Re: Errr. Pardon?

In a message dated 1/12/00 6:22:01 PM Central Standard Time, 
monty@arcadia.turner.com writes:

<< 
 C5's carry 120mm and 155mm's all the time. Now you may note that this
is 
 as cargo, but that was where the Centaro was being referred to. An Air 
 Portable Tank is usually not going to be in the 70 tonne range like the

 Abrams unless you are talking about Strategic transport. 
 
 The issue was air mobile armour that had heavy firepower and was still 
 air mobile in a useful manner (ie rough fields, minimal support at the 
 field). 
 
 You should see what those russian transports carry around. 
  >>

The air mobile AFV? Well, we have the Sheridan which has been an
insufficient 
weapon system in so many ways, but every time we try to get it replaced
the 
new project gets cancelled. First the LAV-75 based on the M113 chassis
and 
sporting a HV long 75mm in a remote turret - slick design and air 
transportable for our air mobile divisions. That got cancelled. Then the
army 
proposed a new variatn of the M2 Bradley with a 105mm gun in a
conventional 
turret. This was air transportable and other aircraft could carry armor 
add-ons to make it a little more survivable. That got right up to
production 
and then got cancelled for economy's sake. The net result is that we
have 
light forces with no better tank destroyer assets than HMMWV mounted TOW
II's 
and Cavalry Regiments with neither tanks nor armored infatry fighting 
vehicles. Some day those light divisions are going to pay in very
expensive 
coin for those economies.