Thread: Twilight 2020
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Old 05-23-2020, 07:26 PM
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StainlessSteelCynic StainlessSteelCynic is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by .45cultist View Post
Could the enhancements be the two extra tons? Any in depth maintenance would reveal DU lining.
Basically, yes.
Standard equipment for the Abrams in Australian service includes Barracuda multispectral cam nets, extra climate control (which has to contend with high heat and also high humidity), extra fuel, extra water, extra spares, extra stowage points for all of that gear, infantry/tank phone, a fridge, all the wading kit from the USMC Abrams, elements of SEP, elements of TUSK, exhaust deflectors, plus the fact that we only use diesel which is heavier than the AvGas per litre...

This situation is the same as why Australian 5.56mm ammo is a different weight to US 5.56mm - the item has been modified to suit Australian conditions (primarily, it uses a different propellant more suited to Australia's climate).
It's the same reason as to why the L1A1 in Australian service had a different weight to the British L1A1.
It's the same reason as why the Oliver Hazard Perry class frigates in Australian service had different weights and crew requirements to the same frigate in US service.
It's the same reason why Australia's Leopard 1 MBTs had a different weight to the parent model they were based upon.
In the case of the 5.56mm ammo and the L1A1 the weight difference is minor, obviously the larger the equipment and the more complex the item, the greater likelihood that different fittings will have a larger weight difference.
But one point remains - all of them were modified to suit Australian requirements. Those requirements are as much political in some cases as they are geographic, climate and usability considerations.
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