Is modern Japanese in any way similiar to US? For instance, I was surprised to see that a Leopard I’s turret was almost identical to an M48 in equipment!
And Hey, ‘lordsauron’, you’ll really enjoy listening to that M1 crank up… those guys who designed it must’ve gone ape the first time they cranked one up! PS… stop picking on Frodo.[:)]
Ron.
I was in the Marine Corps. Was attached to LAV’s for a while and I’ve done dozens of splashdowns in the LVTP7A1 (riding out the back of a ship and into the water; makes a big splash 
) Also, I know it’s not armour but I’ve riden the LCAC alot too. It does carry the armor…
Cut the guy some slack – after all, he’s got to get in all his posting between now and when Frodo gets to Mount Doom. [:p]
He’s got until the US thanksgiving then.
You lucky dawgs!
We won’t get to see it till next March here in Japan!
Ron, most “modern” Japanese armor (like the Type 61 and Type 74 MBTs) is comparable to 50’s 60’s US armor, except for the superb Type 90 MBT and the Type 89 IFV, which are fairly comparable to any top-class modern armor. And also very rare in Japan! Most of the Type 90 MBTs are up in the northern island Hokkaido, the main reason being that they’re just too big for roads and bridges in the southern islands. Also, the US military presence is much stronger down south, so I reckon they figure they don’t need their top-notch stuff down there.
It’s all in great shape, though. Some of those ancient Type 61s I’ve ridden look like they were manufactured last year! Most of them are older than me (and I just turned 40!!).
Oh NO!
Don’t tell me we’re all Lord of the Rings fans here too! I love the books, but didn’t like the second movie at ALL. I won’t go to see the last one until it comes out in the DVD stores… then I’ll rent it.
Will Aragorn become king, or fall and drift into elfin fantasy land again?
Will Arwen miss the boat and come to Gondor?
Will Frodo finally act smarter than Sam?
Will Smeagol enjoy eating Frodo’s finger?
hmmm.
Ron.[^]
I’ve been on and driven:
M-113’s
M-109 A-5
M-109 A-6 Paladin
M- 577
M-1074 PLS
M- 1075 PLS
just about every type of hmmwv cept the tow, or the ones with the rockets and stuff.
the old 2 1/2 tons
the generic 5 tons
M-548
FAASV the " CAT " ammo carrier for my gun section.
and my boots ,lots of boots!
while deployed in kosovo, I got to bum rides from the main gate to my barracks but I don’t even know what some of those things were?
lots of multi wheeled swedish/norweigen/finnish/russian/german/french/
polish/united aribic emerits type things?/african etc etc…
I saw sofar, Leopard1 A1, A2, A4;Leopard 2 A4 and A5, T-34 from a distance, Marder, Gepard, Chieftain, Luchs, Fuchs, M-47 ( bombed out on a shooting range), M-48, M-60, M-113, M-110, M-109, Panther, Jadgpanther, A7V, Leopard Prototype, Tiger, I think an Pzkfw IV( not sure about that one),M-88, Scimitar and Scorpion, The Netherland Version of the Gepard, Centurion, Alligator Ponton Bridge Layer, Hotchkiss HS 30, Jagdpanzer Kanone and Jagdpanzer Rakete ( I think its called Jaguar), Saracen or Saladin, and I think a Challenger 1 once.
Have never driven any AFV, but I have seen quite a few displayed in museums and at the War & Peace show in Kent… I really like the very early stuff on show at Bovington and the Brussels Army Museum… Whippet, MkIV, and the like…
only armour i have seen is the German AV7 ? … i think thats it … the big boxy tank from WW1, it was behind glass tho, but still looked fearsome, i wouldn’t of wanted one of those tearing through my trench
Not as privileged as some here. Crawled over and in a couple of Aussie M113’s - including one of the old Fire support type, and on a Centurian. I also got to crawl around in an ASLAV (basically a Canadian Grizzly) and in one of our Leopard 1’s at the Defense force exhibit at our annual show a few years back. Shortly after my visit, some dope set off the internal fire extinquisher system…so no more Joe Public allowed inside. Bad luck for them[:D].
I can go one better than ILuv3ggs - I’ve actually been inside Mephisto, the only remaining genuine German WW1 A7V left in the world. It used to be housed in the old Queensland Museum and you could get up real close and personal to the outside. Then they decided to move it to the new site and its Perspex box. However, before they moved it they let Joe Public have a gander inside one last time. Only thing is, it was not advertised and I was just going past when I realised what was happening, so I didn’t have a camera with with me at the time.[:(]
Does having a track link from a Japanese tank dropped on your foot count for anything here [:I]?
I have seen only a few armor so far:
M4A3 Sherman
Merkava 3 (in Israel)
M113
LAV-150
LAV-300
did u happen to get some pictures ? … i am about to start modeling the Leopard AS1, i need some more reference pictures, such as marking etc…
Sorry mate, It was several years ago at the Brissie EKKA and even if I did get pics they would not be digital. It was backed in the corner of the Pavillion and you could only see the front and one side, but any pics would have included a million munchkins crawling on the outside (my son included) [:P] and decent pics would have been impossible.
Have you tried contacting the ADF direct? The public liason is pretty good I hear.
See: http://www.defence.gov.au/army/1armd/index.htm for contact details for 1AR
You can also see some pics and a short video feature by browsing back through the site or do a search at the image gallery.
By the way, the Army is going to replace the aging AS1 Leopards in the future. Short listed replacements are the Leopard 2 (naturally), Challenger 2 or M1A2. Now what’s the bet the pollies go for the cheapest on offer? Hmm.
While in the military (US) I was assigned to M113 as TC, inf team leader,driver, scout and M60 machine gunner. M551 Sheridan as TC, driver and loader. M60A1 as TC, gunner, driver and loader. M48A5, M60, M60A3 as TC/Senior armor instructor. Also spent time with the M2/3 Bradley and M1 when they 1st came out but not as crew. Also I have been on M577, M109, M106, M88 and just about everything else with tracks or wheels. Being Cav you tend to get to play with or ride on just about everything. Also several German (west) armor like Leopard1 and Marder1 which I played on.
I have been to just about all the US museums and most of the major post (20+). Aberdeen Proving Ground is by far the best in the US , the Patton Museum is good to. I was able to see some of the stuff they have in storage like a Pather G in running order which I was allowed to climb all over on and a Kittenrad that they drive around for fun plus more. I have been to England and they have a great collection there to.I spent time in Germany but never made it to Munster. I backpacked around Belguim and climbed on some Panthers and they have a King Tiger left over from the Battle of the Bugle.[:D]
As both a “brat” and in the service, I’ve been on-in-crewed an M-47, M-48a2, M-48a5, M-60, M-60a1, M-60a2, M-60a1 (RIse), M-60-a3, M-551, M-1 , M-1a1, M-728 CEV, M-60 AVLB, M-114, M113, M-2
At museums I’ve seen what The Patton museum had (got to go to the “warehouse”) so I got to get in a Hetzer, Panther, PZKW lV and a T-34/85. They brought in some captured Russian vehicles for analysis so add a T-55 and T-62 to the mix. In Germany my unit had a Sherman and a Chaffee (WORKING!!) as a mascot. As to seen, oh God, all those off beat tanks that are all over Fort Kox and Radcliff.And lastly what the Imperial War Museum had. Wished I had been to Bovington and Aberdeen…someday. I don’t know all the tracked artillery. But we had the enclosed 155 and 8 inch and the open 175’s that I was on. And lastly I almost forgot all the foreign armor I got to get into. A Leopard A-3, a Modern Hetzer and a Chieftain. Didn’t get in but saw the AMX 30. The Frogs we had lunch with weren’t as friendly as the Brits we fought in Reforger 78. As to wheeled, well let’s not even open that can of worms with jeeps dueces goats goers hummers. And how about birds , well wingy things are for another topic aern’t they
hey,
i’ve tried the adf … emailed them about 5 months ago … still no reply [V] i’ve looked through alot of images as well, but can’t find out ALL the markings from one tank,
I get defence updates in my emial everday, they were going on about the costs of the tanks etc, i think the Leopard 2A4 came out the cheapest at $2 million each, the abram cost $4 million each…
either way, its more aussie subjects for me to build [:D]
ive seen challengers 1 and 2 at there training ground Scorpians,scimitars and sabres at the Alvis test track, loads of moveing AFVs at Bovinton battle days and Duxford
and some at Military rallys
Right here in Singapore… nothing much to look at…
I’ve seen and been inside an AMX13 light tank… I think its a French make… Don’t know if any of you have heard abt it before… Also seen and been inside the AMX-10 MCV… Also seen the locally built BIONIX… an infantry fighting vehicle… The M113 APC is a common sight here too and so is the Cadillac Gage V200 armoured car…
Cheers…
Nandakumar
All rugth guys I can’t name all that I have seen really wouldn’t know one from the other. I did grow up an Army brat. My father was FDC. He told these bad boys where to shoot. Spent a good part of my childhood climbing in and out of different tanks. If they have it at Ft. Sill (Home of the Field Artillary) I have seen it. Every year down there they do a CAPEX (capability exercise) the Army brings out everything they have and let em rip. They show off for the bigwigs and for family. They Air Force would bring in some planes too and bomb the crap out of the range down there. Pretty awesome. Used to have some on tape but got lost years ago. Miss those days sometimes.
Demankat