DONE @p.2 +++ 1:72 Patria XA-2000 "Ilves" Light Battle Tank, Finnish Army, 2018

[Dizzyfugu]

The night vision pic was created with a simple online filter/editor, and some fine-tuning.

BTW, the Ilvis project has been finished!


1:72 Patria XA-2000 'Ilves' light battle tank (with standard armor package); vehicle '(Ps 520-)031' of the Puolustusvoimat (Finnish Defence Forces), Kainuu Brigade; Kajaani (Eastern Finland), 2018 (Whif/Meng kit) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


Some background:
The Puolustusvoimat's (Finnish Defense Force) "Ilves" is an indigenous battle tank design, tailored to fulfill the requirement for a lighter, more mobile modern tank than the Finnish Army's standard MBT (the Leopard 2 of German origin) that can effectively operate in woodland and water-rich regions where the heavier MBTs might have difficulties traversing. Patria started the design for the new XA-2000 'Ilves' (Lynx) tank when the Finnish Army started negotiations to procure Leopard 2A4 MBTs from Germany in the late 1990ies. 100 of these battle tanks were eventually ordered and delivered between 2002 and 2004, but it was clear that these large and heavy tanks – most suited for long-range battle in open field situations – would leave a tactical gap between them and the Finnish Army's armed infantry fighting vehicles, which were lighter and more compact, so that they could operate more flexibly in the Finnish forests. However, these light vehicles did not offer the armament to fight enemy tanks at medium to long range, and the XA-2000 was to fill this gap.

From the outset, the XA-2000 was designed to be capable of being airlifted to improve its export chances, but it was not designed to be amphibious, due to the heavy turret which would raise the vehicle's center of gravity and make any naval operations unsafe. The new third generation tank was expected to be much more mobile than typical main battle tanks, due to its light weight and high power/weight ratio. Power came from an electronically controlled 1,000 hp (746 kW) diesel engine, with hydro-mechanical fully automatic transmission. The tank is also capable of neutral steering and featured a hydro-pneumatic suspension.










The Ilves' main armament was a fully stabilized Rheinmetall Rh-105-30 rifled gun, a modernized version of the famous Royal Ordnance L7 gun with reduced recoil for use in lighter vehicles. This proven weapon offered an effective firing range of 3 km and was compatible with all standard NATO 105 mm tank ammunition. The ammunition selections included APFSDS, HEAT and HE (High explosive) rounds. APFSDS and HEAT rounds were used against enemy armor while HE rounds were used against enemy infantry positions, light/non-armored vehicles, buildings, and field fortifications. The APFSDS projectiles were capable of penetrating 500 mm (20 in) of armored steel at 2,000 meters (1.2 mi), even though this was not considered sufficient to penetrate the front armor of modern main battle tanks such as the T-90. The sustained fire rate was supported by a bustle-mounted autoloader system, which reduced the crew to 3 and helped keeping the vehicle's dimensions limited. The spent cases were ejected automatically via a hatch at the turret rear. The XA-1200 could hold a total of 38 various 105 mm shells, stored in the turret bustle for improved safety; the ammunition was retrieved from a tail autoloader with blowout panels.
Secondary armament included a 7.62 mm KVKK 62 coaxial machine gun of Finnish origin, and a remote-controlled weapon station mounted on the turret roof, operated by the commander, which was fitted with a 40 mm M203 automatic grenade launcher and a 12.7 mm RSKK 2005 (Browning M2) heavy machine gun.

The XA-2000 featured modern sensory and fire control systems, including laser rangefinder, advanced ballistic computer, meteorological sensors, gunner thermal imaging sight, millimeter-wave radar, and commander's panoramic sight. The fire control system supported automatic target tracking, hunter-killer capabilities, and commander takeover. Other equipment included air conditioning system, oxygen-production equipment for the crew, command and control equipment, battlefield management system, and navigation suite fitted with both inertial navigation system (INS) and satellite navigation system.










The XA-2000 featured two sets of armor packages providing different tactical mobility. Standard armor package featured classic steel armor protection with additional layers of advanced composite armor panels covering the tank turret, hull, and flanks, with additional lightweight explosive reactive armor blocks protecting the front hull. The enhanced package featured thicker explosive reactive armor (ERA) blocks, in addition to the composite armor panels underneath, covering the whole tank turret and hull. ERA mounted armor-skirt and slat armor could also be mounted on the side and rear side of the tank hull for additional protection. The enhanced armor set was designed for open area battle under heavy defensive conditions, but only intended as a tactical option.

As additional protective measure the XA-2000 was fitted with a 360° laser warning sensor system to detect incoming range-finding and anti-tank missiles, mounted at the turret's corners, and the tank could automatically deploy smoke grenades in dischargers if the tank was being illuminated by enemy laser beams. Other protective features included chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) protection, and a fire suppression system.

The first XA-2000 prototype was ready for tests in 2009, but it took five more years until the design was finalized and cleared for serial production. In late 2015 the first serial production tanks were delivered to the Finnish Army. A total of 100 XA-2000 had been ordered, but this was soon cut down to just seventy vehicles when the Finnish Army bought more Leopard 2A4 tanks in 2009 and launched an upgrade program for them. In January 2014, Finland agreed with the Netherlands to purchase 100 used Leopard 2A6NL tanks for approximately €200 million. This prevented more XA-2000 orders, even though there were still plans to procure 80 more of these light tanks until 2020. With the more modern tanks from the Netherlands available, most of the Finnish Leopard 2A4s were moved into reserve  in 2015, with some converted into Marksman AA vehicles, bridge-laying, and mine-clearing tanks with Israeli-made Urdan mine rollers.










Even though the XA-2000 had been offered since 2016 for export its very specific design and limited firepower did not attract any buyers. Austria had shown early interest, as a potential replacement for the indigenous Kürassier anti-tank SPG, but eventually decided to procure more Leopard 2 tanks. Other countries which had been identified as potential users were Sweden, Canada, and Brazil, but despite successful demonstrations, no export deals have been closed yet.


Specifications:
    Crew: Three (commander, gunner and driver)
    Weight: 33 tons standard
                36 tons with external armor package
    Length: 9.2 meters (30.18 ft) overall
                7.5 meters (24.61 ft) hull only
    Width: 3.3 meters (10.83 ft)
    Height: 2.5 meters (8.20 ft)
    Ground clearance: Up to 17 in (430 mm)
    Suspension: Hydropneumatic
    Fuel capacity: 570 l (150 US gal, 120 imp gal)

Armor:
    Standard steel armor protection with additional advanced composite armor
    and/or explosive reactive armor package

Performance:
    Maximum road speed: 70 km/h (43 mph)
    Operational range: 480 km (300 mi)
    Power/weight: 30.30 hp/ton
                            27.8 hp/ton with enhanced armor package installed

Engine & transmission:
    Electronically controlled Patria 8V132 diesel engine with fully-automatic transmission, 1000 hp (746 kW)

Armament:
    1× 105mm Rheinmetall Rh-105-30 rifled gun (with 38 rounds in an autoloader)
    1× 7.62 mm KVKK 62 light machine gun, co-axial with the main gun, 4.500 rounds
    Remote-controlled weapon station on the turret roof with co-axial...
    1× 40 mm M203 automatic grenade launcher with 80 rounds
    1× 12.7 mm RSKK 2005 (Browning M2) heavy machine gun with 600 rounds











Well, this build was intended to be completed in a week, but the model itself was already finished in just one and a half day! The additional scenic pics with editing took almost the same time, though. However, the simple travesty of a modern Chinese tank into a Finnish Army vehicle went well, the package looks IMHO very plausible. The three-tone splinter cammo even makes it look quite attractive – the idea and building plan worked out well.

[NARSES2]

Really good Dizzy   

[Dizzyfugu]

Thanks a lot! 

[Old Wombat]

Excellent photo shoot, Dizzy!

[PR19_Kit]

That's a very smart looking tank, even to me, who knows NAFF all about thanks!   

[perttime]

I still like it 
A tank that is better able to manoeuvre in tight wooded areas makes sense to me, in a country that is at least 75% covered with trees.
One other minor niggle, though: for the coaxial gun, I'd use anything but the KVKK 62 (unless the 7.62x39 rainbow trajectory is a perfect match for the main gun). I have yet to find it in the photos  Finnish infantry has pretty much gone for the PKM (termed 7,62 KK PKM), so a PKT might make sense on a tank.