Quick question. Can anybody tell me when the uparmored packages were available for the Ariete MBT? I'm doing a what-if diorama set in 2003 and am curious if they would be a realistic possibility.

Thanks in advance!

Judging by the Iraq pics you can find here:
http://freeforumzone.leonardo.it/discussione.aspx?c=2958&f=2958&idd=1551143

..I would make an educated guess and say mid-2004

Frenchy

Hi Matt

Since from the tank creation additional extra armors were planned. Supports for those kits were present on the Ariete turret and hull

To be exact the kits designed were two, one light and one heavier (for operation with short travels). Both kits had been thought for a hypothetical Ariete versions equipped with a more powerful engine (1.600 Hp) but eventually, because of budget cuts, this Ariete improvement hadn't been done

Extra armours appeared for the first time during the weapon exhibition EUROSATORY 2002. In that occasion Iveco shoved an Ariete with extra armours
(you can find pics here:http://www.ferreamole.it/images/ariete_upa/arieteupa.htm). Despite what was thought, the armour kit shown in that fair was not the real one, it was just a mock up. Real extra armour kits were actually very different in design and distribution.

Extra armours were deployed for the first time during the operation "Antica Babilonia" ("Ancient Babylon") carried by Italian army in Iraq from 2003 to 2006 . At the beginning of the operation Italian tanks didn't have this difensive equipment. They were upgraded after the first conflicts against the iraqi "rebels"

First tanks belonged to Third tank brigade "M.O. Galas", 32th tank regiment Tauriano. They were:

Tanks of 1th Company "Leoni di Bardia" (Bardia Lions)

Drawing plates registration number
EI 118917
EI 118832
EI 118915

Tanks of Third company "Beda Fomm"
Drawing plates registration number
EI 118800
EI 118838

Tank of 4th Company "Tobruck"
Drawing plates registration number
EI 118787


I hope this could help you

That helps me very much. Thank you for this!

Matt

thanks a lot for those infos !!!




there is any pics of ariete without defensive equipments ?

I assume that you meant pics of Iraqui Ariete without armours, am I wrong?

Well, I don't know, to be honest i've never seen but I can try to find them

For now, here you are an old tread written on Ferreamole site (the official site of italian tankers) The post had been written on 18 Juliet 2004 . It showed the pics of the "new" extra armours mounted on the italian tanks deployed in Iraq

http://freeforumzone.leonardo.it/discussione.aspx?c=2958&f=2958&idd=1551143

Here you can find an useful gallery

http://www.alfamodel.it/modules/xg2.1/engine/main.php?g2_itemId=7166

Ariete walkaround with details explication

http://www.ferreamole.it/images/mbt_ariete/mbtariete01.htm
(click on "successiva" to see all the pages of the post)

I hope to be able to find the pics which you need

cheers for now

Maybe these





Frenchy

First pic has been taken for sure in Iraq (bravo! )

Regarding the second which you posted I have some doubts about the green trousers of the uniforms.

Italian tanker uniform in Iraq:



It has been probably taken in Sardinia Island during some practice on field, but I might be wrong

Anyway, well done Frenchy, thanks a lot

I've found this

http://www.missing-lynx.com/gallery/small/ariele72wb_1.html

is a Wayne Bowman's model shown in missing-linx site

Hi Mauro

I must say that I know nothing about Italian uniforms . Here's the forum this picture comes from :
http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums/showthread.php?16834-Ariete-MBT-in-iraq&s=11ac11870dd46bbc4e5962a520e96731

Frenchy

thanks a lot every one for infos, links and pics !!!!

that's great !

frenchy you are awesome !

Well, probably the pic actually has been taken in Iraq. I looked for it on Ferrea Mole site to be sure, but I didn't find it

Anyway it must be so Frenchy

Thanks a lot Mauro for all your valuable information !

You're welcome Olivier

Your Ariete has been already outstanding anyway

Cheers