Strv L-60

Strv L-60
Stridsvagn m/40K at the Hässlehoms Museum, Sweden
Type	Light tank
Place of origin	Sweden
Service history
In service	1935 – 2002
Used by	Sweden Kingdom of Hungary Ireland Dominican Republic
Wars	World War II Dominican Civil War
Production history
Designer	Otto Merker
Designed	1934
Manufacturer	AB Landsverk
Variants	L-60A L-60B L-60C L-60D Toldi
Specifications (Irish Landsverk L60 Light Tank)
Weight	8.5 t (8.4 long tons; 9.4 short tons) (laden)
Length	4.8 m (15.7 ft)
Width	2.075 m (6 ft 9.7 in)
Height	2.05 m (6 ft 9 in)
Crew	3
Armor	5–15 mm (0.20–0.59 in)
Main armament	Madsen 20mm Cannon
Secondary armament	7.92 mm Madsen machine gun
Engine	Bussing-Nag V8 cylinder 7.9 litres 150-160 bhp at 2500-2700 rpm
Suspension	Torsion-bar suspension
Operational range	270 km (170 mi)
Speed	45 km/h (28 mph)

Stridsvagn L-60 (Strv L-60), also known as Landsverk L-60, was a Swedish tank developed in 1934. It was developed by AB Landsverk as a light tank which included several advanced design features such as torsion bar suspension, periscopes rather than view slits and all-welded construction.

The L-60 was progressively improved and four variants were created: L-60A, L-60B, L-60C (37mm gun), L-60D (new turret and 37mm gun and twin machine guns). The L-60 eventually evolved into the Stridsvagn m/38 and subsequent Stridsvagn m/39 and Stridsvagn m/40 and was adopted by the Swedish army as such.

The L-60 was built under license by the Hungarian Weiss Company for the Hungarian army. It was adopted by the Hungarian army as the Toldi.

The first Irish Landsverk L60 was delivered in 1935 and joined Ireland's only other tank a Vickers Mk. D in the 2nd Armoured Squadron. The second Landsverk L60 arrived in 1936. The Landsverk's were still in use up until the late 1960s. One L60 is preserved in running order and the other is in the National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks, Dublin.

Twenty were sold to the Dominican Republic army in 1956, having been refurbished and designated L/60L. In the Dominican Civil War in April 1965, these tanks saw use against invading American forces during “Operation Power Pack”. Three of the Dominican L/60Ls were destroyed: one by a US Army M40 recoilless rifle team of the 82nd Airborne Division, and the other two respectively by a M50 Ontos and a M48 Patton of a US Marine Corps armor detachment of the 6th MEU. This 29 April 1965 battle was one of the very few tank-vs-tank battles to ever happen in the Western Hemisphere. After “Power Pack” ended, the United States assisted the Dominican Republic in rebuilding its army and twelve of the original twenty L/60Ls were again refurbished and restored to service. These dozen continued in frontline use until 2002. Today one is preserved in excellent, drivable condition as a historical icon by the Dominican Republic army.