AFV News from around the Net

Here is a round up of AFV related news stories.  As always, click on the title link to go to the full article.

The National Interest – France’s Leclerc Super-Tank: Better than American or Russian Armor?

“So what do you think of France’s new super tank, the Leclerc?” a retired colonel in the French army’s logistical brigade jokingly asked me in 2002. “You know, the one we paid a fortune for and that we’ll never use in battle.”

So far his prediction has proved true. The French military has deployed light armored vehicles and air power in its combat missions in Afghanistan, Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Central African Republic and Mali.

The National Interest – Yes, Now You Can Purchase Your Very Own Russian T-72 Tank or Air Defense System

Do you need a Soviet-designed surface-to-air missile defense system to deter your neighbors? If so, a small U.S.-based arms broker named the Redfish Trading Company is offering to sell a complete Buk-MB complex—a Belarusian modification of the original Soviet-era SA-11 Gadfly air defense system—to a paying customer. The emailed sales pitch came with a detailed brochure outlining the technical characteristics of the weapon and an animation from Almaz-Antey showing off the capabilities of Russia’s layered integrated air defense system.

Stars and Stripes – Army tanks, personnel set for move to northwestern Germany

STUTTGART, Germany — U.S. Army Europe will occupy a base in northwestern Germany to store tanks and other combat-ready equipment, which is flowing into Europe as part of a Pentagon plan to position more firepower on the continent.  In October, USAREUR will move into the Tower Barracks facility in Duelmen, where for years a small British unit was stationed. With the United Kingdom’s plan to vacate the post this year, USAREUR requested access to the facility from the German government, which obliged.

Defense World.Net – Russian Uralvagonzavod Halted Armored Vehicle Shipments To Iraq Over Payments

Russian Uralvagonzavod (UVZ) scientific-research corporation has halted the deliveries of armoured vehicles to Iraq due to delayed payments last year, according to the UVZ`s 2015 annual report.  “In 2015, the UVZ Corporation stopped the shipping of the defense production to the No.356 customer (Iraq) due to delayed payments. The contracts signed with the No.012 (Algeria) and the No.356 (India) customers were implemented in strict accordance with the terms of the signed documents. The export sales of the UVZ’s defense production increased by 35% last year (compared to 2014),” TASS reported, citing the UVZ document.

Military.com – Army Maneuver Leaders Tout Need for More Lethal Recon Vehicles

Senior U.S. Army maneuver officials recently took part in a firepower demonstration of reconnaissance vehicle prototypes less than two months after the service killed the Light Reconnaissance Vehicle effort.  Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster, along with leaders from the Maneuver Center of Excellence at Fort Benning, Georgia, attended the June 15 live-fire event at Benning’s Red Cloud range to demonstrate the firepower potential of mounting 30mm cannons on different recon vehicle prototypes.

Strategy Page – Logistics: Only The Low Maintenance Armor Survives

The U.S. Army’s M-2 IFVs (Infantry Fighting Vehicle) fighting vehicle proved to be the workhorse of the 2003 Iraq campaign. But that came at a cost that was not anticipated. Like most armored vehicles, the M-2 runs on metal tracks that have rubber pads attached to save wear and tear on roads and give better traction. Naturally, the rubber pads, as well as the entire track, wears out. Normally, a heavily used M-2 might need a new set of tracks once a year. In 2003 there were nearly 700 M-2ss in Iraq, and many needed a new tracks every few months. A set of tracks is normally good for 1,300-1,600 kilometers of travel. To keep the M-2ss in Iraq supplied with replacement tracks, the army’s only depot that refurbishes worn tracks (about 80 percent of the track is reused) has had to go from one shift a day, five days a week, to 24/7 production.

Defense One – Weapons of the Syrian War: Tanks

In April 2011, the appearance of heavy armor indicated that a violent crackdown had become a full-fledged war.

First use: April 24, 2011. Syrian Army troops drove tanks into dissenting neighborhoods in the southern city of Dara’a, killing about 25 on the first day. By this time, unrest had spread to about 20 cities in Syria, and the appearance of heavy armor indicated that a violent crackdown had become a full-fledged war.