drinkard@uunet.UU.NET (Terrell D. Drinkard) (12/07/90)
From: bcstec!drinkard@uunet.UU.NET (Terrell D. Drinkard) The M1 Abrams is available in 4 flavors: The original M1, the IPM1, the M1A1, and the M1A2. The M1 does indeed have Chobam armor. It has the 105mm gun and the thermal sights as usual. The NBC system is a blower that sends air to the filter on the crew's masks. There is also the Halon Fire Extinguisher System. The IPM1 has even heavier armor but the same gun and sights. IP stands for Improved Performance, not Initial Production. The M1A1 has the heavy armor and the same thermal sights, but it now has a 120mm gun. The NBC protection system is of the overpressure type with microclimate vests for the crew. The M1A2 is not yet in production. It has the same gun and armor package, but has improved fire control equipment. The trailer mentioned earlier could possibly be the rocket launched mine clearing system bought by the Marines. This may be news to some, but the US Marines are buying M1s. The pack must be pulled to change the oil. So what? The M1 is not your Chevy pickup. My crew does some maintenance on the engine, but frankly, I don't let them screw with much. That is why we have mechanics. And the M1 has been so reliable that I don't regret this kind of decision at all. I been on M60A3s and I've been on M1s. And I'll take the M1 every time. My M1 is a sportscar compared to the M60. Here is a techie tidbit that I picked up from an engineer at the Lima Army Depot where they build these tanks: a test was conducted at Aberdeen Proving Grounds where the governor was removed and the engine allowed to run as fast as possible over smooth level ground. The transmission failed at a speed of 115 MPH. Yep, one hundred and fifteen miles per hour. Not bad. The X1100 transmission is wonderful! :-) But don't tell my driver... Terry
x35147d3@usma8.usma.edu (Bergman Charles CDT) (12/15/90)
From: x35147d3@usma8.usma.edu (Bergman Charles CDT) Isn't there another version of the M1A1 that was not included in the previous list. I understood that after the initial production run of M1A1s, there was a later update to the M1A1 with even heavier armor called the M1A1 Heavy. This armor was the all new high density depleted uranium armor placed on the front slabs of the turret and on the front of the hull. Isn't this the armor that greatly increased the weight of the tank? TO CLOSE WITH AND DESTROY THE ENEMY FORCES USING FIRE, MANEUVER, AND SHOCK EFFECT! That's the ARMOR, the Mounted Combat Arm of Decision! Charles K. Bergman x35147d3@usma8.usma.edu *********************** CDT USMA'93 * Charlie don't surf! * P.O. Box 54, U.S.C.C. *********************** West Point, NY 10997
alfalfa@milton.u.washington.edu (Corey Lawson) (04/15/91)
From: alfalfa@milton.u.washington.edu (Corey Lawson) The M1A2 is to have some improvements over the M1A1. The main difference will be a separate thermal sight for the Commander, which will allow the Commander to search for targets and then hand them off to the gunner. Also, there will be various upgrades to the internal electronics equipment to allow this capability to be added. Note that the M1A1 already has the hole in the turret to allow the new sight to be put in, but the electronics will have to be upgraded separately. Other than that, there isn't much change, that I can remember (I saw this in an issue of (!) AvLeek. And...the only U.S. tanks that have reactive armor are M60s, primarily M60s used by the Marines. (That's because most of the M60s the Army has have been replaced by M1s, and the M60s moved to reserve/guard units. Some units, tho, do have the M1, such as the Montana NG Anyways...how did that IN Bde from Louisiana do? Last I heard about them they were upgrading to the M1/M2s less easily than expected...Did they ship out? -corey lawson Internet: alfalfa@milton.u.washington.edu
camelsho@matt.ksu.ksu.edu (Raouls Used Camlshop) (04/17/91)
From: camelsho@matt.ksu.ksu.edu (Raouls Used Camlshop) alfalfa@milton.u.washington.edu (Corey Lawson) writes: >The M1A2 is to have some improvements over the M1A1. The main >difference will be a separate thermal sight for the Commander, which >will allow the Commander to search for targets and then hand them off >to the gunner. Will this system be automatic? i.e. If the commander spots a new target can he punch a button that will allow the fire control computer to automatically aquire the new target when the current one has been eliminated? -- james seymour camelsho@matt.ksu.ksu.edu
alfalfa@milton.u.washington.edu (Corey Lawson) (04/25/91)
From: alfalfa@milton.u.washington.edu (Corey Lawson)
Hmm...As far as automatic goes, I think that if the TC sees a target
that he really likes, for one reason or another ("Oh shit...it's
pointing its gun at us, we'd better kill it" milli-second thought) then
he can hit a button which will slew the turret around, thusly
overriding the gunner's control. But they really didn't go into too
much detail about the actual operation of the system.
But the "avionics" (tankionics?) would become more "nintendo-ized", in
that there would be more computer controls/displays to make the
workload on the crew less, as far as information processing. It
actually looked kind of neat, from the pictures I remember...still
looked like a tank, tho...
-corey lawson
alfalfa@milton