davisp@skybridge.SCL.CWRU.Edu (Palmer Davis) (02/05/91)
From: davisp@skybridge.SCL.CWRU.Edu (Palmer Davis) In article <1991Feb4.071000.22733@cbnews.att.com> thi@mips2.cr.bull.com (Saigon Smuggler) writes: > >I have seen TV footage of Marines M60 tanks in desert. Are these the A3 >variants? I noticed that the 105mm cannons are not being stabilized as the >tanks moved about which might indicates that these are older A1 variants. > Yes, they are indeed A1's. You can tell the A3 version because it has a big square thing sticking out the front of the turret (the laser rangefinder). -- PTD -- -- Palmer T. Davis | davisp@scl.cwru.edu -OR- ptd2@po.cwru.edu Case Western Reserve University | {att,sun,decvax,uunet}!cwjcc!skybridge!davisp ------------------------------------------------------+------------------------ Wake up and smell the cat food in your bank account. | Life is short.
nzt1939@dsacg3.dsac.dla.mil (William M. Aldo) (02/07/91)
From: nzt1939@dsacg3.dsac.dla.mil (William M. Aldo) >From: davisp@skybridge.SCL.CWRU.Edu (Palmer Davis) >In article <1991Feb4.071000.22733@cbnews.att.com> thi@mips2.cr.bull.com (Saigon Smuggler) writes: >> >>I have seen TV footage of Marines M60 tanks in desert. Are these the A3 >>variants? > >Yes, they are indeed A1's. You can tell the A3 version because it has a >big square thing sticking out the front of the turret (the laser rangefinder). If you're talking about a large 'box' attached to the mantlet above the 105-mm main gun, that is the Xenon searchlight -- meaning that the vehicle is most likely an M60A1. The 'A3 has some thermal sights; therefore, searchlight is not necessary (this is not to say that searchlights would never be mounted on an 'A3...anything along that line is possible). I'm not real familiar with the laser rangefinder, but I do know that the rangefinder 'end casings' on each side of the turret are utilized for sensors 'receiving' the range to be passed on to the digital ballistic computer (they are not box-shaped, they are rounded...just as on the 'A1). While there are big differences between the 'A1 and the 'A3, most differences are internal and not seen when looking at them side-by-side. **NOTE: I am not an expert on the 'A3 by any means -- I know of the 'A3, I know the basic differences between the two...but I KNOW the 'A1. For the sake of information only: the Xenon searchlight provides 100 million candlepower of white light w/overdrive capabilities and IR. Also, capability of narrow/wide mode of illumination. On a clear night, you can see forever and ever and.......well, you get the picture ;-);-) -- Mark Aldo UUCP: (osu-cis)!dsacg1!waldo INTERNET: waldo@dsac.dla.mil Defense Logistics Agency Systems Automation Center | 614-238-8111 DSAC-ZTB, P.O.Box 1605, Columbus, Ohio (USA) 43216 | AV 850-8111 I'm not authorized to have an opinion....;-)