The Best That Never Was 2 (Prototypes)

[pmulcahy11b]

Originally Posted by The Dark

I just ran across a reference today to an air defense vehicle I hadn't previously heard about, the Liberty I and II. Both were M1A1 Abrams derivatives, the Liberty I carrying a pair of .50 cal MGs and either 6 Shahine or 12 VT-1 (Crotale NG) missiles, while the Liberty II had a pair of 25mm Bushmasters and 12 VT-1 missiles. They were one of the losing entries in the the LOS-F-H (Line Of Sight, Forward, Heavy) part of the FAADS (Forward Area Air Defense System) program, intended to replaced the DIVAD/Sgt. York.

The LOS-F-H competition ended up being won by the ADATS based on an M113A2 chassis, which was canceled after the end of the Cold War without its inability to operate in inclement weather being corrected.

You have any links? Sounds interesting to stat. I'm coming up blank on Bing.

[The Dark]

Originally Posted by pmulcahy11b

You have any links? Sounds interesting to stat. I'm coming up blank on Bing.

I pieced it together from reading a few sites/forum threads elsewhere:
Secret Projects
Imgur pictures of Abrams mock-ups, including Liberty II
Article on Shahine missiles that describes the Liberty proposal, including basic technical information on its radar

[James Langham]

How much interest would there be in an article on the FV499 Hover APC mentioned above?

[The Dark]

The Iron Cow was statted out in this very thread a couple years ago, but a full article could be interesting/useful.

[pmulcahy11b]

Originally Posted by The Dark

I pieced it together from reading a few sites/forum threads elsewhere:
Secret Projects
Imgur pictures of Abrams mock-ups, including Liberty II
Article on Shahine missiles that describes the Liberty proposal, including basic technical information on its radar

I've seen that vehicle before! I wonder if I have it in one of my books or old Jane's...

[ArmySGT.]

M1A2 System Enhancement Package Version 3

[The Dark]

There's always the venerable MBT-70. Intended to replace the M60 and Leopard 1, it was a joint German-American project armed with a longer-barreled (L/43.5) version of the 152mm gun/launcher used by the M60A2 and M551. It carried 42 rounds (some of which could be tungsten APFSDS), 6 Shillelagh missiles, 660 rounds of 20x139mm ammunition for an Rh 202 L/85 autocannon mounted on the turret roof, and 2700 rounds of 7.62x51mm for either an M73 (US) or MG-3 (German) machine gun. Top speed was 69 km/h, and 1300 liters of fuel was supposed to give it a range of ~645 kilometers.

One innovation was the use of spaced armor to disrupt HEAT warheads. I haven't found actual armor thicknesses, but estimated RHA equivalents (probably to be taken with an entire shaker of salt) are 101mm for the outer front hull and 152mm for the inner front hull, while the sides were 76-105mm (lower-upper), the mantlet around 450mm, the turret sides 63mm and 131 mm (outer and inner), and the turret rear 63mm.

[raketenjagdpanzer]

Originally Posted by The Dark

There's always the venerable MBT-70. Intended to replace the M60 and Leopard 1, it was a joint German-American project armed with a longer-barreled (L/43.5) version of the 152mm gun/launcher used by the M60A2 and M551. It carried 42 rounds (some of which could be tungsten APFSDS), 6 Shillelagh missiles, 660 rounds of 20x139mm ammunition for an Rh 202 L/85 autocannon mounted on the turret roof, and 2700 rounds of 7.62x51mm for either an M73 (US) or MG-3 (German) machine gun. Top speed was 69 km/h, and 1300 liters of fuel was supposed to give it a range of ~645 kilometers.

One innovation was the use of spaced armor to disrupt HEAT warheads. I haven't found actual armor thicknesses, but estimated RHA equivalents (probably to be taken with an entire shaker of salt) are 101mm for the outer front hull and 152mm for the inner front hull, while the sides were 76-105mm (lower-upper), the mantlet around 450mm, the turret sides 63mm and 131 mm (outer and inner), and the turret rear 63mm.

I wrote up the MBT70 a year or so back, if you search the forum for it.

[The Dark]

Originally Posted by raketenjagdpanzer

I wrote up the MBT70 a year or so back, if you search the forum for it.

Would you believe it was three years ago? After looking, I do remember seeing that before, but I hadn't saved it because it's V1, and vehicles changed a lot between V1 and V2.