- Reaction score
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Very interesting upgrade that will make the Abrams even more formidable in the battlefield.
http://www.armytimes.com/issues/stories/0-ARMYPAPER-2733068.php
TUSK kits to beef up tanks by summer
Upgrades give crews more protection, firepower
By Michelle Tan - mtan@militarytimes.com
Posted : May 14, 2007
FORT KNOX, Ky. — The Army will field its tank urban survivability kit in Iraq this summer, outfitting the M1A1 and M1A2 Abrams with additions such as reactive armor, belly armor, thermal sights for the loader and a second .50-caliber machine gun.
The package, known as TUSK, was on display at the 2007 Armor Warfighting Conference here April 29-May 3.
“The guys can’t wait,” said Capt. David Centeno, assistant product manager of the TUSK program. “They need this stuff. Every time I go [to Iraq] they ask, ‘When will we get it?’”
Centeno, fresh off his most recent trip to Iraq, will return to theater in July to coordinate the fielding of the kits, which will begin in earnest in September, he said. In all, 565 kits will be sent to Iraq over the span of a year.
“The goal is, by fall next year, all tanks will be fitted with TUSK,” Centeno said.
Each kit costs about $400,000 and includes:
•A .50-caliber machine gun mounted on the main gun, giving the crew the ability to provide countersniper fire without leaving the protection of the tank. The .50-caliber will slave off the main gun’s system, and because it’s mounted on the main gun, the .50-caliber will be able to shoot single shots more accurately.
A second .50-caliber on the Abrams isn’t new, Centeno said. About 130 systems have already been sent into theater, but packaging this additional capability in the TUSK will ensure every Abrams in theater has one, he said.
•Belly armor made from shaped aluminum to protect against improvised explosive device blasts. The belly armor weighs 3,000 pounds and can be installed in two hours.
•Reactive armor tiles to provide side protection. The tiles are already being used in theater on Bradley fighting vehicles.
•A tank infantry phone to allow dismounted troops to communicate with the tank crew. The phone will be on the back right side of the tank.
•Thermal weapon sights for the loader, giving him night-vision capability. The loader also will have a mounted display on his helmet, allowing him to use the system from anywhere in the tank.
•Gun shields made from armored glass and steel for the loader, providing him with protection without compromising his ability to see his target.
•A driver’s vision enhancer, or DVE, which will enhance the driver’s thermal night and all-weather vision.
•Remote thermal sights for the tank commander, allowing him to engage targets without opening his hatch. This addition is only for the M1A1.
•A power distribution box to provide power feeds with proper circuit protection to the different pieces of the TUSK package.
The kit can be added to a tank in 12 hours, Centeno said, minimizing the time tanks spend offline.
“You have to remember, when we do field this, we’re taking a tank off the battlefield,” he said.
Centeno said he plans to spend one day outfitting the tanks and another day training the crew on the new additions.
As the Army begins fielding TUSK, work continues on TUSK II, which will include a rear-view camera for the driver. Centeno said he hopes to field the cameras in May or June 2008. A similar camera is also in the works for the Bradley.
Also part of TUSK II are 360-degree barriers to protect the tank commander and the loader.
TUSK III is in the works and could include remote-operated weapons systems. Testing is underway to determine which system would work best for the Abrams, Centeno said.
“The tank was not designed to do what it’s doing now in Iraq,” Centeno said. “You take this massive tank and put it in the middle of a city, now you have to design something to enable it to survive and still do its mission in a city.”
Related article.
http://www.defense-update.com/products/t/tusk.htm
http://www.armytimes.com/issues/stories/0-ARMYPAPER-2733068.php
TUSK kits to beef up tanks by summer
Upgrades give crews more protection, firepower
By Michelle Tan - mtan@militarytimes.com
Posted : May 14, 2007
FORT KNOX, Ky. — The Army will field its tank urban survivability kit in Iraq this summer, outfitting the M1A1 and M1A2 Abrams with additions such as reactive armor, belly armor, thermal sights for the loader and a second .50-caliber machine gun.
The package, known as TUSK, was on display at the 2007 Armor Warfighting Conference here April 29-May 3.
“The guys can’t wait,” said Capt. David Centeno, assistant product manager of the TUSK program. “They need this stuff. Every time I go [to Iraq] they ask, ‘When will we get it?’”
Centeno, fresh off his most recent trip to Iraq, will return to theater in July to coordinate the fielding of the kits, which will begin in earnest in September, he said. In all, 565 kits will be sent to Iraq over the span of a year.
“The goal is, by fall next year, all tanks will be fitted with TUSK,” Centeno said.
Each kit costs about $400,000 and includes:
•A .50-caliber machine gun mounted on the main gun, giving the crew the ability to provide countersniper fire without leaving the protection of the tank. The .50-caliber will slave off the main gun’s system, and because it’s mounted on the main gun, the .50-caliber will be able to shoot single shots more accurately.
A second .50-caliber on the Abrams isn’t new, Centeno said. About 130 systems have already been sent into theater, but packaging this additional capability in the TUSK will ensure every Abrams in theater has one, he said.
•Belly armor made from shaped aluminum to protect against improvised explosive device blasts. The belly armor weighs 3,000 pounds and can be installed in two hours.
•Reactive armor tiles to provide side protection. The tiles are already being used in theater on Bradley fighting vehicles.
•A tank infantry phone to allow dismounted troops to communicate with the tank crew. The phone will be on the back right side of the tank.
•Thermal weapon sights for the loader, giving him night-vision capability. The loader also will have a mounted display on his helmet, allowing him to use the system from anywhere in the tank.
•Gun shields made from armored glass and steel for the loader, providing him with protection without compromising his ability to see his target.
•A driver’s vision enhancer, or DVE, which will enhance the driver’s thermal night and all-weather vision.
•Remote thermal sights for the tank commander, allowing him to engage targets without opening his hatch. This addition is only for the M1A1.
•A power distribution box to provide power feeds with proper circuit protection to the different pieces of the TUSK package.
The kit can be added to a tank in 12 hours, Centeno said, minimizing the time tanks spend offline.
“You have to remember, when we do field this, we’re taking a tank off the battlefield,” he said.
Centeno said he plans to spend one day outfitting the tanks and another day training the crew on the new additions.
As the Army begins fielding TUSK, work continues on TUSK II, which will include a rear-view camera for the driver. Centeno said he hopes to field the cameras in May or June 2008. A similar camera is also in the works for the Bradley.
Also part of TUSK II are 360-degree barriers to protect the tank commander and the loader.
TUSK III is in the works and could include remote-operated weapons systems. Testing is underway to determine which system would work best for the Abrams, Centeno said.
“The tank was not designed to do what it’s doing now in Iraq,” Centeno said. “You take this massive tank and put it in the middle of a city, now you have to design something to enable it to survive and still do its mission in a city.”
Related article.
http://www.defense-update.com/products/t/tusk.htm
