FORMATOSE

Its SOFAM SAVIEM 8GxB was a flat-eight engine.
 
Pictures courtesy of @DarkLabor
 

Hmm, L-3 still technically has the 1500hp version of the AVDS-1790 up for offer. They might pick that up. Could also get an Allison tank transmission to go with it.

I'm still baffled by the existence of these people.

Let us open a topic dedicated to the Optionally maned  fighting vehicle. 
 
What we know now is that we don’t know so much.
 
What is sure, the US Army :
- wants 9 men strong dismounted section ;
- doesn’t want to continue to share an IFV between two sections when mounted ;
- is awared that it’s complicated to fight with an IFV carrying a 9 men section.
 
Platforms showed available at AUSA 2018 were :
Griffin III from General Dynamic

 
CV90 from BAE

 
Lynx from Rheinmetall

 
Maybe a proposal from SAIC ?
 
 
My point here is the following : I have the strange feeling that there’s a misunderstanding. 
During last years, US Army spend lots of money to study new manufacturing process, new designs... and today, when we are looking at news, all we see is old concept. 
 
The Lynx is optimized to be a cost effective platform with proven components. But what is its upgrading capability to stay in services until 2070 ?
CV90 is very good but it got limitations too. It need a deep reworked of its hull. 
The Griffin was introduced as the response to the Army call but in fact there’s no other tracked other platform in the GD catalog. 
 
I may be wrong but I can’t see any real disruption.
What about monolithic forged hull ?
What about decoupled running gear ?
Are torsion bars still a solution for suspensions ?
 
I think, this is the very beginning of the story but it’s very strange. 

"Altai-T2 (210 tanks)
  - Improved armor/protection
  - Ammunition isolation
  - Ability to work with guided weapons [GL-ATGMs ?]
  - Crew training mode
  - mobile camouflage net"
 
Soo the initial 40 vehicles will not have amunition isolation??
 
Their indiginous engine efforts have been hampered, but AFAIK MTU is offering them a MTU 880/870?
https://www.mtu-online.com/mtu/anwendungen/militaerische-fahrzeuge/schwere-fahrzeuge-baureihe-870-880/index.de.html
 

I found it ! 
 
http://pogoarchives.org/m/ns/m1/appendix-d.pdf

There is a bit of conflicting information about the UAAPU, from what I read the original was a small gas turbine.
 
The development of the M1A2 SEP's UAAPU was stopped and not included in production vehicles.
 
Some units still had M1A2 that were upgraded with it.
 
After which more APU engines were developed.
 
The UAAPU in the M1A2C appears to be a new design.

Abrams MBT deserves a topic of its own.

Jagdtiger being towed:

In a period where everyone is calling for tanks using APC chassis, a recall from the past :

Development of future Soviet tank in 80-s and was a continuation of works started in 1970-s under designation “Project 101”. Necessity for development was grounded by the development of next generation tank in US and NATO. The importance of this task was well realized by Nikolay Shomin, a new chief designer of Kharkov design bureau, who replaced Alexander Morozov after he retired in 1976. The development of the tank had two main directions – conventional layout with 3-man crew and unmanned turret, which was known under designation “Object 490A” and later “Object 477” and unconventional 2-man design known as “Object 490”. The project “490” developed in the 80s was under development by Eugenie Morozov, son of the famous designer of tanks T-34, T-54, T-64 Alexander Morozov. 
The main features of the “Object 490” were:
- crew consisting of two people - commander-gunner and driver. Reduce the crew to two people and place them in a compact, well-protected capsule. Depending on the specific layout, this gives a volume saving of up to 1.2 m3. 
- the use of hydro pneumatic suspension. In addition to solving the main problem - increasing average speeds by improving running smoothness, it allows to control the clearance of the tank, which increases maneuverability and survivability in battle. In addition, controlled hydro pneumatic suspension by changing the hull angle allows to increase the pointing angles of the gun in the vertical plane. 
- Creation of a special armored refueling and reloading vehicle capable of accompanying the tank in the same formation, overcoming hard natural and artificial obstacles, passing through nuclear contaminated areas of the terrain, and operating under conditions of use of nuclear weapons. In layout no. 1 and 2, it was supposed to implement the replenishment of ammunition and refueling the tank without leaving the crews of the tank and refueling-loading machine. 
 
 
 
 
 

Object 490 "Poplar". Unknown Soviet future tank of 80s
 
http://btvt.info/7english/490_eng.htm
 

Kyrgyzstan keeps those museum pieces in active service

 
 

From Jane's:
 
"The demonstrator is an upgraded M88A2 with a seventh road wheel to help alleviate ground pressure and new hydropneumatic suspension units (HSUs) that enable the track to be locked out, Miller said. The M88A2 requires a soldier or marine to exit the vehicle and use objects (typically wood blocks) to lock out the track. The intent is to upgrade existing M88A2s to the A3 configuration.
BAE Systems is recommending that the vehicle's air-cooled engine be replaced with a commercially available, liquid-cooled, 1,300 hp caterpillar diesel engine; its transmission would be replaced with a modified Abrams tanks transmission."
 
So 7th road wheel to reduce ground pressure, new suspension,  track lock out, recommended engine and transmission change.
 

M88A3 with hydro gas suspension.