Marksman anti-aircraft system

T-55AM Marksman

Finnish ItPsv 90
Type SPAAG
Place of origin  United Kingdom
 Poland
Production history
Manufacturer Marconi Electronic Systems
Number built 7
Specifications
Weight 41 t
Crew 3 (driver, gunner, commander) + back-up crew
Armor turret: ballistic immunity from 14.5 mm heavy machine guns and 155 mm air bursts[1]
Main
armament
 2 × 35 mm autocannon
460 fragmentation rounds and 40 anti-tank rounds
Secondary
armament
 8 × smoke grenade dischargers
Engine V-55 V-12 diesel engine
620 hp (462 kW)
Suspension Torsion bar
Leopard 2 Marksman

Finnish ITPSV Leopard 2 Marksman
Type SPAAG
Place of origin  United Kingdom
 Germany
Production history
Manufacturer Marconi Electronic Systems
Number built 7
Specifications
Weight 49 t
Length 9.30 m (guns forward
Width 3.70 m
Height 4.82 m
Crew 3 (driver, gunner, commander) + back-up crew
Armor turret: ballistic immunity from 14.5 mm heavy machine guns and 155 mm air bursts[1]
Main
armament
 2 × 35 mm autocannon
460 fragmentation rounds and 40 anti-tank rounds
Secondary
armament
 8 × smoke grenade dischargers
Engine MTU MB 873 Ka-501 liquid-cooled V-12 Twin-turbo diesel engine
1,479 hp (1,103 kW) at 2,600 rpm
Suspension Torsion bar
Operational
range
 550 km (340 mi) (internal fuel)
Speed 72 km/h (45 mph)
External images
Marconi Marksman
Marksman fitted to Vickers Mk 2 tank hull
Fitting Marksman turret to Challenger hull

Marksman is a British anti-aircraft weapon system developed by Marconi, consisting of a turret, a Marconi Series 400 radar and two Swiss 35 mm Oerlikon autocannons. It is similar to the German Gepard system in terms of engine performance, ammunition carried and effective range of the ammunition.

The turret could be adapted to many basic tank chassis, creating a self-propelled anti-aircraft gun (SPAAG). The only operator of the system is the Finnish Army, which ordered 7 units in 1990. The turrets were fitted on Polish T-55AM tank chassis. The system is known as the ItPsv 90 in Finnish service (Ilmatorjuntapanssarivaunu 90, Anti-Aircraft tank 90, the number being the year the tank entered service). It is considered a very accurate anti-aircraft artillery system, having a documented hit percentage of 52.44%.[2]

In 2010, the Marksman systems in service in Finland were moved to war-time storage.[3] In 2015 work began to install the system on the Leopard 2A4 chassis in order to make up for the loss of mobile anti-aircraft coverage when the Marksman was originally retired.[4] The new ITPSV Leopard 2 Marksman is to enter service in 2016.[5]

Service

Finland has seven ItPsv 90 Marksman anti-aircraft systems, providing low-level air-defense for tank battalions. The SPAAGs are organically tied to the headquarters company and form teams of two. The vehicles have an all-day capacity, and there is also a back-up crew to ensure combat survivability. The ItPsv 90 Marksman is primarily meant to fight helicopters, low-flying aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). It is also possible to engage surface and armored targets.

The chassis of the ItPsv 90 Marksman is a Polish T-55AM tank, which has been modified to fit the turret. The AM version was chosen due to the increased weight of the system (a T55AM weighs 36 tons, while a T-55AM Marksman weighs 41 tons) and the AM has more power (620 hp) than a regular T-55. The weapon system is guided by a British Marconi 400 series frequency agile surveillance and tracking X/J-band radar, which is able to detect targets out to 12 km in search mode and 10 km in tracking mode. The laser distance measure device functions up to 8 km. The commander and the gun operator both have gyro-stabilized optical aiming devices.

The armament consists of two Swiss 35 mm Oerlikon anti-aircraft guns, with a rate of fire of 18 rounds per second. The fragmentation round has a muzzle velocity of 1,175 m/s. The effective range is 4,000 meters. The vehicle is also equipped with eight Wegmann 76 mm smoke dischargers, a 7.62 mm assault rifle, and a flare gun. The turret can traverse a full 360 degrees and has an elevation range of −10 to +85 degrees. The magazines hold 460 fragmentation rounds and 40 anti-tank rounds.

There are three communication radios in the vehicle for fire guidance and communications.

The vehicle is operated by three crew — commander, gunner, and driver.

Versions

In 1994, Marconi and South African Denel group announced plans to install a Marksman turret on a G6 howitzer chassis;[6] Marconi also offered conversions for existing users of T-54/55, Type 59,[7] Centurion, M48 Patton, Vickers,[8] Chieftain, Challenger 1 and Leopard 1 tanks. None of these variants were picked up for deployment.

Comparable systems

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References

  1. 1 2 http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b24/hybenamon/LAND/ANTI-AIR/MARKSMAN/brochure3.jpg
  2. ↑ Ilmatorjuntaupseeri: Panssari-ilmatorjuntakoulutus Hämeen Ilmatorjuntapatteristossa
  3. ↑ Helsingin Ilmatorjuntarykmentin ilmatorjuntapanssarivaunut viimeistä kertaa Lohtajan dyyneillä. Puolustusvoimat, 19 November 2010. Retrieved 2013-05-18.
  4. 1 2 Armeija ottaa vanhojen Marksman-vaunujen tykkitornit uuteen käyttöön. Helsingin Sanomat, 25 March 2015. Retrieved 2015-03-25.
  5. ↑ "MAAVOIMIEN LIIKKUVUUDEN JA TULIVOIMAN ROLL OUT PANSSARIPRIKAATISSA 5.8.2015 – Esiteltävä kalusto" (PDF) (in Finnish). Finnish Defence Forces. 5 August 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 October 2015. Retrieved 4 May 2016.
  6. ↑ "Denel in UK gun link-up" (PDF). Flight International (Flightglobal.com) (14–20 September 2004): 10. 14–20 September 2004. ISSN 0015-3710. Retrieved 2010-01-04.
  7. ↑ "Gary's Combat Vehicle Reference Guide"
  8. ↑ Jane's Armour and Artillery 2003–2004
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