Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sdd.hp.com!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!cis.ohio-state.edu!pacific.mps.ohio-state.edu!linac!att!cbnews!cbnews!military From: johnm@vme.heurikon.com (John Mahoney) Newsgroups: sci.military Subject: Re: MBT-70 Message-ID: <1991Jun19.012032.13619@cbnews.cb.att.com> Date: 19 Jun 91 01:20:32 GMT References: <1991Jun14.075939.19915@amd.com> Sender: military@cbnews.cb.att.com (william.a.thacker) Organization: Heurikon Corporation, Madison, WI Lines: 43 Approved: military@att.att.com From: johnm@vme.heurikon.com (John Mahoney) In article <1991Jun14.075939.19915@amd.com> hc1@reef.cis.ufl.edu (Harry Campbell) writes: > > The MBT-70 was replaced with the XM-1, which was to have the 105mm >cannon, and a crew of four, much of the suspension, Actually, the suspension of the MBT-70 was of the "Squatting" type, and was not used for the M1. >After a few years of production it >was decided that the 105mm gun might prove inadequate against the >newest generation of soviet tanks. The upgrade for the Abrahms >M1-Improved turned out to be a 120mm Smoothbore produced on a foreign >liscense (guess who!). > The 120 was slated to be installed in the M1 from the beginning of production, but it wasn't ready yet, as the gun was much closer to infancy than it was to the US's perception of operational. The 120 was rammed down the army's throat by politicians and DOD because, at the time, we were trying to sell the West Germans E-3s. It was seen as an inducement to closing the AWACS deal. The Army wanted the 105 because the 105 was very close in performance to the 120, and both were expected to become obsolete for the next (or next after) generation of Soviet Armour. The idea was to mount the already operational 105 and spend money developing a gun (or whatever) that could be dropped into the M1 down the road. (The 105 was much cheaper) Instead, the Army was force fed the 120 and, since it was the hottest gun in Dodge City, there was essentially no funding for a future replacement. > To be honest, it is likely that we came out with a far suppior >tank, by incorporating the new Chobahm armor, Thermal Imaging, and >highly improved engine that were all developed after the MBT-70 was >scrapped. The MBT-70 would already be obsolete. Amen! I don't think there is any doubt about it. ------------------------------------------------------------------ No, I'm not a Brit, I just think Armour looks better than Armor