During the honeymoon period between China and the United States in the 1970s and 1980s, while China introduced advanced Western equipment, it also absorbed many Western technologies and R&D concepts. It also jointly developed a variety of weapons and equipment with the United States, among which the most rare What everyone knows is the famous "Jaguar" main battle tank.
In early 1985, China Machinery Equipment Import and Export Corporation established a cooperative relationship with the American Cadillac Gage Marsh Company and planned to develop a new main battle tank for foreign trade exports, code-named "Jaguar" .
At that time, China was responsible for developing the chassis, and the United States was responsible for developing the turret, engine, and armor.
Each side provides about 40% of the parts, and the remaining 20% is completed by International.
The "Jaguar" main battle tank follows the structure of the domestic 59 medium tank , has the same torsion bar suspension system, and also uses five pairs of road wheels, with the driving wheel set at the rear and the inducer wheel set at the front. But compared with the Type 59 tank, the "Jaguar" tank has two more pairs of tow wheels added to the suspension system.
Although the "Jaguar" tank adopts the suspension and track system of the Type 59 tank, it is very different in appearance. It looks square and has a strong Western style. The body lines are also very smooth. It is better than the 59 type in appearance. It looks much better.
It is powered by the 8V-92TA 8-cylinder diesel engine from Detroit, USA, with a rated power of 560 kilowatts, a maximum traveling speed of 55 kilometers per hour, an off-road speed of 32 kilometers per hour, a 60-degree climb, and a wading depth of 1.1 meters.
Transmission adopts the Allison XTG-411 fully automatic transmission device of General Motors Company of the United States. It also adopts a hydraulic gearbox, which is divided into four forward gears and two reverse gears.
However, after testing, the suspension system was unqualified, and as for the engine, although the top speed exceeded the Type 59 tank, it still did not meet the design requirements. Later, these were re-improved by Cadillac, and the hydraulic suspension system and the engine were replaced. power diesel engine.
The armor part of the tank can be modularly customized. According to the different needs of the equipment owner, reactive armor can be plugged in, or additional armor can be added. The tank itself uses gap composite armor.
In terms of weapons of the "Jaguar" main battle tank, the main weapon is an L7 series 105mm rifled tank gun produced by the British Royal Ordnance Factory. The gun elevation angle is -4 degrees ~ +17 degrees, and the ammunition reserve is With 34 rounds, it can fire 105mm artillery shells of NATO standard, and can also fire the latest tail-stabilized sabot-piercing shells at that time.
However, the artillery is not specific. It can be equipped with other types of main guns according to different needs. You can choose the US-made M68 rifled gun, the British-made L7 series rifled gun, or the Chinese-made 105mm rifled gun.
The auxiliary weapon is a 7.62mm coaxial machine gun, which is arranged on the side of the barrel and has an ammunition reserve of 3,500 rounds. There is also an M2HB 12.7mm heavy machine gun on the top of the turret, which can be used for anti-aircraft or horizontal fire. The ammunition reserve is 600 rounds. A set of 4 smoke grenade launchers are also installed on both sides of the turret.
The combat compartment is equipped with the most advanced fire control system and sighting system at the time. The shooting accuracy is very high. An improved smoking system is also installed in the middle of the barrel, which can better reduce smoke when firing. Enhanced visibility for crew members.
Although the "Jaguar" main battle tank was jointly developed by China and the United States, it also inherited the tradition of Russian tanks and adopted a low-profile style design, which can reduce the chance of exposure and enhance the survivability of the crew.
At the same time, the front projection of the vehicle is small, which can also reduce the probability of infrared reconnaissance, so the "Jaguar" main battle tank also has a certain hiding ability. The total length of the
body including the barrel is 9.6 meters, the net length of the body is 6.8 meters, the width is 3.27 meters, and the height is 2.63 meters. The crew members are 4 people, and the total combat weight is 40 tons.
From 1988 to 1990, two "Jaguar" prototypes were manufactured for testing and divided into "Jaguar I" and "Jaguar II".The
I model completed preliminary testing at the Army Wuping Proving Ground in Nevada, the United States, and was shipped to China for continued testing, and then shipped back to the United States.
Type II was improved by the American Cadillac Company in the second half of 1989. At that time, in order to speed up research and development, the Type I "Jaguar" tank prototype was dismantled and some parts were used on the Type II "Jaguar" tank. Finally, The purpose is to create a practical "Jaguar" tank that can be used into the 21st century.
At that time, through the joint efforts of China and the United States, as well as the support from the United Kingdom, the research and development of the "Jaguar" main battle tank was relatively smooth. It also took into account the low cost of this tank and the overall structure was not particularly complicated. The two parties agreed that the single The cost of manufacturing a Taiwan "Jaguar" tank will not exceed US$1 million, and it can be mass-produced.
But by 1991, due to currency changes, the cost of a single "Jaguar" main battle tank may exceed US$1.55 million.
However, the "Jaguar" tank was also very suitable for development needs. For some small countries in the Middle East that can afford T-55 or Type 59 tanks, they can also afford "Jaguar" tanks, so this tank will Have a good market position.
But as the situation changes, the Soviet Union has more retired T-55 tanks , the United States has more retired M60 tanks, and the French AMX-30 tanks. Their existence makes the "Jaguar" tank still available. Without entering the military market, they become worthless because these retired tanks are cheaper and more numerous, so naturally no country will choose the higher-priced "Jaguar" tanks.
Later, during the 1990s, China, the United States and the West ended their honeymoon period, which also caused the "Jaguar" main battle tank research and development plan to be suspended. First, because of changes in the situation, as more and more main battle tanks were retired , and also caused the "Jaguar" to lose its status in the arms market. Secondly, because the honeymoon period ended, relations became tense and sensitive, and technology began to be blocked.
Later, the remaining Type II "Jaguar" main battle tanks stayed in the United States and were improved by Cadillac. The length and width of the vehicle body were increased, armor was added to the turret and chassis, and the engine was improved. Compared with the previous tank, The prototype is more westernized.
But it is a pity that the "Jaguar" main battle tank is only a prototype so far, and has never entered the ranks of world tanks. After more than 30 years, it has now become a pile of rusty scrap iron. Remains refrigerated in memorial forever.
Well, that’s all for you in this issue about the “Jaguar” main battle tank jointly developed by China and the United States. If you have any different thoughts on this, please express it in the comment area. If you want to know more Please remember to pay attention to the content of weapons and equipment, and we will continue to update you in the next issue.
