AB-14 Temsah

     Notes:  The Jordanian Temsah (Crocodile) is a heavily armored APC designed in response to Israel's tank-based APCs and problems with Palestinian rebels.  It is based on the chassis of the Centurion main battle tank, with the interior rearranged to provide a passenger compartment in the rear and the driver and engine in the front, and the suspension reworked accordingly.  Most of the design work for this vehicle was done by South Africa, with help from GDLS’s British division, but the modification work was carried out in Jordan by KADDB. The Temsah was introduced at an arms show in 2001, but doesn’t appear to have been put into production as of yet, despite the appearance of many versions and being a prominent part in several military parades in Jordan.

     The Temsah looks basically like what it is – the hull of a Centurion tank, driving in reverse (well, sort of).  The engine of the original Centurion has been replaced with the AVDS-1790 as on the US M-60 tank, which is smaller and more powerful than the Centurion’s engine, and burns diesel instead of gasoline fuel.  The armor of the Centurion hull has been improved, especially in the area of the armored side skirts.  (KADDB claims that the Temsah’s frontal armor is proof against 120mm rounds; I personally find this difficult to believe.)  The front and sides have lugs for ERA, and KADDB is said to be working on an appliqué armor package to provide the crew and passengers even more protection.

     The early prototypes of the Temsah had a remote turret on the roof near the rear of the vehicle with a 20mm autocannon, machinegun, and launchers for ATGM; newer versions (after 2006) mount a Thales SWARM turret with a 20mm autocannon of British make and different ATGM launchers.  Four-barreled smoke grenade launchers are found on either side of the turret. In this turret is also a detector for laser targeting devices; when a targeting device is detected, the grenade launchers automatically launch smoke grenades in the path of the laser, and diesel fuel is injected into the exhaust.  On the front left, behind the glacis, is a hatch for the driver; beside him is the commander’s station.  Both appear to have all-around vision blocks.  The passenger compartment is accessed through a large hatch in the rear.  Near the front of the passenger compartment, behind the driver’s station, is the gunner’s station; this is below the turret.  At the rear of the deck are two small hatches on the right and left; a third, somewhat larger hatch is to the right of the turret.  No firing ports of any sort are evident.  The night vision system, especially for the turret, is extensive; the commander is able to access the turret’s night vision aids via a monitor.  The crew is protected by an NBC overpressure system with a collective NBC backup.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: This vehicle began low-rate production in 1996, but as the Twilight War commenced it was felt that even outmoded tanks were more valuable and Temsah conversions were nearly stopped after 1997.

     Merc 2000 Notes: Some of these vehicles showed up in Iraqi service, and a very few were even used by South Africa, but it is still a rather rare vehicle.

*Belly armor is 10Sp.