Saw a TANK! In Indy!

[Britton]

Ding Ding Ding! We have a winner! M3 Grease Gun & 1911 for the sidearm. M60 for the Coax and M2 for the Commander (with a weird PITA chain for cocking it inside of the turret).

I beg to disagree, being a graduate of US Armor School, CAV track in 1985. Yes, the M3 was used as well as the M3A1. The Coax was not a M60, but a relative of the M240 machine gun with out the stock. The Commander had a M85 inside the commander cupola on top of the turret. Both the greeze guns and the m240 ran great, but the m85 was a total POS and was always giving us problems.

 

[VUPDblue]

He's moved to the booming metropolis of Darlington, IN!

Ropkey Armor Museum

They visit my parents' store quite often. I hope to one day be able to wrangle a ride in something from him, too.

Big NRA supporter, too, Mr. Ropkey.

-J-

My dad knows him. We used to go peruse his collection when he was up off 71st street.

 

[techres]

Both the greeze guns and the m240 ran great, but the m85 was a total POS and was always giving us problems.

I am sure you are right. My memory failed me!

The only time I got to play, I remember the loader being able to engage blindly with the coax as a backup in case the gunner over on the right had a malfunction (in addition to the main gun backup the gunner had with a T shaped thing that he would spin in order to electrically fire the 105). As the the commander's .50, I just remember feeling like I was gonna have to do pullups on that thing to make it chamber or clear a round. Here's a pick of that chain:

The strange thing also was that at one time crewmen were training on the 16 & 1911's to qualify, but practicing tearing down the M3's as they were the official issue.

Did you get time on the M3's? I've always wondered what they shoot like.

 

[techres]

We have two of them here. We also have the motor out of one in the warehouse (apparently we forgot to check the oil). My boss was the guy that was in charge of getting them shipped to us. We are leasing them from the military.

What do you lease them for? What's your application?

 

[Britton]

Did you get time on the M3's? I've always wondered what they shoot like.

A whole bunch of time. I was a range offier once qand we about 10K extra rounds at the end of qualification. We did not turn any ammo back in! I even got a chance to shoot two at a time, one with my right hand and the other with my left hand. You know 2nd LT's do some pretty stupid stuff sometimes. One of my favorite all time guns is the M3A1!

 

[66chevelle]

I was told that we designed a kit that lets the M60 tank shoot with out having to stop first. They sell them to foreign countries for there M60 that are still in use. We also build some units that allowed the tanks to be more accurate while on the move.

What do you lease them for? What's your application?

 

[thej27]

He's moved to the booming metropolis of Darlington, IN!

Ropkey Armor Museum

They visit my parents' store quite often. I hope to one day be able to wrangle a ride in something from him, too.

Big NRA supporter, too, Mr. Ropkey.

-J-

I really need to make it to that place. Of course that is after I add to Indy_Guy's inheritance.

 

[j706]

Ding Ding Ding! We have a winner! M3 Grease Gun & 1911 for the sidearm. M60 for the Coax and M2 for the Commander (with a weird PITA chain for cocking it inside of the turret).

I saw a lot of M 3's when i was active duty. I ETS'd in 1985. Tank recovery crews mostly if I remember correctly. Sure would like to have one.

 

[techres]

I was told that we designed a kit that lets the M60 tank shoot with out having to stop first. They sell them to foreign countries for there M60 that are still in use. We also build some units that allowed the tanks to be more accurate while on the move.

The turret stabilizer equipment? Nice.

And Britton, it sounds like you are the reason the qualification rifles are so very well broken in? Sounds like a fun day.

This thread had me on youtube looking at M60A3 videos. In one you can hear the firing commands but I am missing the first part of the sequence and cannot place it. It is the one where the commander identifies the target and calls out the round to be loaded:

Commander: Two Tanks, tank left, sabot (?)
Loader: UP!
Commander: Fire!
Gunner: On The Way!

Refresh my memory on this Britton...

YouTube - M60A3 TTS Patton MBT

 

[shooter521]

Sounds like he says "lasing"

 

[techres]

Sounds like he says "lasing"

I hear that too, but I am not sure that is/was SOP. I was hoping Britton would remember the official commands.

Update: Found it.

The tank commander says, "driver stop".

His next command is "gunner heat tank". This tells the loader the type of ammunition and the gunner the type of target.

(Heat was the type of round used; a high explosive anti-tank shell).

The gunner would then call out "identified" when he locked onto the target with his sight.

The loader would call out "up" when the heat round was loaded in the main gun tube. [and safety slapped off with left hand]

The tank commander would give the command: "fire".

The gunner would reply, "on the way" when he pulled the trigger and fired the round.

If the round hit the the target, the tank commander would say, "target cease fire".

The tank commander would than say, "driver move out".

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

I really need to make it to that place. Of course that is after I add to Indy_Guy's inheritance.

That's right, you do!

Cokes and smokes... That's where they make their money.

Less than 0.1 of 1% of the profit is gasoline...

-J-

 

[IMPULSE.ACTIONS]

The turret stabilizer equipment? Nice.

Yes. We call it IFCS (pronounced: if-cus) Integrated Fire-Control System . Basically it allows the turret to stay locked on target while the tank is in motion and going over rough terrain or between obstacles.

Here is a public detail I was able to google on it:

RESTON, Va., April 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) has been awarded a $64.8 million contract by the Jordan armed forces to upgrade their M60A3 main battle tanks with Raytheon's Integrated Fire Control System (IFCS).

Raytheon will manufacture and test 82 IFCS upgrade kits in Indianapolis
and will provide technical assistance to Jordan armed forces personnel during the installation in Jordan. Spares and depot-maintenance equipment to establish a limited depot-support capability in Jordan will also be provided under this contract.

Raytheon Technical Services Company LLC (RTSC) has been working with Jordan's King Abdullah II Design and Development Bureau (KADDB) for the past three years on its Phoenix Level 1 IFCS upgrade and Level 2 lethality upgrade efforts for the M60 main battle tank, a program designed to incrementally increase the M60's operational capability. Through that effort, one battalion has been fitted with this upgrade capability and deployed and is in-service with the Jordan armed forces; a second battalion is currently being outfitted with the upgrade. More than 2,000 rounds have already been successfully fired using the Phoenix Level 1 upgraded tanks.

"With this award, Jordan armed forces will fully equip their entire fleet
of M60A3 main battle tanks," said Jim Blum, program manager for fire control systems at RTSC. "This upgrade improves the M60's firepower capability and survivability by offering a significant improvement in first-round hit capability."

"This award is the result of a very successful teaming with Jordan's
KADDB," added Keith Harmon, RTSC vice president and general manager of the Indianapolis business unit. "Raytheon will be providing IFCS maintenance training to the Jordanian personnel and their work force will be doing the actual installation work, providing jobs in the country. Through these and future activities, Raytheon is working with KADDB to contribute to Jordan's economic development. For us, it provides an opening to advance the sale of the IFCS upgrade throughout the Middle East region."

The IFCS modernization resolves the logistics problems and increased
obsolescence issues the M60 main battle tank's existing fire-control system experiences. The pre-upgrade sight system technology also limits the accuracy and the mobility of the tank. The IFCS upgrade provides the M60 with a true shoot-on-the-move capability, a significant improvement in performance.

"Raytheon is committed to assisting KADDB in achieving its goals for the
defense and economic development of Jordan," said Bryan J. Even, a vice
president of Raytheon Company and president of Raytheon Technical Services Company LLC. "We recognize the high level of trust that the Jordan armed forces has demonstrated with this and previous awards for Raytheon to equip their entire fleet of M60A3 main battle tanks. We look forward to many future opportunities through which we can develop the relationship and apply Raytheon's expertise to KADDB and Jordan Armed Forces' requirements."

KADDB is the Jordanian governmental research, design and development
facility created to provide one-stop solutions for the supply of defense and commercial products and equipment optimized for the requirements of the Middle East.

Raytheon Technical Services Company LLC provides technology solutions for defense, federal and commercial customers worldwide. It specializes in customized engineering services; logistics and supply chain management; training; and science, research and technology.

Raytheon Company, with 2003 sales of $18.1 billion, is an industry leader in defense and government electronics, space, information technology, technical services, and business and special mission aircraft. With headquarters in Waltham, Mass., Raytheon employs 78,000 people worldwide.

Note to Editors: Additional Technical Information
IFCS, a full director fire control and stabilized synchronized cannon
sighting system, features an advanced forward-looking infrared thermal sight, an eye-safe laser rangefinder, a digital ballistic computer and an improved turret stabilization system. Operational performance enhancements provided include improved surveillance and target acquisition during moving engagements; faster and more precise multiple target engagement capability; long-range precision shooting; reduced ammunition consumption with more kills per combat load; and improved system performance.