Pathetic Jane's 'reports' below. I can't believe they didn't ask if they will be using DU rounds. Or note that diesel engines are big time polluters. |
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1
February 2001
GDLS
challenges Israel for Turkey's M60 project
CHRISTOPHER F FOSS JDW Land Forces
Editor The USA's General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS),
competing in Turkey's anticipated $7 billion
main battle tank (MBT) co-production project,
has decided to market its upgraded M60-2000 MBT
to Turkey as well.
This is an apparent challenge to Israel
Military Industries (IMI), which has been
holding talks with Ankara to modernise the GDLS-made
M60s used by the Turkish Land Forces Command (TLFC).
The project initially involves about 170 M60A1s
being modernised by 2003 for an expected $300
million.
GDLS sources in Ankara told Jane's
Defence Weekly that the company expects to
exhibit the first M60-2000 MBTs in Ankara
during the IDEF defence exhibition from 27 to
30 September.
The decision follows the expiration of an
agreement signed about two years ago between
GDLS and IMI under which GDLS was going to be a
subcontractor to IMI in Turkey's proposed M60
modernisation. In return, Israel withdrew its
Merkava tank from the contest for a new MBT.
Turkey asked IMI in June 2000 to produce a
prototype of its M60 Sabra modernisation. The
US State Department late last year approved
Turkey's request to ship one M60A1 to Israel
for upgrade.
Industry sources fear the proposed M60 and
Leopard 1 modernisation projects will leave no
funding for the acquisition of a new MBT.
Turkey has already postponed the final
selection of a new MBT to April and has
accelerated the M60 upgrade.
Turkey had earlier planned to run the two
projects in parallel in an effort to achieve
system commonality.
The June announcement prompted GDLS to ask
whether they could compete for the upgrade
project. GDLS officials told JDW they will make
an offer to Turkey's Defence Industries
Undersecretariat (SSM).
The M60-2000 mates the proven M1A1 turret on
an upgraded M60A1 chassis.
Company sources said: "We think ours is
a better product. In our M60 modernisation
package, we comply with all the requirements
set by SSM in its MBT coproduction project -
i.e localisation and workshare, as well as the
establishment of a national tank design office.
SSM should welcome our offer as it will have
the chance to see another product."
GDLS is proposing the 1,200hp AVDS series
diesel engines. "If Turkey wants the
German MTU engines, we can provide them also as
we produce those engines under licence. Due to
possible German restrictions, we recommend AVDS
engines," said the officials.
The army has 3,445 105mm-armed MBTs in its
inventory and plans to phase these out from
2004 if new 120mm-armed MBTs are acquired.
Germany's Krauss-Maffei Wegmann Leopard 2A6 Ex,
France's Giat Leclerc, and Ukraine's
Ukrspetsexport T-84 have already completed
their test trials.
The project now awaits the test trials of
the GDLS M1A2 with diesel engine. These are
expected to be completed at the end of
February. Third
batch of Al Hussein MBTs arrives in Jordan
Christopher F Foss JDW Land Forces
Editor
The Jordanian Army has received a third batch
of 38 ex-British Army Challenger 1 main battle
tanks (MBTs). They have come from a UK-based
armoured regiment that is being re-equipped
with the Vickers Defence Systems (VDS)
Challenger 2s.
Under a government-to-government agreement
signed between Jordan and the UK in March 1999,
up to 288 VDS Challenger 1s are to be supplied
to Jordan, plus a quantity of Challenger
Training Tanks (CTTs), spares and logistic
support.
The 120mm-armed Challenger 1, renamed the Al
Hussein in Jordanian service, will replace the
1950s-vintage 105mm armed Centurion MBTs used
by Jordan under the name Tariq.
The second batch of Al Husseins was shipped
to Jordan late last year; the fourth batch is
due to be shipped this month to allow the 99th
Armoured Brigade to be fully equipped (Jane's
Defence Weekly 27 December). Each armoured
regiment has 44 Al Husseins.
With the eventual phasing out of the Tariq,
the Jordanian MBT fleet will consist of three
types of MBT: the Al Hussein, 274 Khalid (late
production Chieftain with same BAE Systems RO
Defence 120mm L11 rifled tank gun and some
other common parts as Challenger 1); and 354
105mm-armed M60A1/ M60A3 series MBTs from the
USA.
For trials, the Jordanian King Abdullah II
Design & Development Bureau and the then
Pilkington Optronics (now Thales Optronics) of
the UK fitted the Khalid with the MITHRAS
thermal-imaging fire-control system.
The bureau has fitted an M60A1 with the
Swiss Enterprise 120mm Compact Tank Gun, which
carried out firing trials several years ago in
Jordan.
This is also being fitted with the US
Raytheon Systems Integrated Fire-Control
System. This M60A1/M60A3 MBT upgrade is
believed to be targeting the export market
mainly.
Funding permitting, Jordan is expected to
upgrade at least part of its tank fleet; the
more recent and better-protected Al Hussein
will probably be the first candidate. New
ammunition for the L11 rifled tank gun is also
expected to be a high priority.
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