The youtube channel Lindybeige has posted a video of its host discussing tank design with Nicholas “The Chieftain” Moran.
Video: NMAW Open House
April 6, 2018 by Leave a Comment
Last September we went to the open house event for the NMAW at the Tank Farm in Nokesville Virginia. We shot some video at the event and have edited it into something that we hope is relatively watchable. This video will give people an idea of what to expect if they decide to attend this event the next time it happens.
AFV News from Around the Web
March 30, 2018 by Leave a Comment
Here is an assortment of recent news articles on armored vehices. Click on the headline to go to the complete piece.
BBC – The Salvagers who raise World War Two tanks from the dead
When the German army attacked the Soviet Union in the summer of 1941, tanks were a crucial factor in their initial success. German tanks roared across the Soviet border giving the enemy no time to recover. As the Soviets reeled under the surprise attack, the most powerful German formations swept through what is now Belarus. Huge battles were fought, leaving the land strewn with dead bodies and ruined machines.
Task & Purpose – Why Tanks Need 4 Crew Members, Not 3
Having spent a lot of time on tanks, I would argue that pursuing technical solutions that don’t account for the human dimension of sustained ground combat is a mistake. The four-soldier crew gives flexibility that three cannot. Pulling local security is a real requirement inside a tactical assembly area. Doing so while maintaining weapons, conducting maintenance, eating, and getting some sleep is already tough. When in radio listening silence you need a runner, and during tactical road marches you need an air guard.
Defense News – Singapore denies acquisition of new Leopard tank variant
MELBOURNE, Australia ― Singapore is denying it took delivery of Leopard 2A7 main battle tanks from Germany, contradicting a report by a Swedish nongovernmental organization. A spokesperson from Singapore’s Ministry of Defence told Defense News that “no other variants of the Leopard has been acquired” since the country ordered Leopard 2A4 tanks from Germany in 2006.
KyivPost – UkrOboronProm finishes producing Oplot tanks for Thailand
After missing several deadlines over the past few years, Ukraine’s state-run defense production concern UkrOboronProm will now finally complete its long-standing contract to supply its advanced Oplot-T battle tanks to Thailand. In a March 26 press statement, the concern’s director general, Pavlo Bukin, asserted that a final batch of six modern Ukrainian-made armored vehicles had already been produced and successfully tested in the presence of the ordering party.
Sofrep News – China testing plan to turn thousands of outdated tanks into drone warfighters
As a part of China’s People’s Liberation Army’s continued modernization efforts, China is now experimenting with converting outdated tank platforms into unmanned combat drones. Footage released to the public last Wednesday on state-owned television shows a Type 59 Chinese tank being maneuvered via remote control, using a steering wheel and dual screened console to manage the tasks of tank operation. Although the video does not say, it seems likely that the two screens represent a navigational view of the front of the tank and a bore-sight view for targeting the tanks main weapons system, a 100mm gun.
War is Boring – Imagine 1940s French Tanks With Soviet-era Howitzers
France built the 14.5-ton AMX-13 tank in the 1940s as a combat vehicle light enough to be air-transportable to support paratroopers. France produced and exported thousands of them, which saw action in several Cold War conflicts. They’re still in service in a handful of countries, mostly in South America. The antiquated tanks could still see service for awhile longer. Reports suggest Peru is looking at converting 30 to 40 of its AMX-13s into self-propelled howitzers by swapping out their turrets for Soviet-era 122-millimeter D-30 howitzers.
Egypt Independent – Russian T-90S/SK tanks to be assembled in Egypt soon: Russia Today
Russian heavy off-road truck manufacturer Ural Automotive Plan has announced plans to establish a local company in Egypt to assemble 400 Russian battle tanks of the T-90S/SK model, according to state-funded Russian news outlet Russia Today. The project depends on whether the mother company in Russia will issue an official authorization for the assemblage in Egypt.
IHS Jane’s – Netherlands transfers last Leopard 2s to Finland
The Netherlands will transfer the last of 100 Leopard 2A6 tanks to Finland in 2019, the Dutch Ministry of Defence (MoD) has said on its website. The ministry reported that it began transferring 20 Leopard 2A6s to Finland on 21 March. The Netherlands decided in 2011 to phase out main battle tanks, and Finland bought its 100 Leopards 2A6s in 2014.
Jordan opens Royal Tank Museum
March 2, 2018 by Leave a Comment
The 
Kingdom of Jordan has opened up a new museum dedicated to tanks and military history and showcasing over 100 armored vehicles. According to news articles, the museum collection has been assembled over the last ten years and contains vehicles from the Jordanian Armed Forces as well as machines from other countries given as gifts or through military exchange programs. While we have not seen a complete list of all the vehicle types on display, based on the photos and videos made available so far, this is a very impressive collection of vehicles, including some relatively rare WWII era vehicles.
For more, check out these links to various news articles and the video below.
The Jordan Times – King Opens Royal Tank Museum
Al-Monitor – Jordan shows off its arsenal in new tank museum
The Jerusalem Post – Jordan Displays Military Tech Israel Faced in Early Wars
AFV News from Around the Web
March 2, 2018 by Leave a Comment
Here is another assortment of recent news articles on armored vehices. Click on the headline to go to the complete piece.
FP – Made in America, But Lost in Iraq
The U.S. company that repairs Iraq’s American-made M1A1 Abrams tanks has pulled many of its people from Iraq after at least nine of the armored vehicles ended up in the hands of pro-Iran militias. Now, many of Iraq’s tanks are immobilized for want of maintenance, potentially jeopardizing the country’s ongoing campaign against Islamic State militants. While the Islamic State has retreated from large swaths of Iraq it once controlled, mobile groups of militants continue to stage attacks on Iraqi troops and their allies. An Islamic State attack near the city of Hawija in mid-February reportedly killed 27 militiamen fighting for Baghdad.
The Diplomat – India’s New Anti-Tank Guided Missile Destroys 2 Tanks in Test
India’s Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) successfully tested its indigenously designed and developed third-generation anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) Nag in desert conditions against two tank targets on February 28, according to an Indian Ministry of Defense (MoD) press release. The tests “have once again proved its capability,” the statement reads. “With this, the developmental trials of the missile have been completed and it is now ready for induction.” The Indian Army has so far not publicly commented on the successful Nag ATGM test. Notably, DRDO had announced the completion of development trials already in September 2017.
The National Interest – Turkey May Try to Build an Unmanned Tank
Turkey may try to build an unmanned tank. That’s according to Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Speaking at a meeting at the presidential palace on February 21, Erdoğan declared: “We will carry it a step further [after domestically produced unmanned aerial vehicles] . . . We should reach the ability to produce unmanned tanks as well. We will do it.” Erdoğan’s comments came weeks after five Turkish soldiers were killed in a tank while fighting in Syria’s Afrin district. Ankara has deployed military forces in Syria to battle Kurds in the neighboring country.
Jane’s 360 – Order for T-14 MBTs, T-15 heavy IFVs for extended trials confirmed by Russian MoD
An order placed by the Russian Ministry of Defence (MoD) for two battalions of T-14 main battle tanks (MBTs) and a battalion of T-15 heavy infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) has been confirmed by the Russian Ministry of Defence (MoD). “It’s no secret that we already have a contract for trials and combat operations: two battalions of Armata tanks and one battalion of heavy infantry fighting vehicles,” Deputy Defence Minister Yuri Borisov was quoted as saying by the MoD during a tour of the Uralvagonzavod factory in Nizhny Tagil on 9 February.
The Diplomat – China Now Has the World’s Largest Active Service Tank Force
The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) currently fields the world’s largest active service main battle tank (MBT) force, according to an analysis published in the newly released Military Balance 2018 report, produced by the International Institute of Strategic Studies (IISS). As of 2017, the PLA’s operational tank fleet is composed of roughly 3,390 third-generation, 400 second-generation, and 2,850 first-generation MBTs. In comparison, in 1997 the force consisted of 6,200 first-generation and 1,600 second-generation MBTs.
Defense News – South Korea’s K2 tank to run on German transmission
SEOUL — South Korea’s K2 main battle tank is to be equipped with a German transmission system, a part of the tank’s powerpack that includes a locally-developed engine. The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) announced Feb. 7 that its top decision-making body, presided over by Defense Minister Song Young-moo, made a decision to adopt the German RENK transmission system for the production of a second batch of 106 K2 tanks.
Book Alert: The Anti-Tank Rifle
February 16, 2018 by Leave a Comment
Osprey Publishing has released a new book by Steven Zaloga on the history of the anti-tank rifle titled The Anti-Tank Rifle (Weapon)
Publisher’s Description:
The emergence of the tank in World War I led to the development of the first infantry weapons to defend against tanks. Anti-tank rifles became commonplace in the inter-war years and in the early campaigns of World War II in Poland and the Battle of France, which saw renewed use in the form of the British .55in Boys anti-tank rifle – also used by the US Marine Corps in the Pacific. The French campaign made it clear that the day of the anti-tank rifle was ending due to the increasing thickness of tank armour.
Nevertheless, anti-tank rifles continued to be used by the Soviets on the Eastern Front with two rifles, the 14.5mm PTRS and PTRD, and were still in widespread use in 1945. They served again with Korean and Chinese forces in the Korean War, and some have even appeared in Ukraine in 2014–15. Fully illustrated and drawing upon a range of sources, this is the absorbing story of the anti-tank rifle, the infantryman’s anti-armour weapon during the world wars.
New Book Alert: British Tank Crewman 1939-45
November 26, 2017 by Leave a Comment
Osprey Publishing has released a new volume in their Warrior series looking at British tank crewment in the Second World War. British Tank Crewman 1939-45 (Warrior)
Publisher’s Description:
Great Britain had introduced the tank to the world during World War I, and maintained its lead in armored warfare with the “Experimental Mechanized Force” during the late 1920s, watched with interest by German advocates of Blitzkrieg. Despite these successes, the Experimental Mechanised Force was disbanded in the 1930s, making Britain relatively unprepared for World War II, both in terms of armored doctrine and equipment.
This fully illustrated new study examines the men who crewed the tanks of Britain’s armored force during World War II, which was only four battalions large in 1939. It looks at the recruitment and training of the vast numbers of men required, their equipment, appearance and combat experience in every theater of the war as the British armored division sought to catch up with the German Panzers.
Available on Amazon here.
Book Review: Can Openers
November 23, 2017 by Leave a Comment
We will start this book review with this video produced by book author Nicholas Moran giving a description of the work in his own words. The background footage scrolling behind him gives a pretty good idea as to the layout of the book for those that are curious.
Mr. Moran was kind enought to provide us with a review copy of the book so that we may share our thoughts on it with our readers. From this point forward, we will refer to Mr. Moran by his nickname “The Chieftain” for the simple fact that it’s a pretty cool moniker.
In the video above, The Chieftain makes a reference to his book as a “Hunnicutt for tank destroyers.” This is an apt description. Those familiar with the works of Richard Hunnicutt will know that his ten volume work contains a detailed history of US armored vehicle development, each volume dedicated to a specific vehicle type, such as Medium tanks, Heavy tanks, halftracks, etc. However if you scan through the titles of his books you will find one title conspicuously absent, US tank destroyers. To be sure, tank destroyers are included in his books, but scattered over about five different volumes and generally regulated to the later pages of the volume. For example, if you want to read about the tank destroyers that saw service during WWII war, you will need to go to the Hunnicutt Sherman book for the M10 and M36, the Stuart book for the M18, the Halftrack book for the M3 GMC, and the Armored Car book for the various wheeled tank destroyer models.
Fortunately, this dilemma has been solved by the new book Can Openers: The Development of US Anti-tank Gun Motor Carriages by World of Tanks researcher and historian Nicholas “The Chieftain” Moran. Known in part to the wider public for his Inside the Hatch video series, this book marks his first foray into book writing. Those that follow his articles on the World of Tanks website and in the “Chieftain’s Hatch” section of the World of Tanks online forum will recognize his writing style in this volume. The sarcastic wit of The Chieftain comes through in the text, making it a bit more easy to digest than the relatively dry writing style of Hunnicutt.
It should be pointed out that this is a developmental history of US tank destroyers and is focused on describing the various different models and prototypes and providing some background as to why each vehicle was accepted or rejected. It is not an in-depth history of the tank destroyer branch itself. For that, we would suggest Charles Baily’s Faint Praise or Steven Zaloga’s writings. For a history of the tank destroy battalions during WWII, we recommend Harry Yeide’s book The Tank Killers. Speaking of Harry Yeide, he provides a nice forward for this new book.
It is obvious that Mr. Moran has spent a good deal of time in the archives compiling the information and collecting the photographs for the book. This is not a rehash of previously published materials, and those familiar with the subject will be pleased to find photos they have probably never seen before. The book is also sprinkled with quotes from letters and memos from the various US Army officers involved in the development of these tank destroyers. These quotes do much to explain the thinking and rationale of the people responsible for this assortment of oddities and experiments, helping to explain how some of these vehicles that seem so obviously flawed to those of us with the benefit of hindsight came to be.
The history of US anti-tank Gun Motor Carriages (GMC’s) presents some of the stranger armored vehicles to come out of the ordnance department during the war. Certainly, there is much in the pages of this volume to make one shake their head and wonder what exactly was going through the heads of the designers. In particular, the early attempts to mate a high velocity anti-tank weapon to a light wheeled chassis produced a number of ill-conceived contraptions. For those that enjoy contemplating such machines, The Chieftain has assembled an admirable history.
Since we reviewed this from a digital copy, we have not had a chance to examine an actual copy. However, we have been informed that in terms of size and paper quality, this book is very similar to the World of Tanks reprint of the Hunnicutt Firepower book by Echo Point.
If you would like to pre-order this book, please do so at http://www.echopointbooks.com/history/can-openers
AFV News from Around the Web
November 22, 2017 by Leave a Comment
Here is another assortment of recent news articles on armored vehices. Click on the headline to go to the complete piece. It’s been a while since we did one of these, so this one is a bit longer than usual.
Jane’s 360 – USMC’s AAV7, ACV programmes trade capacity, terrain capability for survivability
The US Marine Corps’ (USMC’s) two-pronged amphibious vehicle modernisation effort will include some significant survivability upgrades to its legacy AAV7 amphibious assault vehicles, and be complemented with a new personnel carrier with mine resistant ambush protected (MRAP)-levels of protection.
Jane’s 360 – Over half of Bundeswehr’s Leopard 2 MBTs are not operationally ready
German media reported on 16 November that only 95 of the 244 Leopard 2 main battle tanks (MBTs) in service with the Bundeswehr are operationally ready. A further 53 vehicles – thought to be Leopard 2A6Ms – are being converted to the new Leopard 2A6M+ standard, and 86 are in a state of disrepair without any spare parts. The German report states that “the unavailability of the required replacement parts would be detrimental”.
Jane’s 360 – Ukraine to purchase more BTR-3DA IFVs
The Ukrainian Ministry of Defence (MoD) has placed an order with the Kiev Armoured Plant for BTR-3DA vehicles, Ukraine-based industry sources reported on 30 October. The order is for an unknown quantity of BTR-3DA infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs), a locally developed upgrade for the BTR family of armoured fighting vehicles. The order follows a series of delays because of MoD concerns that the vehicle was not suitably priced.
Jane’s 360 – Challenger 2 trialled with ROSY, Iron Fist APS
Rheinmetall’s ROSY rapid obscurant system has been demonstrated on a British Army Challenger 2 main battle tank (MBT), Jane’s has learned, with components of Israeli Military Industries’ (IMI) Iron Fist hard-kill active protection system (APS) also understood to have been integrated.
Defense News – Industry expresses ‘fears’ over India’s future combat vehicle program
NEW DELHI — India has launched a $4.8 billion program for the domestic production of 1,770 multipurpose future ready combat vehicles by private companies partnered with overseas original equipment manufacturers, but some leaders in the local industry are hesitant about what they consider an overly ambitious program that lacks clarity.
The Telegraph – Government has spent £381m upgrading army’s ageing armoured vehicles even though half could be scrapped
The Ministry of Defence has spent £381 million upgrading the army’s ageing infantry fighting vehicles even though half of them could now be scrapped to cut costs. Lockheed Martin was hired six years ago to overhaul and fit new gun turrets to Britain’s ageing fleet of Warriors, which have served in the Gulf, Bosnia and Iraq. But Ministry of Defence documents forecast the Warrior upgrade is a year behind schedule, with the programme incurring extra costs as a result of delays.
Bangkok Post – Five Ukraine tanks on way to Thailand
A new batch of five more tanks from Ukraine will be delivered late this month as the Royal Thai Army has so far received 31 of the Ukraine-made T84 Oplot tanks, according to an army source. Ukraine was contracted to supply a battalion of 49 T84 Oplot tanks worth 7.2 billion baht in 2011 but was slow to press ahead with production and delivery due to security problems in the country.
BBC News – Commander says tanks as ‘relevant’ now as 100 years ago
The regiment, based at Tidworth in Wiltshire, has commemorated the anniversary of the Cambrai battle. Formed out of the Tank Corps, the tanks broke the stalemate of trench warfare in World War One. Lt Col Simon Ridgway said the soldiers “changed the course of the war” with their courage.
Reuters – Turkey received bids in tender for 500 battle tanks last week: minister
Turkey received bids last Friday for the production of 500 Altay battle tanks, of which 250 are optional, Defence Minister Nurettin Canikli said on Wednesday. Speaking to parliament’s budget commission, Canikli said the tender would be finalised in the coming days. The domestic Altay tank project is worth an estimated 7 billion euros ($8.24 billion).
Newsweek – Russia says it has more tanks than any other nation in the world
Russia has boosted its arsenal of tanks and armored vehicles by more than 25,000 over the last half a decade, one of its deputy defense ministers boasted on Wednesday. Russia’s Deputy Minister of Defense and Army General Dmitry Bulgakov told army newspaper Krasnaya Zvezda: “Over the five years between 2012 and 2017, the army has received more than 25,000 units of new armored tank and automobile kit, as well as 4,000 modern items of rocket and artillery weaponry.”
The Sentinel – Tanks a lot: Welder helps build replica tank
A Staffordshire Moorlands welder has helped TV presenter Guy Martin build a replica of a WW1 tank for the Armistice Day commemorations in France which marked 100 years since tanks were first used in battle. Welder Chris Shenton, from Leek, has been part of excavator giant JCB’s team to help TV personality Guy Martin to engineer a tribute to the role tanks played in helping change the course of the First World War.
Book Alert: Can Openers by Nicholas Moran
November 13, 2017 by Leave a Comment
Echo Point Publishing has posted pre-order information for the long awaited volume by World of Tanks researcher Nicholas Moran on US Tank Destroyer development. This is a hardcover book of 240 pages containing photographs and reports, many of which come previously undiscovered from the archives. Deliverly is said to be late December, hopefully in time for Christmas. We have had the opportunity to view an advance digital copy of this book and can vouch for its quality. We will be posting a more complete book review later this week.
Publisher’s Description:
Echo Point is pleased to partner with World of Tanks again for this Limited Edition Hardcover edition of Can Openers by Nicholas Moran, aka “The Chieftain,” Director of Militaria Relations at Wargaming America.
This new work fills a gap in the existing documentation for these fascinating tank killers.
Hardback, about 240 pages long, $52.95 plus shipping, and filled with reports and photographs taken primarily from Ordnance Branch and Tank Destroyer Board archives, most of it previously unpublished, it traces the development of anti-tank vehicles from the 37mm Gun Motor Carriage T2 through to the 90mm Self-Propelled Anti-Tank Gun M56 Scorpion. The bonus code coming with the book, for PC, is for an M56. It does not cover the deployment and use of the vehicle, only the technical development of the designs and the decisionmaking behind that development.
Order fulfillment will take place toward the end of December. We hope these may even ship in time for holiday delivery(!) Updates on our delivery timeframe will be posted as they occur. Orders will be shipped in the order received, so order early to ensure the earliest delivery date!
Tank and AFV News 