Stridsvagn Løve
| Stridsvagn Løve | |
|---|---|
 A Løve A6 on display | |
| Place of origin |
 Sannlibo |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1980 - Present |
| Used by |
Sannlibo  Kotama  Arlo |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Sannsystems AB |
| Designed | 1970 - 1979 |
| Manufacturer | Sannsystems AB |
| Produced | 1979 - Present |
| Specifications (Stridsvagn Løve) | |
| Weight | Løve A7: ~63 tonnes (~69 short tons) |
| Length |
Chassis: 7.93 m (26 ft) Overall: 9.97 metres (32.7 feet) |
| Width | 3.75 m (12.3 ft) |
| Height | 3.0 m (9.8 ft) |
| Crew | 4 (commander, driver, gunner, loader) |
|
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| Armor |
A6: 3rd generation composite; including high-hardness steel, tungsten and plastic filler with ceramic component. STANAG Level 6 equivalent |
Main armament | 3.75-Typeryn inch (123mm) L/40 or L/50 Rifled or Smooth Bore Gun |
Secondary armament | Løve A7 onwards: Sannsystens Natter RCWS with Sannsystems K20 20mm chain gun |
| Engine |
Hyger P/K1100V12 multi-fuel piston engine or Hyger T/K1100TS multi-fuel turbine engine 1110 kw (ca. 1500hp) |
| Transmission | Hyger DWL-T Series |
The Stridsvagn Løve is a sannlig produced Main Battle Tank and one of the main armoured fighting vehicles of the Sannlig Land Forces. Producer of the Tank is Sannsystems AB, a state-owned arms manufacturer from Sannlibo. The Løve is one of the last modern MBTs with manually loaded turrets, altough is has been the first with a caliber larger than 120mm. Yet the Løve remains one of the most versatile and modular main battle tanks, enabling foreign customers to fit their own equipment, and even different gun systems. Especially the exports to Arlo and Kotama show the possibilities of changes to the tanks design. Despite its original variants entering service in the 1980s, the Løve is projected to remain in service with the sannlig forces until 2040.
Development
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Design
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Variants
The Løve is the original variant of the Løve, being first produced in 1979 and introduced into service in 1980, with the purpose to replace the aging Stridsvagn Leøpard of ringeriker origin. It is fitted with manually loaded gun, which initially has been a 105mm L/52 gun, which was replaced by a 110mm gun in 1986, with the introduction of the Løve A2 variant. With the Løve A4 Upgrade in 2001 the 123mm L/48 Rifled Gun was introduced and replaced the 110mm variant.
The most recent variant of the Løve is the Løve A7, being fitted with an additional remote-controlled weapon station on top of the turret as well as a hard-kill active protection system.
In addition, the Løve chassis and hull serves as foundation for the several support variants of the Løve. Among the latter are the Ingeniørpanser 90 and Bergningspanser 90 armoured engineering and recovery verhicles, as well as the Brolagpanser 90 armoured bridge-laying vehicle and the Minerydpanser 90 armoured assault-breaching vehicle.
Sannlig Variants
Produced Variants
- Løve A0: The Løve A0 is the initial production variant of the series, being launched in 1979 and produced until 1982. Its main armament was the 105mm L/52 gun.
- Løve A1:
- The Løve A1 incorporated several smaller improvements compared to the initial variant. Production began in 1982 and continued until 1985. Løve A1B1 is the name of all intial Løve 1 being retrofitted with the improvements of the Løve 1A1.
- The Løve A1B2 was briefly procuded between spring 1985 and summer 1986, featuring some smaller enhancements compored to the Løve A1 and Løve A1B1. All Løve A1 and Løve A1B1 were retrofitted with these enhancements 1986 onwards, according the sannlig nomanclature they were then called Løve A1B3.
- Løve A2:
- The Løve A2 entered production in 1986 and was produced until 1992. In opposite to the former variants, it featured a 110mm gun instead of the 105mm L/52 gun, and also accepted multiple other improvements, such as better NBC protection and a redesigned fire extinguishing system. The remaining vehicles of the older variants were upgraded to this standard and renamed to Løve A2B1.
- Løve A3:
- The Løve A3 entered production in 1992 and was produced until 1996. It features a larger 123mm/L48 rifled gun of Tiperyn origin. By that the firepower of this vehicle was crucially enhanced. It also comes with an strengthened armor plating at the turret front and the hull. The Løve A2 which were produced between 1986 and 1992 were retrofitted with the new turret and then designated Løve A3B1.
- Løve A4:
- The Løve A4 was built by upgrading existing Løve A3 and Løve A3B1. It features a different turret shape, increased armor thickness as well as an even furtherly increased armor plating on the on the on the front hull, the turret frontal arc and the turret roof, by which the protection against direct hits was enhanced. It also features improved command-, control- and fire-control systems. The upgrades were performd between 1995 and 2002.
- Løve A5:
- The Løve A5 was a further upgrade of the Løve A4, by exchanging the rifled gun of of the Løve A4 with a 123mm/L48 smoothbore gun of the same caliber. The Løve A5 additionally features different smoke dispensers, an improved C4I-suite as well as a furtherly improved NBC-protection and air conditioning. Also the protection against mines and IEDS was enlarged. The vehicles were upgraded between 2002 and 2008.
- Løve A6:
- The Løve A6 is an upgraded variant of the Løve A5, featuring improved frontal protection, modular armor, an auxillary power unit, a new fire suppression system, a new crew-compartment cooling-system, a mobile camouflage system with heat-transfer reduction, an optimized onboard network, as well as an furtherly enhanced C4I environment. The Upgrades have been performed from 2014 to 2020.
- Løve A7:
- The Løve A7 is the newest variant, featuring a remote controlled weapon station instead of the turret mounted MG, a hardkill active protection system, as well as a fully digitalised C4I environment and a 360° protection kit against Mines, IEDs, RPGs and ATGMs. Newly built pieces are being delivered since 2023, while serveral older systems are already being upgraded to this variant since 2019 and and are now designated A7B1.
Export Variants
- NME Maja - ꞩ/ꝁ5Aa2:
- The NME Maja - ꞩ/ꝁ5Aa2 is a modernized and license built version of the Løve A2 produced by Nyaste Motor And Electronics, entering service with the Kotamic Royal Army in 1987.
- VCO-14 Lobo
- The VCO-14 Lobo, known to Sannsystems Stridsvagn Løve-AR, are a series of variants of Løve that feature Arlin modifications. The first Lobos were all Løve A4s ordered from Sannling stocks and delivered from 2013 onwards. They primarily modified with explosive reactive armor during the Cordova Crisis the following year. The first newly built versions of the Lobo were based on the Løve A6 and designated VCO-14A1 in Arlin service. They were the first tanks in Arlin service to mount the new Sannsystems K125 125mm L/51 smoothbore cannon specifically designed for the Løve series of tanks. The fire control system was additionally replaced with a Marre equivalent better able to make use of the gun. The second and most modern version of the Lobo is the VCO-14A2, which features new mine protection and many of the older electronics were replaced with more modern counterparts used on the Løve A7. The original Lobo's were delivered between 2013 to 2016, with the tanks entering service in 2014 and seeing combat the following year. The first A1s were ordered in 2015 and delivered between 2017 and 2021, with service entry in mid-2018. The A2s were ordered in 2017 and deliveries ran from 2019 to 2023 with service entry in 2020. The ALVB and ARV variants of the tank were delivered starting in 2019 and entered service in 2020 and were converted from Løve A4s delivered to Arlo several years earlier. 8 Combat Engineering/Armored Breaching Vehicles are on order as of 2025.
Support Variants
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Operators
- Sannlig Land Forces - 140 Strv. Løve A6 and A7 are in service with the sannlig forces.
- Imperial Army - 620 Strv. Løve A4 are in service with the Imperial Army.