Cruzadore III
| VEPRES 133 Cruzadore III | |
|---|---|
 A Cruzadore III in Tuxtla Martínez, May 2012. | |
| Type | Main battle tank |
| Place of origin |  Creeperopolis |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1998–present |
| Used by |
|
| Wars | Creeperian Conflicts
Desert War CODECO intervention in Sequoyah Dubătemir Regional Insurgency OU intervention in Ajakanistan |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Venancio López Requena |
| Designed | 1992–1997 |
| Manufacturer | Zaldívar Vehicle Company |
| Unit cost | ₡95,046,000 colóns[note 1] |
| Produced | 1998–present |
| No. built | 2,080 |
| Variants | 133/1, 133/2 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 69.4 tons |
| Length | 25.7 pi (25.3 ft, 7.7 m) |
| Width | 13.2 pi (12.1 ft, 3.7 m) |
| Height | 10.7 pi (9.8 ft, 3.0 m) |
| Crew | 4 |
| Armor | Composite armor |
Main armament | 120 mm FEA-133 gun |
Secondary armament | |
| Engine | RR133 12-cylinder diesel 1,500 PS (1,500 hp) at 2,600 rpm |
| Power/weight | 23.8 PS/t (17.5 kW/t) |
| Transmission | ZEV C133 |
| Suspension | Torsion bar |
| Fuel capacity | 280 gallons |
Operational range | 360 ml (310 mi, 500 km) |
| Speed | 60 mch (50 mph, 80 kmh) |
The Cruzadore III (Creeperian: Ծրփզադորե ԻԻԻ, literally translated as the "Crusader III"), officially designated as the VEPRES 133 Cruzadore III (ՎԵՊՐԵՍ 133 Ծրփզադորե ԻԻԻ),[note 2] is a Creeperian-manufactured main battle tank. The tank has been produced by the Zaldívar Vehicle Company (ZEV) since 1998. It was designed by Field Marshal Venancio López Requena during the 1990s to replace the aging Cruzadore II main battle tank which had been in service since 1952.
Two variants of the Cruzadore III have been manufactured: the 133/1, 133/2, and 133/E. The 133/1 and 133/2 variants are only distinguished by the type of machine guns which are equipped on the tank. The 133/1 is armed with two Figueroa-33 7.62 mm medium machine guns while the 133/2 is armed with two Figueroa-35 7.62 mm medium machine guns. It has a crew of four, including a commander, a gunner, a loader, and a driver; the commander and the driver operate the tank's two machine guns.
As of 2023, a total of 2,080 Cruzadore III main battle tanks have been produced. It is currently operated by the Creeperian Army and by the armies of six foreign nations: El Salvador, Gjorka, New Gandor, Noundures, Pavulturilor, and Rakhman.
Contents
History
In the 1990s, the Creeperian Army had been using the Cruzadore II main battle tank since 1952. Many soldiers and junior military officers considered the tank to be too antiquated, especially as the technology dated back to the Creeperian Civil War era (1933–1949) and no new Cruzadore II tanks had been produced since 1978, and made requests to more senior military officers to look into a suitable replacement for the Cruzadore II. In February 1992, Field Marshal Venancio López Requena, who commanded the I Army Corps, officially placed an order to the Zaldívar Vehicle Company (ZEV) to develop a new tank for the Creeperian Army.
Operators
| Nation | Operator | In service | 133/1 | 133/2 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Creeperopolis
|
 Creeperian Army
|
1998–present | 522 | 798 | 1,320 | |
 El Salvador
|
 Salvadoran Army
|
2005–present | 4 | 5 | 19 | |
 Gjorka
|
 Gjorkan Ground Forces
|
2008–present | 20 | 20 | ||
 New Gandor
|
 New Gandorian Army
|
2004–present | 10 | 10 | 20 | |
 Noundures
|
 Free Noundurian Army
|
2023–present | 1 | 1 | ||
 Pavulturilor
|
 Pavulturilori Army
|
2016–present | 340 | 340 | ||
 Rakhman
|
Rakhmani Army
|
2006–present | 120 | 150 | 270 | |
| Total | 1,117 | 963 | 2,080 | |||
Specifications
General characteristics
- Crew: 4 (commander, gunner, loader, driver)
- Engine: RR133 12-cylinder twin-turbocharged diesel engine
- Displacement: Bore × stroke: 170 × 175 mm, 47,666 cm3 displacement
- Fuel capacity: 280 gal (1273 l)
- Transmission: Hydro-mechanical control, reversing and steering gear ZEV C133 with combined hydrodynamic-mechanical service brake, 4 forward, 2 reverse
- Suspension system: Torsion bar spring mounted support roller drive with hydraulic dampers
Dimensions
- Length (turret forward): 25.7 pi (25.3 ft, 7.7 m)
- Width: 13.2 pi (12.1 ft, 3.7 m)
- Height: 10.7 pi (9.8 ft, 3.0 m)
- Ground clearance: 2.0 pi (1.8 ft, 0.54 m)
- Wading depth without preparation: 4.3 pi (3.9 ft, 1.2 m)
- Wading depth with snorkel: 14.3 pi (13.1 ft, 4 m)
- Trench passability: 10.7 pi (9.8 ft, 3 m)
- Climbing ability: 3.9 pi (3.6 ft, 1.1 m)
- Empty weight: 60.2 tons
- Combat weight: 69.4 tons
- Turret weight: 16 tons
Performance
- Maximum speed: 60 mch (50 mph, 80 kmh)
- Operating range:
- Road: 360 ml (310 mi, 500 km)
- Terrain: 240 ml (210 mi, 340 km)
- Average: 300 ml (260 mi, 420 km)
- Power output: 1,500 PS (1,500 hp; 1,103 kW), rpm: 2,600/min
- Torque output: 4,700 Nm (3,466 lb·ft), rpm: 1,600–1,700/min
- Rotation time (360°): 10 seconds
- Turret rotation time (360°): 9 seconds
Armament
- Primary armament: Figueroa 120 mm smoothbore gun FEA-133
- Secondary armament: 2 machine guns
- 133/1: 2 × Figueroa 7.62 mm medium machine gun FEA-33s
- 133/2 2 × Figueroa 7.62 mm medium machine gun FEA-35s
See also
Notes
- ↑ Approximately ₵11,880,750 credits.
- ↑ Creeperian pronunciation: [βeˈpres ˈsien.to ˈtrein.ta-i tres cru.zaˈðo.ɾe tres].
