History Of Us Army Afvs

[Nikolas93TS]

Thank you,very nice videos!

[Damian]

No problemo.

 

And something new!

 

 

M1A1FEP used by USMC after modernization, new SCWS (Stabilized Commander Weapon Station) cupola clearly visible.

 

And more detailed photos.

 

Edited January 24, 2013 by Damian

[Simon Tan]

I see the optical sight on the RHS of the cupola. Is the big lensy thing a camera or is it a light?

[Damian]

It is thermal sight.

Edited January 25, 2013 by Damian

[Simon Tan]

Does it link up to the GPS?

[Damian]

Why it should? If TC needs better optics he can use his GPSE, SCWS have it's own sights, also fully stabilized.

 

On a second thought, the thermal sight seems to be based on optics used in CROWS, CROWS have briliant sights, so SCWS can be ersatz for CITV used in M1A2 series.

[shep854]

It looks like use of Mk1 Eyeball is difficult buttoned up. Hope the gadgets don't break...

Speaking of...how easy is that big lensy thing to fix if it gets hit?

Edited January 25, 2013 by shep854

[DKTanker]

It looks like use of Mk1 Eyeball is difficult buttoned up. Hope the gadgets don't break...

Speaking of...how easy is that big lensy thing to fix if it gets hit?

It was always difficult to see when buttoned up. Now the hatch can be open or open protected and the TC has a more reasonable time seeing and being relatively protected.

 

Interesting to note that the turret roof appears to have an additional layer of armor.

[Harold Jones]

It looks like use of Mk1 Eyeball is difficult buttoned up. Hope the gadgets don't break...

Speaking of...how easy is that big lensy thing to fix if it gets hit?

 

Probably not repairable at all if it gets hit by bullets or fragments, but it seems like that it's always easier to take sights and stuff out in theory than reality.

[shep854]

It looks like use of Mk1 Eyeball is difficult buttoned up. Hope the gadgets don't break...

Speaking of...how easy is that big lensy thing to fix if it gets hit?

It was always difficult to see when buttoned up. Now the hatch can be open or open protected and the TC has a more reasonable time seeing and being relatively protected.

 

Interesting to note that the turret roof appears to have an additional layer of armor.

Understood.

Edited January 26, 2013 by shep854

[Nikolas93TS]

Just looking at M60 vs T-62: Cold War Combatants 1956-92 by Lon Nordeen and David Isby.

 

Book says US Army initially brought enough Blazer sets to equip two battalions in Korea.Once those battalions transited to M1,M60s with ERA were given to Marines.

[Damian]

 

USMC M1A1's receive ILWS (Improved Loaders Weapon Station) which is remotely controlled. Have day and thermal sights, ammo capacity 600 rounds.

Edited January 27, 2013 by Damian

[Panzermann]

Now that makes two remote weapon stations on the US Marines' M1 A1 for the commander and the loader . The driver should get one, too.

 

that's mounted on the hole in the roof intended for the A2 TC periscope, isn't it?

 

Is this weapon station usable from the TC seat in case the loader is not available?

[Damian]

that's mounted on the hole in the roof intended for the A2 TC periscope, isn't it?

 

Seems so.

 

Is this weapon station usable from the TC seat in case the loader is not available?

 

I don't know, and I doubt it, in M1A2SEP TC CROWS also seems to be only operated by TC.

 

However this seems to be more issue of software than hardware, so with some modifications, such capability might be possible. However I would not expect it before ECP1 modernization that will solve problems with nearly expired SWaP-C limit.

[Damian]

http://mdswebmaster.com/UK/MDS2008/flv/newvid.php?id=152&TB_iframe=true&height=441&width=691

 

A real rarity, Meggitt Company Compact Autoloader for M1 Abrams series, Autoloader hold 34 rounds (for comparision the AZ autoloader in T-72/T-90 series as well as Al Khalid and Chinese tanks hold 22 rounds, MZ autoloader in T-64, T-80 and T-84 holds 28 rounds and autoloader based on the one used in Leclerc holds 22 rounds, used also in South Korean K2 and Japanese Type 90 and probably also Type 10), fits inside the currently existing space inside turret bustle, is completely isolated from crew, and still permitts to have a 4th crewmember that can now perform other tasks than loading the main gun.

 

As a interesting side note, Germans were also interested in this autoloader for Leopard 2, at least drawing from Kampfapnzer heute und morgen sugests so.

 

[methos]

As a interesting side note, Germans were also interested in this autoloader for Leopard 2, at least drawing from Kampfapnzer heute und morgen sugests so.

 

It's not the Megitt autoloader in this CGI. The fourth crew member had to be eliminated. It is just a "band type" autoloader like the Megitt Compact Autoloader, the Leclerc's autoloader or even both autoloaders for the MBT-70.

As far as they were "interested": It is just a company proposal. There have been numerous different proposals for autoloaders on the Leopard 2.

Edited February 6, 2013 by methos

[Max H]

Autoloader hold 34 rounds

 

Impressive, they managed to fit 34 rounds and the band autoloader system in the volume currently occupied by 34 rounds

[Damian]

Max H.

 

 

This is how they done that, look how ammunition cassettes are placed.

 

 

Compare to how ammunition cassettes are placed in Leclerc autoloader.

 

Meggitt is a silent leader in autoloader designing, they were the ones that designed 44 rounds capacity autoloader for TTB technology demonstrator or 36 rounds capacity autoloader called FASTDRAW the predecesor of that one on the video I posted, also designed for M1.

 

Edited February 6, 2013 by Damian

[methos]

Damian, do you notice that the Leclerc's autoloader - in order to deal with the reduced turret frontal profile - cannot be made bigger? The Leclerc has a smaller turret height (expect for the gun bulge) and thus you couldn't even store more than ~24 rounds into the turret bustle without any autoloader. The Megitt autoloader only manages to store so much ammunition, because of it's size.

Just because they can store so many rounds in their autoloaders (a result of their increased size), they are by no means more advanced. They are from the same general layout type which was already available in the late 1960s. If Megitt designed an autoloader for the Leclerc, it probably wouldn't allow using more ammunition as the current Leclerc's autoloader can hold. In the same manner if NEXTER designed an autoloader for the M1, they probably also would create one allowing to store ~34 rounds.

Edited February 6, 2013 by methos

[Damian]

Not nececary, in case of Leclerc, you could heighten the bustle only, trade off might be bigger vurnablity but overall I would preffer to have more ammunition ready to use than less.

 

PS. I also seen somewhere video that show the ability of Meggitt autoloaders to also unload the main gun, I think that the one designed for M1202 MCS had such ability.

Edited February 6, 2013 by Damian

[JW Collins]

I thought Marine Corp M1A1s had that missile countermeasure device (I can't remember the designation at the moment) where the CITV on the M1A2 goes. If this remote controlled loaders MG goes there, does that mean they are getting rid of the MCD?

[Damian]

It is uncertain how loaders RWS will look in the end, also it is still modular, so you can use one or another depending on needs.

[Jim Warford]

Here's a pamphlet on the USMC's ILWS...

 

 

[Damian]

The one in presentation above seems to be installed closer to the loaders hatch not on the CITV installation mount.

 

Pity we do not have a completely photo of this RWS fielded on tanks to see how exactly it looks like.

[DKTanker]

The one in presentation above seems to be installed closer to the loaders hatch not on the CITV installation mount.

 

Pity we do not have a completely photo of this RWS fielded on tanks to see how exactly it looks like.

The RWS in the presentation appears to show the unit attached to the skate ring around the loaders hatch.

 

You posted a picture of a RWS mounted directly to the CITV mount.