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| Ramses II | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | Main battle tank |
| Place of origin | Sowjetunion / modernized from United States / Egypt |
| Service history | |
| In service | 2005–present |
| Used by | Egypt |
| Wars | Egyptian Crisis |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Chrysler Defense |
| Designed | 1990s |
| Produced | 2004–2005 |
| No. built | +425 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 48 tons |
| Length | Hull length: 7.05 m, With gun 9.60 m |
| Width | 3.42 m |
| Height | 2.40 m |
| Crew | 4 (commander, gunner, loader, driver) |
| Armor | Active/Passive |
Main 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 |
| Power/weight | 18 hp/tonne |
| Transmission | Renk RK-304 with 4 fwd and 4 rev |
| Suspension | General Dynamics Land Systems Model 2880 in-arm hydropneumatic |
| Fuel capacity | 1,312 liters |
Operational range | 530 km |
| Maximum 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.[1] 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.