Astounding Tank Demo

[John Kettler]

Popular Mechanic just posted an astounding demonstration by the JSDF (Japanese Self-Defense Force) of the superb gun stabilization and capabilities of the hydro-pneumatic active suspension of the Type 10 tank. The article's here, but if you don't care about the text, the video is second below. Several tank designs have been able to squat, notably Sweden's S tank, but nothing like this, and certainly not with anything like this sort of multiaxis capability. 

Strv-103 S Tank

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZm7sLzDwGY

Type 10

Regards,

John Kettler 

Edited October 14, 2015 by John Kettler

[Badger73]

One has to wonder how many hours (and broken wine glasses) that particular tank crew dedicated to perfecting this dog and pony show!

But to John's point, that is a pretty impressive gun platform stabilization demonstration.  It seems that I've gotten far behind in my studies in modern tank design.  What is the impetuous behind the sophisticated hydraulics required for this kind of performance?  I well understand the desirability of stabilizing the gun platform.  I don't understand the cost-benefits for the suspension's multi-axial tilt capabilities.

[John Kettler]

Badger73,

Might it be the desire to extract every possible advantage from the defensive terrain? Seems to me that the suspension would allow the tank to conform to the ground far better than a typical tank could. What the S tank can do in pitch to hug the ground, this one can do not only simultaneously do on multiple axes but can also, I believe, squat.

Regards,

John Kettler