Unfortunately this entire part of the transcript is in uppercase.
04/08/2004 MSPA 40804/04
Chief of Army Media Briefing Session
M1A1 Abrams integrated management (AIM) MAIN Battle tank
LIEUTENANT GENERAL PETER LEAHY
CHIEF OF ARMY
EVER SINCE THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE DECISION TO REPLACE THE LEOPARD TANK THERE HAS BEEN CONSIDERABLE INTEREST IN THE REPLACEMENT VEHICLE. SOME OF THIS HAS BEEN INFORMED SOME HAS NOT.
OUR AIM TODAY IS TO PROVIDE YOU WITH MORE INFORMATION ON THE M1A1 AIM TANK.
TODAY’S PRESENTATION WILL BE IN FOUR PARTS.
FIRST A BRIEF INTRODUCTION FROM ME.
SECOND BRIGADIER MICHAEL CLIFFORD, FROM ARMY HEADQUARTERS, WHO WILL TALK TO YOU ABOUT THE REQUIREMENT FOR A REPLACEMENT TANK AND THE BASIS FOR OUR DECISION TO SELECT THE ABRAMS TANK.
THIRD LTCOL DUNCAN HAYWARD WHO WILL PROVIDE YOU WITH INFORMATION, IN QUITE SPECIFIC DETAIL, ON WHAT WE WILL BE GETTING AS PART OF THE TANK REPLACEMENT PROJECT.
FINALLY, AFTER WE HAVE CONLCUDED OUR PRESENTATIONS THERE WILL BE TIME AVAILABLE FOR QUESTIONS.
TO HELP WITH QUESTIONS MR JOHN PLUCK AND LTCOL ANDREW LIBBY FROM THE DEFENCE MATERIEL OFFICE ARE HERE. ALSO ASSISTING IS COMMODORE ALAN DUTOIT FROM NAVY HEADQUARTERS WHO WILL BE ABLE TO ANSWER SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ON HOW WE WILL MOVE THE TANK BY SEA.
THE CORE BUSINESS OF AN ARMY IS TO CONDUCT CLOSE COMBAT AGAINST AN ENEMY USING BALANCED COMBINED ARMS TEAMS. A COMBINED ARMS TEAM IS MADE UP OF INFANTRY, ARMOUR, ARTILLERY, ENGINEERS, AND ARMY AVIATION WORKING CLOSELY TOGETHER.
THE TANK IS A CENTRAL PART OF THIS COMBINED ARMS TEAM PROVIDING PROTECTION, COMMUNICATIONS AND FIREPOWER.
AS WE REVIEWED OUR FUTURE CAPABILITY AND THE CHANGES TO THE SECURITY ENVIRONMENT OVER THE NEXT FEW DECADES IT BECOME INCREASINGLY APPARENT THAT OUR CURRENT TANK WOULD NOT BE CAPABLE OF PERFORMING ITS ROLE IN A BALANCED COMBINED ARMS TEAM.
OUR REVIEWS WERE EXTENSIVE AND INCLUDED HISTORICAL ANALYSIS, WARGAMING, EXPERIMENTATION AND LESSONS FROM RECENT AND CURRENT OPERATIONS. ALL POINTED TO ONE CONCLUSION. TANKS PROVIDE THE FIREPOWER AND PROTECTION TO ENSURE THAT DEPLOYED FORCES ACHIEVE RAPID SUCCESS WHILE MINIMISING FRIENDLY CASUALTIES. PUT SIMPLY TANKS SAVE LIVES.
THE DECISION TO REPLACE THE LEOPARD TANK WITH THE ABRAMS M1A1 AIM TANK REPRESENTS CLEAR POLICY CONTINUITY. WE ARE NOT INTRODUCING A NEW CAPABILITY MERELY REPLACING AN EXISTING CAPABILITY. THE ABRAMS TANK WILL PROVIDE ARMY WITH INCREASED FIREPOWER, MOBILITY AND VERY IMPORTANTLY WITH INCREASED SURVIVABILITY FOR OUR SOLDIERS ON THE BATTLEFIELD.
OUR STRATEGIC RATIONALE HAS NOT CHANGED. IN THE AUSTRALIAN CONTEXT THE TANK HAS PREDOMINANTLY BEEN AN INFANTRY SUPPORT WEAPON. WE HAVE NEVER ENVISAGED BROAD SWEEPING TANK BATTLES. WE HAVE BEEN MUCH INFLUENCED BY OUR EXPERIENCES IN BUNA AND IN VIEETNAM. OUR TANK REGIMENT PRACTICES CLOSE COOPERATION IN COMBINED ARMS TEAMS AND IS BECOMING INCREASING EXPERT IN OPERATING IN COMPLEX TERRAIN.
THE ABRAMS TANK MEANS THAT IF WE HAVE TO DEPLOY OUR FORCES ON CLOSE COPMBAT OPERATIONS THEY WILL HAVE THE COMBAT WEIGHT THEY NEED TO ACHIEVE THEIR MISSION WITHOUT UNDUE RISK.
THIS SLIDE PROVIDES THE SCOPE OF THE PROJECT TO INTRODUCE THE ABRAMS TANK.
BRIGADIER CLIFFORD WILL NOW GIVE YOU SOME MORE DETAIL ON HOW AND WHY WE MADE THE DECISION TO SELECT THE ABRAMS TANK.
BRIGADIER MICHAEL CLIFFORD
DIRECTOR GENERAL PREPARAEDNESS AND PLANS – ARMY
ARMY HEADQUARTERS
GOOD MORNING
I WILL START BY PICKING UP ON GENERAL LEAHY’S COMMENT POLICY CONTINUITY.
THE FIRST ISSUE TO HIGHLIGHT IS THAT THE DECISION TO REPLACE THE LEOPARD TANK REINFORCES THE GOVERNMENT’S 2000 WHITE PAPER JUDGEMENT THAT THERE IS NO NEED FOR THE ADF TO DEVELOP A HEAVY ARMOURED FORCE.
THE ARMY DOES NOT SEE THE DEVELOPMENT OF SUCH A FORCE AS A REAL OPTION.
QUITE SIMPLY FORCES OF THIS TYPE CONTINUE TO BE BEYOND AUSTRALIA’S CAPACITY AND NEEDS.
WHAT THE GOVERNMENT DID CHOOSE TO DO IN THE 2000 WHITE PAPER. WAS TO RETAIN THE LEOPARD TANK AS A COMPONENT OF A BALANCED COMBINED ARMS CAPABILITY.
A CAPABILITY THAT COULD ACHIEVE A CLEAR MARGIN OF OPERATIONAL SUPERIORITY. THUS ENSURING A HIGH CHANCE OF SUCCESS AND SURVIVAL IN MORE DEMANDING OPERATIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES.
THE ASSUMPTION AT THE TIME WAS THAT THE LEOPARD WOULD CONTINUE TO BE A SUFFICIENTLY CAPABLE PLATFORM TO BE RISKED MANAGED THROUGH TO ITS PLANNED LIFE OF TYPE IN THE LATER HALF OF THE NEXT DECADE.
THIS DID NOT PROVE TO BE AN ENDURING ASSUMPTION FOR TWO REASONS:
FIRSTLY DUE TO RAPID INCREASE IN RELATIVELY CHEAP YET VERY EFFECTIVE ANTI-ARMOURED WEAPONS,
AND SECONDLY THE INCREASING COST OF OWNERSHIP OF WHAT IS A SMALL ALMOST UNIQUE TANK FLEET WITHIN A QUICKLY DECLINING GLOBAL FLEET.
THE CASE THAT DEFENCE PUT AND THE GOVERNMENT AGREED TO WAS THAT THE ABSENCE OF A VIABLE TANK CAPABILITY REDUCED THE STRATEGIC CHOICES THAT MAY BE AVAILABLE TO THE GOVERNMENT.
I MIGHT ADD THAT THIS IS NOT A PROBLEM FACED ONLY BY AUSTRALIA.
ALL TANK OPERATING COUNTRIES ARE FACING THE DUAL CHALLENGES OF INCREASED THREAT WITHIN A MORE ROBUST OPERATING ENVIRONMENT.
COUPLED WITH THE NEED TO UPGRADE TANK FLEETS TO ACCOMMODATE THE DEMANDS OF A MORE COSTLY AND DIGITAL BATTLEFIELD.
AS YOU ARE AWARE ONCE THE GOVERNMENT HAD ACCEPTED THE DEPARTMENT’S CONCERNS THEY DIRECTED LATE LAST YEAR THAT WE INVESTIGATE THREE OPTIONS.
VARIANTS OF THE EUROPEAN LEOPARD 2,
THE BRITISH CHALLENGER TANK,
AND THE US ABRAMS MAIN BATTLE TANK.
THESE ARE ALL GOOD TANKS AND ALL HAVE UPGRADE OPTIONS EITHER IN PLACE OR PLANNED.
WE ANALYSED THE CRITERIA ON THE SCREEN WITH TWO FACTORS VERY CLEARLY IN MIND -CAPABILITY AND COST.
THE M1A1 WAS THE OUTSTANDING OPTION - IT STOOD OUT AS A TOTAL PACKAGE.
CREW SURVIVABILITY IS ONE OF ITS GREAT STRENGTHS AND
IT HAS BATTLEFIELD PROVEN LEVELS OF PROTECTION.
THE MOST STRIKING FEATURE IS AMMUNITION STORAGE. WHICH IS IN A SEPARATE ARMOURED COMPARTMENT AWAY FROM THE CREW.
THE AUSTRALIAN TANKS WILL BE PART OF A FLEET OF SOME 4000 TANKS WHICH WILL BE THE MAINSTAY OF THE US TANK FLEET WELL BEYOND 2020.
IT ALSO OFFERED THE BEST POTENTIAL TO SUPPORT OUR EVOLVING NETWORK CENTRIC WARFARE NEEDS.
AND IT IS AVAILABLE QUICKLY.
THE ACQUISITION IS VERY MUCH IN THE KINNAIRD MODEL.
THERE IS VERY CLOSE INVOLVEMENT BETWEEN ARMY, CAPABILITY SYSTEMS AND THE DMO. GIVEN OUR COMPRESSED TIME LINE IT COULD WORK IN NO OTHER WAY.
THE FIRST TANK SQUADRON WILL BE DELIVERED IN 2007.
WHILE THE PROJECT IS HIGH PROFILE THE ACQUISITION IS LOW RISK.
WE ARE BUYING 59 TANKS AS PART OF ONE OF THE WORLD’S LARGEST AND MOST PROVEN TANK FLEETS.
IMPORTANTLY HOWEVER THE ABRAMS IS PART OF A LONGER TERM STRATEGY ON THE PART OF THE DEPARTMENT AND THE GOVERNMENT.
LAND 400 IS THE PROJECT WITH A YEAR OF DECISION OF 2011 THAT WILL MOVE US TOWARD A COMMON FLEET OF ARMOURED VEHICLES – TOWARD A SYSTEM OF COMBAT VEHICLES. THE ABRAMS IS JUST ONE STEP ON THIS JOURNEY.
THE ABRAMS ALSO PROVIDES US WITH ACCESS TO THE CUTTING EDGE OF NON DEPLETED URANIUM ARMOURER TECHNOLOGY.
LAND 907 WILL DELIVER A COMPLETE TANK CAPABILITY FOR ARMY.
ZERO KM AND ZERO HOURS TANKS, NEW RECOVERY VEHICLES, TANK TRANSPORTERS AND REFUELERS.
AND FINALLY THE INTRODUCTION OF A SUITE OF HIGH TECHNOLOGY TRAINING SIMULATORS WHICH WILL KEEP THE COST OF OWNERSHIP DOWN WHILE INCREASING THE COMPETENCE AND SKILLS OF OUR TANK CREWS.
LIEUTENANT COLONEL HAYWARD WILL NOW COVER THESE ITEMS IN MORE DETAIL FOR YOU.
LIEUTENANT COLONEL DUNCAN HAYWARD
STAFF OFFICER GRADE ONE ARMOURED FIGHTING VEHICLES (TANK)
ARMOURED FIGHTING VEHICLE CAPABILITY IMPLEMENTATION TEAM
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,
GOOD MORNING.
I AM LTCOL DUNCAN HAYWARD AND I WILL TAKE YOU THROUGH IN DETAIL EACH OF THE KEY COMPONENTS OF THE NEW TANK CAPABILITY.
59 OF THE M1A1 AIM, LIKE THE ONE THAT YOU SEE BEHIND ME, WILL BE INTRODUCED INTO AUSTALIAN SERVICE IN 2007. OF THE 59 TOTAL, 41 TANKS WILL BE ISSUED TO 1ST ARMOURED REGIMENT IN DARWIN, WITH THE REMAINDER BEING ISSUED TO THE SCHOOL OF ARMOUR, PUCKAPUNYAL; THE ARMY LOGISTICS TRAINING CENTRE IN BANDIANNA, AND TO FLEET STOCKS. THE FIRST TANK SQUADRON WILL CONVERT FROM LEOPARD 1 TO M1A1 AIM IN MID2007 WITH THE WHOLE OF THE NEW CAPABILITY IN PLACE BY THE END OF 2008.
IN FRONT OF EACH OF YOU THERE SHOULD BE A COPY OF THE SPECIFICATIONS AND TABULATED DATA FOR THE TANK, SO I WILL DWELL ON THE FIGURES.
COMBAT LADEN THE M1A1 AIM TANK WEIGHS APPROXIAMATELY 62 TONNES. IT IS WORTH NOTING THAT THERE WAS ONLY ABOUT A TONNE OF WEIGHT SEPERATING EACH OF THE THREE TANK REPLACEMENT CONTENDERS. FOR ADMINISTRATIVE TRANSPORTATION, THE WEIGHT OF THE M1A1 AIM IS LESS THAN 60 TONNES.
THE ABRAMS IS ONLY MARGINALLY LONGER AND WIDER THAN THE LEOPARD IT REPLACES AND WILL HAVE LITTLE IMPACT ON EXISTING FACILITIES.
THE MAIN ARMAMENT IS A 120MM GUN WHICH WILL ALLOW ENGAGEMENT OF TARGETS AT A GREATER RANGE, AND WITH GREATER ACCURACY THAN THE CURRENT 105MM LEOPARD GUN. THE 120 MM TANK GUN IS NOW THE STANDARD CALIBRE FOR WESTERN MILITARYS.
THE ABRAMS INTRODUCES A 0.50 CALIBRE MACHINE GUN AS A SECONDARY ARMAMENT ON THE TANK. IT CAN BE FIRED BY THE CREW COMMANDER, WHEN HE IS CLOSED DOWN AND UNDER ARMOUR SO AS NOT TO EXPOSE HIM TO ENEMY FIRE. IT ALLOWS COMMANDERS TO ENGAGE TARGETS WITHOUT HAVING TO RESORT TO THE USE OF THE MAIN GUN IN THE FIRST INSTANCE.
THERE ARE TWO SMALLER, 7.62MM MACHINE GUNS, ONE MOUNTED COAXIALLY NEXT TO THE MAIN ARMAMENT AND ONE ON A PINTLE ON THE TURRET ROOF FOR THE LOADER. THESE MACHINE GUNS ARE ALREADY IN SERVICE ON THE ASLAV FAMILY OF VEHICLES.
THE TANK WILL FIRE AN ADVANCED KINETIC ENERGY TUNSTEN PENETRATOR (ARMOUR PIERCING FIN STABILISED DISCARDING SABOT ROUND – APFSDS) FOR USE AGAINST VEHICLES. THIS ROUND DOES NOT CONTAIN DEPLETED URANIUM OR EXPLOSIVE AND RELIES ON ITS VELOCITY FOR TERMINAL EFFECT. THE SECOND MAIN ROUND IS A MULTI-PURPOSE EXPLOSIVE ROUND, CALLED MPAT, WHICH IS USED FOR INFANTRY SUPPORT AND TO ENGAGE TARGETS TYPES. THE ABRAMS CARRIES 40 ROUNDS MAIN ARMAMENT ROUNDS IN TOTAL.
APART FROM STANDARD MACHINE GUN AMMUNITION THE TANK IS ALSO EQUIPPED WITH 12 SMOKE GRENADE DISCHARGES, SIX ON EACH SIDE, WHICH DETONATE A 66MM GRENADE TO QUICKLY PRODUCE A SMOKE CLOUD TO CONCEAL THE TANK AS A SELF-PROTECTION MEASURE.
TO ASSIST WITH COMMAND AND CONTROL THE ABRAMS BE DELIVERED WITH ADVANCED DIGITAL RADIOS (SINGARS ASIP) THAT ARE COMPATIBLE WITH THE RADIOS IN SERVICE IN WITH ARMY NOW. THE INTERCOMMUNICATION SYSTEM ON THE TANK, WHICH ALLOWS THE CREW TO COMMUNICATE WITH EACH OTHER THROUGH HEADSETS, IS THE SAME SYSTEM IN SERVICE ON THE ASLAV AND THE AUSTRALIAN M113 VEHICLE FLEETS.
THE ARMOUR PROTECTION ON THE M1A1 AIM IS OUTSTANDING. CONTRARY TO POPULAR BELIEF NOT ALL US TANKS HAVE DEPLETED URANIUM. THE AUSTRALIAN TANKS HAVE NOT HAD DEPLETED URANIUM FITTED TO THEM IN THE PAST. INSTEAD, DURING REBUILD THEY WILL BE FITTED WITH AN ADVANCED NON-DEPLETED URANIUM ARMOUR.
A RECENT VISIT TO THE US BY AN AUSTRALIAN DEFENCE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ORGANISATION SCIENTIST CONFIRMS THAT THE ARMOUR WE ARE PURCHASING PROVIDES ADVANCED PROTECTION CAPABILITIES THAT IS BROADLY COMPARABLE TO OTHER ARMOUR TYPES, AND THAT IT MEETS OUR CAPABILITY REQUIREMENTS.
THERE HAS BEEN SOME MISCONCEPTION THAT THE M1A1 AIM TANK IS AN OLD SECOND HAND VEHICLE. NOTHING COULD BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH. TO SET THE STAGE, THE US CURRENTLY OPERATES FOUR VARIANTS OF THE M1 TANK AND WHICH ARE PROGRESSIVELY REDUCED TO TWO MAIN TYPES.
THE M1A1 TANK, WHICH HAS CEASED PRODUCTION.
THE M1A2, WHICH ALSO HAS CEASED PRODUCTION WILL EVENTUALLY BE PHASED OUT OF SERVICE, TO BE REPLACED BY THE M1A1 AIM AND M1A2 SEP TANKS.
THE M1A2SEP OR SYSTEMS ENHANCEMENT PACKAGE TANK IS OPTIMISED FOR USE AGAINST MASSED ARMOUR WITH A COMMANDERS INDEPENDENT SIGHT – THIS CAPABILITY IS NOT REQUIRED FOR AUSTRALIAN USE WHERE THE TANK WILL BE USED TO SUPPORT OTHER ELEMENTS OF THE COMBINED ARMS TEAM.
THE M1A1 AIM OR ABRAMS INTEGRATED MANAGEMENT TANK, WHICH IS THE TANK WE ARE PURCHASING, IS A LIKE NEW, ZERO KM, AND ZERO HOUR TANK WHICH HAS EMBEDDED DIAGNOSTICS AND DIGITILISATION PLUS A RANGE OF ARMOUR, FIREPOWER, AUTOMOTIVE AND ENGINE IMPROVEMENTS. WITH THESE IMPROVEMENTS IT WILL COMPRISE THE BACKBONE OF THE ABRAMS FLEET OUT TO 2020.
THE ABRAMS INTEGRATED MANAGEMENT PROGRAM IS A COMPLETE REBUILD OF THE M1A1 TANK. TANKS ENTERING THE PROGRAM ARE COMPLETELY DISASSEMBLED AT ANNISTON ARMY DEPOT, ALABAMA. THE TANK IS STRIPPED DOWN AND INSPECTED. THE DEPOT REFURBISHES MANY OF THE TANKS ASSEMBLIES. THE ASSEMBLIES AND THE TANK ARE THEN SHIPPED TO THE LIMA ARMY TANK PLANT, IN OHIO WHERE THEY ARE REASSEMBLED TO A ZERO KM / ZERO HOURS STANDARD.
THE AIM PROGRAM APPLIES MODIFICATIONS AND UPGRADES TO THE TANK INCLUDING EMBEDDED DIAGNOSTICS.
OF THE 6256 MAJOR COMPONETS ON THE TANK, 5368 ARE REPLACED NEW. THE REMAINING 888 ARE CHECKED TO THE MANUFACTURERS ORIGINIAL SPECIFICATION OR REPLACED NEW.
THE TANKS ARE SUBJECT TO STRINGENT QUALITY CONTROL AND QUALITY ASSURANCE AT ALL STAGES OF REBUILD WITH THE TANK HAVING TO PASS A FINAL QUALITY ASSURANCE TEST PRIOR TO BEING SHIPPED FROM LIMA ARMY TANK PLANT.
ADDITIONALLY AUSTRALIA HAS SELECTED THE TANKS THAT WILL ENTER OUR PRODUCTION LINE, FROM A BATCH OF LOW KILOMETRE, LOW USE VEHICLES. THESE TANKS HAVE SPENT THE MAJORITY OF THEIR LIFE IN STORAGE AND HAVE NOT BEEN USED ON OPERATIONS. THE PROCESS WILL TAKE BETWEEN 12 AND 24 MONTHS DUE TO THE NEED TO ORDER LONG LEAD ITEMS AND COMPONENTS.
THIS SHOW THE PROGRESS OF THE UPGRADE PROGRAM AND SHOWS THE TANK AS IT LEAVES LIMA, WITH AIM IMPROVEMENTS SPECIFICALLY
LATEST GENERATION NIGHT SIGHTS.
EXTERNAL AUXILLARY POWER UNIT
PULSE JET AIR SYSTEM
MODIFICATIONS FOR A FORDING KIT
EMBEDDED DIAGNOSTICS
IMPROVED ENGINE AND FUEL CONSUMPTION
THERE WILL BE MINIMAL AUSTRALIANISATION OF THE M1A1 AIM,
SPECIFICALLY:
MOUNTS TO FIT THE AUSTRALIAN STEYR RIFLE
CHILLED DRINKING WATER AND A CAMOUFLAGE SYSTEM
AND THE ADDITION OF AN INFANTRY TANK TELEPHONE AT THE REAR OF THE TANK AND THE INTEGRATED OF THE INFANTRY PERSONAL ROLE RADIO TO ENSURE THE TANK INTEGRATES INTO THE COMBINED ARMS TEAM.
2 X 20 CM RED KANGAROO ON THE SIDE.
THE NEXT SERIES OF SLIDE SHOW SOME OF AIM UPGRADES AND EMBEDDED DIAGNOSTICS ON THE VEHICLE.
THE UPGRADED TANK COMMANDERS PANEL (UTCP) PROVIDES INCREASED FUNCTIONALITY FOR THE TANK COMMANDER, INCLUDING SAFETY FEATURES.
AN UPGRADE WHICH IMPROVES PERFORMANCE AND AIR FILTER LIFE IN DRY AND DUSTY CONDITIONS BY DETECTING A DECREASE IN AIRFLOW THROUGH THE AIR FILTERS AND REDIRECTING THE EXHAUST TO BLOW OUT THE DUST AND CLEAN THE FILTERS WHILE THE TANK IS MOVING.
THE NEXT TWO SLIDES SHOW THE ADDED DIGITAL DATA AND EMBEDDED DIAGNOSTIC CAPABILITY TO DISPLAY TO THE CREW KEY INFORMATION ON THE TANK STATUS.
THIS SLIDE SHOWS ONE TEST ON THE FINAL ACCEPTANCE STAGE, BY TESTING THE ABILITY OF THE BRAKES TO HOLD THE TANK ON A 60 DEGREE SLOPE.
THE NEXT MAJOR COMPONENT OF THE CAPABILITY IS THAT OF REPAIR AND RECOVERY. THE M88A2 HERCULES IS A NEW BUILT ARMOURED RECOVERY VEHICLE, OF WHICH 7 ARE BEING PURCHASED. IT CARRIES OUT ALL THE TASKS OF THE VEHICLE THAT IT REPLACES AND INTRODUCES THE ABILITY TO LIFT A TURRET FROM A TANK WITHOUT DEEPER LEVEL MAINTENACE FACILITES. IT IS MORE THAN CAPABLE OF RECOVERYING AND TOWING DAMAGED OR BROKEN VEHICLES.
THE M88A2 WITH A WELL-TRAINED CREW CAN REMOVE THE POWER PACK FROM A DISABLED TANK AND REPLACE IT WITH A NEW ONE, IN UNDER AN HOUR. THIS LATTER VERSION OF THE RECOVERY VEHICLE INCLUDES INCREASED ARMOUR FOR CREW PROTECTION.
AS PART OF THE PROJECT UP TO 8 WHEELED TACTICAL REFUELERS AND UP 14 TANK TRANSPORTERS WILL BE PROCURED DOMESTICALLY. THE REFUELER WILL CARRY 10,000 LITRES OF FUEL AND IS IN SERVICE WITH ARMY ALREADY. THE DEFENCE MATERIAL ORGANISATION WILL REQUEST TENDERS THIS YEAR FOR A DOMESTICALLY PRODUCED TRUCK AND TRAILER TO FULFIL THE TANK TRANSPORTER REQUIREMENT.
A KEY PART OF THE NEW CAPABILITY IS THE INTRODUCTION OF MODERN SIMULATION SYSTEMS SUCH AS THE ADVANCED GUNNERY TRAINING SYSTEM. THIS SIMULATION SYSTEM WILL BE BASED WITH 4 SIMULATERS IN DARWIN AND TWO IN PUCKAPUNYAL. IT WILL ALLOWS TANK CREWS TO TRAIN AS INDIVIDUALS OR COLLECTIVELY AND TO TRANSITION EFFICIENTLY TO LIFE FIRE GUNNERY. IT WILL MAXIMISE TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES IN THE NORHTERN WET SEASON AND WILL DECREASE THE USE OF MAIN GUN TRAINING AMMUNITION.
THE TANK DRIVER TRAINER IS VERY SIMILAR IN LOOKS AND OPERATION TO AN AIRCRAFT FLIGHT SIMULATOR. IT PROVIDES A SIMULATED TANK DRIVING STATION, ELEVATED FROM THE GROUND ON 6 HYDRAULIC ARMS THAT REPLICATE THE REAL MOTION OF A TANK DRIVING. IT WILL BE USED TO TRAIN NEW DRIVERS AND TO TRANSITION LEOPARD DRIVERS TO THE NEW TANK. IT WILL BE LOCATED AT THE SCHOOL OF ARMOUR IN PUCKAPUNYAL.
IN JUNE THE AUSTRALIAN AND US GOVERNMENTS SIGNED THE PRIME EQUIPMENT CASE FOR THE PURCHASE OF:
59 M1A1 TANKS
59 ABRAMS INTEGRATED MANAGEMENT REBUILDS
7 NEW ARMOURED RECOVERY VEHICLES
6 ADVANCED GUNNERY TRAINER SIMULATORS
1 TANK DRIVER TRAINER SIMULATOR
ENGINEERING AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT
http://www.defence.gov.au/media/DepartmentalTpl.cfm?CurrentId=4093
04/08/2004 MSPA 40804/04
Chief of Army Media Briefing Session
M1A1 Abrams integrated management (AIM) MAIN Battle tank
LIEUTENANT GENERAL PETER LEAHY
CHIEF OF ARMY
EVER SINCE THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE DECISION TO REPLACE THE LEOPARD TANK THERE HAS BEEN CONSIDERABLE INTEREST IN THE REPLACEMENT VEHICLE. SOME OF THIS HAS BEEN INFORMED SOME HAS NOT.
OUR AIM TODAY IS TO PROVIDE YOU WITH MORE INFORMATION ON THE M1A1 AIM TANK.
TODAY’S PRESENTATION WILL BE IN FOUR PARTS.
FIRST A BRIEF INTRODUCTION FROM ME.
SECOND BRIGADIER MICHAEL CLIFFORD, FROM ARMY HEADQUARTERS, WHO WILL TALK TO YOU ABOUT THE REQUIREMENT FOR A REPLACEMENT TANK AND THE BASIS FOR OUR DECISION TO SELECT THE ABRAMS TANK.
THIRD LTCOL DUNCAN HAYWARD WHO WILL PROVIDE YOU WITH INFORMATION, IN QUITE SPECIFIC DETAIL, ON WHAT WE WILL BE GETTING AS PART OF THE TANK REPLACEMENT PROJECT.
FINALLY, AFTER WE HAVE CONLCUDED OUR PRESENTATIONS THERE WILL BE TIME AVAILABLE FOR QUESTIONS.
TO HELP WITH QUESTIONS MR JOHN PLUCK AND LTCOL ANDREW LIBBY FROM THE DEFENCE MATERIEL OFFICE ARE HERE. ALSO ASSISTING IS COMMODORE ALAN DUTOIT FROM NAVY HEADQUARTERS WHO WILL BE ABLE TO ANSWER SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ON HOW WE WILL MOVE THE TANK BY SEA.
THE CORE BUSINESS OF AN ARMY IS TO CONDUCT CLOSE COMBAT AGAINST AN ENEMY USING BALANCED COMBINED ARMS TEAMS. A COMBINED ARMS TEAM IS MADE UP OF INFANTRY, ARMOUR, ARTILLERY, ENGINEERS, AND ARMY AVIATION WORKING CLOSELY TOGETHER.
THE TANK IS A CENTRAL PART OF THIS COMBINED ARMS TEAM PROVIDING PROTECTION, COMMUNICATIONS AND FIREPOWER.
AS WE REVIEWED OUR FUTURE CAPABILITY AND THE CHANGES TO THE SECURITY ENVIRONMENT OVER THE NEXT FEW DECADES IT BECOME INCREASINGLY APPARENT THAT OUR CURRENT TANK WOULD NOT BE CAPABLE OF PERFORMING ITS ROLE IN A BALANCED COMBINED ARMS TEAM.
OUR REVIEWS WERE EXTENSIVE AND INCLUDED HISTORICAL ANALYSIS, WARGAMING, EXPERIMENTATION AND LESSONS FROM RECENT AND CURRENT OPERATIONS. ALL POINTED TO ONE CONCLUSION. TANKS PROVIDE THE FIREPOWER AND PROTECTION TO ENSURE THAT DEPLOYED FORCES ACHIEVE RAPID SUCCESS WHILE MINIMISING FRIENDLY CASUALTIES. PUT SIMPLY TANKS SAVE LIVES.
THE DECISION TO REPLACE THE LEOPARD TANK WITH THE ABRAMS M1A1 AIM TANK REPRESENTS CLEAR POLICY CONTINUITY. WE ARE NOT INTRODUCING A NEW CAPABILITY MERELY REPLACING AN EXISTING CAPABILITY. THE ABRAMS TANK WILL PROVIDE ARMY WITH INCREASED FIREPOWER, MOBILITY AND VERY IMPORTANTLY WITH INCREASED SURVIVABILITY FOR OUR SOLDIERS ON THE BATTLEFIELD.
OUR STRATEGIC RATIONALE HAS NOT CHANGED. IN THE AUSTRALIAN CONTEXT THE TANK HAS PREDOMINANTLY BEEN AN INFANTRY SUPPORT WEAPON. WE HAVE NEVER ENVISAGED BROAD SWEEPING TANK BATTLES. WE HAVE BEEN MUCH INFLUENCED BY OUR EXPERIENCES IN BUNA AND IN VIEETNAM. OUR TANK REGIMENT PRACTICES CLOSE COOPERATION IN COMBINED ARMS TEAMS AND IS BECOMING INCREASING EXPERT IN OPERATING IN COMPLEX TERRAIN.
THE ABRAMS TANK MEANS THAT IF WE HAVE TO DEPLOY OUR FORCES ON CLOSE COPMBAT OPERATIONS THEY WILL HAVE THE COMBAT WEIGHT THEY NEED TO ACHIEVE THEIR MISSION WITHOUT UNDUE RISK.
THIS SLIDE PROVIDES THE SCOPE OF THE PROJECT TO INTRODUCE THE ABRAMS TANK.
BRIGADIER CLIFFORD WILL NOW GIVE YOU SOME MORE DETAIL ON HOW AND WHY WE MADE THE DECISION TO SELECT THE ABRAMS TANK.
BRIGADIER MICHAEL CLIFFORD
DIRECTOR GENERAL PREPARAEDNESS AND PLANS – ARMY
ARMY HEADQUARTERS
GOOD MORNING
I WILL START BY PICKING UP ON GENERAL LEAHY’S COMMENT POLICY CONTINUITY.
THE FIRST ISSUE TO HIGHLIGHT IS THAT THE DECISION TO REPLACE THE LEOPARD TANK REINFORCES THE GOVERNMENT’S 2000 WHITE PAPER JUDGEMENT THAT THERE IS NO NEED FOR THE ADF TO DEVELOP A HEAVY ARMOURED FORCE.
THE ARMY DOES NOT SEE THE DEVELOPMENT OF SUCH A FORCE AS A REAL OPTION.
QUITE SIMPLY FORCES OF THIS TYPE CONTINUE TO BE BEYOND AUSTRALIA’S CAPACITY AND NEEDS.
WHAT THE GOVERNMENT DID CHOOSE TO DO IN THE 2000 WHITE PAPER. WAS TO RETAIN THE LEOPARD TANK AS A COMPONENT OF A BALANCED COMBINED ARMS CAPABILITY.
A CAPABILITY THAT COULD ACHIEVE A CLEAR MARGIN OF OPERATIONAL SUPERIORITY. THUS ENSURING A HIGH CHANCE OF SUCCESS AND SURVIVAL IN MORE DEMANDING OPERATIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES.
THE ASSUMPTION AT THE TIME WAS THAT THE LEOPARD WOULD CONTINUE TO BE A SUFFICIENTLY CAPABLE PLATFORM TO BE RISKED MANAGED THROUGH TO ITS PLANNED LIFE OF TYPE IN THE LATER HALF OF THE NEXT DECADE.
THIS DID NOT PROVE TO BE AN ENDURING ASSUMPTION FOR TWO REASONS:
FIRSTLY DUE TO RAPID INCREASE IN RELATIVELY CHEAP YET VERY EFFECTIVE ANTI-ARMOURED WEAPONS,
AND SECONDLY THE INCREASING COST OF OWNERSHIP OF WHAT IS A SMALL ALMOST UNIQUE TANK FLEET WITHIN A QUICKLY DECLINING GLOBAL FLEET.
THE CASE THAT DEFENCE PUT AND THE GOVERNMENT AGREED TO WAS THAT THE ABSENCE OF A VIABLE TANK CAPABILITY REDUCED THE STRATEGIC CHOICES THAT MAY BE AVAILABLE TO THE GOVERNMENT.
I MIGHT ADD THAT THIS IS NOT A PROBLEM FACED ONLY BY AUSTRALIA.
ALL TANK OPERATING COUNTRIES ARE FACING THE DUAL CHALLENGES OF INCREASED THREAT WITHIN A MORE ROBUST OPERATING ENVIRONMENT.
COUPLED WITH THE NEED TO UPGRADE TANK FLEETS TO ACCOMMODATE THE DEMANDS OF A MORE COSTLY AND DIGITAL BATTLEFIELD.
AS YOU ARE AWARE ONCE THE GOVERNMENT HAD ACCEPTED THE DEPARTMENT’S CONCERNS THEY DIRECTED LATE LAST YEAR THAT WE INVESTIGATE THREE OPTIONS.
VARIANTS OF THE EUROPEAN LEOPARD 2,
THE BRITISH CHALLENGER TANK,
AND THE US ABRAMS MAIN BATTLE TANK.
THESE ARE ALL GOOD TANKS AND ALL HAVE UPGRADE OPTIONS EITHER IN PLACE OR PLANNED.
WE ANALYSED THE CRITERIA ON THE SCREEN WITH TWO FACTORS VERY CLEARLY IN MIND -CAPABILITY AND COST.
THE M1A1 WAS THE OUTSTANDING OPTION - IT STOOD OUT AS A TOTAL PACKAGE.
CREW SURVIVABILITY IS ONE OF ITS GREAT STRENGTHS AND
IT HAS BATTLEFIELD PROVEN LEVELS OF PROTECTION.
THE MOST STRIKING FEATURE IS AMMUNITION STORAGE. WHICH IS IN A SEPARATE ARMOURED COMPARTMENT AWAY FROM THE CREW.
THE AUSTRALIAN TANKS WILL BE PART OF A FLEET OF SOME 4000 TANKS WHICH WILL BE THE MAINSTAY OF THE US TANK FLEET WELL BEYOND 2020.
IT ALSO OFFERED THE BEST POTENTIAL TO SUPPORT OUR EVOLVING NETWORK CENTRIC WARFARE NEEDS.
AND IT IS AVAILABLE QUICKLY.
THE ACQUISITION IS VERY MUCH IN THE KINNAIRD MODEL.
THERE IS VERY CLOSE INVOLVEMENT BETWEEN ARMY, CAPABILITY SYSTEMS AND THE DMO. GIVEN OUR COMPRESSED TIME LINE IT COULD WORK IN NO OTHER WAY.
THE FIRST TANK SQUADRON WILL BE DELIVERED IN 2007.
WHILE THE PROJECT IS HIGH PROFILE THE ACQUISITION IS LOW RISK.
WE ARE BUYING 59 TANKS AS PART OF ONE OF THE WORLD’S LARGEST AND MOST PROVEN TANK FLEETS.
IMPORTANTLY HOWEVER THE ABRAMS IS PART OF A LONGER TERM STRATEGY ON THE PART OF THE DEPARTMENT AND THE GOVERNMENT.
LAND 400 IS THE PROJECT WITH A YEAR OF DECISION OF 2011 THAT WILL MOVE US TOWARD A COMMON FLEET OF ARMOURED VEHICLES – TOWARD A SYSTEM OF COMBAT VEHICLES. THE ABRAMS IS JUST ONE STEP ON THIS JOURNEY.
THE ABRAMS ALSO PROVIDES US WITH ACCESS TO THE CUTTING EDGE OF NON DEPLETED URANIUM ARMOURER TECHNOLOGY.
LAND 907 WILL DELIVER A COMPLETE TANK CAPABILITY FOR ARMY.
ZERO KM AND ZERO HOURS TANKS, NEW RECOVERY VEHICLES, TANK TRANSPORTERS AND REFUELERS.
AND FINALLY THE INTRODUCTION OF A SUITE OF HIGH TECHNOLOGY TRAINING SIMULATORS WHICH WILL KEEP THE COST OF OWNERSHIP DOWN WHILE INCREASING THE COMPETENCE AND SKILLS OF OUR TANK CREWS.
LIEUTENANT COLONEL HAYWARD WILL NOW COVER THESE ITEMS IN MORE DETAIL FOR YOU.
LIEUTENANT COLONEL DUNCAN HAYWARD
STAFF OFFICER GRADE ONE ARMOURED FIGHTING VEHICLES (TANK)
ARMOURED FIGHTING VEHICLE CAPABILITY IMPLEMENTATION TEAM
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,
GOOD MORNING.
I AM LTCOL DUNCAN HAYWARD AND I WILL TAKE YOU THROUGH IN DETAIL EACH OF THE KEY COMPONENTS OF THE NEW TANK CAPABILITY.
59 OF THE M1A1 AIM, LIKE THE ONE THAT YOU SEE BEHIND ME, WILL BE INTRODUCED INTO AUSTALIAN SERVICE IN 2007. OF THE 59 TOTAL, 41 TANKS WILL BE ISSUED TO 1ST ARMOURED REGIMENT IN DARWIN, WITH THE REMAINDER BEING ISSUED TO THE SCHOOL OF ARMOUR, PUCKAPUNYAL; THE ARMY LOGISTICS TRAINING CENTRE IN BANDIANNA, AND TO FLEET STOCKS. THE FIRST TANK SQUADRON WILL CONVERT FROM LEOPARD 1 TO M1A1 AIM IN MID2007 WITH THE WHOLE OF THE NEW CAPABILITY IN PLACE BY THE END OF 2008.
IN FRONT OF EACH OF YOU THERE SHOULD BE A COPY OF THE SPECIFICATIONS AND TABULATED DATA FOR THE TANK, SO I WILL DWELL ON THE FIGURES.
COMBAT LADEN THE M1A1 AIM TANK WEIGHS APPROXIAMATELY 62 TONNES. IT IS WORTH NOTING THAT THERE WAS ONLY ABOUT A TONNE OF WEIGHT SEPERATING EACH OF THE THREE TANK REPLACEMENT CONTENDERS. FOR ADMINISTRATIVE TRANSPORTATION, THE WEIGHT OF THE M1A1 AIM IS LESS THAN 60 TONNES.
THE ABRAMS IS ONLY MARGINALLY LONGER AND WIDER THAN THE LEOPARD IT REPLACES AND WILL HAVE LITTLE IMPACT ON EXISTING FACILITIES.
THE MAIN ARMAMENT IS A 120MM GUN WHICH WILL ALLOW ENGAGEMENT OF TARGETS AT A GREATER RANGE, AND WITH GREATER ACCURACY THAN THE CURRENT 105MM LEOPARD GUN. THE 120 MM TANK GUN IS NOW THE STANDARD CALIBRE FOR WESTERN MILITARYS.
THE ABRAMS INTRODUCES A 0.50 CALIBRE MACHINE GUN AS A SECONDARY ARMAMENT ON THE TANK. IT CAN BE FIRED BY THE CREW COMMANDER, WHEN HE IS CLOSED DOWN AND UNDER ARMOUR SO AS NOT TO EXPOSE HIM TO ENEMY FIRE. IT ALLOWS COMMANDERS TO ENGAGE TARGETS WITHOUT HAVING TO RESORT TO THE USE OF THE MAIN GUN IN THE FIRST INSTANCE.
THERE ARE TWO SMALLER, 7.62MM MACHINE GUNS, ONE MOUNTED COAXIALLY NEXT TO THE MAIN ARMAMENT AND ONE ON A PINTLE ON THE TURRET ROOF FOR THE LOADER. THESE MACHINE GUNS ARE ALREADY IN SERVICE ON THE ASLAV FAMILY OF VEHICLES.
THE TANK WILL FIRE AN ADVANCED KINETIC ENERGY TUNSTEN PENETRATOR (ARMOUR PIERCING FIN STABILISED DISCARDING SABOT ROUND – APFSDS) FOR USE AGAINST VEHICLES. THIS ROUND DOES NOT CONTAIN DEPLETED URANIUM OR EXPLOSIVE AND RELIES ON ITS VELOCITY FOR TERMINAL EFFECT. THE SECOND MAIN ROUND IS A MULTI-PURPOSE EXPLOSIVE ROUND, CALLED MPAT, WHICH IS USED FOR INFANTRY SUPPORT AND TO ENGAGE TARGETS TYPES. THE ABRAMS CARRIES 40 ROUNDS MAIN ARMAMENT ROUNDS IN TOTAL.
APART FROM STANDARD MACHINE GUN AMMUNITION THE TANK IS ALSO EQUIPPED WITH 12 SMOKE GRENADE DISCHARGES, SIX ON EACH SIDE, WHICH DETONATE A 66MM GRENADE TO QUICKLY PRODUCE A SMOKE CLOUD TO CONCEAL THE TANK AS A SELF-PROTECTION MEASURE.
TO ASSIST WITH COMMAND AND CONTROL THE ABRAMS BE DELIVERED WITH ADVANCED DIGITAL RADIOS (SINGARS ASIP) THAT ARE COMPATIBLE WITH THE RADIOS IN SERVICE IN WITH ARMY NOW. THE INTERCOMMUNICATION SYSTEM ON THE TANK, WHICH ALLOWS THE CREW TO COMMUNICATE WITH EACH OTHER THROUGH HEADSETS, IS THE SAME SYSTEM IN SERVICE ON THE ASLAV AND THE AUSTRALIAN M113 VEHICLE FLEETS.
THE ARMOUR PROTECTION ON THE M1A1 AIM IS OUTSTANDING. CONTRARY TO POPULAR BELIEF NOT ALL US TANKS HAVE DEPLETED URANIUM. THE AUSTRALIAN TANKS HAVE NOT HAD DEPLETED URANIUM FITTED TO THEM IN THE PAST. INSTEAD, DURING REBUILD THEY WILL BE FITTED WITH AN ADVANCED NON-DEPLETED URANIUM ARMOUR.
A RECENT VISIT TO THE US BY AN AUSTRALIAN DEFENCE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ORGANISATION SCIENTIST CONFIRMS THAT THE ARMOUR WE ARE PURCHASING PROVIDES ADVANCED PROTECTION CAPABILITIES THAT IS BROADLY COMPARABLE TO OTHER ARMOUR TYPES, AND THAT IT MEETS OUR CAPABILITY REQUIREMENTS.
THERE HAS BEEN SOME MISCONCEPTION THAT THE M1A1 AIM TANK IS AN OLD SECOND HAND VEHICLE. NOTHING COULD BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH. TO SET THE STAGE, THE US CURRENTLY OPERATES FOUR VARIANTS OF THE M1 TANK AND WHICH ARE PROGRESSIVELY REDUCED TO TWO MAIN TYPES.
THE M1A1 TANK, WHICH HAS CEASED PRODUCTION.
THE M1A2, WHICH ALSO HAS CEASED PRODUCTION WILL EVENTUALLY BE PHASED OUT OF SERVICE, TO BE REPLACED BY THE M1A1 AIM AND M1A2 SEP TANKS.
THE M1A2SEP OR SYSTEMS ENHANCEMENT PACKAGE TANK IS OPTIMISED FOR USE AGAINST MASSED ARMOUR WITH A COMMANDERS INDEPENDENT SIGHT – THIS CAPABILITY IS NOT REQUIRED FOR AUSTRALIAN USE WHERE THE TANK WILL BE USED TO SUPPORT OTHER ELEMENTS OF THE COMBINED ARMS TEAM.
THE M1A1 AIM OR ABRAMS INTEGRATED MANAGEMENT TANK, WHICH IS THE TANK WE ARE PURCHASING, IS A LIKE NEW, ZERO KM, AND ZERO HOUR TANK WHICH HAS EMBEDDED DIAGNOSTICS AND DIGITILISATION PLUS A RANGE OF ARMOUR, FIREPOWER, AUTOMOTIVE AND ENGINE IMPROVEMENTS. WITH THESE IMPROVEMENTS IT WILL COMPRISE THE BACKBONE OF THE ABRAMS FLEET OUT TO 2020.
THE ABRAMS INTEGRATED MANAGEMENT PROGRAM IS A COMPLETE REBUILD OF THE M1A1 TANK. TANKS ENTERING THE PROGRAM ARE COMPLETELY DISASSEMBLED AT ANNISTON ARMY DEPOT, ALABAMA. THE TANK IS STRIPPED DOWN AND INSPECTED. THE DEPOT REFURBISHES MANY OF THE TANKS ASSEMBLIES. THE ASSEMBLIES AND THE TANK ARE THEN SHIPPED TO THE LIMA ARMY TANK PLANT, IN OHIO WHERE THEY ARE REASSEMBLED TO A ZERO KM / ZERO HOURS STANDARD.
THE AIM PROGRAM APPLIES MODIFICATIONS AND UPGRADES TO THE TANK INCLUDING EMBEDDED DIAGNOSTICS.
OF THE 6256 MAJOR COMPONETS ON THE TANK, 5368 ARE REPLACED NEW. THE REMAINING 888 ARE CHECKED TO THE MANUFACTURERS ORIGINIAL SPECIFICATION OR REPLACED NEW.
THE TANKS ARE SUBJECT TO STRINGENT QUALITY CONTROL AND QUALITY ASSURANCE AT ALL STAGES OF REBUILD WITH THE TANK HAVING TO PASS A FINAL QUALITY ASSURANCE TEST PRIOR TO BEING SHIPPED FROM LIMA ARMY TANK PLANT.
ADDITIONALLY AUSTRALIA HAS SELECTED THE TANKS THAT WILL ENTER OUR PRODUCTION LINE, FROM A BATCH OF LOW KILOMETRE, LOW USE VEHICLES. THESE TANKS HAVE SPENT THE MAJORITY OF THEIR LIFE IN STORAGE AND HAVE NOT BEEN USED ON OPERATIONS. THE PROCESS WILL TAKE BETWEEN 12 AND 24 MONTHS DUE TO THE NEED TO ORDER LONG LEAD ITEMS AND COMPONENTS.
THIS SHOW THE PROGRESS OF THE UPGRADE PROGRAM AND SHOWS THE TANK AS IT LEAVES LIMA, WITH AIM IMPROVEMENTS SPECIFICALLY
LATEST GENERATION NIGHT SIGHTS.
EXTERNAL AUXILLARY POWER UNIT
PULSE JET AIR SYSTEM
MODIFICATIONS FOR A FORDING KIT
EMBEDDED DIAGNOSTICS
IMPROVED ENGINE AND FUEL CONSUMPTION
THERE WILL BE MINIMAL AUSTRALIANISATION OF THE M1A1 AIM,
SPECIFICALLY:
MOUNTS TO FIT THE AUSTRALIAN STEYR RIFLE
CHILLED DRINKING WATER AND A CAMOUFLAGE SYSTEM
AND THE ADDITION OF AN INFANTRY TANK TELEPHONE AT THE REAR OF THE TANK AND THE INTEGRATED OF THE INFANTRY PERSONAL ROLE RADIO TO ENSURE THE TANK INTEGRATES INTO THE COMBINED ARMS TEAM.
2 X 20 CM RED KANGAROO ON THE SIDE.
THE NEXT SERIES OF SLIDE SHOW SOME OF AIM UPGRADES AND EMBEDDED DIAGNOSTICS ON THE VEHICLE.
THE UPGRADED TANK COMMANDERS PANEL (UTCP) PROVIDES INCREASED FUNCTIONALITY FOR THE TANK COMMANDER, INCLUDING SAFETY FEATURES.
AN UPGRADE WHICH IMPROVES PERFORMANCE AND AIR FILTER LIFE IN DRY AND DUSTY CONDITIONS BY DETECTING A DECREASE IN AIRFLOW THROUGH THE AIR FILTERS AND REDIRECTING THE EXHAUST TO BLOW OUT THE DUST AND CLEAN THE FILTERS WHILE THE TANK IS MOVING.
THE NEXT TWO SLIDES SHOW THE ADDED DIGITAL DATA AND EMBEDDED DIAGNOSTIC CAPABILITY TO DISPLAY TO THE CREW KEY INFORMATION ON THE TANK STATUS.
THIS SLIDE SHOWS ONE TEST ON THE FINAL ACCEPTANCE STAGE, BY TESTING THE ABILITY OF THE BRAKES TO HOLD THE TANK ON A 60 DEGREE SLOPE.
THE NEXT MAJOR COMPONENT OF THE CAPABILITY IS THAT OF REPAIR AND RECOVERY. THE M88A2 HERCULES IS A NEW BUILT ARMOURED RECOVERY VEHICLE, OF WHICH 7 ARE BEING PURCHASED. IT CARRIES OUT ALL THE TASKS OF THE VEHICLE THAT IT REPLACES AND INTRODUCES THE ABILITY TO LIFT A TURRET FROM A TANK WITHOUT DEEPER LEVEL MAINTENACE FACILITES. IT IS MORE THAN CAPABLE OF RECOVERYING AND TOWING DAMAGED OR BROKEN VEHICLES.
THE M88A2 WITH A WELL-TRAINED CREW CAN REMOVE THE POWER PACK FROM A DISABLED TANK AND REPLACE IT WITH A NEW ONE, IN UNDER AN HOUR. THIS LATTER VERSION OF THE RECOVERY VEHICLE INCLUDES INCREASED ARMOUR FOR CREW PROTECTION.
AS PART OF THE PROJECT UP TO 8 WHEELED TACTICAL REFUELERS AND UP 14 TANK TRANSPORTERS WILL BE PROCURED DOMESTICALLY. THE REFUELER WILL CARRY 10,000 LITRES OF FUEL AND IS IN SERVICE WITH ARMY ALREADY. THE DEFENCE MATERIAL ORGANISATION WILL REQUEST TENDERS THIS YEAR FOR A DOMESTICALLY PRODUCED TRUCK AND TRAILER TO FULFIL THE TANK TRANSPORTER REQUIREMENT.
A KEY PART OF THE NEW CAPABILITY IS THE INTRODUCTION OF MODERN SIMULATION SYSTEMS SUCH AS THE ADVANCED GUNNERY TRAINING SYSTEM. THIS SIMULATION SYSTEM WILL BE BASED WITH 4 SIMULATERS IN DARWIN AND TWO IN PUCKAPUNYAL. IT WILL ALLOWS TANK CREWS TO TRAIN AS INDIVIDUALS OR COLLECTIVELY AND TO TRANSITION EFFICIENTLY TO LIFE FIRE GUNNERY. IT WILL MAXIMISE TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES IN THE NORHTERN WET SEASON AND WILL DECREASE THE USE OF MAIN GUN TRAINING AMMUNITION.
THE TANK DRIVER TRAINER IS VERY SIMILAR IN LOOKS AND OPERATION TO AN AIRCRAFT FLIGHT SIMULATOR. IT PROVIDES A SIMULATED TANK DRIVING STATION, ELEVATED FROM THE GROUND ON 6 HYDRAULIC ARMS THAT REPLICATE THE REAL MOTION OF A TANK DRIVING. IT WILL BE USED TO TRAIN NEW DRIVERS AND TO TRANSITION LEOPARD DRIVERS TO THE NEW TANK. IT WILL BE LOCATED AT THE SCHOOL OF ARMOUR IN PUCKAPUNYAL.
IN JUNE THE AUSTRALIAN AND US GOVERNMENTS SIGNED THE PRIME EQUIPMENT CASE FOR THE PURCHASE OF:
59 M1A1 TANKS
59 ABRAMS INTEGRATED MANAGEMENT REBUILDS
7 NEW ARMOURED RECOVERY VEHICLES
6 ADVANCED GUNNERY TRAINER SIMULATORS
1 TANK DRIVER TRAINER SIMULATOR
ENGINEERING AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT
http://www.defence.gov.au/media/DepartmentalTpl.cfm?CurrentId=4093