This rather intriguing video showed up on Youtube yesterday and appears to answer the question of what ever happened to the Japanese Type 5 Chi-Ri Heavy tank prototype. Sources generally state that the vehicle was either scrapped at Aberdeen Proving Grounds or lost at sea during shipment. If this video is what it says, we may have proof that it did indeed make it to Aberdeen where it was scrapped. The video is said to be from October 4, 1952 and shows a number of vehicles, including several Japanese tanks. Both a Type 4 Chi-To and the Type 5 Chi-Ri are visible. That these vehicles were scrapped rather than preserved is a rather depressing thought.
Here is a screen capture of the Chi-Ri.
. This is a softcover book of 96 pages with color photos and illustrations. While we have not gotten our copy of this book in the post yet, we have been pleased with other books of this series as well as with other books written by Dick Taylor.
This past weekend saw the start of the 2017 iteration of the Tank Biathlon competition in Russia which runs from July 29 to August 12. To the surprise of no one, the Russian team is so far in first place, having beaten the Chinese team. Later this week the Russian and Chinese teams will face off against the Indian team. The Russian team operates T-72BM3 tanks, the Chinese bring their own Type 96 and the Indians will be using The T-90S. Other competitors who do not bring their own tank are supplied with a T-72B3 by their Russian host. The English language version of the official site for the competition 
Speaking to the staff at the state-owned Ukroboronprom facility in Lviv, Poroshenko announced that the deal would also include the production of “a new fire engine based on the T-72” in a deal worth up to UAH920 million (USD35.3 million). Further procurement of T-84 Oplot MBTs is also to be expected, with Poroshenko disclosing that “more than” UAH300 million would be made available.
ANKARA, Turkey — Turkey’s procurement authorities have decided to release a request for proposal, to be sent to three local armored vehicles manufacturers, as part of the Altay tank program. This decision effectively means the three companies will be invited to bid on the program, estimated to reach beyond $10 billion. The companies that received the RFP from the Undersecretariat for Defence Industries, or SSM, are BMC, Otokar and FNSS, all privately owned companies.
Ben Franklin offered a parable in Poor Richard’s Almanac (1758) about how a kingdom could be lost for want of a simple nail. Without the nail, a horse lost its shoe; without the shoe, the horse was disabled and a rider could not deliver his message; without the message, a battle was lost; and losing the battle brought down the kingdom .Philadelphia’s favorite son wasn’t the first sage to warn that small failings can lead to huge consequences — especially in wartime — but it seems every generation needs to relearn the lesson. Bridges collapse for want of paint and planes crash because one item was skipped on the pilot’s pre-flight checklist.
MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Russia’s Uralvagonzavod company said earlier the first shipment of 73 tanks was scheduled for this year. “A significant contract for a large batch. I cannot name its exact worth but the amount [of tank] is large,” Vladimir Kozhin told the Izvestiya newspaper, adding Kuwait was also interested in this type of hardware. According to the outlet, more T-90MS shipments would follow. Russia’s Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation, which oversees such deals, declined to comment.
Under its new strategic defence review, Poland plans to expand its armoured component by purchasing additional Leopard 2 main battle tanks (MBTs), upgrading older T-72 and PT-91 tanks, and increasing the level of protection of other combat vehicles. The defence review, published in May 2017, sets as the main priority for Poland to prepare to defend its own territory and reinforce deterrence capabilities based on national defence capabilities.
While the Sherman tank is so closely associated with the Second World War, it’s sometimes overlooked that these vehicles also served the US Army in a very different conflict, the Korean War. This article from the May-June 1953 issue of ARMOR provides an account by a First Lieutenant who recounts how Sherman tank crews in Korea had to acclimate their tactics and vehicles to fighting a static war in mountainous terrain. One thing we found rather interesting in this article was the mention that one of the Easy Eight Sherman tanks was equipped with twin .50 cal machine guns on the roof and one in the hull replacing the .30 cal machine gun. A picture of the vehicle with the twin .50 cal guns is included in the article. If any other photographic evidence of this particular vehicle exists, we would love to see it.
In the past months a number of photographs has been posted online, which shows some of the older, upgraded Merkava main battle tanks (MBTs) featuring so called “ears”. In different forums people have speculated about the purpose of the oddly shaped turret add-ons, suggesting that these might be part of a 360° close proximity surveillance system or radars for detecting the launch of rocket propelled grenades or anti-tank missiles.
A number of countries has presented or ordered upgrades for main battle tanks (MBTs) in the past months. Unfortunately low activity on this blog has resulted on some of the more recent events not being properly covered. This article is trying to recapitulate a few new developments and news reports that couldn’t make it into a full-sized article. While this approach will increase the coverage of “recent” events, the quality of the post might not be up to typical standards. In three countries low-cost upgrades of the T-72 were presented, while three other news a related to the Leopard 2 tank. The Argentine Army is also looking to improve more TAM tanks.
Tank and AFV News 