Serbia has developed new light tank that can be armed with 122mm or 105mm cannon
According to recent pictures released on Internet, the Serbian Defense Company, DLS Special System (Dls Specijalni Sistemi D.O.O) company has developed a new light tank based on the tracked chassis of the Soviet-made 2S1 122mm tracked self-propelled howitzer that can be fitted with a 122mm or 105mm turret.
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Light Turret- High Performance Low Recoil Gun with 105mm cannon. (Picture source DLS Special System)
According to the pictures released on Internet, the Serbian company DLS Special System offers two turret configurations for the new light tank that includes a Soviet-made 122mm or a 105mm low-recoil gun. With the 122mm the new light tank is called LT-H (Light Turret-Howitzer), while the 105mm is called LT-HPLRG-AT (Light Turret- High Performance Low Recoil Gun) also developed by the Serbian company.
According to information published on Internet, the turret of the LT-HPLRG-AT includes a bustle-mounted autoloader and a gunner’s sight to the right of the main gun. The roof of the turret is fitted with a remotely operated weapon station that can be armed with a 7.62 mm or 12.7mm machine gun. Four smoke grenade dischargers are mounted on each side at the front of the turret.
The new light tank is based on the tracked chassis of the Soviet-made 2S1 122mm self-propelled howitzer nicknamed Gvozdika. The original turret of the 2S1 is removed and replaced by the new turret of DLS Special System.
The 2S1 was designed in the 1960s and the first prototypes were completed in the second half of 1969. It entered service with Poland and Russia in 1972 and was first seen in public in 1974. The all-welded steel hull of the 2S1 provides protection against the firing of small arms and artillery shell splinters.
The driver position is located at the front on the left side of the hull with the engine compartment on its right. The driver has a single-piece hatch cover that opens to the rear and, in front of his position, a windscreen covered by a hatch hinged at the top.
The 2S1 uses a similar suspension as the Soviet-made MT-LB that consists of seven road wheels with the drive sprocket at the front, idler at the rear, and no track-return rollers. Standard equipment includes infra-red night vision lights and an NBC system.
The 2S1 is powered by a YaMZ-238N, V-8 water-cooled 4-stroke diesel developing 300 hp coupled to a manual five forward and one reverse gears. The vehicle can run at a maximum road speed of 62 km/h with a maximum cruising range of 500 km. The 2S1 is fully amphibious, being propelled in the water by its tracks.
Light Turret-Howitzer fitted with 122mm gun (Picture source DLS Special System)
