French Most Expensive Main Battle Tank AKA AMX-56 скачать в хорошем качестве

French Most Expensive Main Battle Tank AKA AMX-56

The venerable Leclerc Tank is the main Western armored fighting platform of the Vancil 1418 Universe, having been in service with the United Kingdom since 1992 and with all the other Commonwealth Nations since 1995 (when it last began replacing the M60 tanks of the Federation of North America). At a per-unit price of roughly $16,000,000 for the current model, it is the most expensive Main Battle Tank in history. The AMX-56 Bis or Leclerc 2 in French orthography, is a comprehensive upgrade of the original design to maintain its individual edge over current and projected Soviet MBTs for the foreseeable future (Bis meaing "twice" or "repeat" in French). This program, started under the initiative of the Federation of North America, began implementation in 2011. Prior to that date, Leclerc tanks were manufactured in both the U.K. and F.N.A.. But output of the Bis model, the current standard, is undertaken entirely by America with only certain components being produced in the U.K., meaning Leclerc production by its original designers has essentially ceased. The Leclerc II features re-designs or upgrades to nearly all of its components to one extent or another. The modular armor packets (ceramic-composite 'blocks' sandwiched between two layers of metallic hull) are of an entirely new composition incorporating depleted uranium and tungsten carbide, increasing the vehicle's level of protection (but also its weight). The new hull uses large amounts of titanium to improve its effectiveness and reduce mass. The use of these rare substances, however, severely increases the tank's cost and difficulty of manufacture. Yet it makes the Leclerc II a truly formidable fighting machine, far outclassing its Soviet counterparts in terms of raw armor protection. The main weapon - a GIAT CN136-40 Smoothbore Cannon - is entirely new, as is the turret which houses it. This gun has a bore diameter of 136 mm and a depth of 56 calibres, or 7.616 meters (136 mm x 56). This gives it a marked advantage in both range and stopping power over its Soviet enemies. The well-designed autoloader allows a rate-of-fire of 12 rounds per minute: markedly superior to the any other tank. It carries a total of 38 rounds of ammunition; 1 in the breech, 18 in the auto loader mechanism and another 19 ready-to-load. Secondary armament consists of two 12.7 mm heavy machine guns, one coaxial and one in a remote-control mount on the turret roof; the original Leclerc's top-mounted MG was 7.62 mm.