OF-40

OF-40
Type	Main battle tank
Place of origin	Italy
Service history
In service	1981–Present
Used by	UAE
Production history
Designer	OTO Melara
Designed	1977
Manufacturer	OTO Melara/Fiat
Produced	1980–1985
Specifications
Weight	45.5 t (50.2 short tons)
Length	9.22 m (30.2 ft)
Width	3.51 m (11.5 ft)
Height	2.45 m (8.0 ft)
Crew	4

Main armament	1 x 105 mm (57 rounds: hull - 42, turret - 15)
Secondary armament	2 x 7.62mm machine guns (1 coaxial, 1 turrettop anti-aircraft)
Engine	MTU MB 838 Ca M500 V-10 830 PS (819 hp, 610 kW)
Power/weight	18.2 PS/tonne
Transmission	ZF
Suspension	Torsion bar
Ground clearance	0.44 m (1.4 ft)
Fuel capacity	1,000 l (260 US gal)
Operational range	600 km (370 mi)
Speed	60 km/h (37 mph)

Cold War tanks

List Category

MBTs	AMX-30 AMX-40 Centurion Challenger 1 Chieftain Chonma-ho EE-T1 Osório K1 88 Leopard 1 Leopard 2 M1 Abrams M60 Patton M-84 Magach MBT-70 MBT-80 Merkava Object 187 Object 292 Object 785 OF-40 Panzer 68 Stridsvagn 103 T-62 T-64 T-72 T-80 TAM TR-85 Type 59 Type 61 Type 69/79 Type 74 Nana-yon Type 88 Vijayanta Vickers MBT WZ-122

Light	AMX-13 Expeditionary tank M8 Armored Gun System M41 Walker Bulldog M551 Sheridan PT-76 Scorpion Spähpanzer Ru 251 SK-105 Kürassier Spähpanzer SP I.C. Stingray Stridsvagn 74 T71 Light Tank T92 Light Tank Type 62 Type 63 Type 64 WZ-132

Medium	Charioteer M26 Pershing M46 Patton M47 Patton M48 Patton Panzer 58 Panzer 61 T-44 T-54/55 T95 Type 58

Heavy	AMX-50 Conqueror IS-3 Object 279 M103 T-10 T30 Stridsvagn KRV WZ-111

Tank destroyers	Infanterikanonvagn 73 Infanterikanonvagn 91 Kanonenjagdpanzer

Tank history classification WWI Interwar WWII Cold War Post–Cold War

The OF-40 is an Italian main battle tank developed as a joint venture between OTO Melara and Fiat, and intended primarily for export sales. OTO Melara would develop and produce the hulls, and automotive components would be provided by Fiat (the designation of the vehicle comes from the initials of the two companies, whereas "40" refers to the planned mass of the tank).^[1] Initial design work was started by OTO Melara in 1977, with the first prototypes ready by 1980.

Design

Superficially, the OF-40 appears very similar to versions of the German Leopard 1 with welded turrets (Leopard 1A3 & 1A4). The OF-40 does share some common components with the Leopard 1, which had also been produced under license by OTO Melara since 1974. The OF-40 follows a conventional modern tank design. The driver is located in the front-right of the hull, with ammunition storage and NBC overpressure system located to the driver's left. The turret is located toward the middle of the tank, with the gunner and commander on the right side of the turret, and the loader on the left.

Armament

The armament consists of a 105 mm main gun with a rifled, 52-calibre barrel, developed by OTO Melara exclusively for this vehicle. The cannon is equipped with a thermal sleeve, fume extractor and a semi-automatic breech mechanism and is aimed in both vertical and horizontal axes with an electro-hydraulic drive system. The main gun however is not stabilized. The cannon uses NATO-standard 105 mm ammunition with APDS (1470 m/s muzzle velocity), HEAT (1170 m/s), HESH (730 m/s), incendiary and smoke rounds. Two 7.62 mm machine guns make up the secondary armament: an electrically fired coaxial machine gun slaved to the main cannon and a second gun on an anti-aircraft pintle installed next to the loader's hatch on the turret.

The tank uses an advanced fire-control system developed by Officine Galileo. The commander's station was outfitted with an independently stabilized VS 580-B panoramic day/night sight with an 8x magnification, co-developed with SFIM of France. The sight is housed in an armoured turret located in front of the commander's hatch. The tank gunner uses an 8x C125 telescopic sight to lay fire from the main cannon and coaxial MG. This sight is co-aligned with a Selenia VAQ-33 laser rangefinder which has an effective range from 400 to 10,000 m.

Propulsion

The OF-40 is powered by a German-made MTU MB 838 Ca M500 diesel motor which provides an output of approx. 610 kW at 2,200 RPM. The MB 838 Ca M500 is a four-stroke, turbo-charged, 10-cylinder multi-fuel engine with a 90° Vee configuration and is coupled to a ZF transmission system with a fluid torque converter and an epicyclic gearbox with four forward and two reverse gears. The engine is liquid-cooled and further optimized for operation in arid environments with an automatic air-cooling system which detects overheating conditions and activates a cooling fan on the engine deck. The engine compartment also has an automatic fire-extinguishing system.

The running gear consists of 14 (2×7) rubber-rimmed double dished roadwheels, two idler wheels (at the front of the hull), two drive sprockets (rear hull) and ten (2×5) return rollers supporting two tracks. The tracks have a service life of approx. 2,500 km. The OF-40 rests on an independent torsion bar suspension system with hydraulic shock absorbers and friction dampers on the first, second, third, sixth and seventh pairs of roadwheels.

The tank can also drive under water to a limited depth using a snorkel to feed the engine and comes equipped with two water pumps rated at 120 l/min used to evacuate water from the tank during fording.

Sales

While the tank was trialed by Thailand, demonstrated in Egypt and offered for local production in Spain and Greece, the only orders for the vehicles ultimately came from the United Arab Emirates. The first UAE order of 18 OF-40s was filled in 1981.^[1] This was followed by a second order for 18 more OF-40s, and 3 OF-40 derived armoured recovery vehicles which was filled by 1985. OTO Melara no longer offers the OF-40 for purchase.

Variants

OF-40 Mk.2: The Mk.2 version of the OF-40 featured an improved OG14LR fire control system which included dual-axis main gun stabilisation and improved sensors. The Mk.2 had an improved day/night periscope for the commander, an improved sight with variable 7x and 14x magnification for the gunner, and a turret-mounted LLLTV camera which provides night-time observation and identification up to 2 km and relays imagery to monitors at both the gunner's and commander's stations. This variant also received welded steel appliqué armour on the turret front face. All UAE OF-40s have been upgraded to Mk.2 standard.

OF-40 ARV: An armoured recovery vehicle based on the OF-40 chassis, manned by a 4-man crew and equipped with an 18-ton crane, a 35-ton winch, dozer blade and a welding kit.

OF-40 SPAAG: Although it was never produced, a self-propelled anti-aircraft vehicle similar to the Gepard was proposed should any customers request it.

Related developments

The OF-40 hull was later used as the basis for the Palmaria self-propelled artillery system. The Palmaria met with far more success than the OF-40, with 210 being ordered by Libya and 25 by Nigeria. Argentina purchased the Palmaria turrets, but used their own TAM light tank chassis.

Both Leopard 1 and OF-40 hulls were used during the development for the Otomatic self-propelled air-defence system.

Operators

United Arab Emirates: 36 OF-40 Mk.2, 3 OF-40 ARV. Withdrawn from service and being proposed for conversion to heavy Infantry Fighting Vehicles.

Similar vehicles

References

1 2 "Oto Melara OF-40". MilitaryFactory.com.

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