[quote=FASTBOAT TOUGH;855139] Well probably won't make many friends with this next but that's OK. What I have is the
last USMC Tank Employment/MCWP 3-12 Manual before
Plan 2030 and when the CORPS
divested all their tanks back to the owner of them the USA. This was officially adopted in
March 2014.
You will find no mention of
Active Protection System/or APS.
HOWEVER, you will find how to
properly disperse your smoke grenades. See
F7 & F8 at the end of the document.
Also, we've made the assumption (I believe) that the
AMBRAMS can't or doesn't carry troops. In the case of the
USMC, it would appear this isn't the case at all, though the word "rare" is used in this context.
When to do so is covered. The number carried is
9 Marines.
Regards,
Pat
[/QUOTE
In the case of the USMC "last deployment" is far less important then "last active unit employing". I saw USMC infantry trained on 3.5in bazookas and M79 GLs (fired one myself) in 1974, M1919 MGs were used on the Ontos till 1969. During Dessert Storm (1991) I carried an M870 12ga and my Co XO had an M79, many of the SNCOs had M1911s (tho they were officially phased out in 1986, and more would have had more been available).
As to the APS, as I said previously the USMC never had enough to equip all of it's tanks, but did have enough to equip all tanks deployed in MEUs and most, if not all, tanks at 29 Palms. We can assume when the USMC divested itself of tanks the APS systems were given to the US Army, but to my knowledge the US Army as never employed the system outside testing so they may well be sitting in a USMC warehouse alongside M1903s, putees, and actual swords (as opposed to the dress ones used for ceremonies). As far as I know it's more-or-less a "bolt on" system so could be fairly easily equipped.
Tank Riders: While OFFICIALLY the Abrams certainly does not carry troops the lack of vehicles in the USMC (as compared to the US Army) means people can, will, and do ride anything when needed. NO it's not doctrine, but it happens, regularly. As to 9 riders, rather then create new units it's easier to just fudge a bit.