Renegade334

Credits owed to Damian90 on the AW forums. Since there is some uncertainty as to what this truly is, I haven't posted it in the vismods thread (yet).
 

 

 

 

 

it's posted by Jon Bernstein
 


 
Armor Modeling and Preservation Society Social Group on FB
 

Credits owed to Damian90 on the AW forums. Since there is some uncertainty as to what this truly is, I haven't posted it in the vismods thread (yet).
 

 

 

 

 

That, or the bustle contains extra ammunition (or, more likely, the XM654 supercharged propellant cases). The previous cutaways we got suggest there are two different autoloader configurations considered from the M109A8 - a vertical one (more comparable to the one used on the Crusader) and a horizontal carousel (Meggitt-style).
 

 

 
Who knows, maybe the current configuration uses a blend of the two, with primary (vertical) storage in the turret itself and extra charges (horizontal) and carousel in the bustle?

You mean the Fighting Furry?

@Ramlaen Not to mention, it also sports the CREW Duke v3 antenna (behind that black cylinder), which suggests they're different (as in, separate) systems.
 
I'm still not convinced it's the Multimodal Hostile Fire Detection System (to be included with Raytheon's Lynx offering), as the top of the sensor array sports a ring of flash-detecting optics: that black cylinder is clearly smooth with no set of apertures...and I don't think it's just a removable protection cap meant to cover the MFHDS when the latter is not in use.
 
 
EDIT: it's certainly one of the new AMPVs, probably the Mission Command variant.
 

 
You can clearly see that antenna pedestal in front of the CREW Duke.

@Ramlaen Not to mention, it also sports the CREW Duke v3 antenna (behind that black cylinder), which suggests they're different (as in, separate) systems.
 
I'm still not convinced it's the Multimodal Hostile Fire Detection System (to be included with Raytheon's Lynx offering), as the top of the sensor array sports a ring of flash-detecting optics: that black cylinder is clearly smooth with no set of apertures...and I don't think it's just a removable protection cap meant to cover the MFHDS when the latter is not in use.
 
 
EDIT: it's certainly one of the new AMPVs, probably the Mission Command variant.
 

 
You can clearly see that antenna pedestal in front of the CREW Duke.

Do the three hakenkreuze on the turret signify that it has indulged three times in teamkilling? 

The guys who made the film "USS Indianapolis" (starring Nicolas Cage) would like you to hold their beer while they proceed to lower the bar. 
 

 
For some reason, that Portland-class cruiser was in the middle of mutating into an Iowa when the Japanese decided to voice their disapproval.
 
So...yeah, the CGI guys are occasionally capable of utter blasphemies that simply elude our understanding. Sorry for the naval digression, I just felt I had to post it in response to Conner Webb's statement.

His anecdote about the pressure sensor on the bustle ammunition compartment's sliding door was fascinating. I love those little-known details.
 
And lucky for him, too. Having your arm crushed by a quarter-ton slab of steel sounds like an extremely bad, career-ending day.

His anecdote about the pressure sensor on the bustle ammunition compartment's sliding door was fascinating. I love those little-known details.
 
And lucky for him, too. Having your arm crushed by a quarter-ton slab of steel sounds like an extremely bad, career-ending day.

His anecdote about the pressure sensor on the bustle ammunition compartment's sliding door was fascinating. I love those little-known details.
 
And lucky for him, too. Having your arm crushed by a quarter-ton slab of steel sounds like an extremely bad, career-ending day.

His anecdote about the pressure sensor on the bustle ammunition compartment's sliding door was fascinating. I love those little-known details.
 
And lucky for him, too. Having your arm crushed by a quarter-ton slab of steel sounds like an extremely bad, career-ending day.

That, or the bustle contains extra ammunition (or, more likely, the XM654 supercharged propellant cases). The previous cutaways we got suggest there are two different autoloader configurations considered from the M109A8 - a vertical one (more comparable to the one used on the Crusader) and a horizontal carousel (Meggitt-style).
 

 

 
Who knows, maybe the current configuration uses a blend of the two, with primary (vertical) storage in the turret itself and extra charges (horizontal) and carousel in the bustle?

AUSA 2018 Warriors Corner #19 Long Range Precision Fires Cross - Functional Team Update with Col. John Rafferty, Col. Chris Mills, Col. Will McDonough and Mike George
 
https://www.dvidshub.net/video/embed/631880
 
58-caliber M109A8 test footage at the beginning of the video. Credits to Damian90 on AW forums.

AUSA 2018 Warriors Corner #19 Long Range Precision Fires Cross - Functional Team Update with Col. John Rafferty, Col. Chris Mills, Col. Will McDonough and Mike George
 
https://www.dvidshub.net/video/embed/631880
 
58-caliber M109A8 test footage at the beginning of the video. Credits to Damian90 on AW forums.

AUSA 2018 Warriors Corner #19 Long Range Precision Fires Cross - Functional Team Update with Col. John Rafferty, Col. Chris Mills, Col. Will McDonough and Mike George
 
https://www.dvidshub.net/video/embed/631880
 
58-caliber M109A8 test footage at the beginning of the video. Credits to Damian90 on AW forums.

The War Zone just uploaded a series of pictures and an article covering the different items exhibited at AUSA 2018, including two Stryker mockups with the IM-SHORAD and 30/40mm RWS (the interesting part of that mockup was the Trophy VPS addon for the Stryker) turrets, a Bradley with Samson 30 turret, and more.
 
EDIT: it's the right thread this time. Thank God, I was starting to wonder if I had recently contracted the Frank Drebin virus or something.

The War Zone just uploaded a series of pictures and an article covering the different items exhibited at AUSA 2018, including two Stryker mockups with the IM-SHORAD and 30/40mm RWS (the interesting part of that mockup was the Trophy VPS addon for the Stryker) turrets, a Bradley with Samson 30 turret, and more.
 
EDIT: it's the right thread this time. Thank God, I was starting to wonder if I had recently contracted the Frank Drebin virus or something.

https://www.wearethemighty.com/news/army-artillery-doubles-reach-shot
 
 
Well, they're getting close to that 70km mark.
 
EDIT: article originally from Warrior Maven.

Shamelessly stolen from Damian90 on AW forums:
 

 
M109A6 testbed with the M109A8 turret and M907 ERCA gun (I thought it was a 52-caliber barrel, but apparently it's 58).
 
EDIT: to be honest, the grainy quality and color palette of this picture originally made me think it was taken in the 1990s and depicted instead a M109 retrofitted with the XM2001 Crusader's XM297E2 gun (the previously seen ERCA testbeds were also sprayed desert tan rather than olive drab). But then again it's not the first time we get pictures taken with potatoes, even in 2018.

Nah, but Ramlaen suspects it's a new, compact version of the AN/VLQ-12 CREW Duke 3 antenna (the electronic boxes are under armor) or a replacement for it.
 
It's either that or it's an antenna for the upgraded IVIS POS/NAV system. I doubt it's for the JTRS radio, though.

IED Jammer.

Shamelessly stolen from Damian90 on AW forums:
 

 
M109A6 testbed with the M109A8 turret and M907 ERCA gun (I thought it was a 52-caliber barrel, but apparently it's 58).
 
EDIT: to be honest, the grainy quality and color palette of this picture originally made me think it was taken in the 1990s and depicted instead a M109 retrofitted with the XM2001 Crusader's XM297E2 gun (the previously seen ERCA testbeds were also sprayed desert tan rather than olive drab). But then again it's not the first time we get pictures taken with potatoes, even in 2018.

Shamelessly stolen from Damian90 on AW forums:
 

 
M109A6 testbed with the M109A8 turret and M907 ERCA gun (I thought it was a 52-caliber barrel, but apparently it's 58).
 
EDIT: to be honest, the grainy quality and color palette of this picture originally made me think it was taken in the 1990s and depicted instead a M109 retrofitted with the XM2001 Crusader's XM297E2 gun (the previously seen ERCA testbeds were also sprayed desert tan rather than olive drab). But then again it's not the first time we get pictures taken with potatoes, even in 2018.