tank/vehicle Chieftain 900 : the Super Chieftain

[FORMATOSE 901]

 

Chieftain 900

 

 

 

 

Table of contents :

 

1. History

2. Why adding the Chieftain 900 would be beneficial to War Thunder ?

3. Specifications

4. Commercial brochure

5. Sources

 

 

History :

 

The Chieftain 900 was a Royal Ordnance Factories private initiative and was built following the cancellation of the British tanks contract for Iran.

It was based on the latest production Chieftain hull ; the FV4030/1 Chieftain Mark 5/3 (P) which featured, among other things, an increased mine protection and a larger fuel capacity.

Two Chieftain Mk. 5/3P were converted by fitting the Rolls-Royce engine and the fully automatic version of the Chieftain's TN12 gearbox, very much as in the Chieftain 800 but this time the engine was rated at 900 bhp, hence the name of Chieftain 900.

Two Chieftain 900 prototype were built in April 1982, they were not fitted with real Chobham armor but were mocked up with cosmetic sheet-metal cladding to simulate the Chobham armor package.

Both prototypes were exhibited at British Army Equipment Exhibition (BAEE) in summer 1982. 

 

The customer could select a menu of options :

 

• solid-state gun control equipment
• computerized FCS
• Archer digital radios
• L23 APFSDS
• thermal sight (unknow model)
• air conditionning
• night sight for the commander (Pilkington PE Condor)
• infrared detectors
• semi-automatic gear controller
• Laser Engineering Hydro-Strut suspension
• engine uprated to 1000 bhp
• bolt-on rubber track pass

 

 

Despite the attractiveness of many of these proposed features, their addition was seen for what it was ; an attempt to upgrade an ageing design and not a genuine modern tank, and so attracted no buyers. Since there were no orders and the project was abandonned by 1986.

One Chieftain 900 was donated to the Tank Museum in 1988 and for a while went on display, masquerading as a modified FV4030/4 Challenger 1 as used in the First Gulf War.

Then, early in 1991, it was used by GEC Marconi to test their improved Centaur fire control system in an experimental Marconi turret and modified hull. Designated Chieftain 2000, it was displayed at an arms fair in 1993 before being restored to its original condition and returned to the Tank Museum.

 

 

 

 

Why adding the Chieftain 900 would be beneficial to War Thunder ?

 

 

This will allow the British tech tree players to have an unique rank VI main battle tank, bridging the technological gap between the Chieftain and the Challenger 1.

 

 

Specifications :

• Year : April 1982
• Number built : two prototypes
• Combat weight : 50 tonnes
• Armament : L11A5 rifled gun (up to 64 rounds)

• Gunner sight : unknow (could be the Barr & Stroud TLS or the Vickers Instruments L23 or L30) day sight with laser rangefinder with a magnification of ×1 to ×10

• Commander sight : Pilkington PE Condor traversable day/night sight magnification of ×1 to ×10

• Secondary armament : L8A2 7.62 mm coaxial machine gun, L37A2 cupola-mounted 7.62 mm machine gun (4000 rounds), 10 smoke grenade dischargers (2x5)

• Fire control system : Marconi IFCS or Marconi Centaur or the Ferranti SFCS 600 or the Ferranti Falcon

• Protection : structure made of welded high hardness steel plates and Chobham armour on the turret front, sides, hull glacis plate and on the sides of the driver's station
• Engine : Rolls-Royce Condor 900E
• Engine power : 900 bhp at 2300 RPM (can be uprated at 1000 bhp)
• Transmission : TN12-1000 (automatic gear shifting, 6 forwards and 2 reverse gears)
• Suspension : Super Horstmann (road wheels sprung independently providing increased vertical travel)
• Power-to-weight ratio : 18 hp/t (900 bhp) or 20 hp/t (1000 bhp)
• Top speed : 51 km/h

 

 

 

Commercial brochure :

 

 

I remain at your disposal for any further questions.

Sources :

• Jane's International Defense Review 1982-08
• xxxx Taylor, Chieftain Main Battle Tank 1966 to Present, J H Haynes & Co Ltd, 2016
• Rolf Hilmes - Die Entwicklungen der Nachkriegszeit, 1983
• Rob Griffin, Chieftain, The Crowood Press, 2001
• Official Royal Ordnance Factories commercial brochure

 

Edited July 19, 2020 by FORMATOSE

[TerikG2014 1,389]

Open for discussion  

[Dane013 62]

+1

[Mr_Pokemon26295 358]

+1

[Jackvony 599]

+1 

 

I can't believe this hasn't already been suggested.

[TerikG2014 1,389]

23 minutes ago, Jackvony said:

+1 

 

I can't believe this hasn't already been suggested.

I know me to I had to do a double take before approving it !

[Milocat 4,848]

Very nice tank, definitely gets my support!  +1.

[Mercedes4321 4,695]

For those wondering about the Chieftain 2000, here is what it looked like with the modified turret.

Spoiler

 

[Louise_So_schoen 144]

Come on ! Plz replace Chieftain Mk10 as soon as possible !

As a 9.0 MBT Chieftain has only 1 advantage : decent turret .

 

Mobility hmmmm..... pretty much zero.

 

firepower : many 8.7 tanks have better shells (M111&DM23&105OFL)

No thermal at 9.0....

 

although she has extremely low repair cost as Firebrand . (because few people play Firebrand)

[Shepard_FR 545]

+1

I hope this would come for free, because free stuff is nice, but I can still see this as a ~9.0 British "Top Tier" premium to replace the Shot'Kal Dalet with an actual British design (which also looks cooler).

[Jarms 1,556]

This would be a great tank to have. Something between the Chieftain and Challenger.

[Wilhuff_Tarkin_ 467]

+1 solid 9.0 premium

[TheFuzzieOne 3,355]

Just a note to the original post, L23 never existed. L23A1 is all there was.

 

Yes, this means tanks with L23 should have it removed and replaced with the L23A1 at whatever bit it was at.

[ganJ 2,692]

+1

[NoodleCup31 8,824]

On 22/04/2020 at 12:21, Louise_So_schoen said:

firepower : many 8.7 tanks have better shells (M111&DM23&105OFL)

L23 is better than all three of them haha 

[Jarms 1,556]

What’s the difference between this and the Chieftain 800? Just the FCS?

[Mercedes4321 4,695]

7 hours ago, Jarms said:

What’s the difference between this and the Chieftain 800? Just the FCS?

As far as I know the engine also got uprated slightly to 900hp from 800hp but otherwise that is it.

[FORMATOSE 901]

On 28/04/2020 at 23:05, TheFuzzieOne said:

Just a note to the original post, L23 never existed. L23A1 is all there was.

 

So, what is this ?

 

 

9 hours ago, Jarms said:

What’s the difference between this and the Chieftain 800? Just the FCS?

 

The Chieftain 800 was just a re-engined Iranian FV4030/1 Chieftain Mark 5/3P fitted with the 800 bhp Rolls-Royce CV8 TCA engine and the fully automatic TN12 Mk. 5 transmission.

 

Edited May 5, 2020 by Auto_tracking

[TerikG2014 1,389]

6 hours ago, Auto_tracking said:

o, what is this ?

 

Looks like an L23A1 on some form of protective cover for the fins if you ask me

 

[FORMATOSE 901]

23 minutes ago, TerikG2014 said:

Looks like an L23A1 on some form of protective cover for the fins if you ask me

 

The L23A1 has a higher length-to-diameter ratio, the shape of its windscreen tip is different and its penetrator is less surrounded by the sabot petals.

 

Edited May 5, 2020 by Auto_tracking

[duckmartin 1,889]

There was only L23A1. L23 never existed. 

[Josephs_Piano 7,044]

Don't support it sorry - no info on the detail of the proposed armour configuration seems available, so it would be pure guesswork - even more so than usual for all the modern classified equipment already in the game!

[Jackvony 599]

2 minutes ago, Josephs_Piano said:

Don't support it sorry - no info on the detail of the proposed armour configuration seems available, so it would be pure guesswork - even more so than usual for all the modern classified equipment already in the game!

Lol

 

You're about 2 years late my man.

[Josephs_Piano 7,044]

44 minutes ago, Jackvony said:

Lol

 

You're about 2 years late my man.

 

Not a reason to stop the fight against it.

[TheFuzzieOne 3,355]

10 hours ago, Josephs_Piano said:

Don't support it sorry - no info on the detail of the proposed armour configuration seems available, so it would be pure guesswork - even more so than usual for all the modern classified equipment already in the game!

 

Much of the purpose of these suggestions is bringing the existence of the vehicle to Gaijin's attention, who can use their contacts to potentially find said sources.

 

At least that's the theory. Their exact reliability with British sources has been extremely patchy.