TH-495 was an infantry combat vehicle being proposed by German-based Thyssen-Henschel for NATO countries, but it was primarily being pitched to the Canadian Forces and the then government of Brian Mulroney in the 1990s.[2][3] While designed in Germany, the TH-495 would have been produced by a newly established Thyssen-Henschel Canadian subsidiary called Bear Head Industries Limited in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. [4] The proposal was scrapped by the incoming government of Jean Chrétien, which opted to purchase the LAV III from GM Defense instead.
| TH 495 Infantry Combat Vehicle (ICV) | |
|---|---|
| Type | Infantry fighting vehicle |
| Place of origin |  Germany  Canada |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 21.6 t |
| Length | 5.97m |
| Width | 2.94m |
| Height | 2.39m |
| Crew | 3 (+ 6 or 7 passengers) |
Main armament | Oto Melara T25 25 mm chain gun with TIS with 630 rounds [1] |
Secondary armament | 12.7mm guns |
| Engine | 500 Kw/680 HP |
Operational range | 500km |
| Maximum speed | 75 km/h |
The lobby process for this vehicle by Karlheinz Schreiber and the involvement of Mulroney has led to a public inquiry The Oliphant Commission.
Design
editArmament
editThe TH-495 is fitted with a two-man turret, armed with a stabilized T-25 25 mm caliber chain gun and coaxial 7.62-mm machine gun.[5][6] One more 12.7 mm machine gun is positioned on top of the turret.[6] The ammunition capacity is approximatively 1200 rounds; 630 rounds ready to fire and 510 in storage.[7]
Mobility
editThe TH-495 is powered by a diesel engine developing 680 horsepower, and can reach speeds of 75 kilometres per hour.[1] The TH-495 is fitted with a modern dual circuit brake system.[1] The TH-495 has a maximum road range of 500 kilometers. The TH-495 offers quieter movement for improved stealth, greater speed over good terrain, and higher ground clearance for protection against mines and improvised explosive devices.[8]
Protection
editThe basic armor of the TH-495, covering the standardization agreement STANAG 4569 level 4, which provides an all-round protection against 14.5x114mm. The modular add-on armor plating can be easily and quickly exchanged to adapt to the ballistic protection requirement of each variant for each mission threats situation.[1] The TH-495 was designed to produce a very low and very compact structure to minimize radar and IR-signatures.[1] The TH-495 is fitted with a nuclear, biological, chemical (NBC) filtration system accompanied with a chemical detector and radiation detector systems.[1] The TH-495 also uses heat-absorbing filters to provide temporary protection against thermal imaging (TIS), image intensifier and infrared camera (IR).[6]
Variants
edit- Command Post Vehicle (CPV)
- Infantry Section Carrier (ISC)
- Combat Engineer Vehicle (CEV)
- Observation Post Vehicle (OPV)
- TOW Under Armour (TUA)
- Air Defense Anti-Tank System (ADATS)
- Armoured Gun System (AGS)
- Armoured Ambulance (AA)
- Logistical Transport
See also
edit
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f "Henschel Defense Technology TH 495 Infantry Combat Vehicle (ICV)" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-14.
- ^ TH 495 ROLLOUTSeptember 28,1992THYSSEN HENSCHEL KASSEL, GERMANY[permanent dead link]
- ^ TH 495[dead link]
- ^ http://www.karlheinzschreiber.ca/docs/Tab%2014%20-%20Bear%20Head%20Industries%20general%20info.pdf[permanent dead link]
- ^ "GERMAN TH 495 SET FOR MALAYSIAN ARMY TRIALS". 1994-11-05.
- ^ a b c "TH 495 Infantry Combat Vehicle (ICV)" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-14.
- ^ "Thyssen Henschel" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-14.
- ^ "Bear head Industries LTD" (PDF).[permanent dead link]
External links
edit- "SECOND PROTOTYPE TH 495 COMPLETED". www.janes.com. 11 December 1993.