Something I've been doing the past days

[atcttge]

Thanks for all the clarifications here. Very helpful indeed. Its good to know that HL can be done just to represent an earlier M1A2 and its up to you if you want to represent the subsequent variants if you pursue it. Out of the box its good to go. Adding the anti slip surface will improve its accuracy and so are grab handles and mesh screen etc. which would be more appealing visually.

Any updates ATC?

I didn't say a thing ATC

ALPHA

BWUHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!

[atcttge]

ACU which greengiant said might refer to the vapor compression unit (Auxiliary Cooling Unit is my guess hence the ACU).

Some more mentioned in the thread (I think):

CITV - Commander's Independent Thermal Viewer (the sight in front of the loader)

ICWS - Improved Commander's Weapons Station (sometimes referred to as the cupola)

AIM - Abrams Integrated Management - an upgrade program of the M1A1 fleet

HA - Heavy Armour - M1A1s with DU (Depleted Uranium) inserts

HC - Heavy Common - designation of USMC M1A1s

SA - Situational Awareness - M1A1SA, new version of the A1

TUSK - Tank Urban Survivability Kit - add-on armour and protection packages for the tank and crew in MOUT (Military Operations in Urban Terrain)

CROWS - Common Remotely Operated Weapons System - the current version on the M1A2 SEP v2 is the CROWS-2. It also goes by the product name PROTECTOR by the manufacturer Kongsberg

[DNAR]

Very good info ATC, this is why this is a useful and lively thread as people interacts to help others out.

FOR DISCUSSION PURPOSE ONLY. This is my only hand in references for the M1 plus the WWW. I know others my have loads.
Full credit to the publisher, Mr. Carl Schulze and Ralph Zwilling.



Here are rare photos of an early M1A2 one of which is an example that was in deployment and saw action.
Note I have encircled the external features that distinguished this variant from the M1A1 and M1A2 SEP.
CITV, bustle rack mounted APU (not very clear on the first photo but the hint is in the conduits encircled in yellow) and external gas tank cap on the left end corner.

[atcttge]

GPS - in relation to the M1, it is the Gunner's Primary Sight which IIRC is found in the square housing (nicknamed doghouse) in front of the CSWS / ICWS

CSWS or SCWS - Commander's Stabilized Weapons Station, the original "cupola" of the M1 and found on the M1A1. Stabilized because the M2 machine gun is on a Stabilized mount unlike the simple pintle mount of the M1A2's ICWS.

FBCB2 - Force XXI Battle Command Brigade & Below - successor to or improvement of the Blue Force Tracker (BFT), basically a comms system which shows friendly units on a screen, partly to know their locations and avoid blue-on-blue engagements / fratricide. The antenna can be found either on the right side of the doghouse (M1A1 and early M1A2) or at the rear of the right sponson box (later M1A2).

DUKE Countermeasure System - ECM jamming signals to defeat IEDs. It's the big fat antenna (2 in M1A1s and A2s in Iraq prior to withdrawal; 1 on the A2 SEP v2) on the bustle rack.

BRE/ERB - Bustle Rack Extension / Extended Bustle Rack - first found on M1A1s during OIF as field modification. Newer version can be folded and was first found on the A2 and now being included in A1s

TIS - Thermal Imaging Sight, the M1's original thermal imaging sight. I dunno if it has been replaced already, or improved so much so that it now has a new acronym.

[atcttge]

MILES - Multiple Integrated Laser Engagement System - training tool, best described as a glorified laser tag, mounted on vehicles and infantry. On the M1, this consists of velcro-backed belts with laser receivers studded on it, attached around the turret.

CIP - Combat Information Panels, these come in two types: the plain flat panel found on the turret front of the M1, and the "window vane" type on the sides and rear. Markings usually chevrons and dots in varying positions and numbers respectively, are placed here. These show up in the thermal imagers at night, and are used to identify specific tank, platoon, and company. Also helps prevent fratricide.

[ALPHA]

SEP - System Enhance Programme - done to upgrade M1A2
APU - Auxiliary Power Unit
VCU - Vapor Compression Unit
UAAPU - Under Armour Auxiliary Power Unit
ACU - ? never mentioned but can stand for Army Combat Uniform which replaces the term BDU or Battle Dress Uniform.

We in the field called those "I see you"....that garb was the worst I ever saw...you could see it a mile away with no binoculars ...think the designation went back to BDU....as now the Army uses Multicam


ALPHA

[ALPHA]

Thanks for all the clarifications here. Very helpful indeed. Its good to know that HL can be done just to represent an earlier M1A2 and its up to you if you want to represent the subsequent variants if you pursue it. Out of the box its good to go. Adding the anti slip surface will improve its accuracy and so are grab handles and mesh screen etc. which would be more appealing visually.

Any updates ATC?

I didn't say a thing ATC

ALPHA

BWUHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!

ALPHA

[atcttge]

Clear lens is all that is missing for the CITV. Will paint whole tank first before adding the clear parts. The CITV housing isn't glued to the base yet so I can add the clear piece after painting the tank.

[ALPHA]

...Nice internal work there ATC


ALPHA

[ALPHA]

Hatch now workable.

Hey ATC...just did some research for my lenses ....you might want to mod your drivers hatch to accommodate these two side lens pots

and maybe provisions for those wipers

ALPHA

PS...Just noticed the "shade" above those pots have a different profile than the HL as well