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Armor/AFV: Modern - USA
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USMC M1A1 in Afgan
youngtiger1
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Posted: Wednesday, January 02, 2013 - 09:27 PM UTC
Hey Gang,

I'm thinking about starting my first armor after several years of doing nothing but jets and looking through the net to find what I want to build my eye landed on the M1A1 used by USMC.

Now, my knowledge is not all that great when it comes to armor, so I need y'all help. Can you guys look at the link below and tell me which outfit does this Abrams belongs to and if there are any decals for it. I've check all places I could come up with and all I found is this pic showing left side. I know several of you guys here have been around tanks and such. So, come-on...help a brother out.

Mike

http://www.operatorchan.org/v/src/134915071746.jpg
youngtiger1
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Posted: Wednesday, January 02, 2013 - 09:44 PM UTC
Oh btw, so far I've read that this photo was taken around 2003 some place in Afghanistan.
HeavyArty
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Posted: Wednesday, January 02, 2013 - 10:54 PM UTC

This picture (linked above) was taken in Kuwait in late '02 or early '03 before the invasion of Iraq. It belonged to Bravo Co, 1st Tank Bn. Unfortunately, on 17 Feb '04, returning from Iraq, the tank rolled off an LCAC off of Guam and a crewman, CPL Lipford, drowned in the accident.

Article
youngtiger1
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Posted: Thursday, January 03, 2013 - 02:29 PM UTC
Gino, thanks for the info. What a sad story. I guess, now I'll just have to build it and dedicate it to CPL Lipford. I'll see if I can find the decals for this machine. One thing I do see from the pic is that tanks number ?? USMC 579767.
junglejim
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Posted: Thursday, January 03, 2013 - 02:57 PM UTC
Chris Jerrett built this vehicle too, link to his excellent build on ML and finished

Also one by Bas Hermsen here

Jim
tanknick22
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Posted: Thursday, January 03, 2013 - 03:13 PM UTC

Quoted Text

Hey Gang,

I'm thinking about starting my first armor after several years of doing nothing but jets and looking through the net to find what I want to build my eye landed on the M1A1 used by USMC.

Now, my knowledge is not all that great when it comes to armor, so I need y'all help. Can you guys look at the link below and tell me which outfit does this Abrams belongs to and if there are any decals for it. I've check all places I could come up with and all I found is this pic showing left side. I know several of you guys here have been around tanks and such. So, come-on...help a brother out.

Mike

http://www.operatorchan.org/v/src/134915071746.jpg


The marines didnt put any m1A1's in afghanistan till 2010 or 2011
youngtiger1
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Posted: Thursday, January 03, 2013 - 03:19 PM UTC
Jim, thanks for both of those built links. Very nice looking models.

Nick, thanks for the info regarding the USMC Abrams in Afghanistan. I'll keep that in mind when.
jwest21
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Posted: Thursday, January 03, 2013 - 04:05 PM UTC

Quoted Text

Jim, thanks for both of those built links. Very nice looking models.

Nick, thanks for the info regarding the USMC Abrams in Afghanistan. I'll keep that in mind when.

Mike, if you decide to do an Afghanistan M1A1, I have a ton of pictures. Just send me a PM when and if you want them
HeavyArty
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Posted: Thursday, January 03, 2013 - 04:12 PM UTC

Quoted Text

The marines didnt put any m1A1's in afghanistan till 2010 or 2011


That is correct. The USMC sent 1 PLT (4 Tanks) in late Nov '10. They were first used operationally in mid Jan '11. Since then, they have rotated a PLT at a time.

Here are a couple pics of USMC M1A1 HCs in A'stan. As you can see, they have some of the TUSK pieces, but not as much as US Army and USMC tanks in Iraq had. All they really have on them is the belly armor, thermal sight on the TC's .50 cal, and the Loader's gun shields. They also have 2 DUKE antennas, EPLRS antenna, T/I phone box and slave cable box on the right rear, Blue Force Tracker box on the right side of the Gunner's Primary Sight box, along with the folding BRE, exhaust delflector, and 8-shot smoke grenade launchers.







Hope that helps and good luck.
youngtiger1
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Posted: Thursday, January 03, 2013 - 04:40 PM UTC
Awesome pics Gino, I know some of the items you pointed out, but can you tell me what is what on those tanks?...

2 DUKE antennas
EPLRS antenna
slave cable box on the right rear
folding BRE

I know where is T/I phone box but what does T/I stands for? Also, Blue Force Tracker box is there a Red Force or another color force tracker box? Is this only labeled BFT when they are training? Sort a like Blue force vs Red Force in Red Flags.

Mike
bison126
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Posted: Thursday, January 03, 2013 - 07:29 PM UTC
Hi Mike
I'm not Gino but I can help with some acronyms.

BRE means bustle rack extension, initially mounted on USMC tanks during OIF.
T/I tank/infantry phone to enable communication between dismounted troops and the tank crew under armor.
BFT is blue because it traces friendly units only. To put it simple, it's a kind of IFF but in my understanding it is a "passive" system in the way that your vehicle does not send an interrogation signal. Each vehicle regularly sends a signal to the surrounding world.
DUKE antennas are the two high tubes on the turret back. They are parts of a counter-measures device to defeat radio controlled IED.
Can't help for EPLRS, I've forgotten the meaning and its use, sorry.
I stand corrected for my input above
Olivier
prophecy
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Posted: Thursday, January 03, 2013 - 07:34 PM UTC
You can buy a set from Perfect Scale that has all pieces for an USMC M1A1 in Afghanistan. You only need an Dragon or Tamiya M1A1.

PS also offers a decal sheet for USMC Abrams.

Wisham
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Posted: Thursday, January 03, 2013 - 07:51 PM UTC
Welcome back to the world of armor. Get the TUSK add on :-) b
youngtiger1
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Posted: Thursday, January 03, 2013 - 08:09 PM UTC
Oliver, what your no Gino...lol that's ok. I appreciate you sharing the information with me. It helps me to understand what I'm reading all the gibberish you tank guys talk around here... just kidding!! So, like the Duke antennas and BFT is works similar to countermeasure equipment on the jets...interesting.

Anderes, thanks for the input. I'll defiantly check out this Perfect Scale resin set you speak of...yep defiantly, yep defiantly. Oh wait, record got stuck...

Warren, thanks for the warm welcome. I started out building armor then I starting flying and got into modeling planes, but a lot of the OIF stuff got me excited to get back into building stuff with more then 3 wheels...
HeavyArty
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Posted: Friday, January 04, 2013 - 03:38 AM UTC
Olivier pretty much covered it for you.

The BFT is not really an IFF, but more like a tracking device for a package or delivery truck. It sends a signal to a base unit that shows an icon for the vehicle's location on a map of the terrain and battlefield. You can track your units and place known or suspected enemy unit icons on the screen as well. You can also text between vehicles across the system to communicate as well.

EPLRS stands for Enhanced Position Location Reporting System. It is basically the same as the BFT but uses a different radio sysyem to communicate.

They are both systems that provide a Common Operation Picture (COP) to assist the battlefield commander in "seeing" the battlefield. A vehicle will usually have one or the other, but not both, depending on which system their higher headquarters is using.
jwest21
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Posted: Friday, January 04, 2013 - 03:52 AM UTC
Also, if building a particular USMC tank in Afghanistan, take a look at the tracks. A lot of them seem to have the newer T-158LL tracks. All the pictures I have show the newer tracks. The spare track links on the turret seem to be mostly attached using the older guidehorns found on the tracks for the M60/M88 etc.
bison126
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Posted: Friday, January 04, 2013 - 04:53 AM UTC
Thanks for the explanation about the EPLRS Gino.
MikeMummey
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Posted: Friday, January 04, 2013 - 05:10 AM UTC
Panzer Gino needs to correct the size of tank unit that the USMC deployed to A-stan. He likes to be throw stuff at the wall to see what will stick. The picture of B-32(13th MEU)operating in Kuwait was taken in late 2003 to early 2004, very much post OIF invasion(March 03). That tank platoon and the rest of the MEU never went to Iraq during its deployment. And welcome Mike to the wonderful world of USMC modeling! To recreate the A-stan Abrams in 1/35 I would just get the Perfect Scale Modelblau conversion. Gerold and Max have done all the research and hard work for you.
Outta here, Mike sends . . .
jwest21
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Posted: Friday, January 04, 2013 - 05:35 AM UTC
echoing what Mike said, the Perfect Scale Modelbau Afghanistan update is fantastic.
HeavyArty
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Posted: Friday, January 04, 2013 - 06:40 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Panzer Gino needs to correct the size of tank unit that the USMC deployed to A-stan. He likes to be throw stuff at the wall to see what will stick. The picture of B-32(13th MEU)operating in Kuwait was taken in late 2003 to early 2004, very much post OIF invasion(March 03). That tank platoon and the rest of the MEU never went to Iraq during its deployment.


As usual, Mike likes to thump me when I am mistaken. And as usual, he doesn't actually provide the correct answer, go figure. I should have written 1 Tank Company, not a PLT, sorry, it was late at the time. I couldn't remember if the tank was pictured before or after the invasion for sure. It was in Kuwait though, not A'stan, so mox nix, unless you are Mummey...
bill_c
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MODEL SHIPWRIGHTS
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Posted: Saturday, January 05, 2013 - 03:42 AM UTC

Quoted Text

You can buy a set from Perfect Scale that has all pieces for an USMC M1A1 in Afghanistan.

Reviewed here.
MikeMummey
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Posted: Saturday, January 05, 2013 - 04:56 AM UTC
See Gino, that was not too difficult was it? You can post correct answers to the forum if you put some effort into it. Once you start spreading misinformation it will eventually become gospel. And like the round you fire once you let the bum scoop fly you cannot bring it back. We have had this conversation many times over the past eight or so years. I would like this to be the last
Outta here, Mike sends . . .
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