MBT's

[FASTBOAT TOUGH]

I understand the training part very well as we trained for war nonstop for it especially while at sea over my 12yrs under the seas.

I framed the "timeframe" the way I did because of what's been reported thus far concerning the Ukrainian T-55S with a fairly advanced western FCS and gun.

They received the first of those tanks on 30 Oct '22 the Forbes article from about 10 days ago or less in my submission package clearly stated from the reporter on the scene they were still in training with them.

It also took some time to add the SLAT and additional ERA package that might've taken two weeks (?) given the numbers involved.

But the training goes beyond knowing your equipment, it's also knowing how you are expected to operate with the units you'll be working with.

We used the concept of CONOPS all my career whether at sea or while at the Admirals Staff Operations Center @ SUBGRU 10. This concept is used by all our military across the board. I'm sure same for all foreign militaries as well. This is as relevant now as when published.
https://www.armyupress.army.mil/Port...231_art011.pdf

We are currently in Germany holding Brigade size training for Ukrainians soldiers at all levels of the C&C to include training for the trainers on the M1A2 BRADLEY ODAS (About 1/2 of our current BRADLEY Fleet of ~2200 units.).

The purpose of which is to teach them how to more effectively use our equipment (Interoperability) for combined arms rapid maneuver movement in battle. They've been at it for about a month. I recently posted on that along w/UK planning to 20.000 Ukrainian troops in England this year.

Regards,
Pat

[DRG]

If you see a photo of this slat addition post a link

[FASTBOAT TOUGH]

Alright reposting the article from "FORBES" again.

I copied their picture above the article. I was able to blow it up on my PC to 627% but can't make exactly what's hanging at the rear of the tank. My thinking is either cables or chains.

To the SLAT you can clearly see it on the rear of the turret bustle.

On the sides you should be able to see it just "aft" of the side ERA on the side of the tank. Blowing that up, it just becomes more clearly present and also appears the SLAT is pretty "stout"
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world...ks/ar-AA15WpCv



The article indicates that there were other pictures taken however I couldn't find them. Maybe on TWITTER?

EDIT: Just verified picture above is SAT and everyone should be able to see the SLAT without any "fancy" stuff.

Regards,
Pat

[DRG]

The bit on the rear of the turret bustle does not look like slat at all when enlarged but the bits that cover the rear sides do. The bit on the bustle looks like a way to keep things from falling out of the bustle



But at least now I know the slat is not covering the rear hull or turret sides

Hopefully, there will be more images posted

[FASTBOAT TOUGH]

I agree with you on that. I was so focused what's "hanging" from the rear that I missed that completely when I "blew up" the picture at my end.

Regards,
Pat

[FASTBOAT TOUGH]

I've sat on this for a few days now, one reason for this is simply on our "game world" these tanks won't really matter based on what's in the game now and what's to come.

But more importantly what would be the political fallout from these tanks and the country sending them.

The Middle East and Africa has been generally neutral on the Ukrainian War issue. And none have donated any military equipment until now.

I speck of Morrocco who (Along with Tunisa) who have recently just sent the Ukraine 20 modernized T-72B tanks that arrived last week. This commitment actually came about in April '22.

Russia had hoped that the Middle East would stay neutral concerning the war to protect their own interests there. One of them being Algeria.

Morrocco and Algerian relations aren't necessarily on the best of terms right now and haven't been for a while. But the other problem is the Middle East has a lot of tanks. And Morrocco has just "cracked open" the faucet. How just follow the refs.

https://www.military.africa/2023/01/...torn%20country.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world...ry/ar-AA16EcRK

Now to the "faucet" it appears Germany has been working behind the scenes with Jordan. This to take some pressure off I'm sure concerning the LEOPARD tank issue at their end.

The thing is Jorden doesn't have any LEOPARDS (Well not yet if this gets done. ) however, they do have 400 Challenger 1 tanks in storage. except for the below I'll leave the rest for to read the ref. someone has to go to work.
"Overall, Challenger 1 destroyed roughly 300 Iraqi Soviet-made tanks, while the Iraqi forces failed to take a single tank out of combat. During operation Desert Storm the Challenger 1 tank engaged an enemy target at a range of 5,100 m."

Need I say more? Read the ref.
https://www.armyrecognition.com/defe...o_ukraine.html

Obviously, this bears watching.

Regards,
Pat

[DRG]

To say the situation is " fluid and evolving" would be a gross understatement

I had not considered the Jordanian Al-Hussein/Challys but according to Wiki ( So I will be digging deeper ....BUT that info originated from Janes )

https://web.archive.org/web/20180701...red-formations

Challengers will be phased out of service and replaced by 141 ex-Italian Army B1 Centauro 8x8 Mobile Gun Systems as well as ex-German Marder 1A3 Infantry Fighting Vehicles[/quote]

and according to Janes they are already in service so I need to get those into the OOB's

Janes claims the Al-Hussein/Chally

"it is unlikely that many are still in service.

which doesn't say much about their servicing history so these will likely require a LOT of time and effort to be serviceable but there may be enough to get at least a couple of companies running with a lot of "spare parts" not any time soon and another nightmare for Ukrainian supply officers


FUN!

[FASTBOAT TOUGH]

That's maybe for another day-however since you brought it up, we addressed their heavy tank issue last year when OMAN donated a large amount of their LeClerc tanks to them. We don't have the latest updated one that UAE (GULF STATES OOB) UNITS 028 (Can't find the 2nd one!?!) and sent to JORDAN UNIT 038 as we entered last year to fill the hole.
https://www.armyrecognition.com/defe...to_jordan.html
(READ PARA 1. "All these units are equipped with older tanks such as the Tariq (Centurion), the M60 A1, the Al Khalid (Chieftain), or the Al Hussein (Challenger1)."

I'm really here to present a viable standard EXPORT version of the M1A1 ABRAMS.

I am currently a little right now as how the xxxx did the USMC end up with so many FEP tanks!?! Where I asked for those units to have TROPHY removed PROBALY should've been to delete them! I feel better now not what I wanted to deal with coming home from work. Of course, this came up while looking into the OOB to give you the following.

The news is we're sending M1A1 ABRAMS to the Ukraine in the DOZENS so Poland you're not going to get as many now. The first USMC M1A1 tanks left Sierra Depot for Anniston Depot almost 2 weeks ago at that time for upgrade to the M1A2C (SEP 3) . That upgrade won't happen now since Poland and as of yesterday afternoon the Ukraine made the news.
https://www.dvidshub.net/video/86733...ton-army-depot

I thought I'd have more time on this, but I've taken a good look into this proposed EXPORT M1A1 ABRAMS.

I used the following "primary" units (As there were about 3 more.)

IRAQ/M1A1 SA ABRAMS/UNIT 006//USMC/M1A1HC/UNIT 840//USMC/M1A1HC TUSK-T/UNIT 853//

I choose to work with USMC UNIT 840 to minimize the changes and it was simply a better fit.

First ...
USMC/CHANGE/M1A1HC/UNIT 840/END/DEC 2025 vice SEP 2009/SATISFIES USMC NEED FOR A NORMAL M1A1 ABRAMS/REMINDER FEP BOOSTED FCS. //

UKRAINE/ADD/MODIFIED USMC/M1A1HC/UNIT 840/AS BASE/CHANGE FOR EXPORT VERSION/TI/GSR 45/FC 50/STEEL TF 90/TR 15/HEAT HF 95/TR 35/TIME ALLOWS FOR IMPROVEMENT OVER IRAQ M1A1 SA/FACTORS IN DU REMOVAL. //
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world...ck/ar-AA16HvWm
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world...ne/ar-AA16HMEu
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/24/u...s-ukraine.html
(News broke around 2000 Washington time.)

UAE and JORDAN can wait, and I was on that last year. Please just leave that for me you have Ukraine to deal with as more important right now BEFORE WE ALL FALL OVER!

I have got to get to bed.

I retirement can't ^!@#*$? get here soon enough!?!

EDIT: Why I say we need to SLOW DOWN things are changing TOO FAST and here's the LATEST!! WE SEND ABRAMS so...
https://www.armyrecognition.com/defe...anks_mbts.html
(Literally just "popped up" as I was closing out sites. Just my luck!?! )

RECOMMEND/GERMAN/LEOPARD 2A6/UNITS 033 OR 035/WITH NO CHANGES/NO DU ISSUES/FOR UKRAINE//.


Regards,
Pat

[DRG]

Originally Posted by FASTBOAT TOUGH

....... how the xxxx did the USMC end up with so many FEP tanks!?! Where I asked for those units to have TROPHY removed PROBALY should've been to delete them! I feel better now not what I wanted to deal with coming home from work. Of course, this came up while looking into the OOB to give you the following.

I don't have "control" of the USMC OOB at the moment so direct any suggestions to "you-know-who"

Originally Posted by FASTBOAT TOUGH

The news is we're sending M1A2 ABRAMS to the Ukraine in the DOZENS
==============

UKRAINE/ADD/MODIFIED USMC/M1A1HC/UNIT 840/AS BASE/CHANGE FOR EXPORT VERSION/TI/GSR 45/FC 50/STEEL TF 90/TR 15/HEAT HF 95/TR 35/TIME ALLOWS FOR IMPROVEMENT OVER IRAQ M1A1 SA/FACTORS IN DU REMOVAL. //
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world...ck/ar-AA16HvWm
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world...ne/ar-AA16HMEu
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/24/u...s-ukraine.html
(News broke around 2000 Washington time.) [/b]

******* in the process of doing that now but you need to clarify why if M1A2 ABRAMS are being sent why exactly am I being asked to put the M1A1HC in ?? .......once you'd had your beauty rest......

Originally Posted by FASTBOAT TOUGH

EDIT: Why I say we need to SLOW DOWN things are changing TOO FAST and here's the LATEST!! WE SEND ABRAMS so...
https://www.armyrecognition.com/defe...anks_mbts.html
(Literally just "popped up" as I was closing out sites. Just my luck!?! )

RECOMMEND/GERMAN/LEOPARD 2A6/UNITS 033 OR 035/WITH NO CHANGES/NO DU ISSUES/FOR UKRAINE//.

******** I already have various Leos in the OOB just waiting to be activated so I will do that now...... and Ukraine gets its own Icon
==============

Originally Posted by FASTBOAT TOUGH

I have got to get to bed.

I retirement can't ^!@#*$? get here soon enough!?!


Regards,
Pat

"retirement"..ROTFLMAO I used to be able to got to work to catch a break ! now I'm busier than ever. I laugh at people who ask me " don't you get bored not working?" HAHAHAHAHAHA

NO, and I retired 16 years ago and it's 10:30 and I still haven't finished the coffee I poured at 8am or had my breakfast because I've been in and out of both games testing changes, in and out of the HTMP editor for both game guides adding new info, in and out of my graphics program, in and out of SHPEDIT.... "don't you get bored"

================================================== ===============================================
Here is what just went in. I am using a "generic" 120 L55 "gun"/ammo for this...... guessing there will be no " silver bullets" sent so this will be what the L55 Leos use as well.

[DRG]

As an aside sorta-kinda related to all this. I decided to re-read Clancys " Red Storm Rising"... AGAIN....... I read it again about once every decade.

There are certain passages and actions in that book that sound exactly like current affairs. ( not just 'close" )