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Okay, sports fans.

By The Armorer on November 9, 2004 | | Comments (16)

This one was tougher than I expected. It even disturbed the Commissar. Dunno why, though. It's Commie iron. Arditi and Captain H pretty well nailed it, with just a little help.

Here's your final clue to the challenge. New pics also added to the album. Apparently, not many of you have seen the inside of many tanks. And at least two of you who have, CW4Bill and the Instapilot, have only seen the interiors of tanks because you blew their turrets off, which does make it hard to get a good sense of the interiors, what with the altitudes, ranges, speed and all.

This beast is one of several vehicles kept around here so SOF soldiers can learn how to hotwire 'em, drive 'em, shoot 'em, and blow 'em up. Hey, if you know how to use the other guy's stuff, you don't have to bring as much of your own, eh?

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16 Comments

By cw4billt on November 9, 2004 8:29 AM
Grumpf. Should'a remembered about the commonality of certain Cyrillic letters with Englitch (and me a Suvorov/Rezun fan, too)--way to go, Arditi and Captain H!
 
By Cybrludite on November 9, 2004 8:41 AM
As I e-mailed from work, it's a heck of a lot easier to ID them from the outside. The POV from the driver's hatch & the clunky interior had me thinking it was an upgraded Sherman. Hell, with the "bra" armor, I can tell you the letters that follow the numbers. (And just what is it w/ Army intel guys & boobs? The "bra" armor on this and the "Dolly Parton" model of T-72... Sheesh!)
 
By SangerM on November 9, 2004 9:01 AM
Funny--I was more certain of what it is from looking at the insides. It's the base-model that I guessed (not many have a left-side driver), but I don't know enough to ID the variant/redesigns beyond what you've revealed so far. Good job you guys who got it from the photo's John posted! Wow! -SangerM
 
By Heartless Libertarian on November 9, 2004 11:41 AM
And here I was guessing M24 Chaffee... Course, I've only seen inside a Brad, Abrams, LAV-25, and Challenger.
 
By mudpuppy on November 9, 2004 2:31 PM
Checking out the gun tube.... I pronounce this a T54 100mm rifled gun with bore evacuator at the end of the tube is a dead give away to any of us "land combat" types. this tank has been upgraded with the standoff applique armor and the goodies inside.
 
By Instapilot on November 9, 2004 2:48 PM
It's a bad guy tank. Guns. Heh.
 
By cw4billt on November 9, 2004 3:46 PM
Dunno if the spaced steel turret-bustle qualifies as "standoff applique armor"...
 
By tankjunkie on November 9, 2004 4:21 PM
Come on guys, everyone knows that this is a upgraded t-55, the t-54 100mm did not have a bore evacuator..... probably picked up in the balkans with that paint job and add-on site on the top of the turret and the add on bra...
 
By JDM on November 9, 2004 6:11 PM
Okay, you guys are all so smart...what do the letters spraypainted on the front mean? FSD?
 
By Rod on November 9, 2004 6:17 PM
Now that thing looks like it could do some damage. Blow em up.
 
By gunner on November 9, 2004 8:33 PM
What are the three or so small vehicles along the fence? Simply training vehicles or a tankette?
 
By J.M. Heinrichs on November 9, 2004 8:44 PM
Gunner: They're Wiesels. http://www.twilightarmouries.ca/AFV/LAV/mak_wiesel_2.htm Cheers JMH
 
By John of Argghhh! on November 9, 2004 8:49 PM
JDM - Foreign Studies Directorate. Gunner - CAPT H is, as ever, correct. I myself have never seen them without the machinegun turret. I had to look twice to confirm what they were. Those are some cramped little two-man vehicles!
 
By SangerM on November 9, 2004 9:19 PM
That damn driver's hatch kept throwing me. It is a T55 upgun (not that you need me to agree). Good thing I didn't bet, I thought 62, but there is an excellent picture of an upgunned t55 drivers hatch at this link! The small tubes/pipes running along the front of the hatch-well threw me, as did the sudden drop off to the immediate left front of the hatch... Oh well. BTW, for those who've never been inside a maneuvering, firing tank, the lack of an attached rotating turret floor must really sucks for the loader, who has to shuffle around with the rounds as he watches for turret-attached hardware coming his way. And all the used casings on the floor. I used to think M60s were cramped, then I saw one of these up close... Screw that!! -SangerM
 
By gunner on November 9, 2004 10:56 PM
I was about to ask "what loader", then checked it out. They did not remove the loader until the 64 model. 4 guys in that would be cramped.
 
By cw4billt on November 10, 2004 6:58 AM
JDM, FSD means a. Foreign Steel Directorate. b. Funky Scrap Department. c. Firing System Defunct. d. Fix Suspension Defects. e. All/None/Any of the above.