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TAMSE VCA 155 (Vehiculo de Combate de Artilleria de 155mm)


Self-Propelled Gun (SPG) Vehicle [ 1995 ]



The Argentina Army TAMSE VCA 155 was completed with help from the German concern of Thyssen-Henschel and features the turret of the Italian Palmaria SPG.



Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 05/26/2017 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site.

GO TO SPECIFICATIONS [+]
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In the 1970s, the Argentine government charged the German concern of Thyssen-Henschel (now Rheinmetall Landsysteme) with development of a modern standardized tracked vehicle chassis based on the Marder Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV) of the German Army. The result were two headline products made up of the TAM combat tank and VCTP IFV. From this were born several other limited production variants including the VCA 155 (Vehiculo de Combate de Artilleria de 155mm = "155mm Artillery Combat Vehicle").

The VCA 155 mated the turret and main gun armament of the Italian OTO-Melara Palmaria 155mm Self-Propelled Vehicle with the chassis of the TAM Medium Tank. To accommodate the turret, the hull of the TAM was lengthened and an additional set of road wheels was added. The hull sides were vertical as opposed to slightly sloped as in the TAM/VCTP and the rear hull facing was sloped inwards. The main gun and integrated recoil/mounting system was housed within a boxy turret superstructure with commander's cupola, crew hatch, turret bustle and communications antenna. The main gun featured a fume extractor at its midway point and a double-baffled muzzle brake. Turret internal volume allowed for 23 to be carried in the turret and a total of 28 x 155mm projectiles overall. The turret also showcased eight smoke grenade dischargers in two banks of four fitted to either frontal side. The running gear remained largely the same with the exception of the added road wheel pairs and an additional track return roller to compensate for the lengthening. The drive sprocket is at the front with the track idler at the rear. The engine retains a front-right mounted installation forcing the driver to front-left in the hull. A group of four or five personnel (including the commander, gunner and ammunition handlers) make up the turret crew. An optional machine gun can be fitted to the turret roof for self defense against infantry or low-flying aircraft.©MilitaryFactory.com
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All told, the VCA 155 displaced at 44 tons, featured an operational road range of 320 miles and a maximum road speed of 34 miles per hour. Commonality of parts has proven a bonus and the far-reaching firepower of the Italian 155mm main gun is proven. By all accounts, the VCA 155 is comparable to other global SPGs in use - led primarily by the ubiquitous American M109 Paladin series.

Production of VCA 155 vehicles was handled by TAMSE of Buenos Aires and was to total 25 units. However, budgetary constraints have limited procurement to 19 units beginning in 1995 and the TAMSE line was stopped thereafter.©MilitaryFactory.com
Note: The above text is EXCLUSIVE to the site www.MilitaryFactory.com. It is the product of many hours of research and work made possible with the help of contributors, veterans, insiders, and topic specialists. If you happen upon this text anywhere else on the internet or in print, please let us know at MilitaryFactory AT gmail DOT com so that we may take appropriate action against the offender / offending site and continue to protect this original work.
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Specifications



Service Year
1995

Origin
Argentina national flag graphic
Argentina

Crew
6
CREWMEN
Production
19
UNITS


Thyssen-Henschel (Rheinmetall Landsysteme) - Germany / TAMSE - Argentina
(View other Vehicle-Related Manufacturers)
National flag of Argentina Argentina
(OPERATORS list includes past, present, and future operators when applicable)
Fire Support / Assault / Breaching
Support allied forces through direct / in-direct fire, assault forward positions, and / or breach fortified areas of the battlefield.


Length
32.8 ft
10 m
Width
10.8 ft
3.3 m
Height
9.2 ft
2.8 m
Weight
97,003 lb
44,000 kg
Tonnage
48.5 tons
MEDIUM
(Showcased structural values pertain to the base TAMSE VCA 155 (Vehiculo de Combate de Artilleria de 155mm) production variant. Length typically includes main gun in forward position if applicable to the design)
Powerplant: 1 x MTU MB 833 Ka 500 supercharged 6-cylinder diesel engine developing 720 horsepower at 2,400rpm.
Speed
34.2 mph
(55.0 kph)
Range
326.2 mi
(525.0 km)
(Showcased performance specifications pertain to the base TAMSE VCA 155 (Vehiculo de Combate de Artilleria de 155mm) production variant. Compare this entry against any other in our database)
1 x 155mm main gun
1 x 7.62mm anti-infantry/anti-aircraft OR 1 x 12.7mm heavy anti-aircraft machine gun on turret roof (optional).


Supported Types


Graphical image of a tank cannon armament
Graphical image of a tank medium machine gun
Graphical image of a tank heavy machine gun


(Not all weapon types may be represented in the showcase above)
28 x 155mm projectile
500 x 12.7mm ammunition (estimated)
1,000 x 7.62mm ammunition (estimated)


TAMSE VCA 155 (Vehiculo de Combate de Artilleria de 155mm) - Base Series Designation


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Images Gallery



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Image of the TAMSE VCA 155 (Vehiculo de Combate de Artilleria de 155mm)
Image released to the Public Domain by Wikipedia user Joaqu?n Alvarez Riera, 2008


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