Re: Supertank?

	The old tank as APC idea is not new to the Israeli's. For some
years now
those Centurions that weren't upgraded to Ben Gurion were turned into
Assualt APCs by removing the turret, placing an armoured superstructure
over the turret well so that the whole thing was about the same size
(height certainly) as the original tank. Extra armour was added all
round.
Two or three mgs were its only armament and being Israelis at least one
would be a .50cal. My understanding was that the infantry de-bussed via
doors in the superstructure at the back and over engine decking. They
might
also have gone through side doors but I cant remember. Jane's will be
the
source here as I cannot recall seeing it in the more popular "reference"
series (osprey, "... in action", etc...). If they are converting further
tanks they will be T55's and T62's some of which the Israelis might have
once upgraded to TI67 (105mm gun and new power plant IIRC).
	The Israelis don't seem to go for the IFV idea at all. The most
common
military vehicle I saw (this is '95) was the M3 half track mounting a
.50cal and at least 2 if not 4 mg's (one for each corner). You'll find
that
that is standard practice for any combat vehicle in the Israeli army
that
is not a tank. From the Ram Scout cars to M113 and Zelda. Even the
M109's
mount MGs of somesort. Tanks usually have co-ax plus MGs over driver AND
gunners hatches. On occasion (and I think they no longer do it, only in
Beruit) you will see an odd mount with a .50cal over the main gun
barrel.
Merkava I's mounted a 60mm mortar as well (but I think this was mostly
for
smoke). Israeli theory seems to be that tanks deal with tanks and to
deal
with infantry means massed, high volume small arms fire from as many MGs
as
you can muster.

	Tony.
	twilko@ozemail.com.au
 
At 01:29 17/11/98 PST, you wrote:
>Israeli APC
>In the newsletter of the Near Future Study Group, an offshoot of the 
>Society of Twentieth Century Wargamers (I think) they mentioned a new 
>Israeli APC, converted from captured T-?? Tanks (cannot remember
which). 
>They removed the turret and made other changes. The passengers exited 
>through the rear and the vehicle carried only an MG for self-defense, 
>this prevented heroics on the part of the crew and it had the panzers
to 
>protect it and it carried the infantry to protect the panzers.
>This brings me to another question, how sensible are IFVs, surely they 
>are there to get the infantry to where they are needed, not to fight 
>with the troops on board and to stay away from hostile panzers. I 
>realize that TOW etc. gives them a good stand off punch to supplement 
>the panzers' guns but will they survive long enough to use them?
>
>
>		  Michael R. Blair