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 1A2 variant. With the Løve 1A5 Upgrade in 2001 the 127mm L/48 Rifled Gun was introduced and replaced the 110mm variant.

The most recent variant of the Løve 1 is the Løve 1A7, being fitted with an additional remote-controlled weapon station on top of the turret as well as a hard-kill active protection system. Although, like the Løve 1A6, it has never been introduced with the sannlig forces, it is still built and offered on the market by Sannsystems, even though as a private venture.

In addition, the Løve 1 chassis and hull serves as foundation for both, the Løve 2 as well as the several support variants of the Løve. Among the latter are the Ingeniørpanser 90 and Gjenopprettingpanser 90 armoured engineering and recovery verhicles, as well as the Brolagpanser 90 armoured bridge-laying vehicle.


 * Løve 1A0: The Løve 1A0 is the initial production variant of the series, being launched in 1979 and produced until 1982. Its main armament was the 105mm L/52 gun.
 * 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 the 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 NBC 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 1A3:
 * The Løve 1A3 entered production in 1992 and was produced until 1996. It features a different turret shape, which is to enhance the protection against direct hits. It also comes with an strengthened armor plating at the turret front and the hull. The Løve 1A2 which were produced between 1986 and 1992 were retrofitted with the new turret and then designated Løve 1A3B1.
 * Løve 1A4:
 * The Løve 1A4 was built by upgrading existing Løve 1A3 and Løve 1A3B1. It features a larger armor thickness as well as an even furtherly increased armor plating on the on the on the front hull, the turret frontal arc and the turret roof. It also features improved command-, control- and fire-control systems. The upgrades were perfomerd between 1995 and 2002.
 * Løve 1A5:
 * The Løve 1A5 was a further upgrade of the Løve 1A4, by initially upgrading the third batch of of the Løve 1A4 with a larger 127mm/L48 rifled gun of Tiperyn origin. By that the firepower of this vehicle was crucially enhanced. The Løve 1A5 additionally features different smoke dispensers, an improved C4I-suite as well as a furtherly improved NBC-protection and air conditioning. Also the protection against mines and IEDS was enlarged. A corps equivalent was upgraded between 2002 and 2008 while the rest of these vehicles was retired from service and mostly sold to foreign militaries.
 * Løve 1A6:
 * The Løve 1A6 is an upgraded variant of the Løve 1A5, featuring improved frontal protection, modular armor, an auxillary power unit, a new fire suppression system, a new crew-compartment cooling-system, a mobile camouflage system with heat-transfer reduction, an optimized onboard network, as well as an enhanced C4I environment. The Upgrades have been performerd from 2014 to 2020.
 * Løve 1A7:
 * The Løve 1A7 is a planned variant, featuring a remote controlled weapon station instead of the turret mounted MG, a hardkill active protection system, as well as a fully digitalised C4I environment and a 360° protection kit against Mines, IEDs, RPGs and ATGMs. The upgrade will be performed from 2024 onwards.

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.