From the Vault: The Gas Turbine and the S-Tank

When most people think of a gas turbine in a tank, they probably think of the M1 Abrams or maybe the Soviet T-80.  However, the first MBT to utilize a gas turbine was the rather unusual Swedish “S-Tank” STRV 103.   The S-Tank was the most unusual design of its day and its engine layout was unusual as well.  Rather than have a single engine, the S-Tank had two, a 490 HP gas turbine and a 240 HP diesel.  The tank could be run on just the diesel engine when stationary or moving at low speed, when moving at full speed both engines were engaged for a maximum power of 730 HP.  This article from the March-April 1973 issue of ARMOR details the design of the S-Tank layout.  The article author is Sven Berge, the Swedish engineer chiefly responsible for the S-Tank design.