CM-12 Tank

CM-12 Tank

A CM-12 in ROCA Infantry School
Type Main Battle Tank
Place of origin  Republic of China
Service history
In service 1990-present
Used by  Republic of China
Production history
Designer Armored Vehicle Development Center
Manufacturer Armored Vehicle Development Center
Unit cost US$ 350 million
Number built 100
Specifications
Weight 48.5 tonnes (53.5 short tons; 47.7 long tons)
Length 6.95 meters (22 ft 10 in) (hull)
9.30 meters (30 ft 6 in) (cannon forward)
Width 3.65 meters (12 ft 0 in)
Height 3.1 meters (10 ft 2 in)
Crew 4
Main
armament
 105 mm (4.1 in) M68 gun
Secondary
armament
 .50 BMG (12.7×99mm) M2 Browning
7.62×51mm NATO M240 machine gun
7.62×51mm NATO T74 machine gun
Engine Continental AVDS-1790-2C air-cooled Twin-turbo diesel engine
750 hp (560 kW)
Power/weight 15.46 hp/t
Suspension Torsion bar suspension
Operational
range
 203 kilometers (100 mi)
Speed 48 km/h

CM-12 Tank is the name given to the modified M48A3 by the Republic of China. The Armored Vehicle Development Center (AVDC) used the extra 100 sets of Fire Control System from producing the CM-11, to modify the existing M48A3 of the Republic of China Army, the modification was completed before 1993.

Introduction

The modification selected some good quality M48A3 hull, replaced its petrol engine with diesel engine and installed a new transmission, and replaced the turret with CM-11's turret, the modified tank is renamed CM-12.

During the Brave Tiger Case (CM-11), AVDC received a M48A5 for reference, the idea of the CM-12 modification can be said directly derived from M48A5. Some of the M48A3 used to receive modification were upgraded M48A1/A2, therefore the exterior of CM-12 and M48A5 is similar, but the interior is completely different; the main difference is in order to replace the engine and turret of M48A3, lots of interior fuel capacity is lost, its range of 203 km is even worse than the early M48 family using petrol engine.

The Armament of CM-12 is identical to CM-11's. The main cannon is a M68A1 105 mm cannon, which can fire several kinds of ammunition such as Armour-piercing fin-stabilized discarding-sabot (APFSDS) Round, and it can carry 60 rounds on board. One M2HB machine gun is mounted on the commander's cupola, one T-74 machine gun on the gunner's cupola, and one coaxial M240 machine gun inside the turret.

The protection on CM-12 is outdated, and the material used is incomparable to the new generation of tanks, CM-12 is much like a transition program before a new tank come into service. After the great disarmament of Ching Shih (精實案) and Ching Chin (精進案), the existing CM-11 and M60A3 TTS are enough for ROCA, therefore almost half of the CM-12 are now in retired archive, but there isn't a complete retirement schedule.

See also

References

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