MT-55

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

MT-55 armoured bridgelayer
MT-55 at the Bundeswehrmuseum Dresden
Type	Armoured vehicle-launched bridge
Place of origin	Soviet Union
Specifications
Weight	36.0 tonnes
Length	9,880 mm (with span)
Width	3,300 mm (with span)
Height	3,350 mm (with span)
Crew	2 (commander, driver)

Engine	Model V-54 or V-55 12-cyl. 38.88 liter water-cooled diesel 520 hp (390 kW)
Power/weight	14 hp/tonne
Suspension	Torsion bar
Operational range	750 km (On roads), 500 km (Off-road)
Speed	50 km/h

The MT-55 (Russian: Танковый мостоукладчик, or tankovyy mostoukladchik) is an armoured vehicle-launched bridge (AVLB) tank manufactured by the Soviet Union,^[1] based on T-55 medium tank chassis, with the turret detached and replaced by a special bridge launching equipment.^[2]

1 Design and development
2 In service
3 Variants
4 Operators
5 See also
6 References
7 External links

[edit] Design and development

The transformed T-55 chassis differs only by the arrangement of the compartments in the hull. The bridge tank is proposed for an easy and swift crossing of antitank barriers (trenches) and other obstacles with the purpose of facilitating the passage of mechanised and tank units.^[2]

The bridge initiating equipment is controlled by a system of hydraulic cylinders; the allocation of hydraulic oil can be controlled both manually by mechanical levers and automatically. The pressure of the liquid is provided by high-pressure piston pumps motorized by the tank engine. All mechanisms of the MT-55 used for laying and recovering of the bridge can be controlled by the crew from the inside of the tank, with hatch covers closed.^[2]^[3]

To begin the launching process, the vehicle stops short of the gap; then, the bridge swings ahead and down while its two sections open like scissors.^[2] The MT-55 span is 18 meters long and can hold up loads up to 50 tons. Later Czechoslovakians modified their MT-55s with gap measuring mechanism and infrared equipment for bridge laying at darkness and named those as MT-55A (Mostní tank).^[4]

[edit] In service

Sri Lanka: In 2000 Sri Lanka Army brought eight MT-55A AVLBs from Czech Republic along with 40 T-55AM2 tanks, 16 VT-55 recovery vehicles, three mobile workshop vehicles, and 12 Tatra T815 tank transporters and several RM-70 122 mm multiple rocket launchers.^[5]

Israel: Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) were able to capture some small number of MT-55s from their Arab counterparts and used by the IDF with some small modifications.^[6] Most of these were captured on the Southern front (Gaza Strip and Sinai Peninsula) of Six day war.

[edit] Variants

MT-55A - Czechoslovakian redesigned version MT-55^[4]
MT-55K - Improved version of the MT-55A^[4]
MT-55L - Version capable of using longer version of the MT-55K bridge^[4]

[edit] Operators

MT-55 bridgelayer in Yad La-Shiryon Museum, Israel.

MT-55A of Serbian Army.

MT-55A of Slovenian Army.

Country	Model	Sources
Czech Republic	MT-55A	^[3]
Egypt	MT-55	^[7]
Georgia	MT-55	^[8]
North Korea	MT-55	^[9]
Russia	MT-55	^[8]
Serbia	MT-55A	^[10]
Slovakia	MT-55A	^[11]
Sri Lanka	MT-55A	^[5]
Syria	MT-55	^[12]