ItPsv 90 Marksman

     Notes: This is a Finnish self-propelled antiaircraft gun using a T-55AM chassis with a GEC-Marconi Marksman turret (a similar turret as on the German Gepard AAA gun).  All upgrades were completed by 1993, and they were retired in 2010. These were replaced by the Leopard 2 Marksman (the Marksman turrets were mounted on a Leopard 2A4 chassis), but not until 2015. The T-55AM variant of the T-55 MBT was chosen for the conversion since it has a more powerful engine than the stock T-55, and the ItPsv 90 is considerably heavier than the base T-55, and because Poland had a number of T-55AMs that she was going to retire anyway. It is believed that only ten Marksman turrets were produced and only seven of them were put into service as ItPsv 90s.

     The turret is a variant of the turret mounted on the German Gepard AAA vehicle.  These are armed with long barreled 35mm autocannons with large muzzle brakes, one on each side of the turret; these have an elevation limit of +85 degrees and a depression limit of -10 degrees, making them effective against ground targets.  Normally, the ItPsv 90 carries 460 fragmentation rounds for use against aircraft and 40 AP rounds for use against ground vehicles. Topping this turret is a British Marconi 400 Series frequency-agile radar which has a detection range of 12 kilometers in search mode and 10 kilometers in tracking mode.  The Marksman turret is also equipped with a laser rangefinder which has a range of eight kilometers. The aiming devices are gyro-stabilized, but the guns are only stabilized in the vertical plane.  On each side of the turret are a cluster of four Wegmann 76mm smoke grenade dischargers.  The vehicle’s armor protection is excellent for such a vehicle, and the ItPsv 90 can shrug off many autocannon rounds.

     The T-55AM chassis is essentially that of the T-55, but with V-55U V12 diesel developing 620 horsepower instead of the stock T-55’s 580-horsepower engine.  The turret ring has an adapter on it, as the Marksman turret’s ring is slightly less than the T-55AM’s turret ring. The T-55AM’s inertial positioning navigation system is carried over to the ItPsv 90. The ItPsv 90 does not carry the extended range external fuel tanks of the T-55AM, relying on larger internal fuel tanks instead. The driver is in his accustomed place on the front deck and the commander and gunner have hatches on the turret deck.  No weapons are mounted on the turret roof, but the center rear of the turret has the radar dish.  The Marksman turret is large and high and presents a bigger target to enemy forces than a T-55AM.

ItPsv Leopard 2

     The ItPsv 90 was retired in 2010 without a replacement, and without a SHORAD solution for keeping up with the Finnish Army’s new Leopard 2 tanks. To alleviate this problem, Finland began fitting the same Marksman turrets (and I mean the same turrets – the Marksman turrets were dismounted from the T-55AM chassis they were on and placed on Leopard 2 chassis).  The chassis chosen were from the Leopard 2A4, and the configuration was tested in the early 2010s and entered service in 2015. The Marksman turrets were not altered except as necessary to mate them with the Leopard 2A4 chassis. The new hull and its much more powerful engine immediately gave the vehicle a massive boost in speed and mobility over the T-55AM chassis, which was of course the intent behind using the Leopard 2A4 hulls. The new engine also increased the electrical power available for turret systems, especially for the radar set. The turret is essentially the same as on the ItPsv 90.

     The Leopard 2A4 chassis has an integrated power pack using an MTU MB-873 turbocharged diesel engine developing 1500 horsepower.  This is coupled to a fully automatic Renk HSWL354 transmission, with the driver having a control yoke and conventional gas and brake pedals.  The suspension uses seven steel rubber-tired roadwheels on either side, with the torsion bar system designed for difficult terrain.  The Leopard 2 chassis also has a 5kW APU, designed for a decreased IR signature and easy access for maintenance.

     Armor is protection is considerable and uses Chobham on the glacis, along with ceramic sandwich armor for the turret front, sides and hull sides.  There are track skirts of the same shape (but stronger) on either side of the hull.  These track skirts are actually a rubber sandwich material.

*Roof AV is 4; Floor AV is 6.