Re: [GZG] Subject: Re: What are the pitfalls of standardised forces?

Michael Blair wrote:

>Same chassis and the same mechanical spares but not
>necessarily the armour. Particularly now as modular armour seems to the
coming
>thing -

Like I wrote in the previous post, modular MBT armour results in a
*very* 
heavy vehicle. With integrated armour the armour carries its own weight
as 
well as most of the weight of the vehicle's turret etc.; with modular 
armour the unarmoured chassis has to provide all of the structural 
integrity to carry both the heavy armour *and* everything else.

>but I quite agree, an SPG has no need of serious levels of armour
>unless it is an assault gun and they have rather gone out of favour
since 
>WW II

Out of favour? The Stryker MGS is essentially a lightly-armoured assault
gun...

>Incidentally is there a place for an AFV in FISH?

Not that much. When you drive your AFVs into houses, they tend to drop
down 
into the cellar and get stuck :-p

(FISH = Fighting In Someone's House; FIBUA = Fighting In Built-Up Areas.

Last I saw these terms defined terms they weren't entirely identical -
the 
main difference is that FIBUA also includes fighting *between* houses 
rather than just *inside* them <g>)

>Weight is a very telling argument. Are modern MBTs too big?

Depends entirely on what you want them to do. If you want to transport 
them, or drive them over non-reinforced road bridges, then at least the 
western types are awkwardly big; if you want them to survive being shot
at 
by one another it is more like the eastern types being a bit too small
:-/

>Oddly there was an SPG conversion for old tank chassis touted for a
while,
>replace the turret with a bigger, boxier turret with an artillery piece
(a
>Royal Ordnance 155mm I think). I remember thinking your point about it
- 
>the chassis
>is armoured which is just excess weight for an SPG and seemingly
everyone else
>thought the same as no one bought it!

Not just weight IIRC. If you're thinking of the same project I am the
main 
problem was that the tank chassis were pretty much worn out, and
would've 
cost rather more money to operate than new-built hulls	would.

Regards,

Oerjan
orjan.ariander1@comhem.se

"Life is like a sewer.
  What you get out of it, depends on what you put into it."
-Hen3ry

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