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From: bks@alfa.berkeley.edu (Brad Sherman)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: MTBF for M1 tank
Message-ID: <1990Nov2.203119.29539@cbnews.att.com>
Date: 2 Nov 90 20:31:19 GMT
References: <1990Oct30.052800.7512@cbnews.att.com> <1990Nov1.025149.12410@cbnews.att.com>
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From: bks@alfa.berkeley.edu (Brad Sherman)
In article <1990Nov1.025149.12410@cbnews.att.com> mvp@hsv3.UUCP (Mike Van Pelt) writes:
>From: mvp@hsv3.UUCP (Mike Van Pelt)
>In article <1990Oct30.052800.7512@cbnews.att.com> bks@alfa.berkeley.edu (Brad Sherman) writes:
>>"'the M-1 tends to break down every 30 miles or so...' says Kosta Tsipis
>Kosta Tsipis has a long track record for ... um, "exaggerating".  

I am in no position to add anything of substance to this argument, but
ad hominem attacks on Tsipis seem beside the point.  Either the M1 tank
has an acceptable rate of failure or it doesn't.  We many find out soon.
Likewise, anecdotal evidence doesn't help much but for the sake of
completeness, I am forwarding this letter which I received in response
to my original posting.  The author suggested that I post it but asked
for anonymity.  I cannot attest to its veracity (except to say that
the e-mail source was apparently a miltary institution).

    Sir:
    I used to be a driver in an M1 before I came here to ----------,
    so I figure that I probably ought to know better than a person
    who reads his/her info out of a book and profess to be experts...
    Anyways, there are a multitude of factors that determine if a tank
    is deadlined or not.  The first is the tank crew itself.  Each
    individual in the tank has his responsibilities, ie the gunner
    ensures the weapons systems are operational, the loader ensures
    that the commo, breech, and ammo ready doors are operational,
    and the driver ensures that the tank is running, and is responsible
    for everything that moves a tank...from the road wheels to the track
    to the engine.  One of the main reasons that tanks abort their
    engines is due to clogged air filters.  If you have a driver that
    knows what the hell he is doing and does his job and cleans the air
    filters every chance he gets, your tank is probably not going to
    abort.  Also, if you have a sharp driver, he is going to ensure that
    there is the proper amount of tension in the track, and there is
    enough rubber on the road wheels, that there is enough lubricant in
    the road wheel hub, etc.  Let's put it this way...I think that I was
    in a pretty sharp battalion at ------------------, and we also had
    good mechanics to help us out.  With the right people dedicated to
    their jobs, a tank will not break down, unless it is a freak accident
    of nature.  I have no idea where MIT or whoever you quote got their
    figures from, but I know that they are wrong.  Let's put it this way
    ...during one FTX, we had our tank running the whole five days
    straight, without it ever being deadlined...and I'll tell you what,
    we didn't run it for less than 30 miles...I think we averaged
    something close to 100 miles per day!!!
        I hope that this answers some questions for you.

[ellipses as in original, dashes are mine -bks]
----------------------------
	Brad Sherman(bks@alfa.berkeley.edu)