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Lince (tank)

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Lince
The Lince was almost entirely based on the Leopard 2A4, such as this one
TypMain battle tank
Place of origin Spanien
Specifications
Mass49 tonnes (54.01 tons)
Length7.10 m
 length(Length with gun) 9.068  (23 ft 4 in)
Width3.74 m (12 ft 3 in)
Height2.50 m (8 ft 2 in)
Crew4
ArmorComposite armor
Main
armament
Rheinmetall120mm L/44 tank-gun (4.72 inches)
Secondary
armament
2x 7.62 mm machine guns
EngineMTU MB 871 Ka 501 12-Cylinder Diesel Engine
1,200 hp (894.84 kW)
Power/weight24.50 hp/tonne
SuspensionTorsion-bar
Operational
range
550 km (341.75 miles)
Maximum speed 70 km/h 70 km/h (43.50 mph)

The Lince was a Spanish main battle tank development program during the late 1980s and early 1990s. To gain the contract for the development program the Spanish Ministry of Defense received bids from the French company GIAT, the American General Dynamics, British Vickers, Italy, and from the German company Krauss-Maffei Wegmann. The Lince was meant to replace the older tanks, which had been supplied to Spain through a military assistance program between 1954 and 1975. At the time the AMX-30E was being manufactured for the Spanish Army, and it was planned to serve along with the AMX-30. Capitalizing on mobility and firepower, the program put secondary priority on protection, aiming for a low weight and high velocity. To achieve these goals, the Lince adopted Rheinmetall's 120 mm L/44 tank-gun and German composite armor from the Leopard 2A4.

In the late 1980s, the program was threatened by the decision to upgrade Spanish AMX-30Es. Finally, in 1990 Spain declared its interest in adopting a large number of M60 Patton tanks from North American stocks which had to be retired from Europe in accordance with the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe. The arrival of M60 tanks, starting in 1992, marked the official end of the Lince program. The program ended without a prototype being manufactured and without a clear choice in who would gain the contract. Four years later the Spanish government entered negotiations for the procurement of the Leopard 2, with the possibility of local production.

History

Attempts to replace American Patton tanks began as early as the 1960s, when Spain expressed interest in the French AMX-30 and German Leopard 1.[1]After an initial production period stretching from 1974 to 1979, the French company GIAT transferred the AMX-30's patent to Spain, starting the construction of the last AMX-30 tanks for the Spanish Army.[2] Alongside the 299 AMX-30s,[3] the Spanish Army was equipped with 522 M47 and M48 tanks, which had gone through a modernization program to bring them up to M60 standards, beginning in 1975.[4] However, the first M47 tanks were delivered in 1954, meaning some of the vehicles were over thirty years old.[5] In 1979, nearing completion of the first batch of AMX-30Es, the Spanish Army and the tank's manufacturer, Empresa Nacional Santa Bárbara (now Santa Bárbara Sistemas), had already begun a research program to address deficiencies in the new tank such as mechanical reliability, the fire control system and armor protection.[6] The requirement for a substitution of the M47 and M48 tanks, and a vehicle to compliment the AMX-30E, was recognized in the early 1980s.[7]

The Lince program was meant to compliment Spain's fleet of AMX-30Es, like the one above

Spain's Ministry of Defense declared its intent to set aside 120 billion pesetas (1.1 billion dollars) for a future tank program, attracting interest from five foreign companies, in 1984.[8] As their entry, German company Krauss-Maffei and Spanish company Santa Bárabara presented their bid for the Lince in mid-1984. The French government proposed a cooperative tank design between the two countries, stating that the resulting tank would be completely new, while the German-Spanish proposition was based on technology developed during the 1970s. On the other hand, the French government admitted that there would be restrictions placed on Empresa Nacional Santa Bárbara when it came to exporting the tank.[9] American company General Dynamics and British company Vickers offered the M1 Abrams and Valiant, respectively, but these offers were discarded the following year due to the low likelihood of local production and the ability to export the tank. By late 1985 only the German offer, French offer and a similar Italian offer for co-production of a future tank were considered.[10]

Krauss-Maffei's Lince bid provided the clearest expectations of capability. The German-Spanish Lince was planned at forty-nine tonnes, with a 120 mm main gun with targeting capabilities during both day and night operations, as well as the capability to fire on the move. Fitted with a 1,200 hp (894.84 kW) engine, the Lince was planned to have a maximum road velocity of 70 km/h (43.50 mph).[11] Heavily based on the Leopard 2A4, the Lince was physically smaller and lighter, trading protection in exchange for mobility.[12] Issues with the think armor on the AMX-30[13] seemed to conflict with these requirements, but Krauss-Maffei's and Santa Bárbara's Lince opted to adopt a similar multi-layer armor to that used in the German Leopard 2A4, providing at least lightweight protection. Protection was enhanced by the low profile turret, similar in shape to that of the Leopard 2A4.[14]

Early the next year the Ministry of Defense declared that it would choose a contract within a matter of months. News sources cited that Krauss-Maffei was the most likely company to gain the contract, although the French were at an advantage given past and existing French armament contracts with Spain.[15] Apart from producing the French-designed AMX-30, the Spanish government also established a contract for Mirage F1 fighter planes and Puma utility helicopters in 1979.[16] In early 1987, France again offered Spain a contract to co-develop and co-produce the new AMX-Leclerc, this time offering the lucrative term of joint export.[17] Despite the French offer and continued collaboration with the Italians,[18] Spanish investment in the Leopard 2 based Lince continued to grow up to 200 billion pesetas (1.8 billion dollars).[19] However, the winning bid was never clearly declared by the Spanish government.

Decline of the program

File:DSCF1154.JPG
Due to the cancellation of the Lince, Spain opted to procure 219 Leopard 2Es in the late 1990s

In 1987 the Spanish Ministry of Defense agreed to modernize the Spanish Army's AMX-30Es, preparing to allot 155 million dollars to the program.[20] The upgrade program began July 1987 and saw 150 AMX-30Es upgraded to AMX-30EM2 standards and 149 AMX-30Es reconstructed to AMX-30EM1 standards.[21] Krauss-Maffei's decision to freeze the contract due to Spanish indecision over the future of the Lince program,[22] and the AMX-30 upgrade program put the Lince's existence in peril.[23] The Lince program was finally officially canceled in 1989.[24] Consequently, Spain expressed interest in acquiring American M60 Patton tanks being retired from Central Europe, in accordance with the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe.[25] In October and November the Spanish government began to negotiate for 400 to 500 M60A1 and M60A3 tanks,[26] and began to plan for an eventual modernization of acquired M60A1 tanks to M60A3 standards.[27] In December, the United States agreed to transfer 260 M60A3 and 272 M60A1 tanks, for a total of 532, which would replace Spain's existing stock of M47s and M48s.[28] Ultimately, Spain canceled its procurement of M60A1s, having only received 50 of the 272 asked for, and opted only to receive the 260 M60A3s.[29] However, even without the M60A1s these vehicles satisfied Spain's immediate need to modernize her tank fleet. These M60A3 tanks did not represent a radical modernization of Spain's armor fleet, given that Spain's M48s and M47s were previously upgraded to the equivalent of the M60.[30]

As a result, Spain began to negotiate with Germany over the procurement of a large number of Leopard 2A5s, to be produced in Spain,[31] leading to a Memorandum of Understanding being signed between Spain and Germany in 1995 and the transfer of 108 German Leopard 2A4s to the Spanish Army for five years, beginning in 1998.[32] In 2005 the Spanish Ministry of Defense declared intentions to fully procure these rented tanks,[33] while Santa Bárbara Sistemas began production of the indigenous Leopard 2E in 2003, delivering the first platoon of tanks in December 2003.[34] In comparison to the smaller Lince, the Leopard 2A4 weighs 55 tonnes (61.1 tons) and is powered by a 1,500 hp (1,103 kW) diesel engine.[35] While the Lince prioritized mobility and firepower,[36] the Leopard 2A4 is balanced by trading a slight increase in weight for higher protection.[37]

Comparison to Leopard 2A4, Leclerc and M1 Abrams

Comparison of competing tanks in the Lince program
Lince[38] Leopard 2A4[39] Leclerc[40] M1A1 Abrams[41]
Weight 49 t (54.01 tons) 55 t (60.63 tons) 55.6 t (61.1 tons) 57.10 t (63 tons)
Gun 120 mm L/44 smoothbore (4.72 inches) 120 mm L/44 smoothbore (4.72 in) 120m mm L/52 smoothbore (4.72 in) 120 mm L/44 smoothbore (4.72 in)
Ammunition 40 rounds 42 rounds 40 rounds 40 rounds
Road range 550 km (341.75 miles) 500 km (310.69 mi) 550 km (341.75 mi) 450 km (280 mi)
Engine Output 1,200 hp (894.84 kW) 1,500 hp (1,110 kW) 1,500 hp (1,110 kW) 1,500 hp (1,110 kW)
Maximum Velocity 70 km/h (43.50 mph) 68 km/h (42.25 mph) 71 km/h (44.12 mph) 64 km/h (40 mph)

References

  1. ^ de Mazarrasa, Carro de Combate AMX-30E, p. 57
  2. ^ Manrique and Molina, La Brunete, p. 73
  3. ^ de Mazarrasa, Carro de Combate AMX-30E, p. 60
  4. ^ Manrique and Molina, La Brunete, pp. 69-74
  5. ^ Zaloga, The M47 and M48 Patton Tanks, pp. 36-37
  6. ^ de Mazarrasa, Carro de Combate AMX-30E, p. 77
  7. ^ Carro de Combate Lince, Maquinas de Guerra
  8. ^ El País, Cinco empresas compiten para cofabricar un carro de combate en España
  9. ^ Yarnóz, Francia propone a España la construcción conjunta de un nuevo carro de combate, El País
  10. ^ Yarnóz, Serra descarta a EE UU y Reino Unido para cofabricar los nuevos carros, El País
  11. ^ Yarnóz, Técnicos españoles y alemanes han presentado el diseño del futuro carro de combate para el Ejército, El País
  12. ^ Carro de Combate Lince, Maquinas de Guerra
  13. ^ de Mazarrasa, Carro de Combate AMX-30E, p. 77
  14. ^ Carro de Combate Lince, Maquinas de Guerra
  15. ^ Yarnóz, El Gobierno elegirá el mes próximo el carro de combate de los noventa, El País
  16. ^ Kolodziej, France and the Arms Trade,p. 59
  17. ^ Bassets, Francia ofrece a España la fabricación conjunta de un moderno carro de combate, El País
  18. ^ C., El INI y un ente público italiano firmarán un protocolo de colaboración, El País
  19. ^ Yarzón, Fabricantes alemanes de armas critican el programa del futuro tanque español, El País
  20. ^ Perez-Guerra, Spanish AMX-30 MBT upgrade program, p. 500
  21. ^ de Mazarrasa, Carro de Combate AMX-30E, pp. 77-85
  22. ^ Yarzón, Fabricantes alemanes de armas critican el programa del futuro tanque español, El País
  23. ^ Perez-Guerra, Spanish AMX-30 MBT upgrade program, p. 500
  24. ^ Yarnóz, España eliminará decenas de carros de combate al concluir la negociación sobre desarme en Europa, El País
  25. ^ González, España quiere modernizar sus carros de combate con los sobrantes en Centroeuropa, El País
  26. ^ El País, El tanque de los noventa
  27. ^ Gonzáles, España negocia la adquisición de hasta 500 carros de combate que serán retirados de Centroeuropa, El País
  28. ^ Gonzáles, Defensa cifra en 1.500 millones el coste de los 532 tanques estadounidenses que recibirá a partir de 1992, El País
  29. ^ La familia de tanques Patton, accessed 2008-06-05
  30. ^ Candil, Carros de Combate, p. 161
  31. ^ Candil, Carros de Combate, pp. 161-162
  32. ^ Jerchel and Schnellbacher, Leopard 2 Main Battle Tank 1979-1998, p. 42
  33. ^ Defense Industry Daily, Spain Finalizes Buy of 108 Leopard 2A4 Tanks
  34. ^ Candil, Delivery of Leopard 2E MBT Begins
  35. ^ Jerchel and Schnellbacher, Leopard 2 Main Battle Tank 1979-1998, pp. 28-29
  36. ^ Carro de Combate Lince, Maquinas de Guerra
  37. ^ Simpkin, Tank Warfare, p. 82
  38. ^ Carro de Combate Lince, Maquinas de Guerra
  39. ^ Jerchel and Schnellbacher, Leopard 2 Main Battle Tank 1979-1998, pp. 28-29
  40. ^ Moncure, Leclerc, p. 39
  41. ^ Green and Stewart, M1 Abrams at War, p. 25; pp. 111-117

Bibliography

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