OF-40

OF-40
Type	Main battle tank
Place of origin	Italy
Service history
In service	1981–Present
Used by	UAE
Production history
Designer	OTO Melara
Designed	1977
Manufacturer	OTO Melara/Fiat
Produced	1980–1985
Specifications
Weight	45.5 t (50.2 short tons)
Length	9.22 m (30.2 ft)
Width	3.51 m (11.5 ft)
Height	2.45 m (8.0 ft)
Crew	4
Main armament	1 x 105 mm (57 rounds: hull - 42, turret - 15)
Secondary armament	2 x 7.62mm machine guns (1 coaxial, 1 turrettop anti-aircraft)
Engine	MTU MB 838 Ca M500 V-10 830 PS (819 hp, 610 kW)
Power/weight	18.2 PS/tonne
Transmission	ZF
Suspension	Torsion bar
Ground clearance	0.44 m (1.4 ft)
Fuel capacity	1,000 l (260 US gal)
Operational range	600 km (370 mi)
Speed	60 km/h (37 mph)

The OF-40 is an Italian main battle tank developed as a joint venture between OTO Melara and Fiat, and intended primarily for export sales. OTO Melara would develop and produce the hulls, and automotive components would be provided by Fiat (the designation of the vehicle comes from the initials of the two companies, whereas "40" refers to the planned mass of the tank). Initial design work was started by OTO Melara in 1977, with the first prototypes ready by 1980.

Superficially, the OF-40 appears very similar to versions of the German Leopard 1 with welded turrets (Leopard 1A3 & 1A4). The OF-40 does share some common components with the Leopard 1, which had also been produced under license by OTO Melara since 1974. The OF-40 follows a conventional modern tank design. The driver is located in the front-right of the hull, with ammunition storage and NBC overpressure system located to the driver's left. The turret is located toward the middle of the tank, with the gunner and commander on the right side of the turret, and the loader on the left.

The armament consists of a 105 mm main gun with a rifled, 52-calibre barrel, developed by OTO Melara exclusively for this vehicle. The cannon is equipped with a thermal sleeve, fume extractor and a semi-automatic breech mechanism and is aimed in both vertical and horizontal axes with an electro-hydraulic drive system. The main gun however is not stabilized. The cannon uses NATO-standard 105 mm ammunition with APDS (1470 m/s muzzle velocity), HEAT (1170 m/s), HESH (730 m/s), incendiary and smoke rounds. Two 7.62 mm machine guns make up the secondary armament: an electrically fired coaxial machine gun slaved to the main cannon and a second gun on an anti-aircraft pintle installed next to the loader's hatch on the turret.

The tank uses an advanced fire-control system developed by Officine Galileo. The commander's station was outfitted with an independently stabilized VS 580-B panoramic day/night sight with an 8x magnification, co-developed with SFIM of France. The sight is housed in an armoured turret located in front of the commander's hatch. The tank gunner uses an 8x C125 telescopic sight to lay fire from the main cannon and coaxial MG. This sight is co-aligned with a Selenia VAQ-33 laser rangefinder which has an effective range from 400 to 10,000 m.