M15 Jaguar Light Tank

M15 Jaguar Light Tank
Production Information
Type	Light Tank
Designed	1983-1990
Manufacture	Allison Defense
Country of Origin	Democratic Republic of Tarakia
Variants	M15; M15A1; M15A2; M15A3;
Procurement	5,841
Service History
In Service	1992-Present
Used By	Democratic Republic Army
Specifications
Crew	4 (Driver, Loader, Gunner, Commander)
Mass	19.5 Tons
Engine	Allison 8V661 8-Cylinder Turbocharged Air-Cooled Diesel Engine (725 Horsepower)
Transmission	HMPT-500-3
Suspension	Torsion Bar
Armor And Active Defense
Fire Control And Other Systems
Armament
Primary Armament	Rheinmetall M35 L/52 105mm Smoothbore Main Gun
Secondary Armament	FNH M240C 7.62x51mm Coax
Usage
Role	Light Tank
First Used	1995
Affiliation	Democratic Republic of Tarakia;

"Light Infantry need a Light Tank"

―Unknown, September of 1987

The M15 Jaguar Light Tank was born out of a requirement by Light Infantry needing a light tank, the Jaguar is a result of the Armored Gun System, Close Combat Vehicle-Light Programs. The Jaguar is air transportable by a C-130 or C-141.

History[]

Throughout the AGS/CCV-L programs, there was much controversy as to whether a light tank would benefit the Army or not, in the past the Democratic Republic Army had acquired Sheridan Light Tanks and redesigned them to accept a M68 105mm rifled main gun, creating an Airborne Light Tank for Light Infantry and Airborne Infantry. There was mush controversy with the M551-105 Light Tank as it didn't offer the protection crews needed nor did it give them any advantage other then being able to maintain commonality of ammunition between other 105mm armed tanks.

Several companies submitted designs to both AGS and CCV-L during the late 70's and early 80's. These companies included Vickers, Teledyne, Allison Defense Corp, General Dynamics, Krauss Maffei-Wegmann and Catalina Defense.

Ammunition[]

MIL-STD (Military Standard)- 4219 Ammunition is the classification of all Ammunition that is qualified, cataloged and approved for use on the M15 Jaguar Light Tank Family, likewise New German, Espanan and Israeli Munitions are backwards compatible with Tarakian Tanks and vice versa, PAMA has adopted 4219 as Standardization- 3058 Ammunition.

(Ammunition here is a mix of old U.S. Types, Israeli munitions, New German munitions and modern Mecar munitions)

Specific Types[]

105mm

M744 Armor Piercing Fin Stabilized Discarding Sabot-Tracer (DU Penetrator)
M744A1 Armor Piercing Fin Stabilized Discarding Sabot-Tracer (DU Penetrator)
M744A2 Armor Piercing Fin Stabilized Discarding Sabot-Tracer (DU Penetrator)
M758 Armor Piercing Fin Stabilized Discarding Sabot-Tracer (Israeli M426)
M900 Armor Piercing Fin Stabilized Discarding Sabot-Tracer (DU Penetrator)
M900A1 Armor Piercing Fin Stabilized Discarding Sabot-Tracer (DU Penetrator)
M1060 Armor Piercing Fin Stabilized Discarding Sabot-Tracer (Tungsten Penetrator)
M1060E1 Armor Piercing Fin Stabilized Discarding Sabot-Tracer (Tungsten Penetrator)
M1060A2 Armor Piercing Fin Stabilized Discarding Sabot-Tracer (Tungsten Penetrator)
M1060A3 Armor Piercing Fin Stabilized Discarding Sabot-Tracer (Tungsten Penetrator)
M393A3 High Explosive Plastic/Squash Head-Tracer
M815 High Explosive Anti-Tank
M815A1 High Explosive Anti-Tank
M1061 High Explosive Anti-Tank Multipurpose-Tracer
M1061A1 High Explosive Anti-Tank Multipurpose-Tracer
M1066 High Explosive-Fragmentation
M1066A1E2 High Explosive-Fragmentation
M1040 Anti-Personal Canister "Beehive"
M1041 Anti-Personal Riot
M1041A1 Anti-Personal Riot
M1042 Stun Cartridge (Israeli M436)
M1029 Smart Target Launched Anti-Tank Guided Missile (Cockerill Falarick 105)
M1029A1 Smart Target Launched Anti-Tank Guided Missile
M1030 Laser Homing Anti-Tank

105mm Training Rounds

M1056 Target Practice Cone Stabilized Discarding Sabot-Tracer (Steel Penetrator)
M1057 Target Practice Cone Stabilized Discarding Sabot-Tracer (Steel Penetrator)
M490A1 High Explosive Anti-Tank Target Practice-Tracer
M467 High Explosive Plastic/Squash Head Target Practice-Tracer
M488 Target Practice High Explosive-Fragmentation

Mobility[]

Strategic Mobility[]

The Jaguar is powered by an Allison 8V661 V-8 Turbocharged Air Cooled Diesel Engine producing 725 Horsepower coupled to a General Dynamics HMPT-500-3 Transmission with 2 forward gears and 1 reverse. Later models of the Jaguar and its export model the Liger is powered by the Allison 10V750 V-10 Air Cooled Diesel Engine producing 995 Horsepower coupled to an Allison-Renk HSWL 106 Transmission.

The Export Model M15A1M Lynx is powered by a Allison-MTU 8V183 TE22 Diesel Engine coupled to an Allison-Renk HSWL 106C Transmission.

Tactical Mobility[]

Because of its relatively light weight, even with any of the addon armor packages to provide additional protection. The M15 Jaguar and it's export models are praised by many for its tactical mobility to be moved around by Air lifter, especially the smaller air lifters with 30-40 ton cargo weights. The list below will lay out how many Jaguars the Air Lifter can move around.

C-27J Spartan: 30-33 Tons Max Cargo Weight, 1 Jaguar Light Tank
C-160: 56 Tons Max Cargo Weight, 1-2 Jaguar Light Tanks
C-130J Super Hercules: 77.5 Tons Max Cargo Weight, 1-2 Jaguar Light Tanks
CC-130J Super Hercules: 77.5 Tons Max Cargo Weight, 2 Jaguar Light Tanks
C-17B Globemaster III: 292.5 Tons Max Cargo Weight, 3 Jaguar Light Tanks
C-5M Super Galaxy: 420 Tons Max Cargo Weight, 5 Jaguar Light Tanks
An-225 Mriya: 705 Tons Max Cargo Weight, 7-8 Jaguar light Tanks

The Democratic Republic Military signed a contract with a Private Morskovian Air Cargo Company, AeroCargo Corp to provide Heavy Air Lifting duties for various elements of the Democratic Republic Military with their Fleet of 3 An-225 Mriya Heavy Lifters and 22 An-124 Ruslan Air lifters.

Variants and Upgrades[]

CCV-L: Close Combat Vehicle Light
- CCV-L (Allison Prototype): The prototype submitted by Allison resembled the prototype that FMC had been working on during the early 80's, FMC entered into a partnership with ADC to co-op develop the CCV-L. It was originally armed with M69 Improved Weapon System (Locally developed version of IWS) during trials in 85.
- CCV-L (Vickers Prototype): Very similar to the Allison Prototype, the Vickers prototype maintained the commonality of the Allison CCV-L Hull and automatives while mounting an entirely new turret with the Improved Weapon System 105mm.
- CCV-L (Teledyne): The Teledyne prototype was dropped from the program early on, as the Expeditionary Tank they had submitted was having trouble with the autoloader and had many problems, the turret technology would be used 2 decades later on the M1127 MGS.
- CCV-L (Krauss Maffei-Wegmann): KMW submitted a variant of their Marder Fire Support Vehicle for trials, the original configuration exposed the maingun and breech and also the crewmen who was having to reload it, this was unfavored and it was dropped from the program.
- CCV-L (General Dynamics): GD along with Textron Defense submitted the Stingray Light Tank for trials in the late 80's. It was promising but not what the Army was looking for, it was pulled from the competition and found service elsewhere.
- CCV-L (Catalina Defense):
M15 Light Tank: Production version of the Allison Defense Corp CCV-L, it was armed with the M35 105mm L/52 Smoothbore Main Gun, a more mature and developed version of the XM8s XM35 Rifled. It was also fitted an Allison 8V Turbocharged V8.
- M15: designated Jaguar by Allison. During the pre-production run, Allison made 10 batches of 5 Light Tank groups each with a different 105mm to determine what would be the primary armament, many crews liked the M35, but also many of them were familiar with the M68. To streamline this process TACOM selected the M35 as the primary armament and contracted Rheinmetall to manufacture and develop the gun even further for future projects. An improved 8V series Diesel Engine was added as well as an improved HMPT-500-3 Transmission.
- M15 (120mm): A product Improvement of the Jaguar mounting the XM360 120mm Lightweight Smoothbore Main Gun, this was designed to test integration into the mantle and turret as well as ammunition storage of the 120mm rounds.
- M15-IP: Improved Production Model, Allison developed several uparmoring package levels to provide the Jaguar with varying levels of defense should the need arise in high intensity conflicts, Allison also updated the electronics and fire control, and new 2 plane stabilization for firing on the move.
- M15M: Export Variant of the Jaguar, Allison maintained the hull while taking the Vickers CCV-L prototype turret and mating it to the turret ring to develop an export tank, the Vickers turret made use of the Improved Weapon System.
- XM15 Cheetah Light Armored Recovery Vehicle: A light recovery vehicle based on the M15 hull, two 20 ton winches for towing/pulling and a 10 ton crane for pulling pack out of a Jaguar or other light tank.
- XM15 Light Armored Vehicle Launch Bridge: A light vehicle launch bridge, an MLC-40 Scissor Bridge is used in place of the original MLC-25 Bridge.
- XM15 Light Engineering Vehicle: A light engineering vehicle.
- XM15 LOSAT: Turret removed and replaced with a Light of Sight Anti-Tank Box Launcher module.
- XM15 Light Armored Self propelled Anti-Air Gun: An XM15 with turret removed and replaced with a SPAAG Turret mounting twin 35mm autocannons and a 6-tube Stinger Surface-to-Air Missile launcher, the LSPAAG has technology in it from the M1 Abrams Air-Ground Defense System
M15A1: Second Production, upgrades include a New German Fire Control System, Halon Fire Suppression in the fighting compartment and Engine Compartment, M35 was upgraded to M35A1 Standard and rated to fire High Pressure Ammunition, Level II (2) Armor as standard and an uprated Allison 8V Diesel Engine, bustle rack also added.
- M15A1-ODS: Jaguar Light Tanks modified for desert use outside of the Democratic Republic.
- M15A1-SEP: Based somewhat on the Abrams System Enhancement Package, the Jaguar SEP equips it with a dual A/C mounted in the bustle rack to keep crew and computers cool, software updates to core systems and new 2-plane gyrostabilization, commanders HMG also received stabilization.
M15A2: Third Production, coming in at 25.7 tons the M15A2 was the first Jaguar Light Tank to be armed with the XM360 120mm lightweight smoothbore as well as the Allison 10V, a compact V10 Diesel Engine delivering close to 1000 horsepower, a Renk Transmission was selected to cope with the additional stress after trials showed the HMPT-500-3 was being destroyed by the horsepower.
- M15A2
- M15A2L: Export Variant of the Jaguar, known as the Liger. The Liger is the only M15A2 Variant to revert back to the 105mm rifled gun and Vickers Turret. It is virtually identical to the standard M15A2, except the turret.

Operators[]

Democratic Republic of Tarakia - Tarakian Army Primary Operator of the M15 Jaguar Light Tank, received over 5,000 Light Tanks in all their variations.

[Unitary Parliamentary Constitutional Republic of Iceland] - [Crisis Response Unit] 5 M15A2L Liger Light Tanks are operated by the Icelandic Crisis Response Unit, in addition they also operate 3 M15 Light Engineering Vehicles and 1 M15 Light Armored Vehicle Launch Bridge.