Stridsvagn 122

Externally, the vehicle is distinguished from the Leopard 2A5 by the French GALIX smoke dispensers, different storage bins, and the thicker crew hatches.

Stridsvagn 122
Type	Main battle tank
Place of origin	Sweden/Germany
Service history
In service	1997–present
Used by	Swedish Army Ukrainian Army
Wars	Russian invasion of Ukraine
Production history
Manufacturer	Krauss-Maffei Wegmann: 29 chassis Land Systems Hägglunds AB: 91 chassis
Unit cost	US$5.74 million (FY 1994) (~$11.9 million FY 2023)
Produced	1994–2002
No. built	120
Variants	Strv 122A (110 chassis) Strv 122B (10 chassis)
Specifications
Mass	62.5 tonnes (61.5 long tons; 68.9 short tons)
Length	9.97 m (32 ft 9 in) (gun forward)
Width	3.75 m (12 ft 4 in)
Height	3.0 m (9 ft 10 in)
Crew	4
Armour	3rd generation composite; including high-hardness steel, tungsten and plastic filler with ceramic component.
Main armament	1 x 120 mm Rheinmetall L44 smoothbore tank gun 42 rounds
Secondary armament	2 x 7.62×51mm NATO Ksp m/94 machine gun 4,750 rounds 4 x 2 GALIX smoke grenade launchers
Engine	MTU MB 873 Ka-501 liquid-cooled V-12 Twin-turbo diesel engine 1,500 PS (1,479 hp, 1,103 kW) at 2,600 rpm
Power/weight	24.19 PS/t (17.79 kW/t)
Transmission	Renk HSWL 354
Suspension	Torsion-bar suspension
Ground clearance	540 mm
Fuel capacity	1,200 liters (317 US gallons; 264 imp. gal)
Operational range	550 km (340 mi) (internal fuel)
Maximum speed	68 km/h (42 mph)

After the strv 2000 project for a new Swedish main battle tank (for service after the year 2000) was dismissed, the Swedish government decided in 1991 that a foreign main battle tank was to be procured to replace the strv 101, 102, 103 and 104 in service at the time. During the project "Strv Ny", three tank models were sent to Sweden to participate in trials: the American M1A2 Abrams, the German Leopard 2 Improved, and a prototype variant of the French Leclerc.

 

The trials concluded with the Leopard 2 approved as the winner and the M1A2 in second place. The shortcomings of the Leclerc were partly attributed to it still being in the development phase and not yet mature for service. In 1994 the Swedish government decided to acquire 120 new production tanks and 160 older Leopard 2A4s as a stopgap before the newer tanks were finished. The Leopard 2A4 in Swedish service became designated strv 121 while the new production became the strv 122. Of the 120 strv 122, 29 were manufactured by Krauss-Maffei Wegmann while the other 91 were manufactured by Bofors and Hägglunds.

The Leopard PT A's width of 3.75 meters was maintained and the weight increased by 350 kilograms (770 lb).

The stridsvagn 122 was designed to fight in Swedish conditions including heavily forested areas as well as urban terrain. The designation derives from the 12 cm gun; it was the second tank in Swedish service featuring this calibre (the first being the strv 121 — a Leopard 2A4 fitted with Swedish lights and radios and painted in Swedish camouflage). Strv 122 needed to overcome the perceived flaws of the original German tank, and features the following:

• Heavily reinforced armour to protect against man-portable anti-tank weapons.
• An advanced CBRN defence system for protection against chemical, biological, and radioactive weapons.
• Wading capability to pass through water up to 1.4 meters deep.
• Quick ability to discover, identify, and lock-on a target with the assistance of a laser rangefinder, thermographic camera, and a speed/distance/accuracy calculator for maximum accuracy.
• Ability to lock-on to numerous targets at once, enabling the tank to fight numerous enemy vehicles without having to manually re-aim the gun after every shot.
• Active communication for improved cooperation between units.
• Tank Command & Control System (TCCS) by Celsius Tech Systems AB.

As of 2013, 42 of these tanks remained in active service. Most of the leased 160 Leopard 2 A4s (local designation strv 121) were being returned to Germany. The active tanks are divided between three companies, two at P 4, Skövde and one at I 19, Boden. In 2015, the Swedish government decided that another tank company should be established at the P 18 regiment on the island of Gotland. This company was to be trained at P 4 and transferred to P 18 in 2019.

In 2016, Sweden ordered new upgrades for the strv 122 from Krauss-Maffei, with planned delivery between 2018 and 2023. Apart from routine renovation, the Stridsledningssystem Bataljon (a tactical battalion command system from SAAB), a new observation/gun sight (TIM) for the commander, and new communication systems for international missions, were to be added. A modular 360° ballistic protection system was originally planned but not implemented. This new upgraded version is designated strv 122C if the upgraded vehicle was originally a 122A variant, or strv 122D if it was an Strv 122B.

On 24 February 2023 the Swedish government announced that it would send 10 strv 122A to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Strv 123A

In October 2023 the FMV announced that a total of 44 Stridsvagn 122 will be upgraded to the Strv 123A standard. Modifications include the more powerful L/55 gun, new tracks, improved optics for the commander and gunner, and a night sight for the driver. Most of the electronics will also be replaced which will bring the tanks closer in line with more modern Leopard 2 variants. The first Strv 123A tank is to be delivered in 2026.

The contract also includes the option of modernising all of the Swedish army's Strv 122 main battle tanks.

• Strv 122A – Baseline variant. Entered service in 1997.
• Strv 122B – Variant with improved mine protection; modification of existing Strv 122A models in 2002.
• Strv 122B Int. – Modified for international deployments in warmer climates. Command & Control Systems were made NATO-compatible. Barracuda camouflage nets that damp the infrared signature were applied.
• Strv 122C – Renovated strv 122A with updated Command & Control systems by FMV's FSV Mv division and KMW.
• Strv 122D – Renovated strv 122B with updated Command & Control systems by FMV's FSV Mv division and KMW.
• Strv 122B+ Evolution – Prototype made by IBD and Åkers Krutbruk Protection AB in 2010. Increased protection levels using more advanced composite materials.
• Strv 123A – Upgraded variant with L/55 gun, programmable ammunition, new driver's night sight and improved optics. First delivery expected in 2026.

On 24 September 2023, during the Zaporizhzhia counteroffensive in the Russian invasion of Ukraine, two Ukrainian Stridsvagn 122 tanks were lost in combat. However, one of them was recovered shortly after, repaired, and later inspected by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

On 30 October 2023, a Stridsvagn 122 tank was knocked out by a Russian heavy anti-tank missile. The four crew of the tank were reported to have been seen escaping.

According to the Oryx blog as 14 April 2024, 7 out of 10 Stridsvagn 122, have been destroyed, damaged or abandoned during the Russian Invasion of Ukraine.

Current operators

•   Sweden- 120 units built in Germany and Sweden, 10 were sent to Ukraine. 110 remained in Sweden.
•   Ukraine- 10 units delivered. 7 destroyed, damaged or captured.