Cold War Self-Propelled Air Defence System Challenge

[Panzerfaust]

The above design is the Abkinesian M48/88 SPAAG platform, based upon the hull off the M48/88 MBT hull.

Service History
The M48/88 has been used exclusively by the Abkinesian Royal Army since 1988 up to the present day, and has seen action in multiple conflicts, such as the War of the Six Republics, Abkinesian Civil War, Haland Intervention, along with multiple other engagements.

Production History
Designed by O'Hegarty Armament Conglomeration, the design process began in the year 1977 when a competition to create a heavily armed SPAAG platform was issued from the Royal Army Procurement Center to a series of companies, including OAC. Among the competitors were Skonetsky Armor Works, Brennan Defense Logistics, Heron Munitions Works, and Walker Military Solutions. Within 3 years of project development, HMW and SAW had dropped out of the contract competition, having difficulties in piecing together a satisfactory testbed platform to present to the RAPC, leaving OAC with their codenamed "Iron Sky" Project, BDL with their "Clear Horizon" Project, and WMS with their "Sky Swatter" Project. By 1983, WMS had been forced to drop out of the competition due to major cost overruns, leading to a bankruptcy and dissolution of the company. With the final Judgement being passed in 1987, OAC's "Iron Sky" Project was selected for production. Manufacturing was left in majority to OAC, but production was subsidized in part by BDL due to a rapid increase in demand from the ARA. When production began on the original units, the base cost was $25.6 million dollars (however this cost would increase due to various modernization programs), with production occurring between the years 1977-1993, though a series of modernization programs began, starting in the year 1999 in order to better equip the aging force of "Iron Skys", resulting in the M48/88/99A3, the only variant.

Specifications (M48/88)
The M48/88 has a weight of 34.9 tons, while reaching a length of 8.96 meters back to barrel tip, a height of 4.25 track to radar, and a width of 3.71 meters armor skirt to armor skirt. Held within is a crew of 4, the driver, commander, gunner, and radar operator.

The hull armor consists of 110-220mm on the hull front, 75-55mm on the hull sides, and 26-38mm on the hull rear. The turret armor consists of 26mm for the entire turret. Armament consists of 2 90mm revolver fed automatic cannons located within the turret. It's equipped with an 825 Hp V12 Royal Automotive Works gasoline engine, propelling the vehicle at a comfortable 59.7 KpH with a power to weight ratio of 23.1HpT along it's 6 torsion bar suspended road wheels. With a fuel capacity of 693 liters, it has a maximum operable range of 117 km.

[Kiwi Imperialist]

In 1970 the BAC PT.428 Rapier SAM entered service with the British Army of the Rhine as a mobile air defence system.
A turret with 12x ready-fire missiles with a surveillance radar, tracking radar and a TV tracker was fitted to a modified Blue Water 6x6 Foden armoured lorry chassis. A bay behind the cab contained 8 reload missiles and a small reloading crane was also fitted. A 7.62mm GPMG was fitted to the cupola, the cabin housing a crew of 4.

That's an interesting design Hood. Unfortunately, your drawing appears to run afoul of Challenge Rule 4. "If two or three views are included, they must depict the same example of the system, in the same configuration, at the same point in time." Could you please provide a drawing which shows your design in a single state, rather than both stowed and deployed?

Also, while I am here, thank you Torpid_Hunter for modifying your entry.

[Kiwi Imperialist]

ZB-1995 High Mobility Self Propelled Anti Aircraft Testbed


Coming from the PRK's experimental infantry vehicle school the HMSPAAT was first drafted in 1995 then one testbed was constructed. The vehicle is equipped with a pair of 25mm autocannons, a Targeting radar for striking flying vehicles, and a strong powerplant on a lightweight body to allow the vehicle to keep up with fast-moving motor rifle infantry. The HMSPAAT was accepted into service in 1996 as the Type 9 SPAA.

Apologies for not realising this sooner, but I notice your submission depicts a 1990s vehicle. Unfortunately, this is a Cold War era challenge with Design Requirement 4 stating "your design must enter service at some point between 1947 and 1991". You could try backdating your design, or perhaps alter the description.

[kirk7070]

ZMV-98A Self-Propelled Anti-Air System


-Came into service in the late 1980s
-The vehicle carries launchers, target acquisition radar, tracking radar and optical tracking system
-Eight missiles, using command guidance and proximity fuzes
-Two guidance channels, allowing two targets to be engaged simultaneously
-Capable of firing on the move
-The improved version is ZMV-98B, which cannot be shown in this challenge

[Yamato Sammy]

ZB-1995 High Mobility Self Propelled Anti Aircraft Testbed


Coming from the PRK's experimental infantry vehicle school the HMSPAAT was first drafted in 1995 then one testbed was constructed. The vehicle is equipped with a pair of 25mm autocannons, a Targeting radar for striking flying vehicles, and a strong powerplant on a lightweight body to allow the vehicle to keep up with fast-moving motor rifle infantry. The HMSPAAT was accepted into service in 1996 as the Type 9 SPAA.

Apologies for not realising this sooner, but I notice your submission depicts a 1990s vehicle. Unfortunately, this is a Cold War era challenge with Design Requirement 4 stating "your design must enter service at some point between 1947 and 1991". You could try backdating your design, or perhaps alter the description.

I am sorry about that that was a typo

-ZB-1995 High Mobility Self Propelled Anti Aircraft Testbed-
Coming from the PRK's experimental infantry vehicle school the HMSPAAT was first drafted in 1995 then one testbed was constructed. The vehicle is equipped with a pair of 25mm autocannons, a Targeting radar for striking flying vehicles, and a strong powerplant on a lightweight body to allow the vehicle to keep up with fast-moving motor rifle infantry. The HMSPAAT was accepted into service in 1996 as the Type 9 SPAA.

[Remorseful Dreamer]

Marksmen of the East - Type 94 SPAA



The Type 94 is the stalwart self-propelled AA platform of the Fushan Army. Developed in the late 70s and early 80s under advisory input from Columbia and Alantia, the system utilizes the Alantian 30mm Sampson GDG autocannon in combination with search and FC radars developed in a joint venture between Fushan's Army Research Center and Columbian-based Syntheon Electronics. The first pilot vehicles were constructed in 1982, and the type was officially accepted into service in 1985, first fielded by the 3rd Battalion, 7th Antiaircraft Warfare Regiment of the Northern Army.

While its development was simple enough, as such vehicles had been fielded in number in other nations before, the doctrinal debate between gun and missile tank took some time to settle, and this would have long-lasting consequences for the future of air defence vehicles in Fushan. While a replacement had been poised to arrive in 2012, as of today, the program to develop a suitable replacement is still ongoing. This has lead to a stronger emphasis on air superiority using fighter aircraft and infantry-based ground defence solutions such as MANPADS. In 2015, it was decided to upgrade some of the existing vehicles with modern, digital electronics to keep them serviceable as a stopgap measure until the government and Army approve the production of the Type 94's replacement. Proposals to mount short-range anti-air missiles next to the guns to increase the vehicle's lethality have so far been rejected.

[maxwell john]

HYPERION MLRS, seen in Germany upon introduction in 1989.

The Hyperion MLRS is a system created out of a planned military update to its forces in Germany, to modernize for the 1990's. The hyperion sub-program was created specifically to create a mobile SAM platform capable of engaging soviet attack helicopters and SU-25s in very short range engagements, to protect Canadian armored buildups and advances.
Based on the Moose APC chassis (also created for this sweeping reform), and armed with a multiple-launch system capable of carrying 15 Fim-92 Stingers (in a 3x5 layout), it was a rather cheap yet reliable vehicle. While it lacks range, it is more then capable of engaging flights or even full squadrons of aircraft at a time. They are deployed in platoons at the battalion level, although these are most often understrength.

The coolant is provided by a storage tank kept in the main body of the APC, as well as the remote firing station. The targeting array on top of the launcher is used to lock onto targets to fire the missile, and is controlled by a gunner inside the vehicle. There is also a pod fitted besides the front drivers hatch carrying smoke launchers, to further protect friendly vehicles and troops.

The vehicle was used by several armored regiments stationed in Germany, and were also used well in Iraq, destroying a total of 4 Iraqi helicopters for no loss of their own. However these were soon withdrawn as a lack of armament for engaging ground targets made them next to useless in a counter-insurgency.

And so, these vehicles were mostly put into long term storage, and remained as such, hidden, until the rise of the Canadian Empire in the late 2020s (but their story after this is for another day and not this challenge.)

[odysseus1980]

This Hyperion is a simple but very clever and cheap solution. Would be great to ambuse attack or armed helicopters for hidding positions.

[Hood]

That's an interesting design Hood. Unfortunately, your drawing appears to run afoul of Challenge Rule 4. "If two or three views are included, they must depict the same example of the system, in the same configuration, at the same point in time." Could you please provide a drawing which shows your design in a single state, rather than both stowed and deployed

Edited now.

[VictorCharlie]