Chapter No'-2. The Build up of the Medium Brigade.
The Chinese type 96 will be upgrade to transform it to a medium thank as a partner to the Merkava tank and more armour vehicles.
The main role of the medium tank is to move with the Merkava tanks and in front of them to destroy infantry forces that carry anti-tank missiles or rockets, hit dug-in infantry, hit vehicles that are less protected than tanks and other units that threaten our forces.
Therefore, the medium tank will not be armed with 120 mm cannon, but with a 57 mm cannon, anti-aircraft guns, machine guns, rockets of all kinds, 40 mm grenade launcher and "Artificial Intelligence"(AI) which is the Tolkin ring that governs them all.
In my opinion, the medium tank should be the main vehicle in the armored brigades of the IDF. So we will need to purchase thousands of old tanks and upgrade them according to our requirements. The ratio between the medium tanks and the Merkava will be approximately 3 to 1, and if we have, for example 1,000 Merkava tanks, we will need approximately 3,000 medium tanks.
There are 2 sources for these vehicles:
1) American M-1 tanks.
In the USA there are about 3,300 M-1 tanks that have not been upgraded and they still armed with 105 mm cannon and possibly with old electronic systems. It is likely that they will be cheaper to purchase and I’ll buy them all.
Photo No’-1 the M-1 with 105mm cannon.
2) The Chinese Model 96 tanks.
China has about 2,500 tanks of this type and I’ll try to buy them all.
Photo No-2 the Chinese type 96 tank.
All these tanks need to be purchased and upgraded, preferably by the sellers, at least for the USA and China, so the tanks that will arrive to Israel will be ready to go to war if necessary.
And the upgrades are:
2.1 Upgrade or replace the Power Unit and everything related to the vehicle's mobility.
2.2 Replace the old turret with a new Russian or Chinese unmanned turret called AU-220M with a 57 mm cannon and 25 mm gun name M-242 as coaxial gun.
2.3 Install the "Autonomous Combat Unit" (ACU) behind the turret.
2.4 Install small turret with an anti-aircraft/anti-tank weapons on the 57 mm turret.
Israel can also help with the upgrades of the protection, of electronic systems, vision systems, communication and more.
2.1 Upgrade the power unit or replace it with a new P.U.
The medium tanks are old tanks and it may be necessary to refurbish or replace the power unit. The engine of the T-72 for example was upgraded over time and its latest model has a 1,130 hp engine, the first model had an 830 hp engine.
2.2 Replacing the turret on the tank with a Russian or Chinese turret that carries a 57 mm gun called AU-220M.
Photo No’-3 the turret AU-220M
Photo No’-4 T-15 with the turret AU-220M and 3 crewmen sitting in the front of the turret.
The problem is that as long as Russia is fighting in Ukraine they will not be a safe seller, therefore it is advisable to check with China if they can provide turrets similar to the Russian turret, I don't think they will have problem with that, as an automatic loading is also in their tanks. This turret is mounted above round magazine carries 80 shells with automatic loading, so there will be only 3 crewmen in the tank. (Pic. # 4) We will replace the Coaxial machine gun with a 25 mm gun the same one has USA have on the M-2 IFV.
Since the loading is automatic, female soldiers will be able to work in the tank and use more their brain and less there muscles, so they can maintain their health on one hand, and do a great job on the other hand. This is perhaps the place where women fighters can be better than male soldiers, so we will get a lot of excellent women power that highly motivated who will contribute a lot to the armored corps. To see a medium tank operated only by women soldiers would be excellent.
In picture No’-4 we can see the Russian T-15 equipped with the Russian turret that carries 57 mm cannon, a coaxial machine gun in caliber of 7.62 mm, 2 anti-tank missiles and is operated by 3 crew members who sit in front of the turret.
The 57 mm cannon has a range of 14 km, rate of fire of 80 shells per minute, it has smart shells with homing to a laser spot, with shells that initiated in the air to fight against against Flying Objects, with a double warhead against tanks, against fortified buildings and other targets.
We will replace the coaxial machine gun with 25 mm gun that called M-242 Bushmaster.
Photo No'-5 25 mm gun
2.3. Installation of an "Autonomous Combat unit" (ACU) behind the 57 mm turret.
Another change I would do is to install an “Autonomous Combat Unit” (ACU) behind the turret. The concept of the ACU can be seen (in photo #6), this system is built from a large ammunition box that will be installed behind the turret, and 2 machine guns that will be installed on it.
Photo No’-6 The ACU concept
I would slightly change the picture and actually extend the ammo box so it will stick out from both sides of the turret like 2 "big ears". On each of these ears I will install (HMG) Gatling in caliber of 0.5", (photo No”- 7), the HMG has 2 rate of fire: low at 1,000 rounds per minute and High of 2,000 per minute and range of about 2,000 meters. Each machine gun will cover 180 degrees from each side of the tank.
Photo No'-7 the GAU-19A Gatling gun in 0.5" caliber with 1,000 or 2,000 round per min.
The 2 machine guns will allow to shoot straight ahead and also to the right and left side of the turret. These machine guns will provide perimeter protection around the tank up to a distance of 2,000 meters and will be effective against exposed infantry, against soft vehicles, against buildings in combat in built-up area, and more.
The term “autonomous” refers to a situation in which the 'Artificial Intelligence' - (AI) take control on the ACU weapon system and with the help of vision systems and additional sensors will activate the weapons, and open fire against anything that threatens the tank and this without human help.
2.4 Installing an anti-aircraft/anti-tank turret on the medium tanks.
Photo No’-8 turret by KMW
Photo No’-9 the 20 mm gun M-197
On the 57 mm turret, I will install an anti-aircraft/anti tank turret (photo No’- 8), which will also be installed on the Merkava turret. I will replace the 0.5" HMG with a 20 mm Gatling gun called M-197 (photo No’-9) The 20 mm gun has 2 rate of fire: low rate of fire of 750 rounds per minute and high rate of fire of 1,500 rounds per minute.
The combination of 57 mm cannon in the main turret, and 35 mm gun and 20 mm Gatling gun on topof the main turret will be deadly combination against tanks, against infantry, against soft vehicles and more. I will install the ammunition for the 20 mm Gatling gun in the ammunition box behind the turret, where the ammunition chains for the ACU machine guns are also installed. In addition, we will install on the left side of the turret 2 launchers for anti-tank/aircraft missiles and we can replace each missile with a launcher for 4 rockets:
The rocket launchers will be:
1. Launcher for 4 guided rockets with diameter of 70 mm (photo No’-10), these rockets are guided to a laser spot, they have a range of 12 km and this missiles will give a serious fight to the enemy's anti-tank missile launchers, In particular, the radar of the defense system will detect the launch point of the enemy's anti-tank missiles and shoot against that point with everything he has.
Photo No’-10 Launcher for 4 70 mm rockets
2. Launcher for 4 Russian 80 mm rockets, the launcher should be similar to the 70 mm rocket launcher. The 80 mm rockets are heavier than the 70 mm and carry a heavier warhead, but shorter range, so they will be more effective in fighting in close area.
3. Launcher for 4 Russian thermobaric rockets with a diameter of 90 mm called 'Shemel-M'. These rockets have a length of 90 cm, an effective range of 600 meters, maximum range of 1,700 meters and their power is similar to the power of 155 mm artillery gun. (photo No’- 11) it will be a star in combat built-up area.
Photo No’-11 the Shamel-M
It will be interesting to examine the feasibility of installing a laser sight or a guidance system on the thermobaric rockets, which might improve the rocket's effective range. This launcher should also be similar to the 70 mm rocket launcher. All launchers can be adapted for installation on the turret.
4. In addition to these rockets, the launchers for the anti-aircraft missiles called 'Stinger' (photo No’-12) and the launchers for Rafael's anti-tank missiles (photo No’-13) should also be adapted for launching from the turret, and also the launcher for 4 Zuni rockets in 127 mm diameter that can have laser system for pinpoint accuracy. (Photo No’-14)
Photo No’-12 the launcher for 4 stinger missile
Photo No’-13 Launcher for 4 ATGM Spike Missile from Rafael
Photo No’-14 Launcher for 4 Zuni rockets with diameter of 127 mm.
With the completion of all these changes, we will get anti aircraft/anti tank missiles with many capabilities and options for installing missiles and rockets of various types. The mix of rockets and missiles will be determined according to the sector in which the medium tanks will be.