Patagón (tank)
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The "Patagón" tank is a
light tank A light tank is a tank variant initially designed for rapid movements in and out of combat, to outmaneuver heavier tanks. It is smaller in size with thinner armor and a less powerful main gun, tailored for better tactical mobility and ease of ...
developed in
Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
during the early 2000s, that was expected to enter service with the
Argentine Army The Argentine Army ( es, Ejército Argentino, EA) is the land force branch of the Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic and the senior military service of Argentina. Under the Argentine Constitution, the president of Argentina is the commander- ...
. It is based on a SK-105 Kürassier chassis with a refurbished AMX-13 turret. The project was cancelled in late 2008 after five tanks were converted.


Development

In 2003 the Argentine Army defined goals for increasing its capabilities, among them nationalizing the manufacturing of its equipment; the VC SK-105 "Patagón" tank upgrade project was part of that effort. It was planned to convert and upgrade up to 40 vehicles at an expected cost of USD 23,4 million in the period 2005-2009; these vehicles were going to be assembled in
Comodoro Rivadavia Comodoro Rivadavia () is a city in the Patagonian province of Chubut in southern Argentina, located on the San Jorge Gulf, an inlet of the Atlantic Ocean, at the foot of the Chenque Hill. Comodoro Rivadavia is the most important city of the San ...
and provided to the army units based in the Patagonia. The vehicle is composed of a SK-105 Kürassier chassis which mounts a refurbished FL-12 oscillating turret armed with a 105 mm gun, obtained from obsolete AMX-13 tanks. Both vehicles were in service with the Argentine Army in the early 2000s. Most of the Patagón technical specifications are similar to the SK-105. The Patagón prototype was unveiled on 22 November 2005; however the project was cancelled in late 2008, as it was considered uneconomical.


Production

As of late 2014 four units have been completed, in addition to the prototype unveiled in 2005.


Operators

*
Argentine Army The Argentine Army ( es, Ejército Argentino, EA) is the land force branch of the Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic and the senior military service of Argentina. Under the Argentine Constitution, the president of Argentina is the commander- ...
The Military Balance 2010; Page 175.


See also

*
Nahuel DL 43 The Nahuel DL-43 tank was a medium tank developed in Argentina during World War II. It was the Argentine equivalent of the M4 Sherman and the M3 Grant American medium tanks. Design The designer was Lt. Colonel Alfredo Baisi. The word ''Nahuel ...
– Medium tank developed by Argentina during the Second World War. *
Tanque Argentino Mediano The ''Tanque Argentino Mediano'' (TAM; English: ''Argentine Medium Tank'') is a medium tank in service with the Argentine Army. Lacking the experience and resources to design a tank, the Argentine Ministry of Defense contracted German company T ...
- Medium tank developed by Argentina during the 1970s, in use by the Argentine Army since the early 1980s.


Footnotes


References


Notes


Sources

;Online
''Patagón: el tanque de fabricación argentina que fue presentado ayer'' - DERF Agencia Federal de Noticias, November 2005
Online article about the unveiling of the Patagón prototype
''Argentine Army tank assembly plant in Comodoro'' - MercoPress, November 2005
Online article about the unveiling of the Patagón prototype and production plans in Comodoro Rivadavia

Online article about the cancellation of the Patagón project ;Bibliographical *


Further reading

*

''(accessed 2014-12-29)''


External links


News of prototype unveiling - Argentine Army official website, November 2005

of prototype unveiling – Argentine Army official website, November 2005
{{DEFAULTSORT:Patagon (tank) Post–Cold War light tanks Military vehicles introduced in the 2000s Vehicles introduced in 2005 Tanks of Argentina Tanks with autoloaders