Tango01 | 06 May 2015 3:42 p.m. PST |
"North Sea Boats¡¦ new X-18 Tank Boat feels like it should be a G.I. Joe toy. The 60-foot long catamaran can travel up rivers, carry a small inflatable boat on its back, and deliver either 20 Marines or Navy SEALs to shore. It also has a tank cannon in a turret on top of the main cabin, and if that isn¡¦t enough, it¡¦s possible to put an automated heavy machine gun turret on top of the tank turret. Designed for a crew of four, the Tank Boat punches well above its weight. The smaller turret can be outfitted with guns ranging from 7.62 machine guns to 30-mm light cannons, and the bigger guns punch through armored targets up to 3 miles away. The 105-mm cannon can also angle up to 42 degrees, letting it lob explosives over 6 miles. Landing on beaches is never easyƒþ, but a landing craft with deadly firepower makes it a lot easier. Right now, the 18 appears to be just a concept, with small mock-ups appearingƒþ at defense trade showsƒþ. When asked for more information about the boat, Indonesian defense firm PT Lundin, which owns North Sea Boats, sent along a brochure, so it appears they are at least marketing the idea…" Full article here link link Amicalement Armand |
javelin98 | 06 May 2015 4:27 p.m. PST |
Pretty cool, although the first time that tank gun fires, all those windows in the cabin will be toast. It might be more practical to have a remote turret with 30mm gun, automatic grenade launcher, and light MG in it. You could add a pod for Javelin or Hellfire missiles if you really needed the antitank punch. |
elsyrsyn | 06 May 2015 5:10 p.m. PST |
Agreed – might make sense just to slap an off-the-shelf Bradley turret on there (it worked for the M113 for the Egyptians). I suppose the big gun gives it some standoff capability, though. Doug |
Katzbalger | 06 May 2015 5:41 p.m. PST |
Its a model--and with the gun's reported elevation of 42 degrees, the breach has to extend into the cabin, so I'm wondering if they've thought things through. It would make a fun WH40k type miniature, though! Well, with an even bigger gun that was a howitzer, of course Rob |
jpattern2 | 06 May 2015 5:49 p.m. PST |
What it needs is a GAU-8 Avenger 30mm rotary cannon. |
cwlinsj | 06 May 2015 10:36 p.m. PST |
I think the North Koreans were the first to put T-34/85 tank turrets on a class of their heavy patrol boats. |
bsrlee | 06 May 2015 11:52 p.m. PST |
The ROF had this in prototype form back in the early 1980's as a drop in unit for most light combatants – didn't become a run away success. |
David in Coffs | 07 May 2015 2:11 a.m. PST |
During the Great Patriotic War (WW 2 for us) their was several classes of soviet gun boats with tank turrets and MRLs – but I'm a fan of the RN Insect class gunboats – two 6" guns and 18" draft |
David in Coffs | 07 May 2015 2:14 a.m. PST |
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optional field | 07 May 2015 9:05 a.m. PST |
the first time that tank gun fires, all those windows in the cabin will be toast
Can't the windows be made blastproof? with the gun's reported elevation of 42 degrees, the breach has to extend into the cabin
With a crew of 4 for the whole ship one would hope there is an autoloader with a magazine below the turret. Unless the F-35 design team is in charge of the design I would expect the magazine to be designed around potential position of the breach (although if the F-35 design team were put in charge of this, I'm sure they'd replace the aluminum in the hull with cordite reinforced lead). |
John Treadaway | 07 May 2015 10:07 a.m. PST |
although if the F-35 design team were put in charge of this, I'm sure they'd replace the aluminum in the hull with cordite reinforced lead Or one made of platinum. Or mithril. Or anything else expensive and/or not real… John T |