LAND FORCES
Comments (7)
Wow just more added nightmares for mechanics
Andrew lee at 11:30 AM
Anyone else get the feeling that military appropriations are being handled by a bunch of precocious 12-year-olds with ADHD who’ve had WAY too much sugar? Anytime I hear words like “future tech,” “AI,” “networked and/or “next gen” I start feeling a little nauseated. I’d be cool with a clean sheet design & I think that it’s probably wise to go lighter with more open architecture, but unless the army wants their new Abrams to go the way of the Zumwalt, LCS, Ford & F-35 they need to stifle the urge to cram it full of untested new technologies & dubious widgets. As a wise man once said, “Skip the spinning rims. We’re on the clock.”
(Also, does the army still want a fleet of tanks with hybrid engines, cause if they do I think they’re going to be in for some rude surprises, especially if they use any kind of lithium chemistry in the battery. Lithium batteries do NOT like to be handled roughly. One of the ways they let you know they’re unhappy with your rough treatment is by auto-ignition. When a lithium battery lights up YOU CAN’T PUT IT OUT. They’re self-oxidizing. They burn until they run out of fuel. You might as well just paint the entire vehicle in thermite.)
Just skip the spinning rims, okay? We’re on the clock…
Graham Strouse at 7:17 PMThe first two paragraphs directly contradict each other. Can't end M1E3 upgrades and then immediately state development of M1E3 will proceed.
John Hbier at 10:17 AMNo longer UPGRADE via ECP process (V3/V4/V5) but will eventually produce a “NEW” M1A3 variant when Type Classified.
The Rocket Dog at 2:19 PMIt would be possible to dramatically cut the weight of the beast by building replacement hulls in titanium alloy. Although the metal would be fantastically expensive and bring up assorted problems from welding issues to electrolytic corrosion of non alloy components and others, its a one time cost since the titanium is effectively 100% recyclable. Expand the growth-volume margins a little, adopt the Leopard II multi-fuel diesel powerpack, and the series gets reset back down to a 50-55 ton uparmored long range winner ready in a few years. Not necessarily an optimal solution for a couple of decades for now, but as the first line force it would have the agility and mobility it has been slowly losing for years.
Tom at 1:14 PM
Make a phalanx with a minigun or two for drone defense
Aaron Heisler at 7:00 PM