SK 105 Kürassier

History

The SK-105 was developed by Saurer-Werk (now Steyr-Daimler-Puch) to meet the Austrian Army's operational requirement for a mobile anti-tank vehicle. The first prototype was ready in 1967 and delivery of pre-production vehicles commenced in 1971.

The SK-105 is based on a heavily modified Saurer APC. The hull of the SK 105 is welded steel and is divided into three compartments: driver's at the front, fighting in the centre and the engine at the rear. Due to its low weight the SK-105 can be transported by C-130 Hercules transport aircraft. The turret of the SK-105 is developed from the French design used on the AMX-13. Its gun can penetrate 360 mm of armour. Front armour protects the crew from 20mm armour-piercing rounds over its frontal arc, while all-round protection is against small arms bullets only. Add-on armour on the front part of the chassis and turret is available as an option which provides protection against 35 mm APDS rounds at a flank arc. Some export vehicles were fitted with add-on armour.

The driver sits at the front of the vehicle on the left. On the right side of the front section of the hull, there is spare ammo for the main gun. There are three periscopes forward of his hatch cover and in wet weather a small windscreen with a wiper can be fitted. The driver's centre day driving periscope can be replaced by a passive night vision periscope if required. Ammunition and the vehicle's batteries are stowed to the right of the driver. The engine and transmission are at the rear part of the vehicle and the engine compartment is fitted with a fire extinguisher which can be operated by hand or automatically. Combustion air is drawn in via a cyclone filter system.

The oscillating turret is similar to that fitted to the AMX-13 light tank. The commander is seated on the left of the turret and the gunner on the right. The commander is provided with seven periscopes, a periscopic sight. The commander's infrared night sight has a magnification of x6. The gunner has two observation periscopes, a telescopic sight and a one-piece lifting and swivelling hatch cover. Due to the design of the oscillating turret all sights are always linked to the main and secondary armament. For engaging targets at night an infrared periscopic sight is provided for the commander. A CILAS TCV 29 laser range-finder (range of 400 to 9,995 m) is mounted on the roof of the turret. The XSW-30-U 950 W infrared/white light searchlight is fitted on the left front plate of the oscillating part of the turret. A fixed fan in the turret draws out fumes when the main or secondary armament is fired. All versions of the SK-105 have a 105 mm gun designated the 105 G1. This gun is completed with a semi-automatic revolving magazine type autoloader. It allowed the reduction of the crew to three members. The vehicle has two revolving magazines holding 6 rounds each. A total of 42 rounds for the main gun are carried. Once the gun is fired the empty cartridge cases are ejected out of the rear of the turret through a trapdoor hinged on the left.

This vehicle is specifically designed for mountainous terrain and has an improved climbing capability compared to heavier main battle tanks.

In 2014 all production and support rights on SK-105 have been acquired from General Dynamics Europe Land System (GDELS) by the Belgian company DUMA ENGINEERING GROUP. The company is supporting current users of SK-105 and derivatives and offering retrofit programs.

Variants

Derivative

Argentina developed in the early 2000s the light tank "Patagón", which had a SK-105 chassis with an AMX-13 turret. The first prototype was presented in November 22 of 2005. Another 39 conversions were planned to be ensambled in 2005-9, at an estimated cost of 23.4 million US$. The program was cancelled in 2008 after the completion of the fifth unit because it was considered to be too expensive.

Current operators

Former operators