We would assume that just about everyone that follows this site in the US has seen an old tank sitting in front of the VFW or American Legion hall. This short video appeared on youtube today showing one of these old warhorses being positioned onto a concrete platform outside a VFW hall. Unfortunately, no details are provided as to which VFW hall this event took place at.
Walkaround Galleries from The Armor Journal
July 6, 2016 by Leave a Comment
The website for the TAJ (The Armor Journal) magazine has added three new tank “walkaround” picture galleries since the last time we posted about them. These galleries feature the MK IV “Female” tank at Fort Benning GA as well as the M1 Abrams and the M1917 Light Tank at the First Division Museum at Cantigny, Weaton, IL. Click on the pictures below to go to the photo gallery page.
Video: Challenger 1 MBT – How it works
July 6, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Here are a couple videos that recently appeared looking at the powerpack of the Challenger 1 MBT. For those looking for video footage of the powerpack being removed from a Challenger, this is the video for you.
Army Testing Foreign Active Protection Systems For US Combat Vehicles
July 3, 2016 by Leave a Comment
According to Defense News, the US Army is testing several foreign active defense systems for its combat vehicles to provide protection against rocket-propelled grenades, anti-tank guided missiles and other threats. The Army’s effort to rapidly integrate already developed solutions is moving along quickly as the Army tests out what will likely be four different solutions on M1 Abrams tanks, Bradley Fighting Vehicles and Stryker combat vehicles. Partly spurring the effort is the possibility that Russia is ahead of the US Army when it comes to armor protection as evidenced by the reported survivability of its tanks when up against Ukrainian anti-tank and anti-armor weapons in the ongoing conflict along Ukraine’s border with Russia.
To read the full article, click here.
Tank Chat: Tankfest 2016
July 2, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Watch David Fletcher make a comparison of the First World War Mark IV and Challenger 2, the British Army’s current Main Battle Tank, from the back of the Rolls Royce Armoured car.
News from around the Net
June 29, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Another collection of recent articles from around the internet. Click on the headline to read the full article.
The National Interest – This Is How to Make America’s Tanks More Lethal on the Battlefield
Colonel Patrick Donahoe recently articulated the importance of the main battle tank in future conflicts. History has shown tanks are a valuable tool in the application of combined arms warfare, and commanders will continue to exploit the capabilities of the armored force, where appropriate, to counter the armored formations of our adversaries. The tank, however, is an inanimate object, incapable of understanding terrain and maneuvering to a position of relative advantage unless under the control of a highly trained and technically capable crew. Additionally, the direction of company, battalion, and brigade commanders and staffs proficient in the art of armored warfare expand its usefulness from one tank to dozens. Unfortunately, changes in force structure have diluted the expertise of our armored forces, which will necessarily affect performance on the battlefield.
The Bulletin (Oregon) – Tank to live outside Redmond Veterans of Foreign Wars post
Folks in Redmond will have the opportunity to celebrate their patriotism in a unique way this Fourth of July: having their photos taken in the commander’s turret of an M60A3 tank, the kind used in the Korean War and other international conflicts from 1960 to the 1990s. (obviously, the article is in error regarding the Korean war and the M60 – Tank and AFV News editor)
The 62-ton tank is set to arrive at Redmond’s Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4108 on Thursday afternoon and will be placed at the post for permanent display, which the group hopes will draw attention to its organization and honor Korean War veterans. It is being driven from an Air Force base in Washington, and the group expects it to roll in between 10 a.m. and noon.
IHS Jane’s – Portugal to upgrade its Leopard 2 MBTs
The Portuguese Army is to further upgrade its Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) Leopard 2A6 main battle tanks (MBTs) with the aim of improving the vehicle’s communication and battle management capabilities, the army’s Logistics Command (CmdLog) told IHS Jane´s . The 37 vehicles fielded by the service’s Mechanised Brigade (Brigada Mecanizada; BrigMec) will receive the EID ICC-251 software-defined compact digital intercommunication system to replace Thales SOTAS system, with a contract potentially signed this year. The intercom designed to provide voice and data communications among crew members was tested on the MBT in January 2012, EID told IHS Jane’s .
The Guardian – Glenn Lazarus drives tank over car to highlight poor-quality vehicle imports
In possibly the most bizarre election stunt so far, Senator Glenn Lazarus has used an army tank, two sledgehammers and some pavers to destroy a car.
In a scene fit for a demolition derby, the independent Queensland senator tanked the five-seater Dodge Journey to draw attention to his proposal to introduce “lemon laws” to protect Australians from dud imports.
The senator and former rugby league star known as the “Brick with Eyes”, shattered the windscreen with the sledgehammer, which turned out to be a lemon itself and broke on the first hit.
US Graduates First Female Tank Crew Member
June 28, 2016 by Leave a Comment
According to the Idaho Statesman, Sgt. 1st Class Erin Smith of the Idaho Army National Guard last week became the nation’s first female enlisted soldier to graduate from the U.S. Army’s M1 Armor Crewman School. Smith joined the Guard as a combat medic in 2001 and has served overseas tours in Bosnia in 2002 and in Iraq in 2004. Until recently, females have historically been prohibited from serving in combat roles within the various branches of the U.S. Armed Forces. However, in December of 2015, Defense Secretary Ash Carter announced that the U.S. military would open all positions to women, without exception. This means those occupational skills previously off limits to females, like infantry and armor, are now open to both women and men who can meet the standards set by the different military services. “I was interested in the idea of being an Army tanker long before talk about integration so when the opportunity came up I decided to go for it,” Smith said. “It was intimidating at first—the fear of failure or not being good enough—but it’s been an awesome experience.”
Book Alert: New “Panzer Tracts” coming soon
June 24, 2016 by Leave a Comment
According to Armorama.com, two new entries in the Panzer Tracts series are slated for release within a month. Author Hilary Doyle says that the two new books will look at the Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf. H and Ausf. J, and the late developments of the Sd.Kfz. 251 and its planned successor, the Kätzchen. The volume on the Pz IV will include the detailed research, photos and drawings that characterize the series as well as detailed information on different types of Schürzen as well as covering the Befhelspanzer IV Ausf J and Beobachtungspanzer IV variants. The second book examines the Kätzchen, a fully tracked vehicle intended to replace the Sd.Kfz.251 but coming too late. Some late variants of the Schützenpanzer Sd.Kfz.251 like the /17 with Schwebelafette or the /20 “Uhu” are covered as well.
More IHS Jane’s Eurosatory 2016 videos
June 22, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Here are another batch of videos featuring IHS Jane’s reporter Christopher Foss showcasing some of the AFVs on display at Eurosatory 2016.
Tank and AFV News 