MBT-70 Experimental – Photos & Video

Fotokategorija MBT-70 eksperimentinis, The MBT-70 (German: KPz 70) was a 1960s German-U.S. joint project to develop a new main battle tank, which was to be equipped with a number of advanced features. It utilized a newly developed hydropneumatic “kneeling” suspension and housed the entire crew in the large turret. The MBT-70 was armed with a 152mm XM150 gun/launcher, which could use conventional ammunition and the Shillelagh missile for long range combat. By 1969 the project was well over budget and Germany withdrew from the effort, developing a new main battle tank on their own instead (the Leopard 2). In the US the development continued for a short time, until in 1971 when Congress cancelled the program. The MBT-70 is the failed predecessor of the Leopard 2 and the M1 Abrams, the current main battle tanks of both countries.

Šaltinis: Vikipedija

The MBT-70 Experimental was a prototype of a new main battle tank that was developed jointly by the United States and West Germany in the 1960s. The project aimed to create a tank that could counter the Soviet threat in Europe, using advanced technologies such as a hydropneumatic suspension that allowed the tank to adjust its height and angle, a 152 mm gun/launcher that could fire both conventional shells and guided missiles, and a spacious turret that housed the three-man crew and all the controls and equipment.
The MBT-70 Experimental was designed to be fast, agile, well-armed, and well-protected, but it also faced many challenges and difficulties during its development. The project suffered from poor communication and coordination between the two countries, conflicting requirements and specifications, technical problems and delays, and escalating costs. The MBT-70 Experimental never reached mass production, and was eventually cancelled in 1971 after West Germany withdrew from the project in 1969. The experience and technology gained from the MBT-70 Experimental were later used to develop the M1 Abrams for the United States and the Leopard 2 for West Germany, which became two of the most successful main battle tanks in history.