poor performance of the gun and the Automaat m/70 SACLOS missile. The other interesting variant was the Bolwerk Mk.E from 1976, which featured a gas turbine engine. It was found that fuel consumption increased twicefold for little performance gain.



A major update came in 1977 as the Mk.F, which featured a newer transmission that was less jerky in its action, improved armour over the turret, a combined IR camera and laser rangefinder/illuminator, a new L2106K engine with 815hp and the introduction of the Au m/76 gun launched laser beam-riding missile. New built tanks were sold to Persia as the Shir 1B, and updated tanks and kits were delivered to Korea and Japan.
In 1981, the Gering Voet program updated all tanks in Batavian service with a new 850hp engine. Upgraded tanks had the N letter added at the end of their designation. The final update came in 1985 with the Mk.J composite armour pack, which could be applied to any tank brought up to the Mk.F standard. This version saw use by the Batavian and Armies involved in Operation Tempête du désert in 1989.



Once upgraded, the Bolwek chassis proved reliable, mobile and well protected, and these characteristics made it suited to form the basis to other vehicles, of which the ones that entered service are depicted here. The SD 781 Bliksem is a self-propelled anti-aircraft gun which mounts two 49.3mm/60 autocannon on a bespoke turret, featuring a C-band search and tracking radar and an X-band targetting radar. It entered service in 1974 and unlike the Bolwek, it was widely adopted by the Armies in Africa.
The SD 783 Bruut was concieved as a proposal to bring a heavier support gun into the battlefield. It was chosen over an upgunned Bolwerk, a completely new MBT and a tank destroyer configured vehicle with a thinly armoured turret. It sports a 129mm/51 smoothbore m/79 gun in a fully enclosed casemate which features increased armour protection. It was used exclusively by the Heavy Infantry Divisions in Europe and Asia in the same rôle as the Bolwerk since 1985. Its casemate mounted armament made rapid engagement more difficult and a completely new tank design was tended for beginning in 1988.
The final widespread Bolwerk variant was the SD 784 Beowulf. It came about as a way to use Bolwerk hulls that hadn’t been updated to Mk.F standard and were held in reserve. It is a Heavy Reconnaissance Vehicle featuring a telescopic mast with visual and electronic sensors and is armed with a 27mm m/47-68 autocannon, a coaxial 13.5mm machine gun, a 39mm automatic grenade launcher and a RWS with a 6.5mm machine gun. The hulls were refit with a new powerpack upon conversion and the Beowulf achieves increased mobility over the Bolwerk, reaching a maximum speed of 70 km/h on roads.

Specifications – Bolwerk Mk.C

Type: Second-generation Main Battle Tank
Origin: Union of Batavian Republics
Manufacturer: Republikeinse Maatschappij De Schelde
In Service: 1964
Units Built: 3700
Mass: 54.3 tonnes
Length: 9.96m gun included
Width: 3.45m with skirts
Height: 2.85m to cupola hatch
Crew: 4
Armour: 350mm @60° max on turret
Main Armament: 112.88mm L/49 smoothbore gun, manually loaded, fixed ammo
Secondary Armament: 1x 15mm Ak m/51 coaxial, 1x 6.5mm Ag m/28-37 pintle-mounted
Powerplant: Brons L2106K 6 cylinder 2-stroke diesel, 735hp @2400rpm
Power/Weight: 13.5hp/tonne
Transmission: De Schelde 8 speed (6+2) hydraulic automatic transmission
Suspension: Oleopneumatic suspension
Ground clearance: 0.42m at rest
Operational Range: 500km
Speed: 50km/h on road, 35km/h offroad

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w o r k l i s t :
Hatsuyuki-class Escort Ships . . . <3

Apparently I'm being credited with the idea for this challenge, so I figured I should probably submit something. Here's what happens when two allies with developed arms industries decide to make one tank for commonality.

The T15 project basically ended up with only the chassis being the same, as the Svalbardians and Miklanians had differing ideas about how to arrange a turret. Then, of course, engine makers in both countries started to complain that they needed the contract to produce the powerpacks, and that there was no way they'd make a filthy import engine. Over time, gun and armor package development resulted in even the hull and weapons, the only things that had been common, essentially being a completely different piece of hardware itself, and the idea of commonality finally died. Thus always to international projects.

These are hardly the only variations, but they are the only ones I was able to get around to. Hopefully I'll be able to complete the family at some point in the future.

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Drawings signed both (Miklania) and (M.Morris)

I presume You are aware that this sentence is true only if we're talking about horizontal checkerboard with square-shaped fields, and not about diagonal checkerboard with rhomboidal fields in the period of the People's Republic?

Trionir AW BVIII Schelderf



BVIII Schelderf
Aufzenian Medium/MBT - 1931
Manufactured by Trionir AW GmbH

Length: 6.11 m
Width: 3.18 m
Height: 2.12 m prototype, 2.17 m production, 2.26 m Modell AL
Weight: 31 tons
Armor: 250 mm turret face, 75 mm turret sides, 45 mm turret rear, 20 mm turret roof, 140 mm upper front, 100 mm lower front, 75 mm hull upper sides, 20 mm hull lower sides, 40 mm hull rear, 15 mm hull bottom, 20 mm hull roof.
Main Armament: 88 mm PK 23, 105 mm PK 29
Secondary Armament: 1 x 11.93 mm MG 1919 coaxial, 1 x 20 mm Lirovia FaK P3
Top Speed: 43 km/h
Range: 325 km
Suspension: Torsion Bar

History: The BVIII was born out of the 1930 Aufzenian breakthrough tank replacement challenge, intended to pierce the Feoran defensive lines built across the open Ephesian Basin. Built low, with tough frontal armor, it was designed initially with an 88 mm cannon, which was later upgraded to a 105 mm rifled gun upon being accepted into service. Only appearing in large numbers on the front lines in 1944, the war came to a close in 1945, and the tank was largely replaced by the BIX by 1938 in Aufzenian service. With the BVIII approaching obsolescence, it was given a slightly larger (albeit more lightly armored) turret and designed as "AL" for "Ausländer," intended as an export model for cash-strapped nations as an alternative to larger, more expensive main battle tanks of the era. With its role no longer being as a breakthrough tank, instead being forced into the role of a true main battle tank, its machine gun was placed in a remote control turret to increase its effectiveness against infantry due to lack of a good HE round.

Introduced into service to a number of minor nations supportive to Aufzen, such as Sub-Nieron and the nascent Haimuttan Republic, the tank would see its first combat usage outside of the Great War upon the outbreak of the Korigian Civil War in the late 1940s. Operated by the Korigian Army, the tank performed well against the largely disorganized and poor equipped rebel forces, though against stiffer competition, such as Morsignian supplied and trained Isvanian units, it would often struggle to defeat the newer armor it met. It was considered an acceptable stop-gap solution for many smaller neutral nations, though many would still choose newer vehicles due to the BVIII's limited capabilities. Further attempts to increase its effectiveness were made in the form of the Telzejiger tank destroyer, mounting a 125 mm smoothbore cannon, and a variant with 150 mm gun/missile launcher. Both, however, failed to reach the market, the Telzejiger due to lack of interest in a tank destroyer with the same main gun as many main battle tanks of the era, and the gun/missile variant due to technical problems with the 150 mm cannon.

Upon the intervention of the United Coalition to the Korigian Civil War in 1961, the BVIII continued to see service with many nations on both sides, with large numbers also being operated by the now-dominant rebel forces. Chaldea, aligned with the rebel forces, had been producing illegal local pattern copies of the BVIII and supplying them to the rebels, but lacking the guns to equip them, often substituted lesser guns in their stead, most notably the Korigian Great War vintage 85 mm gun which was available in large numbers. Despite its age, the BVIII still fought on the front lines of the war alongside more modern tanks, and had become a symbol of the war due to its omnipresence in all theaters and operation by every faction involved. With many being modernized with applique ERA armor, variants continued to see service until the end of official hostilities in 1982, having long been phased out in most other countries. With the continuing instability in Korigs despite the peace settlement, the BVIII is still a common sight in the hinterlands of Korigs, and the skirmishes between various nationalist and religious factions often see the tank brought into combat again.

Edit: Fixed a link

The primary MBT of the Commonwealth Forces in the latter half of the Cold War, the Puma:





Crew: 4
Length: 10.3m (over the gun)
Width: 3.5m
Height: 2.5 (to top of turret)
Weight: 48 tonnes
Engine: 800hp V12 diesel
Armament: 120mm L11 main gun, 7.62mm L7 coax machine gun, 12.7mm M2 machine gun
Top Speed: 55km/h
Range: 600km

Puma SPAA equipped with a 25mm GAU-12 Equalizer cannon and Rapier SAMs.
Puma Combat Pioneer equipped with a 165mm L9 demolition gun, an optional coax 30mm L21 Rarden cannon and a Hedgehog mortar system on the engine deck.
Puma MLU was a basic modernisation program designed for rapid deployment overseas, with the primary external difference being the applique armour attached to the turret front.

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This looks very British, Centrurion married with a Chieftain.

Not going to lie, I procrastinated on this challenge until it was too late to get any of the background fluff for the designs really finished.
So here's what I've got




Model 1953 Medium Tank
Specifications
Weight: 49.7 short tons (45.1 tonnes)
Length: 22 feet, 10 inches (6.97 meters) (Hull) 27 feet, 6 inches (8.37 meters) (Gun forward)
Width: 10 feet, 8 inches (3.25 meters)
Height: 8 feet, 6 inches (2.58 meters) (Turret Roof) 9 feet, 2 inches (2.8 meters) (Cupola)
Crew: 4 (Driver, Gunner, Loader, Commander)
Main Armament: 3.5 inch Rifled Gun, M1950 (89mm)
Secondary Armament: 1 6.9mm Coaxial M1952, 1 14.7mm Anti-air M1936C
Powerplant: Thompson TTC AVD-30500 30.5 liter air-cooled diesel engine, 625 horsepower (466 kilowatts)
Power to Weight Ratio: 12.58 horsepower/ton (10.33 W/Kg)
Transmission: FAC HV52-3/2 (3 forward, 2 reverse gears)
Suspension: Torsion Bar
Ground Clearance: 17.7 inches (0.45 meters)
Fuel Capacity: 254 gallons (961 liters)
Operational Range: 130 miles (209.21 kilometers)
Maximum Speed: 30 mph (48 km/h)

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Redback MBT

The Redback 1 is a third-generation main battle tank developed by Zuytdorp Munitions - Land Systems in 1990s and early 2000s for the Westralian Army, aiming to replace the obsolescent Leopard AS1(W) in the Armoured Corps. Armed with a 120mm smoothbore, fitted with a modern composite armour package and powered by a V12 turbo-diesel engine, it is broadly similar to contemporary Western-designs such as the Leopard 2, AMX Leclerc, and M1 Abrams. As the first entirely-indigenous MBT design to come out of Westralia, it helped cement the Westralian defense industry as a global competitor in all realms of warfare.



Zuytdorp Munitions - Land Systems Redback 1D Main Battle Tank
Specifications
Weight: 62.5 tonnes as produced, up to 70.8 tonnes combat ready
Length: 10.95m Gun-Forward
Width: 3.85m with Standard armour package
Height (Commander's Sight): 2.9m
Crew: 3 (Commander, Driver, Gunner)
Armour: Chobham composite (exact composition classified), additional MCA applique armour packages available, frontal package fitted as standard
Main Armament:
- ZM120-55 120mm L55 Smoothbore gun with 34 rounds stored in bustle cassette and an additional 8 rounds stored in hull
Secondary Armament:
- 1 x 7.62mm Coaxial Machine-Gun
- 1 x 7.62mm FN MAG mounted above commander's position
Powerplant: EuroPowerPack (MTU MT883 Ka-500/501), 1500hp
Transmission: Renk HSWL 295TM
Suspension: Horstman InArm Active-Hydropneumatic Suspension
Operational Range: 500km
Speed: 68km/h on-road
46km/h off-road

The Redback MBT program has its origins in the Zuytdorp ZM105L L70 105mm gun-project of the late-1970s. This involved the creation of a new tank gun of improved performance, whilst maintaining a higher number of stowed kills and retaining the existing ammunition logistic systems of the L7 105mm gun prevalent in Western armies. This project continued on into the late-1980s, finding mixed success. By 1987, the gun was beginning to perform to the desired levels, delivery close to 10MJ of muzzle energy. However, the sheer length of the gun meant that a new design of tank would be required to mount it, likely of a somewhat unorthodox design.

Design work began in 1987, and by 1990, a preliminary 'proof-of-concept' prototype, XVG 90 (Experimental Ground Vehicle 1990) emerged from the Zuytdorp manufacturing plant in Bunbury. Whilst the hull was of conventional design, the tank lacked a conventional turret, with the gun mounted externally above the low-profile turret roof and fed by a two-stage autoloader not unlike that on the MGS platform. This allowed the gun to be placed as rearward as necessary to mitigate its extended length. However, it was significantly flawed in a number of respects. Ammunition stowage was limited by its placement at the bottom of the turret basket, so as to be accessible by the autoloader, and the gun elevation was controlled through exposed hydraulic pistons.

Around this time, the Westralian Army began considering replacement of its Leopard 1 tanks, which had not seen an upgrade since their entry to service in 1977 and were rapidly becoming obsolescent. Whilst it considered foreign designs such as the M1 and Leopard 2, it took a close interest in the XVG 90 project, and believed it to have enough merit to be explored further. Furthermore, the Westralian Government saw the potential for the project to invigorate the Westralian defense industry, which had slumped with the advent of the peace dividend, hoping to export any potential design as well as introduce into domestic service. With Westralian Government approval, Zuytdorp began to prospectively market the design concept as the 'Redback MBT', after the venomous spider endemic to the Australasian continent.



Zuytdorp began to work on a new, more refined design to meet the Westralian Army's new requirements. In 1995, it emerged with XGV 95 'Redback 1B', which incorporated a more conventionally-styled turret but retained the unconventional armament layout. The L70 gun was now mounted in a separate center-line casing, that, whilst appearing to be a part of the turret, still existed externally. This was lifted into the firing position by two large, armoured hydraulic arms akin to those used on the US RDF (ELKE) project of the 1980s. Ammunition was kept in the left third of the turret, fed to the gun through a complex three-stage autoloader. This consisted of a 'cassette' of 48 rounds the fed to a turntable that rotated the rounds in line with the gun, before sliding them cross-ways into the breech through a door that would open between the turret and gun when the latter was lowered to the loading position. The commander and gunner occupied the right hand third of the turret. The unorthodox gun mount allowed it to have impressive elevation and depression abilities, often able to shoot from a completely obscured hull-down position by elevating above the tank. However, unsurprisingly, the autoloader presented significant troubles, and by this point the 120mm smoothbore had become the primary weapon of Western tanks, offering better performance and logistics than the cumbersome 105mm. Zuytsorp Munitions had even recognised this, having developed a new L55 120mm gun (ZM120L -55).

Following a period of trials, the Westralian Army directed Zuytdorp to reconfigure the design to use the new 120mm gun, though retaining the existing hull design. In 1998, this was unveiled as the XGV 120 'Redback C', using a re-manufactured turret from one of the XGV 95 prototypes. This was of distinctly conventional design and appearance, especially when compared to previous prototypes. Gone was the complex autoloading system and external gun-mount, the gun now installed in the same manner as nearly every Western-MBT and fed by a loader who had access to 42 rounds in an armoured turret bustle compartment with verticle blow-off panels. However, this design was only considered preliminary, enough to pass trial evaluations and get the Westralian government to accept a purchase contract for 90 future vehicles of an properly updated, production ready design.

In 2001, the first pre-production ZM Redback 1D rolled out of the Bunbury plant. Distinctly modern in design, it featured a more angular turret, a hull with revised hydro-pneumatic suspension, new optics and a modern, modular composite armour package. The gun was now fed by an autoloader yet again, though this time modelled on the proven system found in the French Leclerc. Vehicle trials commenced later that year, running into early 2003, at which point a full production contract was awarded. The first production vehicles were accepted into Westralian Army service in 2004, with IOC coming in late 2006, though by this point the tank had already proven itself in a number of exercises.



From the out-set, the Redback MBT was intended to be taken to export. During the XGV prototyping stages, the vehicles were finished in the Australian Army's AUSCAM camouflage, a not so subtle tilt towards a possible sale to the Australian Army to replace their Leopard 1s. Whilst at first the Australian Army did not show any significant interest, following the acceptance of the first examples into Westralian service their interest began to grow. Whilst the US offered refurbished M1A1s at a cut-rate price that severely tempted the Australian government, the Westralian government offered industry incentives to the Australians that ultimately saw them decide to purchase 59 Redback 1Ds. Whilst Zuytdorp had created an 'Export' model that featured some minor limitations in capability, the Australian Army received the full-spec variant, the first of these entering service in late-2006, and seeing significant use in Exercise Talisman Sabre the following year. An additional 69 tanks were purchased in 2019, of that latest Redback 1F variant, bringing the total number to 128.

The next export customer came in the form of Canada, looking to replace their ageing Leopard C2s. Whilst the obvious choice had long been the German Leopard 2, the Canadian government controversially picked a custom specified variant of the Redback 1D, featuring a new modular armour package, communications and battlefield management equipment. The first of these was delivered in 2010.

As of current, the only other operator of the Redback 1 is the Royal Army of Oman, having bought 30 refurbished early-production models with reduced capabilities in line with the export version.



The Redback 1, whilst not as widely adapted as contemporaries such as the Leopard 2, has still seen its fair share of variants. Following the Redback 1D and its export version, the Redback 1F serves as an upgrade over older vehicles, based on many of the components created for the Canadian 1D CAN variant. It is fitted with a new Modular Composite Armour package, as well as upgrades in the communications and battlefield management equipment, making it even more suited to the modern digital battlefield. This version can also be fitted with an Active Protection System, similar to the Israeli TROPHY.

With the reveal of the T14 Armata in 2015, Zuytdorp began investigating potential upgrades to make Redback for competitive. Whilst many of these ended up going into Redback 1F, one significant upgrade is still undergoing testing, and may even find its way into a new tank. A 130mm gun, being developed by Zuytdorp Munitions offers increased firepower and penetration performance over the already impressive 120mm gun fitted. A notable feature is the 'pepper-pot' muzzle brake that still allows the use of saboted rounds whilst reducing recoil energy by roughly 30-40%, allowing the gun to be lighter overall by fitting within the existing 120mm cradle.

The Redback has also seen itself adapted into a number of more ancillary roles, including that of a Drover Training Vehicle, which sees the turret replaced by a cab for an instructor and two observers. More notably, an AEV and ARV have been developed from using the Redback hull as a basis.