Cold War Armoured Car Challenge

[Kiwi Imperialist]

Welcome to the Cold War Armoured Car Challenge! Please read the design requirements and challenge rules below before posting a submission. There was some uncertainty regarding the definition of an armoured car, so I have appended Design Requirement 1 to include one. Hopefully it will suffice for this challenge. The topic was based on suggestions in the Future Challenge Ideas/Suggestions thread. If you have ideas of your own for a future challenge, consider sharing them there. Do not be afraid to make a suggestion that has already been made. It reveals that multiple people are interested in a particular topic.

Drawing Requirements

1. Your submission must depict a fictional military armoured car. For the purposes of this challenge, an armoured car is defined as a wheeled armoured fighting vehicle which carries a gun as its main armament and is not primarily designed to transport dismounts into battle.
2. The armoured car should first enter service at some point between 1946 and 1991.

Challenge Rules

1. Each participant may submit one image.
2. The image must be a Shipbucket template modified to include the participant’s vehicle and, optionally, crew figures on or within the vehicles and/or one of the following for each vehicle: unit insignia, manufacturer logo, national flag. Other elements, including data sheets and scenic elements, are not permitted.
3. Multiple views of the same object are not permitted.
4. All art should be in Soldierbucket scale (15 mm = 1 Pixel), and follow the same drawing and shading rules as official Shipbucket styles.
5. A textual description accompanying each submission is permitted, but not necessary.
6. Non-serious entries, or entries substantially deviate from the challenge requirements, are not allowed.
7. Off-topic posts will be reported to the relevant authorities.

This challenge will run until Sunday the 1st of September 2024, ending at 23:59 UTC-12 (International Date Line West).
A countdown timer can be found at this link.

A poll will be held after this date. Members of the Shipbucket community will have an opportunity to rate each submission. Please provide honest and meaningful scores for each entry. Responses which grant maximum scores to a select group of entries, and minimum scores to all other entries, will be deleted. Members of the community who manipulate the results in such a fashion may also be subject to a permanent ban. Scores will be allocated in two categories, each with a scale of 1 to 10:

• Drawing Quality - The overall quality of the drawing. One might consider detailing, shading, and accuracy.
• Design Quality -The quality of the design presented, irrespective of drawing quality. One could consider feasibility, practicality, and realism.

[Torpid_Hunter]

This is my first SoBu vehicle ever, I hope it is good.

In the 1980's the Skoric State Army made a request for a hypothetical 'Lightly-armored, mobile tank destroyer', and so it was met with an early version of what soon became the Viesal-II (and also the basis for the IKM 'Mog'). The tank featured a 80mm, quick firing autocannon, capable of penetrating everything short of the best-of-the-best MBT's. Coaxially mounted as well is a 20mm auto-cannon, so as to enhance its lethality against low-flying aircraft (Though it became largely obsolete with developed proxy rounds for the 80mm).

The IKM-91.500 depicted is essentially one of the early 1991 prototypes, rushed into semi-worked order and with a fresh coat of paint. While some deliberate that REUA chose to do this, anticipating export orders, it could also just as much have been pressure from the state army. The International Mechanized Competition was, ultimately, a means by the state army to stimulate public interest in the military. Besides, if this indeed was a bid, REUA must've miscalculated immensely. Export orders never materialized because the IKM-91 didn't exactly fit a role that was greatly needed in any army. Besides, the armored car market was already saturated with relatively inexpensive 8x8's and 6x6's that could perform a similar or better job. However the basis of this vehicles would atleast come in rather helpful for the development of an urban fighting vehicle later on (The Mog).

Regardless. The 2001 International Mechanized Competition was rather interesting, and most people were more intrigued by the all-female crew of the 'Targir' more so than the actual tank itself, which failed to hit the test targets (due to a misaligned boresight), and whose engine sputtered and died due to the intense heat. The tank commander at the time, Lia Verns noted aptly. "While I had initally positive perceptions of the IKM, I was completely horrified when I squeezed myself past the hatch; it didn't have an air conditioning system... and were going to be driving this piece of shit around in the sweltering fucking weather of Theamak."

[dalamace]

The Welantu (roughly meaning Vigilant) is an armoured car designed for urban combat, developed in response to soldiers pressing expensive radar-guided self-propelled anti-aircraft guns into pitched battles. It is armed with a 50mm autocannon with extremely potent high-explosive shells and a rapid-firing 15mm heavy machine gun as a coaxial weapon.

Although introduced in 1990, it was only delivered in numbers at the turn of the millennium when it was upgraded with anti-tank guided missiles, APFSDS rounds for its 50mm autocannon and an actually working air conditioning system.

This particular vehicle was used by an OPFOR unit in Exercise Nowheregrad 95, where it broke down twice and accidentally sent a burst of 50mm autocannon at a farmer's chicken coop (it missed all shots).

[Hood]

FV723 Wolf Mark 1



FV723 Wolf Mark 1, Berlin Brigade, 1988

The FV723 Wolf began development in 1964 as part of the CVR(W) programme to replace the Saladin FV601 Saladin armoured car which had entered service in 1959. The design was based upon that of the FV721 Fox and FV721 Vixen 4x4 scout cars and shared many of their mechanical components within a longer 6x6 wheeled hull and with a new turret. Aluminium armour was fitted and was only resistant to small arms fire to keep the weight down. The Jaguar J60 engine from the FV101 Scorpion and Fox was retained. A new 90mm gun was developed to replace the 76mm L5A used on the Scarcen and Scorpion. A plan to fit Swingfire anti-tank missiles was cancelled in 1971. This was a lightweight low-recoil rifled gun able to fire HE, HESH, cannister and smoke rounds. The first prototype first ran in 1969, followed by another ten prototypes during 1970-71. Production began in 1972 and 110 were completed by 1975.

In British service the Wolf was largely overshadowed by the Scorpion series in terms of numbers but served overseas and with BAOR and the Berlin Brigade until retirement by 1995. Many vehicles were converted into FV724 Wolverine vehicles during the 1980s. The turret was also used on the Super Scorpion based on the FV 4333 Stormer APC chassis. Exports were made to Oman (40 vehicles), Jordan (90), Nigeria (60), Singapore (48), Kuwait (12) and Saudi Arabia (115).

Specifications

Dimensions
Overall Length (with gun forwards): 6.35m
Hull Length: 5.38m
Width: 2.35m
Height (to top of hull, including stowed flotation screen): 1.63m
Height (to top of cupola): 2.38m
Ground Clearance: 40.5cm

Weight
Combat Weight: 11,910kg
Ground Pressure: 28.1 PSI
Power-to-Weight Ratio: 15.95 bhp/tonne

Engine & Performance
Engine: 190hp Jaguar 4.2L J60 No.1 Mark 100B petrol engine
Max Speed (road): 82km/h
Max Speed (cross-country): 42km/h
Max Speed (water): 5km/h
Fuel Capacity: 90 gallons
Max Range (road): 690km
Slope: 35 degrees
Gradient: 60 degrees
Trench Crossing: 2.92m
Fording Depth (prepared): 1.9m

Armament
Main Gun: 90mm Tank L9A1
Co-axial Gun: 7.62mm L8A1 GPMG
Cupola Mounting: 7.62mm L73A1 GPMG
Ammunition: 36 rounds (90mm), 5,200 rounds (7.62mm)
Smoke Dispensers: 2x No.9 Mk.1 (5-round)

Armour
Hull
Front: 30mm
Sides: 30mm
Rear: 15mm
Decking: 15mm
Floor: 15mm

Turret
Front: 30mm
Sides: 20mm
Rear: 15mm
Roof: 15mm

Crew
3 – Driver, Commander/Gunner, Loader

[VictorCharlie]

Public Security Bureau patrol working near the Verpletterant/Husseinarian border, summer of 1985

[waff]

My first finished soldier-bucket vehicle!

The ZCZ/74 was designed in the early 1970's as a lower profile, dedicated armored scout car with a 25mm auto cannon for reconnaissance and forward security units of Sayikoia's armed forces, instead of using, larger, foreign designed scout cars only fitted with heavy machine guns. The vehicle entered mass production in 1975.

[BvonTeapot]

Also my first SoBu vehicle, hopefully it turned out alright.

Originally designed in the late 60s and early 70s, the Mitsubishi Type 73 became the mainstay landing-support tank for the Imperial Japanese Navy Special Landing Forces for use in the Pacific starting in 1973. It was armed with a low-pressure 76mm gun-launcher, capable of firing HE and HEAT warheads as well as a roof-mounted ATGM. During the Vietnamese Insurrection of the early 1980s, Japanese forces used the tank extensively during their campaign to assist their puppet government. However, expeditionary forces raised by the United States, Germany and Italy were also present in the area and were able to make quick work of these tanks - in this case, one was captured by Italian infantry during the Battle of Vinh. Due to its complex nature, the Type 73 was phased out in the late 80s.

[reytuerto]

In the early 1960s, the Army needs a long range vehicle for raiding missions in the Western Desert, at least as far as the Siwa oasis. The first choice was a light tank like the Walker Buldog, but even with a diesel engine the range was very poor for the intended missions, and the 76 mm gun was no longer adequate to match the armor of the T-54/-55 found in the armies beyond the boundaries of the Respublicca. As the British L7 was the weapon selected for the Armoured Corps, a light welded steel turret was made for the M41, with an improved recoil mechanism and a long muzzle brake.

Having examined differnt wheeled vehicles (from the German 8x8 wartime scouts, to the ubiquitous American M8, and captured or smuggled Soviet BTR-60s or Czech OT-64), the 8x8 configuration was selected, together with an air cooled powerful diesel, the welded turret with L7 gun, air conditioned, drinking water and food, a 800 kms of endurance in internal fuel and 1100 with an external tank, long range radio equipment and 4 crew members. The car was named Vehicle de Bataille Modele 1969 "Tizona" (for the Spanish Cid Campeador´s sword): It was a substancial vehicle, rather heavy for a wheeled vehicle of the era, despite being made of a welded aluminium hull and steel turret, taller than a contemporary soviet tank, but fast (80-90 kms/h) and agile (for the size),with a smooth ride (2 shock absorvers per wheel), good ergonomics for long operations and a substancial punch in the form of the L7 gun (with 44 rounds), a coaxial GPMG and a M2 outside for the commander, despite being armoured only against 12.70x108 ammo (14.5 in the frontal arch).

Tizona was used successfully in the raids against Marsa Matruh, Siwa and the daring raid to the Lybian powerful and brand new air base in the oasis of Al Jaghbub in 1976 (including a helcopter-borne fuel resupply in the mid of the desert). Cheers.

[Mauser]

Protected Fighting Car (Armored Car) Number 1121 is a vehicle used by the 1st Allodapós Regiment stationed in Somalia. This particular vehicle has still its Anti-Riot modification on the front of the vehicle with field-modified rocket launchers on the side of the vehicle. The Anti-riot gear wasnt fully removed as the crew was while on its way back to its main outpost it hit a Wire activated IED. The poles on the front snapped the wire and the IED activated prematurely, this saved the crew with minor injuries.

The rocket launchers were welded in cages to the vehicle to be used against a somalian rebel hideout. The crew fired all 6 of them with 2 of them failing in doing that, the rockets hit its target causing a panic
effect among the rebels, this moment was used by the hellenic forces to take them out. PFC 1121 joined later them.

Total dimensions of the vehicle measures: H: 2,41 m,L: 5,61 m,W: 2,51. Its On-road speed comes with Max 95 km/h. Its main armament consist of a 14,8mm twin machinegun .

[Zieg]

The Sd.kfz. 240 'Dackle' is an 8x8 armored vehicle designed and built by the Great Ziegenian Sovereignty for use as heavy reconnaissance in Panzergrenadier and Panzer divisions.

Edited: Updated image with new one since the challenge ends today apparently.