M1A1 Lost with all hands...

Oberleutnant · Post by **Oberleutnant** » 2003-04-02 04:07am

(no edit button...)

I can only imagine how horrible it must have been to die in a drowning tank...

Post by **Vympel** » 2003-04-02 04:32am

Oberleutnant wrote:Why exactly do the Uncle Sam's Misguided Children use the older M1A1 instead of M1A2 or the SEP variant? Since they are often the attacking spearhead of US Forces and are sent to hotspots around the world, one would imagine that they would get the best possible equipment there is. Isn't it the same thing with USMC F/A-18s as well? When the Navy has brand new Super Hornets, the Marines have C and D models.

Two words: insufficient funding.

There is a very very small amount of M1A2s in the US military, in relation to the total number of M1s- about 8,000.

Every military would love to chuck out all their older models when they get their new toys and replace everything one-for-one, but it just doesn't happen. Not for a LONG time anyway. M60 tanks were being used in 1991.

Post by **The Yosemite Bear** » 2003-04-02 02:54pm

Additional Strange Commentary on this is that I opened my news server.

Top Story for Central California news is that a "Stockton Boy" & another native of california were two of the four crew killed in the incident.

Oberleutnant · Post by **Oberleutnant** » 2003-04-02 03:12pm

Vympel wrote:Two words: insufficient funding.

There is a very very small amount of M1A2s in the US military, in relation to the total number of M1s- about 8,000.

Every military would love to chuck out all their older models when they get their new toys and replace everything one-for-one, but it just doesn't happen. Not for a LONG time anyway. M60 tanks were being used in 1991.

Yeah, I knew it was about funding, but it just seems that the Marines are always the last to get the new nifty equipment.

Crayz9000 · Post by **Crayz9000** » 2003-04-02 03:14pm

Well, I don't know... the V-22 Osprey is technically a cutting-edge piece of equipment, but its problem is that it's too cutting-edge to use yet.

Post by **Sea Skimmer** » 2003-04-02 03:37pm

Oberleutnant wrote:Why exactly do the Uncle Sam's Misguided Children use the older M1A1 instead of M1A2 or the SEP variant? Since they are often the attacking spearhead of US Forces and are sent to hotspots around the world, one would imagine that they would get the best possible equipment there is. Isn't it the same thing with USMC F/A-18s as well? When the Navy has brand new Super Hornets, the Marines have C and D models.

Hint, Currently the only M1A2's or SEP's in or near Iraq are those of the 4th Infantry division, which is still unloading in Kuwait. The US Army its self only got about 1200 A2's and SEP is only upgrading a few hundred more A1's. The Marines have little need for IVIS, which is the biggest part of the A2 upgrade, but their M1A1's do have several of the improvement the A2 model does .

As for Super Hornets, the first operational US Navy squadron only deployed last year, the majority of the fleet is C/D's. The Marines appear to be waiting for F-35, they cannot afford to buy Super Hornets anyway. Though now the USMC/USN F-35 and F/18E buys are both being cut constantly.

Post by **Sea Skimmer** » 2003-04-02 03:40pm

Vympel wrote:
There is a very very small amount of M1A2s in the US military, in relation to the total number of M1s- about 8,000.

Around 1200 as I recall, I'm not sure just how many A1' have/are getting SEP under the reduced plan.