Australia's M1A1 (AIM) Abrams arrive...

[Aussie Digger]

 

[Aussie Digger]

 

[Aussie Digger]

 

[Aussie Digger]

 

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[Aussie Digger]

 

[The_Jet]

Thanks for the pics AD! Will these Tanks be upgraded with the TUSK ( Tank Urban Survival Kit ) Or stay how they are?

 

[Big-E]

Are they going to keep them painted that ugly desert-camo? I hope you'll paint some for jungle-camo.

 

[NZLAV]

Beautiful tank! except the drop from 104? leopards to 59 m1a1's is not very convincing. How much was the project?

 

[knightrider4]

M1a1 Aim Sa

The project cost 550 million AUD which included an intergrated logistics package as well as driver and gunnery training aids. Money well spent with more funds being allocated to the Australian Army we may see another squadron or two.

 

[Aussie Digger]

Thanks for the pics AD! Will these Tanks be upgraded with the TUSK ( Tank Urban Survival Kit ) Or stay how they are?

I don't think there's any plans to include TUSK as yet, but the Aussie tanks have a number of features from the TUSK upgrade already, including the infantry phone, upgrade thermal sights etc.

The project has actually come in at $530m when $550m was actually budgeted for.

Hopefully additional tanks will be ordered to raise the 3 Sqn's that 1 Armd SHOULD have.

As to the numbers question, Australian only operated about 40 Leopard gun tanks in the full time role and had a reserve Sqn also equipped with Leopards (60 gun tanks in total). The remainder were armoured recovery vehicles or tanks in reserve.

Basically the only difference in our full time capability is the lack of "war reserve" tanks. The "high readiness" deployable Sqn's are the same as they've been since the Leopard was introduced, but with a FAR more capable and survivable tank...

 

[knightrider4]

Tusk

Excuse me gentlemen, but I was under the impression that the TUSK upgrade has been shelved at least for the time being.

 

[RubiconNZ]

Tusk

Excuse me gentlemen, but I was under the impression that the TUSK upgrade has been shelved at least for the time being.

It was, but they have just reinstated the upgrade, comes as no suprise with all the urban ops in Iraq, and it wouldn't suprise me if it is partly due to the capabilities of the M1A1 AIM, apparently the Yanks loved the Infantry Phone etc, not to mention the Crew comforts intergrated. this all happened within the last few months.

BTW Chauvel is a cracker name for the First Tank, quite fitting IMO.

 

[Big-E]

Can someone tell me the origin of these particular M1A1s? Are they new, used and if so where did they come from?

 

[Aussie Digger]

Excuse me gentlemen, but I was under the impression that the TUSK upgrade has been shelved at least for the time being.

I was under the impression that 500 or so tanks had already been funded for the upgrade???

You could be right though. Perhaps it's capped to the ones already funded???

 

[icelord]

you would think for laughs the yanks would send a pink one. Thanks AD, is this just the Training Abrhams, if so, whens the rest in?

Can someone tell me the origin of these particular M1A1s? Are they new, used and if so where did they come from?

They are Zero Kms, fully restarted from the ground up Ex-US, so kinda like a second hand car thats been fully reconstructed, cept with all new GPS and sweet sound system, lol

 

[RubiconNZ]

Brand new Second Hand

Yeah I think they were just warstock excess to US needs.

I was under the impression that 500 or so tanks had already been funded for the upgrade???

You could be right though. Perhaps it's capped to the ones already funded???

No I am sure they have just restarted it let me do some looking so it doesnt look like im just pulling it out.

 

[Aussie Digger]

Can someone tell me the origin of these particular M1A1s? Are they new, used and if so where did they come from?

These particular M1A1's were in storage in Europe (read: Germany). As others have mentioned they have gone through a re-manufacturing process (which has impressed US Army so much they are putting their own tanks through the same process) and have undergone an upgrade comprising a number of elements of the TUSK program.

These tanks were "hand chosen" by an Army "Armoured Corps" team that travelled around and inspected various US Army tanks that had been placed into a "reserve" situation. They subsequently chose the best 59x (plus 7x M88A2 Hercules) they could find...

 

[RubiconNZ]

Tusk

alright maybe I was pulling it, the M1A2 SEP was cancelled, I though I remember something about TUSK being cancelled as well but oh well, at the Moment its at 505 units, the latest round of contracts were mostly for those 505 units, I supposed it makes sense in this fiscally challengin enviroment to only upgrade those you will be using for Urban Ops, i've looked but can't find how many M1 and variants are in use with the US Army at this time, my count is they had at one time produced for them about 7200? Question in relation to extra Tanks avalible for purchase to the ADF to keep it on thread.

 

[Aussie]

Mod edit: Never mind this idiot. I just went and checked his other posts and he has a history of ignorant or trolling posts and a blatant disregard for the rules and warnings by Moderators. As such his future here is grim... AD.