Brennus Technical Description3

Presentation of the
AMX-30B2
BRENNUS
1
2
Table of contents
Background............................................................................................................................................ 4
Production .............................................................................................................................................. 5
Different variants produced ................................................................................................................. 6
Export ..................................................................................................................................................... 7
Technical specifications of the AMX-30 B2 ...................................................................................... 8
Specificities of the AMX-30 B2 BRENNUS..................................................................................... 12
BRENNUS add-on reactive armour package for heavy armoured vehicles .......................... 14
RENAULT/MACK E9 - V8 diesel Engine .................................................................................... 15
Availability ............................................................................................................................................ 16
3
Background
In 1956 the West European defense workgroup FINABEL drafted a set of specifications for a
new European medium battle tank to replace the American M47 tank.
After some disagreements concerning the NATO standardization, the German government
began to oppose the common tank project and decided to procure a purely national tank for
the trials. In response the French government decided likewise.
Comparative trials were held at different places between five French and five German
prototypes in 1963, under a multinational committee. The French type had received a
national designation (AMX-30). The trials indicated that the German type, also having its
national designation (LEOPARD), had a better mobility and acceleration.
After some reconciliation attempts the program was finally canceled and the French and
German governments definitely decided to adopt their two separate tanks.
4
Production
The AMX-30 tanks were developed and produced by the Ateliers de Construction d'Issy-lesMoulineaux and then by the Ateliers de Construction de Roanne. The first production
versions of the tank, named AMX-30B to distinguish them from the AMX-30A prototypes,
were completed in June 1966, manufactured with a welded and cast hull and a fully cast
turret.
Originally, 300 vehicles were ordered by the French Army, and by 1971 the order had been
increased to 900 units. In 1985 the number of AMX- 30 had risen to 1.173 units.
By the end of production, France had accepted 1.355 AMX-30 into service, including 166
brand-new AMX-30B2. Another 493 tanks were refitted and modernized to AMX-30B2
standards.
The last 35 new battle tanks were ordered by Cyprus in 1989 and the last new variant
vehicles, a batch of twenty GCT, were ordered by France in 1994.
Total production of the AMX-30 and variants totaled 3.571 units.
In the late 1990s, the French Army began to accept the new Leclerc main battle tank to
replace the AMX-30.
5
Different variants produced
The AMX-30 has a number of different variants including a number of other armored vehicles
based on the same chassis. Some of them are described hereunder:
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AMX-30D : recovery vehicle
AMX-30 AuF1 GCT : self-propelled artillery 155 mm howitzer
AMX-30 EBG : engineering vehicle
AMX-30 Roland : surface-to-air missile launcher
AMX-30 Pluton : tactical nuclear missile launcher
AMX-30E : manufactured under license in Spain
AMX-30 S : designed for desert environment
AMX-30 B2 : improvement of the firing power, the mobility and the protection
AMX-30 BRENNUS : improved model with reactive armoring
6
Export
The AMX-30 tank was sold to the different countries listed here under and also manufactured
under license by some of these countries.
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Argentina
Bosnia
Chile
Croatia
Cyprus
Greece
France
Iraq
Qatar
Saudi Arabia
Spain
Tunisia
United Arab Emirates
Venezuela
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Technical specifications of the AMX-30 B2
The AMX-30 B2, announced in June 1979, is essentially an AMX-30 with an integrated fire
control system based on a laser rangefinder and an LLLTV system, a new transmission and
other improvements (suspension, NBC system, gun stabilization,…).
The COTAC FCS, officially designated the APX M581, has been designed by the AMX-APX
in collaboration with the Ateliers de Construction de Tarbes. Its main components are the
gunner’s APX M544 telescopic (x10 magnification) sight which is combined with an APX
M579 electronic control system and an APX M421 optical module containing a computercontrolled graticule. The laser rangefinder is the APX M550 and is made by CILAS under the
designation TCV80. It has a maximum range of 10.000 m and is accurate to ± 5 m. The
SOPELEM telescopic sight has a magnification of x10 and is directly coupled to the main
armament. In addition to the M581 rangefinder telescope the gunner has a rotatable M282
periscope, a fixed M223 periscope and a tv monitor associated with an LLLTV monitor.
The COTAC FCS also incorporates an accelerometer-type trunnion tilt sensor and a control
panel. The tank commander manually inserts information via the control panel concerning
the type of ammunition being fired, drift and jump angles, cross wind velocity, altitude and
ambient temperature. Apart from the ammunition details, most of this information has to be
inserted only once a day. To determine lead angles for the engagement of moving targets, a
two-axis gyroscope is mounted on the sight to measure target tracking rates in both azimuth
and elevation.
Other parameters are automatically acquired by the gunner’s rangefinder telescope including
target distance, its displacement speed in elevation and azimuth and turret slant. These
parameters are processed by a lead computer built into the telescope which transmits the
elevation and azimuth corrections to the gunner’s day sight by means of an optical
compensator and the graticule of the LLLTV camera for engaging targets at night.
In addition to the 10 M268 periscopes in his cupola the commander also has an M496
telescope with a x8 magnification for firing the 105mm gun, for the secondary armament
(20mm cannon and 7,62mm machine gun) and aiming assembly comprising an M591-02
prism head and an OB 49 monocular telescope.
Mounted externally on the right side of the turret is the CASTOR (Thales) thermal camera
with both the tank commander and gunner being provided with a tv monitor screen. The
screens display an aiming mark which enables the commander or gunner to engage targets
at ranges of up to 4.000 m.
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The loader has a rotatable M282 periscope and two fixed M223 periscopes with the driver
having a central M223 periscope (or an OB 31A image intensification periscope) and two
fixed M223 periscopes.
To allow the AMX-30 B2 to fire the newer APFSDS ammunition a new gunner’s sight
graticule is fitted to match the ballistics of the rounds while the turret and ammunition racks
have been modified to accept the different shaped APFSDS round.
Mounted on the left side of the turret, coaxial with the main armament, is a SOPELEM PH-8B searchlight, which has a maximum range of 2,000 m when used in the white light mode
and a range of 1,000 m in the infrared mode.
9
The engine of the AMX-30 B2 has been developed from that of the AMX-30 and develops
700 hp @ 2.600 rpm. The HS-110-2 is fitted with new and more powerful turbo-compressors
which provide a 45 hp increase as well as improving the operational life of the engine and its
torque characteristics. A new hydrostatically-controlled engine system incorporates oil heat
exchangers cooled by air instead of engine coolant. The air filters have removable covers to
facilitate field maintenance.
The SESM ENC-200 is a gearbox of the lock-up torque converter type with five forward and
reverse speeds and hydrostatic steering controlled by a conventional steering wheel instead
of sticks. This system allows on-the-spot turning and gear changing in bends.
The suspension is improved by adopting new torsion bars and shocks which increased the
vertical deflection range of the road wheels, thereby improving the tank’s cross-country
mobility.
The AMX-30 B2 is also fitted with a new collective pressurization system with two circuits,
one with complete filtration for improved NBC protection.
French Army AMX-30 B2s have the OB 49 roof-mounted sight with two day and one night
channels. This can be replaced by the M427 with day and image intensification night
channels and a laser rangefinder or a roof-mounted SFIM M527 gyro-stabilized sight also
fitted to AMX-32 and AMX-40. The gunner on French Army AMX-30 B2s has an M581
rangefinder telescope but this can be replaced by an OB 47. The driver’s infra-red periscope
can be replaced by an OB 31 or CN2-516 image intensification periscope.
Other options include new 125 Ah batteries with a longer life and needing less maintenance,
new filters, DUK DUR 440 radiation counter, air-conditionning system and three different land
navigation systems developed by Crouzet.
French Army AMX-30 B2s have a thicker gun shield. In place of the standard bank of two
electrically-operated smoke dischargers either side of the turret, the GIAT/Lacroix GALIX
AFV protection system can be fitted. This can fire a wide range of different types of grenade
to meet various battlefield threats. An exhaust smoke generator system can also be fitted.
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Designation
Type
Crew
Lenght, overall
Width, overall
Combat weight
Radio, external
Main Armament
Gun traverse
Traverse rate
Gun stabilization
Night vision
Secondary armament
Engine
Power
Power/weight ratio
Speed, on road
Fuel capacity
Range, on road
Fuel consumption
Turning radius
Ground clearance
Smoke laying
Armor details
GENERAL INFORMATION
AMX-30 B2
MBT
4
Production period
9,5 m
Lenght, hull
3,1 m
Height, overall
37.000 kg
Unloaded weight
n/a
Communication, cew
FIRE POWER
105mm GIAT L/56 CNAmmunition carried
105-Mle F1 rifled gun
360°
Elevation/Depression
30°/s
Elevation rate
Yes
Rangefinder
Yes - passive
Auto-loader
20mm GIAT M693
coaxial gun + 7,62mm Ammunition carried
GIAT NF1 MGun
MOBILITY CHARACTERISTICS
HS110 12-cylinder
water-cooled
Transmission
multifuel
700 hp@ 2600 rpm Suspension
18,9 hp/T
Track width
65 km/h
Track ground contact
970 l
Ground pressure
450 km
Gradient
215 l/100 km
Vertical obstacle
n/a
Trench crossing
0,44 m
Fording
SURVIVABILITY FEATURES
2x2 smoke grenade
NBC protection
(80 mm) dischargers
1981-1993
6,6 m
2,9 m
35.300 kg
n/a
47x105mm (APFSDS-T,
HEAT-T,HE, smoke,
illuminating)
+40° / -8°
5,5°/s
laser
no
1050x20mm (HEI,AP)
2050x7,62mm
SESM ENC-200 5 F+R
torsion bars
0,57 m
0,412 m
0,9 kg/cm²
60%
0,9 m
2,9 m
1,3 m / 4m prepared
yes
Hull armor thickness : 79 mm (front), 30-57 mm (sides), 30 mm (rear),
20 mm (top, floor). Turret armor thickness : 81 mm (front), 42 mm
(sides), 50 mm (rear), 20 mm (roof).
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Specificities of the AMX-30 B2 BRENNUS
Before the commissioning of the Leclerc tank and because of some budgetary restrictions,
the AMX-30 B2 is once again upgraded in the nineties.
The most visible upgrade was a reactive armor package named BRENNUS. This add-on
armoring is composed by 112 GIAT BS G2 explosive reactive boxes installed on the front of
the hull and on the front and the sides of the turret. The elements are made of very high
hardness steel reinforced with sandwich plates of Kevlar. Each box weights 10 kg including
400 g of pyrotechnic material. The reactive armor offer a protection equivalent to 400 mm of
steel at 60 ° (with a weight nine times lighter tha n its steel equivalent) developed in order to
deflect the attacks from anti-tank rockets and missiles fitted with a High-Explosive Anti-Tank
(HEAT) warhead, new APFSDS rounds and medium caliber weapons.
A new diesel engine Renault/MACK E9 (manufactured in the USA and the sent to the RVI
facility in Limoges to be militarized) developing 750 hp @ 2.400 rpm replaces the HS110 to
compensate the additional weight of the add-on armoring. The military E9 features double
stage turbo-charging on either side, a Bosch direct injection system, a dry sump, a power
take-off for driving high-power auxiliaries and the ability to start at very low temperatures. It is
combined to the semi-automatic SESM ENC-200 gearbox and gives a power/weight ratio
higher than 20 % of the original configuration. The MACK E9 is expected to be more reliable
and offer lower life cycle costs.
The suspension and all the bearings were also reinforced. Connector tracks (DIEHL) which
are quieter and offer less resistance than conventional tracks were selected and the rear
sprocket was modified.
The combat weight of the vehicle is increased by 1.200 kg meaning 38.200 kg.
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Designation
Type
Crew
Lenght, overall
Width, overall
Combat weight
Radio, external
Main Armament
Gun traverse
Traverse rate
Gun stabilization
Night vision
Secondary armament
GENERAL INFORMATION
AMX-30 B2 BRENNUS
MBT
4
Production period
9,5 m
Lenght, hull
3,1 m
Height, overall
38.200 kg
Unloaded weight
n/a
Communication, cew
FIRE POWER
105mm GIAT L/56 CNAmmunition carried
105-Mle F1 rifled gun
360°
Elevation/Depression
30°/s
Elevation rate
Yes
Rangefinder
Yes
Auto-loader
20mm GIAT M693
coaxial gun + 7,62mm Ammunition carried
GIAT NF1 MGun
MOBILITY CHARACTERISTICS
Engine
MACK E9 – V8 diesel
Power
Power/weight ratio
Speed, on road
Fuel capacity
Range, on road
Fuel consumption
Turning radius
Ground clearance
750 hp@ 2400 rpm Suspension
19,6 hp/T
Track width
65 km/h
Track ground contact
970 l
Ground pressure
485 km
Gradient
200 l/100 km
Vertical obstacle
n/a
Trench crossing
0,44 m
Fording
SURVIVABILITY FEATURES
2x6 smoke grenade
NBC protection
dischargers
Smoke laying
Armor details
Transmission
1995-200
6,6 m
2,9 m
36.500 kg
n/a
47x105mm (APFSDS-T,
HEAT-T,HE, smoke,
illuminating)
+40° / -8°
5,5°/s
laser
no
1050x20mm (HEI,AP)
2050x7,62mm
SESM ENC-200 5 F+R
torsion bars
0,57 m
0,412 m
0,9 kg/cm²
60%
0,9 m
2,9 m
1,3 m / 4m prepared
yes
Hull armor thickness : 79 mm (front), 30-57 mm (sides), 30 mm (rear),
20 mm (top, floor). Turret armor thickness : 81 mm (front), 42 mm
(sides), 50 mm (rear), 20 mm (roof).
Add-on armoring kit composed of 112 GIAT BS G2 explosive reactive
boxes installed on the front of the hull and on the front and the sides of
the turret.
13
BRENNUS add-on reactive armour package for heavy armoured vehicles
14
RENAULT/MACK E9 - V8 diesel Engine
Manufacturer : Mack / Renault Vehicules Industriels
Designation : E9
Type : V8 diesel
Volume : 16,4 liter
Power : 750 hp @ 2.400 rpm
Weight : 1.250 kg
15
Availability
They are in very good condition, operational after the required maintenance.
Today’s availability is up to 45 units.
16