MBT's

[FASTBOAT TOUGH]

Yeah, as JANE's pointed out in the caption below the picture, that was the only Su-57 they have as photographed in 2020.

The bottom-line here is, and as we and others have stated over the years, again is we have to be patient enough to "hold the line" for equipment to NOT be entered into the game until FOC.

Every review of this game I've ever read has given "kudos" to the games for their authenticity, realism and the fact it's constantly updated.

Feedback from players, most recently for me going back to the last patch we did all that work on concerning India's tanks and I paraphrase...

"It's finally good to play against India, knowing I'm not fighting against tanks they don't have or haven't received yet."

That to me was a powerful statement.

We put it out there and I feel for any number of reason I could list, but won't, we need to stand by it.

Just last night at turnover, my relief was running late by a few minutes, knowing it was my "Friday" he said I got it, before I could respond another person told him, "He's not going to let you relieve him without giving you a clean turnover." Which is what he got.

We are in the same position now, to give these games a "clean over" before we hang it up.

It'll be painful, more so for others than me as I'm under no illusions about that. However these pieces of equipment are like MP's were to me in my first patch submission, they took up slots and served no real purpose purpose in the game. The difference here is they where "real" units already fielded, while these others aren't.

The standard I was asked from the beginning has been FOC, these other issues personally have put me behind in getting equipment in the game that are or have been modified to the point the game and players would benefit from them being entered in the game.

That was no when I stated a couple of times out here I have new or modified units dating back to at least 2015 that I can't get entered in the game because I've come across other issues that needed fixing over at least the last 3-4 years on existing units. The work has to be done though and it cannot be ignored.

I will be honest, personally I find it all to very frustrating and going against my innate sense of organization and detail. Sometimes that frustration has "spilled over" and I apologize for that to those affected, however, I will not apologize for the person I am because of it, it's served me very well in my military career and in life.

I am but one of many "advisors" out here and fully understand that role, so in the end I will fully support the "chain of command" on any decisions made for the games, because at least they'll listen to us in the first place.

So another is over and I must move on from here, after all it is 2021 and we have nowhere to go but up from here!?!

Oh that's right, this is the MBT Thread so...
AUSTRALIA: If they can get ahead of schedule (And they have on a couple of programs.) with this we might see these in the last year of the game.
https://armynews.partica.online/army...ing-our-armour

BRAZIL: Will be watching this one closely as Brazil has been stepping up the modernization of their military in the last few years across the board. In regards to these tanks, if the economy can support it, I can foresee possibly them having enough to support a combat unit by mid-2024 at earliest. A lot will depend on if they get foreign support from Germany or Israel to make it possible.
https://www.janes.com/defence-news/n...ard-1a5br-mbts

CHINA: First live fire shots of the VT-4.
https://www.armyrecognition.com/june...gun_shots.html

GERMANY: Increasing it's armor units and testing a new 130mm MG.
https://www.janes.com/defence-news/n...t-leopard-2a6s
https://militaryleak.com/2020/07/31/...moothbore-gun/

I'm excited about the next for both countries. Also since hopefully next year I can submit my build version of the LEOPARD 2A7V, awesome is all I can say! Be wearying here the article to my "American mind" seems to contradict itself from what it says in the beginning versus how it ends concerning Denmark. I'll just qoute the beginning...
"Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) has handed the latest versions of the Leopard 2 (OK, 2A7 and or 2A7V) over to Denmark and Germany."

"Both nations are receiving comparable variants of the Leopard 2A7 main battle tank."

"The Danish army will receive a total of 44 Leopard 2A7 vehicles by 2022."

There is no confirmation from either military on how this is progressing and I want to know is it for Denmark the 2A7 or using the articles own words "variant of", which leaves it open a variant of the 2A7V.

So bottom-line, this is NOT ACTIONABLE as their is a lack of data for the dates and type involved as noted.

DENMARK and GERMANY:
https://www.armyrecognition.com/octo...ttle_tank.html

Regards,
Pat

[FASTBOAT TOUGH]

I meant to add this in my last but, my original link wasn't working. So back to Denmark the following provides the current force structure of the Danish Army from the Danish Army down to the size of a Section.. Could be of use for many reasons by many people.
https://forsvaret.dk/en/organisation/army/structure/
https://forsvaret.dk/en/

INDIA: For FYI ONLY, this might have been a hold over from my submission of the India OOB rework from last year or year before. This was among the many tanks we fixed.
https://www.armyrecognition.com/apri...tle_tanks.html

DRDO has offered two light tank options to counter the Chinese VT-4 in the Himalayas. And wouldn't you be surprised to know the Indian Army is resistant to even that proposal!?! Here's what I think of that!
Currently I don't feel there's any chance of seeing these before games end in any form.
Anyway...
https://www.armyrecognition.com/anal...ight_tank.html

KUWAIT: I have to be honest I let this one "fall between the cracks" however, that being said the only transaction SIPRI shows from 2015-2019 (2020 due in Feb.) is between 2014-2015 for deliveries of 33 BMP-3 units. There are no newer articles concerning the acquisition of them or to current status of the purchase. The T-90MS started trials in 2015 in Kuwait and was excepted over the competition. Just have to keep an eye on this.
https://www.armyrecognition.com/marc...0ms_tanks.html

I conducted a web search concerning Kuwait before posting to make sure.

Regards,
Pat

[FASTBOAT TOUGH]

This is the first news in over a year, however, Turkey has gone back to the drawing board and modified the ALTAY. Specifically concerning the turret and adding a 360 Hard-kill/Soft-kill APS. I believe we already have it with a 12.7mm RWS, if not, it does now.

The turret is definitely, as the article indicates, been up armored though I don't see anything to indicate anything more then a minor or slightly improved increase of our current in game tank numbers.

I need to see more pictures of this newer version of the ALTAY to be sure of those numbers.

And more importantly, there still is no timeline given as far as the evaluation, production or if you will, induction of the ALTAY.

TRACKING...
https://www.armyrecognition.com/defe...ttle_tank.html

Edited for clarification.

Regards,
Pat

[DRG]

Interesting. It looks like they are turning it into a Leclerc / K2 look-a-like

[FASTBOAT TOUGH]

That's right, remember this did start out as cooperative project with South Korea based on the K2. Of course the Germans were involved as well but, it was when they lost the Austrians (And Engine/Transmission with them.) that things went really bad for them with the ALTAY as we well know now.

The Russians it is "rumored" supposedly were offering some assistance to Turkey to overcome some of the engineering and technical aspects of developing a 1500hp engine (Might be Turbine, don't remember, but more complex if so.) and doing the same on a transmission as well.

I agree that turret does make it look like a K2 to my mind.

Now just have to wait for them to announce it's at "0 month" once there, we're looking at 18-24 months after that, by their own admission as posted.

Regards,
Pat

[DRG]

The Icon for it right now seems close enough until final details emerge

[FASTBOAT TOUGH]

I agree about the ICON though, I realize you were making a "statement" there.

What struck me, was how much the turret was modified from the picture submitted for the tank currently in the game versus how it looks now from my last ref.

Regards,
Pat

[Suhiir]

Just an update.

The 1st, 2nd, and 4th USMC tank battalions have been deactivated.
The 3rd still has no indication as to when, or even if, it will be deactivated.

Given that 3rd is in Okinawa, close to both North Korea and Taiwan, it sort of makes sense to keep it around till last .... IF they cut it at all. Then there are the M1's aboard the pre-positioned ships (Diego Garcia and such) which also have not been deactivated.

[DRG]

It does appear there has been a shift in the way USMC is structured and deployed but the fact that one battalion is not being deactivated indicates to me that from the perspective of this game nothing needs to change drastically in regards to armor availability

[Suhiir]

Maybe make tanks x1 radio class units post 2020 would be all I'd suggest.

BUT that would require duplicate units with different dates. And probably changes to the picklists (formation availability %), not really worth the trouble unless there's some other reason to mess with the picklists.