Armor: December 11, 2001

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Haaglunds of Sweden is conducting tests on a new "tank" designated CV90120-T. These is basically a CV90 armored fighting vehicle chassis mounting a turret fitted with a 120mm smoothbore Compact Tank Gun. (The gun is a Swiss RUAG type with power-assisted loading; it can fire 12 rounds per minute or more.) The goal is to produce a vehicle with the firepower of a tank and the mobility of an armored infantry fighting vehicle, while still maintaining a minimal level of protection. (The CV90120's armor will stop 30mm rounds on the forward arc and 14.5 mm rounds from the rear.) The CV90120-T weighs about 26 metric tons, and tests have shown it to be a remarkably stable platform for the heavy cannon. The diesel power pack provides a road speed of 70 kilometers per hour. The vehicle has advanced fire control systems to ensure a first-round hit even while moving. The commander and gunner have independent sighting systems, allowing modern "hunter-killer" tactics where the commander searches for targets and hands them over to the gunner for destruction. There are 12 smoke grenade launchers, and a complete nuclear-biological-chemical protection system.--Stephen V Cole