EP0388762B1 - Weapon module for tanks - Google Patents

Abstract

So that military combat vehicles, for example battle tanks (1), with tracked undercarriage, swivelling turret (2), gun (3) and visionics (4) can be subsequently equipped with the latest guided missiles, there is a weapon module (10) which is suspended by means of fastening devices (17) in holding devices (5), for example at the rear of the combat vehicle (1). The weapon module (10) possesses a lifting system (12) with a movably articulated combat platform (13). Arranged on this are guided missiles (14) and, via a separate lifting system (15), visionics (16). If the combat vehicle (1) is, as illustrated, a battle tank (1) with swivelling turret (2), a weapon module (10') can also be fastened directly to the swivelling turret (2). <IMAGE>

Description

The invention relates to a kit for military combat vehicles.

Military combat vehicles as land vehicles with elevatable unmanned combat platforms and with elevatable, manned combat stands have been proposed in a wide variety of variants since the beginning of the 1970s. Reference is made, for example, to DE-A-22 05 826, -23 57 805, and -29 45 278, which show light, unarmored land vehicles with elevatable, unmanned combat platforms, or US-A-3 757 635, DE- A-26 22 995 and -35 24 244 and DE-B-30 29 294 show armored land combat vehicles with elevatable, manned combat stands, and DE-B-31 20 338, which is an armored land combat vehicle with an elevatable, unmanned combat platform and with an additional elevatable vision system. These three basic types, which have emerged in recent years, have since been further refined. All of them are based on the military insight: with height you gain depth. They also offer the ability to keep the vehicle and crew under cover and to expose only the weaponry to observation and shelling by the enemy.

The main area of application of military land vehicles with elevatable combat platforms is seen in the defense against mass attacking battle tanks and accompanying helicopters. For this reason, be general armored land vehicles, in particular tracked vehicles, are provided as carriers for the combat platforms and their elevation system.

The above-mentioned US-A-3 757 635 discloses a slightly different solution. The combat vehicle described here is assembled in a modular manner from prefabricated components. The basic module is a motor-driven vehicle which has arms which can be raised, a central cutout and fastening means along this cutout. A central unit can be detachably inserted and anchored in the cutout. Manned combat stands are rotatably and releasably attached to the arms. The combat vehicle can be controlled in all functions from any combat stand.

The interchangeable central unit can either be a turret or a crew cabin. Any possibilities and devices on which further individual parts can be attached are not provided.

DE-B-12 59 738 discloses a missile launching station attached to the turret of a main battle tank. This missile launching station is adjustable, but not removable.

According to the conventional procurement policy, on the one hand, conventional battle tanks, on the other hand, modified or modularly prefabricated, new combat vehicles equipped with elevatable combat platforms would have to be procured, maintained, logistically supported and supplied at the same time. This would hardly bring tactical advantages, but in any case double costs.

The present invention has for its object to show a way that such an uneconomical Avoiding duplicate procurement helps.

This object is achieved by a set of equipment for a military combat vehicle with the features according to claim 1.

This has the advantages that conventional combat vehicles, in particular armored ones, can be retrofitted with a modern, elevatable combat platform without any problems and in the shortest possible time, which reduces their ability to work with targeted fire far into the depths of the enemy terrain, and thus theirs Combat and defensive strength can be increased significantly without affecting the conventional operational capability. In addition, the set is comparatively cheap and meets the military and commercial demands to equip the territorial defense forces with an inexpensive, easy-to-use but highly effective mass defense weapon against tanks and aircraft.

Understandably, the lifting height for the combat platform cannot be chosen as high in the simple set-up according to the invention as in the known, highly specialized vehicles. For this reason, it is particularly recommended that the vision, d. H. to arrange the electronic-optical means for recognizing and tracking enemy targets as well as for controlling the guided missiles on its own lifting system in order to gain further depth and improved self-coverage over the additional height.

The combat platform can be mounted on a telescopic cylinder as a lifting unit. However, a swivel arm is preferably used, which is mounted on a partially or fully rotatable turntable. Thanks to the swivel arm, the combat platform can also be swiveled to the side of or far behind the combat vehicle, making it possible to sight and shoot "from around the corner" from the cover.

Thanks to its high mobility, the combat platform can be reloaded directly from magazines, which are located on the vehicle, preferably in or on the turret or integration housing.

The kit can be attached to the combat vehicle at various points.

A first variant provides for the kit to be attached to the rear of the combat vehicle. If the combat vehicle is a battle tank, for example, the combat platform remains in the lowered transport position under the outline shape of the combat vehicle.

According to a second variant, the kit is placed on the deck of the combat vehicle. Here there are particularly suitable conditions for a firm, practical steadfast connection between kit and combat vehicle.

According to a third variant, which, however, is only suitable for combat vehicles with a turret, the kit is attached to the turret itself. In this way, the mobility of the turret is fully preserved and the lines of sight of the cannon and guided missiles are parallel. To control the weapons to be fired from the combat platform, the vision of the turret can also be used, in which case the vision should again be arranged on its own lifting system in order to improve visibility and self-coverage.

As can be seen from the description, the kit is primarily suitable for retrofitting or upgrading main battle tanks, i.e. land vehicles. Armored and unarmored watercraft, especially cruisers or frigates, can also be upgraded or upgraded with kits. Because the same applies to ships: height brings depth. Ships can also take cover on suitable shores and use the ability of the combat platforms to sight and shoot around the corner. In addition, elevatable combat platforms are not restricted to certain sectors of activity, such as conventional ship armament, since the ship's superstructure can be easily overshot.

• Fig. 1 eine Seitenansicht eines Kampfpanzers mit Rüstsätzen,
• Fig. 2 ausschnittsweise eine Draufsicht auf die Heckpartie des Kampfpanzers der Fig. 1,
• Fig. 3 eine Frontsicht eines weiteren Kampfpanzers mit Rüstsatz,
• Fig. 4 ausschnittsweise eine Draufsicht auf die Heckpartie des Kampfpanzers der Fig. 3,
• Fig. 5 eine Seitenansicht eines dritten Kampfpanzers und
• Fig. 6 eine Seitenansicht eines vierten Kampfpanzers.

Other refinements of the invention and their advantages result from the remaining subclaims in conjunction with the following description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the drawing. Show it

• 1 is a side view of a main battle tank with kits,
• 2 is a partial plan view of the rear of the main battle tank of FIG. 1,
• 3 is a front view of another battle tank with a kit,
• 4 shows a detail of a top view of the rear part of the main battle tank of FIG. 3,
• Fig. 5 is a side view of a third battle tank and
• Fig. 6 is a side view of a fourth main battle tank.

Fig. 1 shows a side view of an armored land combat vehicle 1 with tracked chassis. A rotating tower 2 with a conventional cannon 3 and a vision system 4 is mounted on this. Holding devices 5 are firmly attached to the rear. A kit 10 is hooked into this and fixed if necessary.

The kit 10 essentially consists of a chassis 11 on which a lifting unit 12, here a hydraulic telescopic cylinder, is mounted. The lifting unit 12 carries at its upper end a combat platform 13 which is equipped with guided weapons 14 and a vision system 16. The combat platform 13 is at least partially, preferably fully movable, and in particular equipped with an edging device which keeps the direction of fire of the guided weapons 14 and the line of sight of the vision system 16 parallel. This measure makes it easier for the crew of combat vehicle 1 to pursue enemy targets and to aim and control weapons.

In order to obtain the greatest possible viewing height, the Visonik 16 is arranged on its own lifting unit 15, also in the form of a telescopic hydraulic cylinder.

As a result, the vision system 16 can be moved out of the cover separately from the guided missiles 14 of the combat platform 13 and thus offers the opponent only a very minimal possibility of detection.

As can be seen in FIG. 1, the chassis 11 is equipped with fastening means 17 which cooperate with the holding devices 5 at the rear of the combat vehicle 1. Joints 18 between the chassis 11 and the fastening devices 17 on the one hand and between the chassis 11 and the lifting device 12 on the other hand enable the lifting system 12 to be held vertically on any terrain.

Fig. 1 shows as an alternative also the attachment of a kit 10 'directly on the turret 2. This is equipped with suitable holding devices 5', in which the corresponding fastening devices 17 'of the kit 10' are hung. The advantage of this variant is that the turret 2 remains fully movable and that the lines of sight of the vision system 4 and the set 10 'always match.

If necessary, the Visionik 4 can also be equipped with its own lifting system.

FIG. 2 shows a top view of the rear of the combat vehicle 1 of FIG. 1. The arrangement of the holding and fastening devices 5, 17 on the rear of the combat vehicle 1 or on the kit 10, as well as the arrangement of the vision system 16 between the guided weapons 14 on the combat platform 13.

3 in front view and FIG. 4 in a partial plan view show another Land combat vehicle 1 with a set of 10˝. Here, the holding devices 5˝ are arranged on the deck 6 of the combat vehicle 1. The kit 10˝ is thus also placed on the rear 6 of the combat vehicle 1 and releasably connected to the holding devices 5˝ via the fastening devices 17˝.

Such a solution can also easily be used in water combat vehicles.

Fig. 5 shows a solution in which on the chassis 11 of the kit 10, a central, fully rotatable turntable 21, on this a pivot bearing 20 and a pivot arm 19 are attached. The upper end of the swivel arm 19 carries the combat platform 13. This also has a fully rotatable turntable and an automatic edge that holds the combat platform 13 either horizontally or parallel to the cannon 3 or parallel to the line of sight of the vision system 4.

The swivel arm 19 can be raised up to the vertical by means of a hydraulic cylinder. The combat platform 13 can be pivoted about its horizontal axis, preferably from -15 to + 85 °, so it can be used in the same way for earth and aerial combat. A particular advantage of this solution is that the tower 2 with cannon 3 is not hindered in its ability to rotate. Another great advantage is that the combat platform 13 can be swiveled to the side next to as well as far behind the combat vehicle, so that it can be sighted and shot around the corner from a protected position.

A reloading device (not shown) can be provided in or on the tower 2. The combat platform 13 can Thanks to their high mobility, they can be brought in front of the relevant magazines in or on tower 2 and reloaded without any problems.

This design variant is also ideally suited for water combat vehicles.

Fig. 6 shows an embodiment of the set, in which the combat platform was designed as a simple rocket box 22. The box 22 can be raised to the vertical to be fired. The guided missiles are controlled, for example, by the elevatable vision system 4 mounted on the tank tower 2. Alternatively, the guided missiles can also be equipped with their own TV camera and are then directed to the target via optical fibers.

In all of the variants shown there are no restrictions in the off-road mobility of the carrier vehicle 1. The overall system continues to have a very high level of mobility and inexpensive camouflage options. In addition, thanks to its simplicity and low weight, the kit allows you to easily and inexpensively retrofit conventional battle tanks with the latest guided missile technology, thereby significantly increasing the defensive properties of such combat vehicles. The fact that the kit can be replaced more easily and quickly in the event of damage than the classic on-board cannon requires no special explanation. The lifting system can even be used for repair and assembly work on the combat vehicle itself.

It can be used not only on tanks, but on all types of land and water vehicles. Even stationary use is conceivable if the conversion kit with the necessary energy storage or generation is equipped.

Claims (12)

1. Weapon module (10) for military combat vehicles (1), characterised by a chassis (11), an elevating unit (12) which is mounted on the chassis (11) and which, in particular, is hydraulically operated, a combat platform (13) articulated for at least partial movement and having in particular manoeuvrable weapons (14) and mounting devices (17) on the chassis (11) which co-operate with retaining means (5) attached to the combat vehicle (1).
2. Weapon module according to Claim 1, characterised by a telescopic cylinder (12) and/or a pivot arm (19) as the elevating unit (12).
3. Weapon module according to Claim 1 or 2, characterised by a partly or fully rotatable slewing ring (21) on which a pivot arm (19) or a pivot bearing (20) of the elevating unit (12) are mounted.
4. Weapon module according to any one of Claims 1 to 3, characterised by the arrangement of sighting apparatus (4) on the rotating turret (2) of the combat vehicle (1).
5. Weapon module according to any one of Claims 1 to 4, characterised by the positioning of sighting apparatus (16) on an individual elevating unit (15).
6. Weapon module according to any one of Claims 1 to 5, characterised by an articulated joint (18) between the chassis (11) and the mounting devices (17).
7. Weapon module according to any one of Claims 1 to 6, characterised by a loading device for reloading the combat platform (10) from a turret (2) of the combat vehicle (1).
8. Weapon module according to any one of Claims 1 to 7, characterised by the mounting devices (17) being designed for attachment to the rear of the combat vehicle (1).
9. Weapon module according to any one of Claims 1 to 7, characterised by the mounting devices (17′) being designed for attachment to the rotating turret (2) of the combat vehicle (1).
10. Weapon module according to any one of Claims 1 to 7, characterised by the mounting devices (17˝) being designed for mounting on the deck (6) of the combat vehicle (1).
11. Use of a weapon module according to any one of Claims 1 to 10 for rearming or arming a battle tank.
12. Use of a weapon module according to any one of Claims 1 to 10 for rearming or arming a combat ship.

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