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From: bxr307@csc1.anu.edu.au
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: What's an "I" tank?
Message-ID: <1991Apr19.070927.14046@amd.com>
Date: 18 Apr 91 21:32:50 GMT
References: <1991Apr17.055751.14155@amd.com> <1991Apr18.033055.22955@amd.com>
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From: bxr307@csc1.anu.edu.au


>From: cmort@ncoast.org
> Gee BXR, I've always envied you your M-113 Fire Support Vehicles (FSV).  It
> certainly seems like a cheap and effective solution to infantry fire support
> against non-armored target (and BMPs too).  I guess that it's too cheap
> and effective to merit consideration from Ft. Benning!  Of course we didn't
> have a lot of armored car turrets sitting around either.... :)

The FSV (as it was known.  In a fit of renaming the Oz army has now
designated them MRV - Med. Recce. Vehicle) is a neat solution.  However
its not meant to supply fire support for infantry.  Its meant to supply
fire support for recce squadrons, operating well forward of the normal
artillery support.

They were only deployed to the Recce Regiments, not to the APC units.
That I think was a mistake, but, well I wasn't ever consulted on the
matter.  :-)  I'd have rather seen each squadron of the APC units also
equipped with an FSV vehicle.

The Oz army though is about to have to come up with another solution
similar to the MRV version of the M113 as its starting to aquire
LAV-25's from the US to act as its wheeled recce vehicle in the North
of Oz (2 Cav.Regt. is being redeployed to Darwin in the near future).
I think they will most probably go for the obvious solution of
purchasing Canadian versions of the Mowag Pirahana, which I believe are
called "Grizzlies" and armed with the British Scorpion turret.

BTW, while the original FSV had an armoured car turret off our old
Saladins (and as a result was not capable of amphibious operations due
to weight considerations), the latest version uses a Scorpion CVR(t)
light tank turret and has extra floation panels attached.

-- 
Brian Ross