| Tanque Argentino Mediano (TAM) | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Argentine Army TAM from 1st Armored Brigade | |
| Type | Medium tank |
| Place of origin | Argentina / West Germany |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1983–present |
| Used by | Argentina |
| Production history | |
| Unit cost | 1,500,000 USD (1983 export price) |
| Produced | 1979–1991, 1994–1995 |
| No. built | 280 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 30.5 t (30.0 long tons; 33.6 short tons) |
| Length | 6.75 m (22 ft 2 in) |
| Width | 3.25 m (10 ft 8 in) |
| Height | 2.42 m (7 ft 11 in) |
| Crew | 4 |
| Armor | 50 mm (hull front and sides) 50 mm (turret front)[1] |
Main armament | 105 mm (4.13 in) FM K.4 Modelo 1L |
Secondary armament | 2×7.62 mm (0.30 in) machine gun |
| Engine | MTU-MB 833 Ka-500 6-cylinder 22.4 L (1,370 cu in) diesel 540 kW (720 hp) |
| Power/weight | 24 hp/tonne |
| Suspension | Torsion-bar |
Operational range | 590 km (370 mi), 800 km (500 mi) with auxiliary fuel tanks |
| Maximum speed | 75 km/h (47 mph) |
The Tanque Argentino Mediano (TAM; English: Argentine Medium Tank) is a medium tank in service with the Argentine Army. Lacking the experience and resources to design a tank, the Argentine Ministry of Defense contracted German company Thyssen-Henschel. The vehicle was developed by a German and Argentine team of engineers, and was based on the German Marder infantry fighting vehicle chassis.
The TAM met the Argentine Army's requirement for a modern, lightweight and fast tank with a low silhouette and sufficient firepower to defeat contemporary armored threats. Development began in 1974 and resulted in the construction of three prototypes by early 1977 and full-scale production by 1979. Assembly took place at the local 9,600-square-meter (103,000 sq ft) TAMSE plant, founded for the purpose by the Argentine government. Economic difficulties halted production in 1983, but manufacturing began anew in 1994 until the army's order of 200 tanks was fulfilled.
The TAM series includes seven different variants, such as a 155 mm (6.1-inch) self-propelled howitzer and a mortar carrier vehicle. In total, over 280 such vehicles were built, including armored personnel carriers, artillery and mortar pieces. The TAM and VCTP (Infantry Fighting Vehicles based on the TAM chassis) were manufactured for the Peruvian Army, only to be integrated into the Argentine Army when Peru canceled the contract. The TAM also competed for other export orders, but the TAM was ultimately not exported.
The TAM has never seen combat, although 17 VCTPs were deployed to Croatia for the United Nations UNPROFOR peacekeeping mission.
- ^ de Mazarrasa 1996, p. 36.