Here are a couple more videos from IHS Jane’s about some of the vehicles on display at Eurosatory 2016.
Video: Tank Pug
June 16, 2016 by 2 Comments
From the Ontario Regiment Museum of Historical Military Vehicles in Oshawa Ontario comes this humorous video featuring Atom the Pug and an M4 Sherman tank.
The Chieftain’s Hatch: Signal Flags
June 16, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Nicholas “The Chieftain” Moran from World of Tanks writes about the history of tank signal flags.
Excerpt:
Tier I tanks used to come with “Signal Flags” as part of their basic radio system. Threads on the forum, reddit, etc. have asked, “Did WoT make this up? Did tankmen really use flags?”
Sure enough, the answer is ‘yes’ (in semaphore, as in the photo above). In a time when the “intercom system” could be as technical as kicking the driver to indicate which way you wanted to go, communications with the world outside the tank was even more difficult.
Just because tanks were coming standard with radios didn’t mean that signal flags would be obsolete. In early 1941, Armored Force was trying to come up with its own visual signals guide, and that March approved the signals as found in Field Manual 17-5:
“Disregard my movements:” Flag Stationary
“Do as I do:” Raise and lower flag repeatedly
“Assemble:” Wave flag in large circles
“Form extended column:” Wave flag from font to rear, as determined by direction in which signaller’s vehicle is facing
“Form extended line:” Wave flag from side to side, as determined by direction in which signaller’s vehicle is facing
“Form column:” “Extended Column” signal, followed immediately by “Assemble” signal
“Form line:” “Extended line” signal, followed immediately by “Assemble” signal
Photo of the Day: Eurosatory Protest
June 15, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Earlier this week peace protesters disrupted Eurosatory 2016, vandalizing several vehicles with red paint. Here is a picture of protesters being removed from a Leclerc MBT.
Photo of the Day: CGI BT Fast tank at Eurosatory
June 14, 2016 by 2 Comments
Today’s photo is a bit of a silly one. While looking for information about Eurosatory 2016 at the Rheinmetall website, we came across a computer graphic of their outdoor display area. The thing that immediately caught our eye is the vehicle with the red circle around it. This is supposed to be the Lynx Infantry Fighting Vehicle. Obviously, somebody at Rheinmetall got lazy or really likes WW2 Soviet tanks, because the digital model really looks like a BT-7 Model 1937 fast tank!
Rheinmetall reveals new 130mm tank gun
June 14, 2016 by Leave a Comment
IHS Jane’s is reporting that Rheinmetall has revealed their new 130mm tank cannon at the Eurosatory 2016 in Paris. Development of the gun started in 2015 and firing trials will start after Eurosatory 2016. According to Rheinmetall, the gun is a 130mm L/51 smoothbore cannon with a vertical sliding breech mechanism and chrome lined. The barrel weighs 1,400 kg and the entire gun with recoil system will weigh 3000 kg. The gun on display at Eurosatory features a thermal sleeve and muzzle reference system. Rheinmetall is also introducing a new generation of armor piercing fin-stabilized discarding sabot (APFSDS) ammunition with combustible cartridge case. This will be followed by a new 130mm high-explosive air-bursting munition (HE ABM) round.
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Eurosatory 2016 Videos with Christopher Foss
June 14, 2016 by Leave a Comment
IHS Jane’s youtube channel features a number of new videos of reporter Christopher Foss at the recent Eurosatory 2016 expo.
Russia and Israel swap M48 tanks
June 13, 2016 by Leave a Comment
A couple weeks ago we posted about how Russia had agreed to return to Israel a Magach 3 (M48) tank which had been captured by Syrian forces in Lebanon back in 1982. Israel was interested in getting this tank back hoping it might contain clues as to the fate of its crew, who have been missing since the tank was lost. One detail that was not in the original post is that this agreement between Israel and Russia is actually a tank swap. The tank that the Russians promised to give to Israel had been on display at the Russian tank museum at Kubinka. In exchange for the Magach 3 tank, Israel promised to provide Kubinka a different Magach 3. That tank has been delivered to the Kubinka museum and is reported to be in better condition than the Magach 3 given back to Israel. Below are some videos of the Magach 3 given to Kubinka.
Video of the Day: Abrams Tank Maneuver
June 10, 2016 by 1 Comment
This video showed up on Youtube today. According to the clip description, it shows M1A2 System Enhancement Package (SEP) V2 Abrams main battle tank during Operation Anakonda in the Drawsko Pomorskie Training Area (DPTA) near Olezno, Poland on June 9, 2016. Unit – 2nd Battalion, 7th Infantry Division, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team.
As US armor transitions from the Middle East back to Central Europe, it’s interesting to see clips such as these where vehicles have a combination of desert and woodland paint schemes.
Tank and AFV News 