I was sent a copy of the Austrailian M1A1AIM(D) PowerPoint slide show: http://www.members.aol.com/rgronovius/m1a1.ppt




Also note that these AIM tanks will be non-depleted uranium (DU) armored. It used to be safe to say that an M1A1AIM was virtually indistinguishable from a late M1A1 Heavy Common. The Aussie AIM will have a big difference from US AIMs, no DU armor.

Thanks for that PPP Sabot. I had to do a double take when I saw the non-DU armor specification. That was odd in my opinion.

I saved this to my PC hard drive future reference.

The decision to remove the DU armor from Aussie M1s was a purely political one taken by the govt to ease the implementation of the tanks into the ADF.

In Australia a vast majority of the people equate uranium with radioactivity and by default cancer, death, etc, etc...

This is also why Aussie M1s will not fire DU ammo.

Rob, from a modeling perspective, what visual difference is there between a M1A1AIM and one without DU armor?

Cheers
Darren

It is an early M1A1 rebuilt to AIM standards, but just does not have the depleted uranium mesh added to the front armor slopes.

You'd probably be hard pressed to spot a DU/non-DU AIM tank unless you looked for the letter "U" in the serial number.

Wow since when is the M88 based on an M60? #:-) #:-)

Heck, if you notice, the first large photo of an M88 is actually an M88A1 identified as an M88A2.

M88 has always been based on the M60 chasis and drive components. Also used the same engine, tranny, and internal components as well.

From Global Security.org:
"BMY was awarded a contract to build three prototype vehicles under the designation of T88, to use as many components as possible of the M60 tank. "

The M88 was based off of the M48A2. The M60 was based off the M48A2 as well. The basic M88 (A0) pre-dates the M60.