Stridsvagn Løve

The Stridsvagn Løve is a sannlig produced Main Battle Tank and one of the main armoured fighting vehicles of the Sannlig Land Forces. Producer of the Tank is Sannsystems AB, a state-owned arms manufacturer from Sannlibo. It comes in two variants, the Løve 1 and the Løve 2, which differentiate in their turret systems.

Development
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Design
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Løve 1


The Løve 1 is the original variant of the Løve, being first produced in 1979 and introduced into service in 1980, with the purpose to replace the aging Stridsvagn Leøpard of ringeriker origin. It is fitted with manually loaded gun, which initially has been a 105mm L/52 gun, which was replaced by a 110mm gun in 1986, with the introduction of the Løve 1A1 variant. With the Løve 1A4 Upgrade in 2009 the 127mm L/48 Rifled Gun was introduced and replaced the 110mm variant.

The most recent variant of the Løve 1 is the Løve 1A5, being fitted with an additional remote-controlled weapon station on top of the turret as well as a hard-kill active protection system.

In addition, the Løve 1 chassis serves as foundation for the several support variants of the Løve. Among them are the Ingeniørpanser 90 and Gjenopprettingpanser 90 armoured engineering and recovery verhicles, as well as the Brolagpanser 90 bridge-layer.


 * Løve 1 (Initial Variant):

The Løve 1 is the initial variant of the series, launched in 1980 and being produced until 1982.


 * Løve 1A1:


 * The Løve 1A1 incorporated several smaller improvements compared to the initial variant. Production began in 1982 and continued until 1985. Løve 1A1B1 is the name of all intial Løve 1 being retrofitted with the improvements of the Løve 1A1.


 * The Løve 1A1B2 was briefly procuded between spring 1985 and summer 1986, featuring some smaller enhancements compored to Løve 1A1 and Løve 1A1B1. All Løve 1A1 and Løve 1A1B1 were retrofitted with these enhancements 1986 onwards, according the sannlig nomanclature they were then called Løve 1A1B3.


 * Løve 1A2:


 * The Løve 1A2 entered production in 1986 and was produced until 1992. In opposite to the former variants, it featured a 110mm gun instead of the 105mm L/52 gun, and also accepted multiple other improvements, such as better BNC protection and a redesigned fire extinguishing system. The remaining vehicles of the older variants were upgraded to this standard and renamed to Løve 1A2B1.

Løve 2


The Løve 2 is a heavily upgraded variant of the Løve 1, replacing the latter in sannlig service. It was developed concurrently to the ringeriker Stridsvogn m/09 and features many similarities. Compared to Løve 1, the Løve 2 can be seen as a completely new vehicle, as both vehicles only share their belly. The turret of the Løve 2 has been completely redesigned, featuring an autoloader and thereby having a reduced crew. By that the vehicle is significantly lower and lighter in comparison to the Løve 1.

The Løve 2A1 is the most recent variant of the Løve 2, featuring a hard-kill APS as well as an additional RCWS on top of the turret.

Operators
 Sannlibo:
 * Sannlig Land Forces - 870 Strv. Løve are in service with the sannlig forces.