| Ramses II | |
| Type: | Main battle tank |
| Is Vehicle: | no |
| Service: | 2005–present |
| Wars: | Egyptian Crisis |
| Designer: | Chrysler Defense |
| Number: | +425 |
| Length: | Hull length: 7.05 m, With gun 9.60 m |
| Width: | 3.42 m |
| Height: | 2.40 m |
| Origin: | Sowjetunion / modernized from United States / Egypt |
| Used By: | Egypt |
| Design Date: | 1990s |
| Production Date: | 2004–2005 |
| Weight: | 48 tons |
| Crew: | 4 (commander, gunner, loader, driver) |
| Armour: | Active/Passive |
| Primary Armament: | 105 mm M68 rifled cannon |
| Secondary Armament: | 1 × 7.62 mm SGMT medium coaxial machine gun, 1 × .50-caliber (12.7 mm) M2HB heavy machine gun |
| Engine: | TCM AVDS-1790-5A turbocharged diesel developing 908 hp |
| Pw Ratio: | 18 hp/tonne |
| Transmission: | Renk RK-304 with 4 fwd and 4 rev |
| Fuel Capacity: | 1,312 liters |
| Vehicle Range: | 530 km |
| Suspension: | General Dynamics Land Systems Model 2880 in-arm hydropneumatic |
| Speed: | Road: 69 km/h, Off-road: 42 km/h |
The Ramses II tank is a heavily modernized T-55 main battle tank designed for and used by the Egyptian Armed Forces. A single T-54 was sent to the United States for upgrading. A primary prototype was sent to Egypt where extensive trials were completed in late 1987. The tank finally entered production in 2004–2005. A total of 425 units have been produced. The tank was originally called the T-54E ("E" stands for "Egyptian").
At early stages, the upgrade was concerned with the firepower and mobility of the tank solely, while latter stages included the improvement of the level of protection as well. The tank's hull was modified to accommodate the new engine which had a great commonality with the one used by the M60A3 (the most numerous main battle tank in active Egyptian service), as a result an additional road wheel was added. The tank is armed with the same main gun used by Egyptian M60A3's, in addition to a sophisticated fire control system.
In November 1984, Teledyne Continental Motors (taken over by General Dynamics Land Systems) of the USA was awarded a contract to upgrade the firepower and mobility of a single T-54 tank. This was originally called the T-54E but was subsequently renamed Ramses II. The first prototype of the Ramses II was sent to Egypt for extensive firepower and mobility trials in January 1987 and these were completed in late 1987. Late in 1989, Egypt signed a technical assistance agreement with TCM to support the continued Egyptian testing of the Ramses II, with testing commencing in the summer of 1990. The tank finally entered production/conversion in 2004–2005 with 260 units so far modified from the stock of the T-54 available in the Egyptian Army arsenal.[1]
Several upgrades and modifications were introduced, which resulted in an increase in the weight of the tank from 40 to 48 tons.
A SABCA Titan Mk I laser fire-control system has been installed which includes:
The hull section has been modified to accommodate the new power pack, consisting of: