Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!att!cbnews!military From: fmrco!curt@uunet.UU.NET (Curt Fennell) Newsgroups: sci.military Subject: Re: tanks Message-ID: <1990Sep29.155430.8110@cbnews.att.com> Date: 29 Sep 90 15:54:30 GMT References: <1990Sep25.005029.17637@cbnews.att.com> <1990Sep27.031241.6460@cbnews.att.com> Sender: military-request@att.att.com Organization: Fidelity Investment, Boston, MA 02109 Lines: 46 Approved: military@att.att.com From: fmrco!curt@uunet.UU.NET (Curt Fennell) In article <1990Sep27.031241.6460@cbnews.att.com> ab3o+@andrew.cmu.edu (Allan Bourdius) writes: > >From: Allan Bourdius >All tanks in the USMC (M60A3's and very few M1A1's) all mount reactive >armor. There are also RA kits for the LAV-25. > Um, not to be nitpicky or anything, but the last I heard, the USMC was equipped with the M60A1 tank - not M60A3's. The difference in the models is primarily in the fire-control system, with the M60A1 having a mechanical ballistic computer, optical sights and a stereo-coincidence range finder. The M60A3 has a digital fire control computer, optical & thermal sights and a laser range finder. These differences could be very important to long range combat in the desert. In 1985, the USMC had no plans to buy the M60A3, prefering instead to wait for the M1A1. As I recall, there was some problem with this also, because the M1A1, being wider than the M60, was too wide to be loaded and unloaded on Navy LST's. Also: In article <1990Sep27.031847.8107@cbnews.att.com> nzt1939@dsacg3.dsac.dla.mil (William M. Aldo) writes: > >These surely are NOT the only types that can be utilized; what about >HEP, AP, APFSDS, or any of the other good stuff? > >[mod.note: APFSDS-DU (depleted uranium) is the M1's kinetic penetrator. >I don't know if HE is carried; perhaps HEP is used for this role ? I >suspect that cannister (Beehive) is also carried. Anyone ? - Bill ] > When I was at the Armor School at Ft. Knox in 1982, they told us that the M1 with the M68 105mm Main Gun could fire all of the standard 105mm rounds, including HEP, HEAT, APDS, APFSDS, Smoke (White Phosphorus - also an effective incindiary), APFSDS-DU, and Beehive (5000 steel flechettes - effective against troops in the open!). However, when the M1A1 came out with it's 120mm Gun, the ammo available was only going to be APFSDS-DU and a dual- purpose HEAT round that would have both HEAT and HE properties. This dual- purpose HEAT round was supposed to take the place of the HEAT and HEP rounds. This info is 8 years old and could have changed, but that was the situation then. -- ================================================================= Curt Fennell |Fidelity Investments | fmrco!curt@uunet.uu.net |82 Devonshire St. (I40C) | (617) 570-2614 |Boston, MA 02109 |