M8 Granítis
| M8 Granítis | |
|---|---|
 A Granítis Delta of the 20th Tank Legion, 1990 | |
| Type | Main Battle Tank |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1967 - present |
| Used by | |
| Wars | See Operational History |
| Production history | |
| Unit cost | M8B - 310.000≸ (1970), (12.700.000≸ in 2020) |
| Specifications | |
| Weight |
|
| Length | M8E - 6,82m (hull) |
| Crew | 3 (commander, gunner, driver) |
|
| |
Main armament | 120mm smoothbore gun 50-ΟΜ120 |
| Engine |
|
| Power/weight |
|
| Suspension | Torsion bar |
The Μ8 Granítis (Μ8 Γρανίτης) is a Sofíae Commonwealth main battle tank (MBT), manufactured at the Tenediktos Skormovo Plant (TSE), and designed by Aiakos Theoron. It was an advanced veichle meant to replace the G4/G5 heavy tanks then in CSCR service, and eventually supersede the M6 medium tank. It introduced a number of innovative features including composite armour, an opposed-piston engine, and a smoothbore 120-mm gun equipped with an autoloader to allow the crew to be reduced to three. In spite of being armed and armoured like a heavy tank, the M8 mantained the speed and mobility of a medium tank.
Development History
WIP
WIP
Production History
The initial production date for the Granítis is between late 1964 and early 1965 and it formally entered service with the Sofíae Army in 1967, being publicly revealed in 1970. The M8 was TSE's high-technology offering, intended to initially replace the G5 heavy tanks in independent tank battalions, while improved M6 models would still equip the bulk of the Commonwealth's tank and mechanized forces at least until the late 1970s.
It introduced a new autoloader, which is still used on all Granítis variants currently in service. The M8 prototypes had the same 100mm or 130 mm rifled guns as the M6 and G5, the ones put in full-scale production had the 120 mm smoothbore gun.
production ends in 1987
Models
In common OFSN nomenclature the five main variants are referred to as "A, B, C, D and E", although the proper traslitteration from Valárian would be "A, B, G, D and E" as in "Alfa, Beta, Gamma, Delta and Epsilon". Command tanks with more radio equipment have I added to their designation for igesía (ηγεσία, meaning "command"), for example, Granítis CI is the command version of the Granítis C. Versions with added armor compared to the base model (either ERA or other) have an S suffix, for scutate (σκυτατε, meaning "(up)armored"), for example Granítis BS. Upgraded tanks receive the V designation for veltioméni (βελτιωμένη, meaning "improved").
- Proiókt 295: 10 prototype vehicles produced from 1961 to 1965. the first three vehicles built served as production and layout test-beds and had the same S4/3-4V W12 engine used on the M7B; from the fourth vehicle the aluminium alloy and silica inserts where incorporated on the hull front plate and turret cheeks (Proiókt 295.1); the last four vehicles built introduced the 4K4 8-cylinder opposed-piston engine (Proiókt 295.2), developing 850 hp this gave the roughly 44 tons tanks a power to weight ratio of almost 20 hp/t. All the prototypes were armed with an improved 71(V)-ΟΜ100 version of the 100mm gun fitted to the M6C and M7; this gun used one piece ammo stored in the hull front and in the turret's bustle and was manually loaded by a dedicated loader.
- Proiókt 296: 6 prototypes produced in 1964 and 1965 with 130mm 48(F)-ΟΜ130 (lightened version of 48-ΟΜ130 used on the G5, with added muzzle brake), uses two piece ammo stored in innovative basket autoloader. The gun proved too heavy for the stabilizer to work effectively, and only carried 25 round.
- Granítis A: first production model, adopted in 1967, uses the new 50-ΟΜ120 gun which is fed by the R1120 autoloader derived from the Proiókt 296 holding 28 rounds. This system proved to be extremely fragile in service, with tank crews reporting up to one malfunction every three rounds loaded, especially if the vehicle was moving over rough terrain or at high speed during the autoloading operation. The development of an improved autoloader had already started even before the tank's formal adoption and production switched to this new version in 1969. Most Granítis A were brought to the "B" standard by replacing the autoloding system between 1969 and 1973.
- AS: in 1972, 70 vehicles were fitted with armored side-skirts of high resistance steel 8 mm thick and additional glacis armour of the same high resistance steel with a thickness of 20 mm.
- AI: (1969) Command version, with an Exéntypo O-100 radio with a dedicated antenna, a SPG-3 navigation system, without antiaircraft machine gun, carrying 25 shells.
- Granítis B: Tanks produced from September 1969, equipped with the more robust R1121 autoloader; this vehicles were originally designated Granítis AV, but this was later changed to Granítis B in 1972; other than the improved autoloader, this vehicles had other smaller improvements, like extended storage bins on the sides of the turret; starting in 1971 an entrenching blade was fitted to most tanks from the factory.
- BS: from 1972 to 1976, over 1000 Granítis B received the up-armoring trialed on the "AS" tanks, this was intended to keep their protection close to the one offered by the Granítis C.
- BI: all Granítis AI were brought to the BI standard in 1970-1971 by replacing the autoloding system.
- BSV: 2006 modernization for Nurmandian "BS" tanks, (thermals, even better engine, Akakía ERA and enlarged basket)
- Granítis C: (1972) improved composite formula, changed smoke granades, new radiator
- CX: ("X" for xeno – foreign)
- CV: (1985) composite screens, laser rangefinder, Dorea ERA, the lot
- Granítis D: (1976) changed hull construction, LLLTV in box, blow out panels, added ability to fire gun-launched ATGMs
- DI: (1977) Command version, with an Exéntypo O-130M radio and its 10-m telescoping antenna, a SPG-3 navigation system and EE-50/10 APU, without antiaircraft machine gun, retains 28 rounds of main gun ammunition. Some "DI" tanks were fitted with Exousía APS sets some time during the early 1990s.
- DV: (1985) composite screens, laser rangefinder, Dorea ERA, the lot
- Granítis E: (1981) improved stabilizer and optics, Dorea ERA and laser rf from start, new ir light, uprated engine
Service History
Operators
Current Operators
Former operators
Secrazchak: Passed on to successor states (including Chzeknye).
