blockhaj
Swedish "want to be" aviation specialist
- Joined
- 9 February 2017
- Messages
- 345
- Reaction score
- 381
S-tank derivative SPAAG. Noticed we lack a thread on this vehicle.
Long story short. During WWII, the Swedish Army found a need for SPAAGs (self-propelled anti-aircraft guns) for the armoured divisions. After a proof of concept vehicle in 1942, the first development started, becoming the lvkv fm/43 (2x Bofors 40/60). The design was ready too late for the war and quickly became dated with the jet age. The replacement became the lvkv fm/49, post 1953 known as the lvkv 42 (1x Bofors 40/70). The idea was to have a gun system vehicle with a separate radar unit connected to it for radar fire, preferably a second vehicle. Two gun vehicle prototypes were built, designated Bofors VAK 40 S 49, short for Vagn Automatkanon 40 mm Swedish model 1949 (VAK = Wagon Autocannon). This became too convoluted and instead it was decided to do a combined gun/fire-control system vehicle, which became the VEAK (2x Bofors 40/70 + LME radar), short for "Vagn Eldledning Automatkanon" (Wagon Fire-control Autocannon). One of the VAK 40 S 49 was converted into a proof of concept vehicle, designated VEAK 40 X 59 (experimental model 1959) with an integrated radar. It proved successful and lead to the main construction, VEAK 40 X 60, based on the Bofors VK 105 chassis (aka the S-tank/strv 103), which eventually became the VEAK 40 X 62, or just VEAK 4062 for short. A prototype was delived way later than anticipated, with various trials being conducted during the mid to late 60s. The vehicle worked great and was really ahead of its time, not really being surpassed until the Flakpanzer Gepard or even M247 Sergeant roughly 10-20 years later. 40 mm proximity fuze ammuntion for the guns were in development at the Bofors test fire center at the time, which did not enter the open market until 1975. However, at the end of the 1960s priorities had shifted along with budget changes. The VEAK 4062 proved too expencive and was never ordered into production. Bofors had the prototype at their test center for a while until it dissappeared and most likely got scrapped.
Long story short. During WWII, the Swedish Army found a need for SPAAGs (self-propelled anti-aircraft guns) for the armoured divisions. After a proof of concept vehicle in 1942, the first development started, becoming the lvkv fm/43 (2x Bofors 40/60). The design was ready too late for the war and quickly became dated with the jet age. The replacement became the lvkv fm/49, post 1953 known as the lvkv 42 (1x Bofors 40/70). The idea was to have a gun system vehicle with a separate radar unit connected to it for radar fire, preferably a second vehicle. Two gun vehicle prototypes were built, designated Bofors VAK 40 S 49, short for Vagn Automatkanon 40 mm Swedish model 1949 (VAK = Wagon Autocannon). This became too convoluted and instead it was decided to do a combined gun/fire-control system vehicle, which became the VEAK (2x Bofors 40/70 + LME radar), short for "Vagn Eldledning Automatkanon" (Wagon Fire-control Autocannon). One of the VAK 40 S 49 was converted into a proof of concept vehicle, designated VEAK 40 X 59 (experimental model 1959) with an integrated radar. It proved successful and lead to the main construction, VEAK 40 X 60, based on the Bofors VK 105 chassis (aka the S-tank/strv 103), which eventually became the VEAK 40 X 62, or just VEAK 4062 for short. A prototype was delived way later than anticipated, with various trials being conducted during the mid to late 60s. The vehicle worked great and was really ahead of its time, not really being surpassed until the Flakpanzer Gepard or even M247 Sergeant roughly 10-20 years later. 40 mm proximity fuze ammuntion for the guns were in development at the Bofors test fire center at the time, which did not enter the open market until 1975. However, at the end of the 1960s priorities had shifted along with budget changes. The VEAK 4062 proved too expencive and was never ordered into production. Bofors had the prototype at their test center for a while until it dissappeared and most likely got scrapped.
Attachments
Last edited:
