Tank under wraps?

[junk2drive]

Here in NW Arizona it is not unusual to see IFVs and other vehicles on flat bed trucks or train loads. I've also spotted the special nuke transports on the less traveled roads. Normally these are uncovered.

Today there were two flatbeds with small tanks, covered in black tarps. About Chaffee size, low profile and medium size gun barrel. I've seen Bradleys and M1s and this wasn't it. Strangest part was the covering. Even the gun barrel.

Is there a new medium tank under development?

[eyebiter]

Stryker MGS perhaps?. Did you see tires or treads?  Could you count number of road wheels?

[Staggerwing]

Stryker MGS perhaps?. Did you see tires or treads?  Could you count number of road wheels?

Look anything like this?

[junk2drive]

It was tracked and I could see part of the center section which had small rubber tired wheels. The turret was normal shape for a tank, not tall and not long out the rear.

[Staggerwing]

Some M551s were modified to act as OPFOR units after the tank itself was withdrawn from service. There could still be a few around:

[LongBlade]

Some M551s were modified to act as OPFOR units after the tank itself was withdrawn from service. There could still be a few around:

I would assume you don't depress that gun below the horizon or it runs the chance of putting you in low Earth orbit.

[bayonetbrant]

A bunch of details about the Sheridans at Ft Irwin:

The guns are just PVC pipe.  The original gun was the 152mm short-barrel that shot both 'real' ammo and the old Shillelagh missile.  When it fired live ammo, it would rock back 2 road-wheels; couldn't fire on-the-move.  Current M551s have the breach block removed and the MILES gear semi-permanently installed.  When they did the vis-mod to the Sheridan for the OPFOR, they had to lengthen the gun barrels, so they bolted on some PVC pipe over the old barrel housing.

Some of them have thermal sights when they shipped the former 3-73 AR vehicles there from Ft Bragg when they inactivated that unit.  That was the last operational M551 unit, and it was closed down in the mid-90s.
They are NOT operational vehicles.  They're only there to play OPFOR for units training there.

There are more than "a few" around.  There's about 180 or so at Ft Irwin, though a bunch of those are just parked right now until another one breaks.

FYI, that one above is D/1-11 ACR, 2d platoon leader.  The bumper numbers on the side ID them all  :D

[bayonetbrant]

Today there were two flatbeds with small tanks, covered in black tarps. About Chaffee size, low profile and medium size gun barrel. I've seen Bradleys and M1s and this wasn't it. Strangest part was the covering. Even the gun barrel.

could've also been a Russian tank being hauled to a range to be shot at for testing.

[MIGMaster]

I ownder if it was one of the prototypes for the various vehicles being fielded for the Close Combat Vehicle competition here in Canada ? Some of the companies involved are US firms  and some of the CCV's look like low-profile tanks ??????

[junk2drive]

I only got a quick glance at the road wheels as I was driving past but they seemed to be 1-2 feet diameter. Wish I would have had a better look.

I tried looking around global security .org but it wanted me to register.

[bayonetbrant]

take a look at www.army-technology.com and see if there's something relevant over there

they cover a lot of prototype stuff, too, where companies are building one-offs in the hope of finding a buyer.

[MIGMaster]

Here's one of the contenders and one that decided not to enter but is looking for other markets:

[Staggerwing]

^That mantlet looks like it was inspired by the Panther.

[MIGMaster]

Good eye Dude !

[LongBlade]

^That mantlet looks like it was inspired by the Panther.

Reminds me of the failed Porsche turret on the King Tiger.