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Shattered Union

Shattered Union

Shattered Union is a turn-based strategy video game released for the Xbox and PC.

Factions and Main units

There are 7 factions in the game. They are: The California Commonwealth, The Pacifica, European Union, The Republic of Texas, The New England Alliance, The Great Plains Federation, and The Confederacy. Although the factions each have special units, the following are standard for all factions. Names are for American factions.

Infantry

Infantry are good low-cost defensive units, though their slow movement and short attack range must be conpensated for.
- Engineer Corps: Able to construct various defenses, but other pretty weak units who cause high collateral damage as fighting is not their main purpose. The EU Sapper and the Russian Pioneer units fill the same roles.
- Heavy Infantry: Cheap anti-armor/air unit. The EU Heavy Infantry and the Russian Guard Infantry fill the same roles .
- Commandos: Deals good damage to all ground units, though unable to attack air units. EU Commandos and Russian Spetsnaz play the same roles.
- Cyborg Infantry: Only attainable through special powers granted due to political reputation. These are very effective experimental troops that act similar to regular commandos excepet they can also attack air units, as well as shoot and see farther. Furthermore, they are paradropped into a map, so they can be used either for instant defense or disruption behind enemy lines. Cyborgs are deactived once a battle is over and do not carry over into subsequent fights, however.

Scout Units

Scout units are mechanized light vehicles with a great sight range, but due to their light armor and weaponry can't hope to stand toe-to-toe with any heavier units it is unlucky enough to run into. Note: The game has these units listed under "light armor".
- M998 Humvee: At $6,000, they are the cheapest unit a faction can by other than militia, but the buyer gets what he pays for. It can travel very far for extended periods (for a military unit, it has pretty good fuel economy), but has next to no chance of beating any other unit unless it has back-up. It has decent anti-air capabilites, however. The French VBL-1 and the Russian GAZ-39371 Vodnik fill the same roles for the EU and Russia, respectively.
- M1126 Stryker: A somewhat more expensive option than the Humvee, the Stryker has better ground attack capabilites at the expense of a little movement range and recon. The German Marder 1A3 fills a similar role for the EU, though it has an even better ground attack at further cost to movement and recon.
- M2 Bradley: Perhaps better described as support units. Its short attack range notwithstanding, it is curious that the Bradley is listed under scout units, as it has armament and armor caparable with medium armor units and is astonishingly slow. The EU's Pandur and the Russian BTR-90 fill similar as heavy scouts, though the Pandur is more scout-like with a weaker weapons system compared to the other two and better movement attributes.

Medium Armor

Medium armor units offer a good amount of power while still remaining not too expensive, as well as more mobility on the battlefield compared to heavier units. Note: the game manual has these units listed under "light armor".
- M551 Sheridan: Sheridans are equally adept at attacking both armor and infantry and has decent anti-air capabilities, but it does not excel in any one category. They are however somewhat slow.
- LAV-AT: As pure a tank-destroyer as one can get, it has a good anti-armor capability and good defense, but is unable to attack infantry or air units, and so must be used in conjunction with other units for protection. The French GIAT 8X8 105 Vextra plays a similar role for the EU, though it is able to attack infantry at the expense of armor.
- M8-AGS: A more classic tank. Its main gun is more powerful than the Sheridan at the expense of its anti-infantry capabilities. The French AMX-30 is the EU version of the M8 and plays the same role.

Heavy Armor

The cream of the tank crop. Heavy armor units are expensive, but their price is well worth it when they start tearing holes in the enemy line. Five of the six American factions also have their unique unit as a heavy armor unit, the Great Plains Federation being the exception.
- M60A3: Heavy armor lite. Essentially a slightly more expensive version of the M8, with a better main gun and better armor at the cost of movement. The British MBT-1 Challenger tank and the Russian T-55 are the EU's and Russia's counterparts to the M60. The T-55 is similar to the M60 with only a slight trade-off between better anti-infantry and slightly lower cost for a feeble anti-air defense and slower movement. The Challenger moves a little faster than the M60, but is otherwise the same.
- M1A3 Abrams: The mainstay of American armored forces. Abrams tanks are quite expensive at $45,000 each, but are formidable foes to face. The Abrams has decent movement (though it is limited by a small fuel tank) and can take on most any ground unit and come out on top with its good anti-infantry and even better anti-armor weapons. The EU's counterpart is the German Leopard 2, which is cheaper than the Abrams but has a slightly reduced anti-infantry attack (though they should still be wary) as well as a slightly slower movement (but it has a bigger gas tank).
- Each faction's special units are very expensive (at least $50,000) killing machines that high attack ratings against all targets as well as tough armor. Each faction's special unit has its own design characteristics which makes it uniquie to its faction. As noted before, the Great Plains Federation's special unit is listed under artillery, so it will be explained there.
- New England Alliance: LHM114D-MBT FCS Bragg - The NEA's special unit, named after the First US Civil War General Braxton Bragg (who ironically fought for the South) is perhaps the most middle-of-the-road compared to its sister super-tanks, as it doesn't stand out in any particular category. That said, it also does not have any particular weaknesses that are not characteristic of a heavy tank, other than perhaps its low health among the super-tanks. It attacks infantry with a machine gun array, armor with a three-round missle salvo from its main turret, and aircraft with a pair of anti-aircraft missile on a side pod.
- The Confederacy: FEWS1-MBT FCS Lee - The Confederate's special unit is named after the South's most famous First Civil War general, Robert E. Lee. It is not much different from the Bragg, though its attack against armor is a little better and is a little less damaging to the environment at the cost of a little more money. It attacks armor with a single beam laser mounted off-center of the turret, and infantry and aircraft with a pair of vulcan cannons at the base of the turret.
- The Republic of Texas: XMS58PPC-MBT FCS Hood - The Texans have a super-tank that would likely make its namesake and native Texan, Confederate General John Bell Hood, beam with pride. The Hood can withstand more damage than either the Lee or the Bragg, as well as dish it out. It, along with the Lee, has the highest armor attack in the game (20), with only the Bragg and bombers capable of attaing that level of destruction. Its main drawbacks are its slow speed and compartively weak air attack, but while it is true that other units are able run circles around it, the way the Texans see it, it's only fair. Otherwise, they'll get blasted to bits like a china in a shop with a bull. The Hood takes on both infantry and air units with a pair of machine guns, and wrecks ground vehicles with a two-shot salvo of pure energy.
- The California Commonwealth: EM14NES-MBT FCS Jackson - General Thomas J. Jackson, better known as Stonewall Jackson, earned his nickname while standing up at the front lines during the First Battle of Bull Run. California's special unit named after him certainly lives up to that legacy. While its anti-armor weapon is weak among super-tanks, it is incrediably durable (the highest among all units and almost 20% more than the next highest units) and fairly fast movement among special units (reminiscent of General Jackson's own maneuverings during his carrer). It decimates infantry with impunity. There are two notable characteristics, however. First, it is the only special unit that can only fire at close range, limiting its area of coverage. Second, it is incredably destructive to its environment for a tank. Depending on the morals of the commander, this could either be a major drawback or a fringe benefit. The Jackson slaughters infantry with a massive flamethrower, attacks air units with a three-round missle salvo, and combines the two to attack armored vehicles.
- Pacifica: MMASGAU8-MBT FCS Stuart - General J.E.B. Stuart was a cavalry commander and the main eyes and ears of General Lee, and his namesake's special unit lives on in Pacifica's special unit. Appropriate for a unit named after a cavalry commander, Stuarts have improved sight ranges compared to other special units and are fast, even faster than regular heavy armor units. They also have a significantly larger fuel tank than other special units, perhaps as a reflection on both the long distances General Stuart's cavalry made to recon as well as the environmentalist mentality of the Pacific Northwest. Stuarts are good at taking down infantry and are a little better at combating air units than other special units. Their main drawback is their weak armaments against armor. Stuarts attack infantry with a pair of machine guns at the front, uses four more larger machine guns on its turret in conjunction to shower armored units in bullets, and launches a three-round salvo of missiles to attack air units.
- European Union: RGSM320-MBT EU Goliath - Being Europeans, the EU's special unit is not named for a general. The Goliath, though, is still a formidable unit to face. It is not particular good or bad in any specific category and so it is comparable to the Bragg in terms of ability and role, though it causes somewhat more collateral damage than most other tanks. The Goliath attacks infantry with machine guns, takes on armored vehicles with two main guns on its turret, and a salvo of missles to attack air units.
- Russia: T-90: The only special unit that exists in real life, the T-90 is similar to both the Goliath and Bragg in ability and role, though it causes somewhat less collateral damage than the Goliath and is a shade weaker. T-90s attack infantry and air units with a turret-mounted machine gun, and combines it with its main gun to attack armored vehicles.

Anti-Air

As the name suggests, their main purpose is to clear the skies of pesky helicopters and airplanes. They are rather expensive for such a lightly armored unit, but factions leaders often earn the appreciation of its other units when they aren't harassed by constant airstrikes.
- M730A2 Chaparral: As the LAV is a devoted tank destroyer, the Chaparral is a devoted anti-air unit. Its only armament is its array of Chaparral missiles that can only attack air units. That said, it is very good at its job, with its long range and the best air attack among all units, including fighter planes. Lightly armored with an average speed, Chaparrals are sitting ducks by itself, but used properly it is every pilot's nightmare.
- M163A2 Vulcan: An older anti-air unit, this unit is essentially a platform with a Vulcan cannon mounted on it, the mainstay cannon of American forces today. The fact that its weapon is a machine gun means it can also attack ground units decently if it has to, though it is better suited to clearing the skies in a hail of rounds. It is more flexible in what roles it can play, although its cost, slow speed, and short sight means it shouldn't be treated as a scout unit.
- M998 Avenger: Though its designation is the same as the Humvee (indeed, the Avenger is basically a missile system mounted on the back of a Humvee chassis), it shouldn't be treated like one. It is almost eight times more expensive than a regular Humvee and only somewhat better in categorical comparisons, save for the Avenger's anti-air capabilites. Still, the Avenger's Humvee roots means it is the fastest among anti-air ground units, so its best role is probably that of countering enemy helicopter's assaults in short order. It can attack ground units, but won't do a very good job of it.
- European and Russian anti-air units look more like armor units with anti-air capabilities added on. This means they are formidable foes for both air and ground units, but are more expensive. Indeed, their costs is at least equal to that of American special units, and in some cases is even greater.
- 40mm VSHORAD Tridon: The EU's Tridon is the less expensive anti-air option, though that is a relative term at $50,000 a pop. Its main role is anti-air coverage, with an air attack almost on par with the Chaparral, though its other attack abilities and armor makes it comparable, if expensive and significantly messier, to medium armor units like the Vextra.
- FlakPz-1-A2 Gepard: The other option for the EU's surface-to-air protection. Compared to the Tridon, the Gepard has a shorter range and a slightly weaker air attack. However, it is better able to deal with infantry, is better armored, and causes significantly less collateral damage than the Tridon.
- ZSU-23-4 Shilka: Effectively a Russian version of the American Vulcan. Though slower and more expensive than its American counterpart, the Shilka makes up for it in all other categories, with a better all-around attack, better armor, and a significantly farther range than the Vulcan.

Artillery

Artillery units can shell enemy units from long range, but are weakly armored and need others to point to their targets as their own sight ranges are very limited. Artillery units will be tempting targets due to their range and power, and will probably have a short field life unless it is sufficiently protected. In other words, they can dish it out, but can't take it. They are generally devastating against infantry and less so against armored vehicles. Artillery also have a tendency to cause high collateral damage.
- M107 Big Tom: A basic, older artillery design for American factions. It is about as damaging to tanks as a medium tank would be, though it shoots much farther than a tank would. It also has comparatively little health compared to other units, so it will fall pretty soon if it is under attack. Its main advantage lies in its inexpensive cost and its decent sight capabilities for an artillery piece. The EU's ShKH155 Zuzana has similar characteristics as the Big Tom, the main differences being that the Zuzana has a longer range, higher durability, and anti-air capabilities in exchange for a higher cost and incredably short sight.
- M109 Paladin: Best described as a light artillery piece. Has the weakest attack among all artillery pieces, though it is still a concern for opposing forces. Somewhat better armored and faster than the Big Tom, though.
- M270A1 MERL: Rather than projectile shells, the MERL (or if it is easier to remember, the MLRS, as that is what it essentially is) launches a salvo of missiles at its target. As such, its attack range is very far. However, it is also short-sighted, so it will need other units to spot targets for it in order for the MERL to be of any use. Being a salvo of rockets rather than a single artillery shell, MERLs tend to be pretty destructive to the environment even for an artillery unit, so care must be taken if collatetal damage is a concern. The Russian 9A 52-2 Smerch operates in the same fashion, though it is even more destructive, both to its targets and anything that happens to be in the area. Smerches are also more expensive.
- Crusader: The Crusader is designed for more rough-going action, as it has better armor than other artillery units as well as anti-air capabilities. It is equally adept at dealing damage to both infantry and armor. The German PzH 2000 has similar specs with the Crusader, though it is unable to counter air units and causes more collateral damage.
- Special unit:
- Great Plains Federation: SIEGE400-SPH FCS Grant - The Great Plains's special unit is named for the native Ohioan and Union General Ulysses S. Grant. Perhaps as a salute to the many sieges General Grant conducted in the First Civil War, including Ft. Henry, Ft. Donelson, Vicksburg, and Petersburg, the Grant is an artillery unit capable of long-range attack. It is most effective against infantry units due to the nature of artillery, but it also holds up well against armor and even air units (with the highest non-air unit non-anti-air unit air attack), displaying its versatility and mirroring General Grant's own flexibility in his Civil War carrer. The Grant's drawbacks are its weak armoring (for a unit that size) and its slow speed, making it time-consuming to move into positon. It hurls large shells at ground units, while using a pair of missiles to counter air units. It is interesing to note that while all other American special units are named after Confederate generals, the Great Plains Federation's special unit is named for a Union general. There is speculation that this could be a reflection of the mentalities of the different American factions: while others wish to do their own thing (and enforce it on others), the Great Plains, being made up of several groups, is more inclusive of differnt factions.

Single Use

Single use units are units that are bought and used once, after which they are removed from a faction's order of battle, as opposed to other units which can carry over from week to week provided they live. This stipulation irrelevent for skirmishes, but in the campaign it becomes important. Single use units are cheap and are pretty much useless in attacking, mainly because they are either slow or fixed into position. However, if during a campaign the player is attacked by the computer, no units may be bought to defend the territory except for single use units. In this way, a commander can supplement forces that s/he didn't commit to a previous assault on someone else's territory in hopes of repelling the assault on his/her territory.
- Militia: Essentially light infantry. A militia unit's main advantage is its extremely low cost (only $3000). Other than that, they are cannon fodder, though when units are normally able to attack only one unit in a turn, cannon fodder isn't as useless as it seems. EU Peacekeepers and Russian Sympathizers fill the same purpose for their respective factions.
- 155mm M777: A fixed artillery piece with long range and harass advancing units en route towards a defensive line. Due to its inability to defend itself well, both from the air and from units that get up close, M777s should be protected with other units in a defensive line for it to be effective. The EU has two similar units, the FH 155mm (which is exactly the same as its American counterpart) and the FH 105mm (a smaller variant). The Russian counterpart, the M-46 130mm Field Gun, plays the same role, though it is a little more effective against infantry.
- Bunker: An entrenched position reinforced with barbed wire and a concrete cover. Bunkers can't hit as far as artillery units nor can they attack infantry as efficiently. Their main advantage is that they are far less destructive to the environment and are much more resistant to attack than artillery pieces. American bunkers have very limited anti-air capabilites, European bunkers can attack air units a little better, and Russian bunkers can't attack air units at all.
- Defense Tower: A tall structure with a battery of missiles at its top to defend targets against attack. American defense towers have a slightly longer range than most ground units save for artillery pieces, and attacks all units with roughly the same force. European and Russian defense towers are more adept at attacking air units but conversely are less adept at damaging armored units.
- Partisans: Only availble in campaign games. These units appear for your side for free if your political reputation is higher than your enemy's, even if your own isn't exactly stellar (to them, it would be the lesser of two evils). They are civilian vehicles whith guns mounted that drive around and harass the other side. Partisans are probably best described as light scouts. The car model varies depending on where the battle is taking place.

Helicopters

Being air units, helicopters are not constrained by the terrain they fight on. They are also fast, can see and travel far, and pack a good punch. Their only real drawbacks are their expense and their weak armor.
- OH58D Warrior: Best used as a flying scout, due to its low cost, excellent mobility (in both speed and range), far sight, weak armor, and fairly light attack. It is the only helicopter unable to attack air units.
- AH1W Super Cobra: A pretty well-rounded attack helicopter, though its armor is still weak. Significantly more expensive than the Warrior, however. The Europeans have a counterpart, the Italian A129 Mangusta, that is cheaper than the Super Cobra and is a little better at attacking ground vehicles at the expense of a far weaker air attack.
- AH64 Apache: Though expensive, Apache helicopters are quite versatile in raining death from above, especially against armored vehicles (their armor attack is on par with heavy tanks). Their armor, as with helicopters in general, however, can leave them vulnerable. The European PAH-2 Tiger helicopter is similar to the Apache, though it is better able to defend itself against other air units.
- Mi-25 Hind: In the past, Soviet pilots have called the Hind a "flying tank", and in Shattered Union that nickname is every bit deserving for the lone Russian helicopter unit. With a sturdy construction, tough defense, power attacks, and somewhat lumbering pace, it is in essence a tank in the sky. An expensive tank in the sky, to be sure, but Russian field commanders will appreciate the premium they spend on the versatility Hinds have in being air units (and thus opposing tanks would have to fight with their anti-air weapons, which is not their specialty).

Aircraft

Fixed-wing aircraft are divided into two main groups: fighters and bombers. They are expensive (all except the Tornado reach at least $100,000) but very useful. All aircraft in a battle are based in an airfield deployed by the commander before the battle begins. Both fighters and bombers can be called upon to attack a specific target: fighters can attack other fighters and helicopters, while bombers can strike ground units or empty spaces. Fighters also have the ability to patrol a two-hex radius that will automatically attack any fixed-wing craft that enter its patrol area. While fighers can only be deployed on spotted air units or patrol areas that are visible by allied units, bombers may strike anywhere regardless of whether it can be seen or if there is a unit there. This means a commander is free to bomb hexes that he suspects contains an enemy unit, or attack the terrain itself to destroy bridges or cause wanton destruction if he is so inclined. If an airfield is destroyed, all aircraft based from that airfield is lost with it.
- Airfield: An airfield is where all fixed-wing aircraft are housed while not in action. While immobile, it can defend itself from air attacks, and may come into play in cases where opposing armies are stationed near each other at the start. It can sustain a lot of damage before being destoryed, but if it is, all aircraft are lost (a very expensive loss at that). Fighers:
- FA18 Super Hornet: This is the basic fighter for American factions. Its air attack is as the EU Gepard (17). The British RAF Tornado GR4 is the EU's counterpart, with a slightly weaker attack and relatively low health in exchange for cost.
- F-35 Joint Strike Fighter: This is the more advanced fighter for American factions. Its attack is comparable to the Tridon (a little higher) and it has a slighter sturdier construction. The Eurofighter Typhoon plays a similar role for the EU. The Russian MiG-35 Interceptor has similar specifications as the JSF. Bombers:
- B2 Stealth Bomber: This behemoth is a recognizable icon of the United States Air Force, and in Shattered Union can throw any force into disarray. B2's attack any ground unit with great force but are vulnerable to figher and anti-air units. They are also very expensive, so it is usually prudent to make sure nothing can touch the bomber before deploying it. The EU has the LA4 Nimrod and the Russian use the Tu-95 "Bear", which, though looking rather like an ordinary cargo plane or jet-engine bomber, respectively, are just as effective.
- A-10 Thunderbolt: An alternative availible to American factions is the A-10. While it doesn't strike as hard as the other bombers do, it is sturdier, somewhat cheaper, and causes less collateral damage to the environment.

Reputation

A new thing in Shattered Union is the reputation bar. The higher it is, the more you are respected. The lower it is, the more people hate you. It also grants special abilities, such as a Nukes when you are low in your reputation. But, if you are good with the people you get armor buffs and supply drops, not to mention your troops heal in friendly cities, and EMP bombs. Plus, partisan units appear depending on your reputation; they will either fight with you or against you. Although they aren't strong, they are excellent for scouting and will be helpful as cannon-fodder, making enemies waste their turn destroying them instead of your standard units. But, keeping your reputation low isn't really good. It will also mean the enemy gets armor buffs and supply drops. So you always want to keep it high. By doing the following you will keep it high: #Keeping cities intact. #Repairing Cities/landmarks. #Keeping the landscape nice! (difficult with many units) #Destroying cruel enemies. #Keeping landmarks intact! Will hurt your reputation immensely to destroy them. And that's just to name a few.

External links

- [http://www.2kgames.com/shatteredunion/home.php Official website]
- [http://unions.gamespot.com/xbox/strategy/shatteredunion/index.html?sid=6132009 Gamespot for Xbox]
- [http://www.gamespot.com/pc/strategy/shatteredunion/index.html Gamespot for PC]
- [http://games.teamxbox.com/xbox/1151/Shattered-Union/ Teamxbox for Xbox]
- [http://pc.ign.com/objects/746/746142.html Ign for PC]
- [http://xbox.ign.com/objects/746/746146.html Ign for Xbox]

Turn-based strategy

A turn-based game, also known as turn-based strategy, is a game where the game flow is partitioned in well-defined and visible parts, called turns or rounds. For example, when the game flow unit is time, turns represent units of time, like years, months, weeks, or days. A player of a turn-based game is allowed a period of analysis before committing to a game action, ensuring a separation between the game flow and the thinking process, which in turn leads presumably to better solutions. Once every player has taken his turn, that round of play is over, and any special shared processing, is done. This is followed by the next round of play.

Types

TBS games come in two flavors, depending on whether inside a turn players play simultaneously or take their (mini-)turns. The former games fall into the simultaneously-executed TBS games, with Diplomacy a notable example. The latter games fall into player-alternated TBS games, and are subsequently subdivided into (A) ranked, (B) round-robin start, and (C) random, the difference being the order under which players start within a turn, (A) the first player being the same every time, (B) the first player selection policy is round-robin, and (C) the first player is randomly selected. Most board games are turn-based, otherwise gameplay would most likely get out of hand. Many single-player strategic video games are also turn-based. However, when a particular player gains access to the game during his/her turn it is not uncommon to value the time taken by the player to make the move to improve the fairness of the game. In Chess, a pair of stop clocks may be used to track the time taken by players to make their moves. Turn-based gaming refers to Internet gaming sites that allow for game play to extend beyond a single session, over long periods of time—often taking months for complex games like Go or Chess to finish.

Examples

Example board games

- Risk, Monopoly, Parcheesi, Scrabble, Sorry!, Uno, Poker, Chess, Go, Othello, Diplomacy, Draughts

Examples Play-by-mail games

Play-by-email TBS games allow the orders to be passed in a very loose synchronization mechanism: email. In a way, it's the modern successor of the old play-by-mail style used in Europe in the mid-17th century: two chess players would be able to play together from miles away, if they could transmit their moves through some fast transport service, which happened to be (horse-powered) mail (postallion). PbeM examples: Atlantis PbeM or Dominions II.

Example computer games

Mainstream companies

After a period of converting board and historic TBS games to computer games, the big companies have started to come up with new ideas for computer TBS games. Probably the best known turn-based game is Sid Meier's Civilization, which evolved into a long series of successor games and derivatives. Other notable examples include:
- Heroes of Might and Magic
- Jagged Alliance
- Magic: The Gathering
- Roguelike games
- X-COM For a more complete list of turn-based games, see:
- List of turn-based computer and video games In addition, many other games that are not generally turn-based have the notion of turns during specific sequences. Notably the roleplaying game Fallout is turn-based in the combat phase, allowing players and foes to lay up tactics against each other.

Indie game developers

An interesting market trend is the rise of Indie TBS games (games produced by small groups, independent or slightly affiliated with the computer games industry), which normally extend or refine one or another already existing TBS strategy games. Amongst others, three good examples are
- [http://www.ageofcastles.com/ Age of Castles],
- [http://www.battlesofnorghan.com/ Battles of Norghan] and
- [http://www.suntasticsoftware.com/leaderz.html Leaderz].

Open source games

Open source has also seen the rise to games such as [http://www.wesnoth.org/ The Battle for Wesnoth]. Directories such as [http://freshmeat.net/browse/83/ Freshmeat] provide large lists of open source turn-based strategy projects.

Spetsnaz

Spetsnaz (Войска специального назначения - спецназ/Voiska spetsialnogo naznacheniya - spetsnaz, in IPA) is a general term for "Special Forces, SpecOps" in Russian, literally "special purpose units". In Russian the term is commonly used to denote special forces of all countries, but in English it is used only for the Russian special forces. In fact, its use in English is usually associated with Russians writing in English or with writers making an attempt at linguistic authenticity. English language media generally refer to them as Russian special forces and, in fact, usually refer to special forces of any other country by a similar generic term. Spetsnaz can refer to elite units controlled by the Federal Security Service (FSB) with counter-terrorist and anti-sabotage tasks, Ministry of Interior (of the police) MVD, and the army special forces controlled by the military intelligence service GRU. Strictly speaking all SPETSNAZ units operated by the KGB/FSB are called OSNAZ, an acronym for [voiska] osobogo naznacheniya or "special purpose [detachments]". These units were originally raised for internal use against counter-revolutionaries, dissidents and other undesirables. There has always been a certain amount of shifting of personnel and units between both the GRU who control SPETSNAZ and the MVD with OSNAZ MVD and OZNAZ KGB or FSB, especially between the latter two. Spetsnaz carry out reconnaissance and social warfare missions in "peacetime" as well as in war. For example, it is known that the assassination of Afghanistan's president carried out by Spetsnaz in December 1979 was under the direction of the KGB. According to Vladimir Rezun, a GRU defector who used the pseudonym "Viktor Suvorov", there were 20 Spetsnaz brigades plus 41 separate companies. Thus, total strength of Spetsnaz forces in the 1980s could have been around 30,000 troops.

Security services units

The Center of Special Operations (CSN) of the FSB is designed to combat terrorism and to protect the constitutional order in Russian Federation. The CSN FSB consists of 3 different "operative" subdivisons - Department A (also known as spetsguppa "Alfa"), Department V (also known as spetsgruppa "Vympel"), and so-called SSO (Special Operations Service). The headquarters of CSN FSB is a huge complex of buildings and training areas (dozens of hectares worth of land, 76 training facilities, etc), it is located in the town of Balashikha-2, which is only 10 km away from Moscow ring). The average training of a solid CSN operative lasts about 5 years. "Alfa" is a well-known counter-terrorist unit, it has been around since 1974. Today "Alfa" is a highly professional CT unit, which consists of roughly 300 servicemen. The majority of the unit is stationed at Moscow, the rest of the unit is located in three other cities - Krasnodar, Yekaterinburg, Khabarovsk. It is known that all the "Alfa" operatives undergo special airborne and firearms training, roughly third of them have special mountain training, another third - special counter-diversant diving traning. Spetsnaz operatives always improve on their skills in countless exercises and special operations (including constant service in Northern Caucasus). The unit utilizes wide range of modern Russian and foreign weapons and equipment, some of them are modified from original version to fit the unique needs of the unit. "Vympel" (formerly known as an elite cold war-era KGB diversant unit) is now also a counter-terrorist and counter-diversant unit. But, unlike "Alfa", instead of learning how to storm airplanes and busses, they are operating in a whole another environment. They are experts in 18 special disciplines (among which - how to infiltrate guarded buildings, extensive marksmanship training, driving APCs and airplanes, medical training, and many many more), and they are Russia's last defense against possible terrorist acts involving atomic plants, hydro powerplants, and many other industrial complexes of that matter. However, "Vympel" operatives are still heavily used in special operations missions in the Northern Caucasus, along with their buddies from "Alfa" unit. "Vympel" has 4 operative units, "Alfa" has 5 operative units. One unit from each Department is always participating in counter-terrorist operations in Chechnya. They constantly rotate their troops, and each operative unit is stationed in Chechnya at least 2-3 times per year. "Vympel" is stationed in Moscow, but it also has multiple branch offices in virtually every city where there is a nuclear power plant. Department A and B operatives' standard BDU color is black. However, in Chechnya they use different kinds of camouflage. Not much infortmation about SSO can be obtained, but it is known that they also participate in FSB special operations in Northern Caucasus and also act as highly skilled body guards for government officials. Together with Center of Special Operations and its elite units, there exist a lot of FSB special forces units of regional significance. Such operative detachments are usually called ROSN (Regional Department of Special Designation). The most powerful ROSNs are said to be at St.Petersburg (ROSN "Grad") and Nizhni Novgorod.

Ministry of Interior units

Spetnaz MVD includes 16 Interior Troops (Russian National Guard) units, which are of good quality and intended for use to combat insurgency and for counter-terrorism purposes. These units usually have a unique name and official OSN number. Here is a list of some of these spetsnaz units (the list is deliberately not full due to obvious reasons): 1st PSN (former 6th OSN) VV "Vitjaz" - stationed in Moscow; 7th OSN VV "Rosich" - Novocherkassk; 8th OSN VV "Rus" - Moscow; 12th OSN VV "Ratnik" - Nizhni Tagil; 15th OSN VV "Vyatich" - Armavir; 16th OSN VV "Skif" - Rostov. and many others. They are generally well trained and equipped, being far superior to the regular Russian infantry that is believed to be poorly trained as of 2004. For example, it is claimed that the unit "Rus" had fought successfully against the insurgents in Chechnya with a casualty ratio of approximately 1 to 200. Their missions may includes reconnaissance missions and regular combat operations (mostly house-to-house CQB assaults). They (especially "Vitjaz") have sometimes served as the back up team during the counter-terrorist operations by team "Alpha". The parallel of US Rangers and 1st SFOD-D (aka "Delta Force") is apparent. Aside from the Interior troops special forces, MVD has plenty of police special forces, which are stationed in virtually every large Russian city. While OMON units are mostly used as riot police and during drug busts, they are not really considered a significant counter-terrorist force and simply lack the sufficient expertise. For these reasons MVD has numerous OMSN units (formerly known as SOBR), which consist of senior ranked police officers and are propperly trained and equipped to combat terrorists, insurgency, and to participate in any kind of high-risk mission in general.

Russian army special forces

Viktor Suvorov Spetsnaz GRU, or Russian army special forces, are the original SPETSNAZ and are generally considered the best trained units of the Russian military. Besides the fact that the Spetsnaz is the most elite forces of Russia, the Spetsnaz is not very similar to the Special Forces of the US. The Spetsnaz have only one goal, which they need to accomplish at all costs. This means they have the licence to kill at will to accomplish the objective set before them. The Spetsnaz have also created a fierce reputation as one of the best special forces in the world today due to the very harsh standards of their training. They are controlled by the GRU (the Russian military intelligence agency). During the Cold War, these units were deployed in Eastern Europe in order to carry out reconnaissance and sabotage missions against the NATO forces in the event of a war in Europe. The units of Spetsnaz GRU have no official names, such as is the case with units of Spetsnaz MVD. They are generally referred to by numbers, for example, "16th Separate Brigade of Spetsnaz", much like any other military unit, and are usually integrated in the structure of the VDV (airborne troops) though not under VDV command aegis. Few details are actually known about the operations of Spetsnaz GRU, but it is known that the units were heavily involved in wars in Afghanistan and Chechnya. Spetnaz GRU teams usually wear standard-issue VDV uniforms, light blue VDV berets and unit patches in order to avoid identification. However, they can also wear different uniforms, for instance, they would wear the uniform of a unit which is stationed nearby, in order to blend in. Here are some of the Spetsnaz Brigades and the location at which they are stationed (the list is deliberately not full, for obvious reasons). 2nd ObrSpN - Promezhitsy (Pskov region); 3rd Guards ObrSpN - Roshinskij (Samara region); 10th (Mountain) ObrSpN - Molkino (Krasnodar region); 12th ObrSpN - city of Asbest; 22nd Guards ObrSpN - Kovalevka (Rostov region); 67th ObrSpN - Berdsk (Novosibirsk region); and many others.

Russian Naval Spetsnaz

At the fall of the Soviet government, each of the Soviet Red Banner Fleets (four total) had a Naval Spetsnaz Brigade assigned to it (see combat swimmers). Furthermore, modern Alfa and Vympel special purpose forces also have naval units. Another part of Russian Spetsnaz is represented by Black Berets or Russian Marines.

Osnaz

Russian intelligence agencies, MVD, FSB, and the FPS and the Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR, "Sluzhba Vneshnej Razvedki", Russian analogue of American CIA have their own Osnaz units.

The use and abuse of the term in the Russian language as of 2004

The word "Spetsnaz" is characteristic of the Russian language constructs of the Soviet era, being made by connecting first syllables of several words to produce an easily pronounceable and, in this case at least, perhaps a "scary sounding" word. Compare also Komintern (Communist International), kolhoz (collective farm), diamat (dialectical materialism), and gorkom (town-level committee of the Communist Party). Similar constructs are also prominent in the German and Japanese languages, whereas in the English language abbreviations generally consist of first letters rather than syllables. However, the widespread use of this word is actually a relatively recent, post-Soviet development in the Russian language. The existence of these special forces units was not known to the general public during the Soviet era. In a sense, this became yet another state secret that was published during the glasnost of the Gorbachev's perestroika. There were a number of well-known books written about the Spetsnaz, best known of these "Aquarium" by "Viktor Suvorov" (Vladimir Rezun), a GRU agent who defected to England and is best known for his revisionist views on Stalin's alleged complicity in the rise of Hitler and the making of the World War II. Suvorov also wrote a book specifically on the subject. The stories about the Spetsnaz and their allegedly incredible prowess, from the more serious to the highly questionable, have captivated imaginations of the more patriotic, and perhaps less critical, Russians, particularly being set against the background of a generally known decay in the Russian military during perestroika and the post-Soviet era. It merits noting that the great interest in all things Spetsnaz ran parallel to the similarly intense, perhaps unhealthy, interest in all things related to intelligence, KGB, etc. The popularity of Spetsnaz was all the more enhanced by the reports of their very real accomplishments during Russia's second campaign in Chechnya starting in 2000. At the turn of the 21st century, much of what would be generally considered as nonsense for military junkies was written about Spetsnaz, GRU, KGB, and similar "top secret" and "exciting" topics. The word "Spetsnaz" was sometimes frivolously used to refer to anything the speaker deemed somehow special or "cool". For example, Vladimir Zhirinovsky, a well-known populist and nationalist politician of very ill repute, once referred to his and his political party comrades' going for a swim at a party-organized festival as a "Spetsnaz on the water", while speaking on camera. This somewhat intentionally extreme incident should give some sense of the extent the term has been debased for many less literate users. Spetsnaz is also found in a few former Soviet countries (CIS) such as; Belarus, Ukraine, Georgia etc.

External links

- [http://www.spetsnaz-gru.com Spetsnaz GRU - Spetsnaz Training Association Moscow]
- [http://www.specialoperations.com/Foreign/Russia/Spetznaz.htm Special Operations.com - Spetsnaz]
- [http://www.agentura.ru/ Russian Special Ops Units - page in Russian]
- [http://www.lib.ru/MEMUARY/CHECHNYA/chechen_war.txt Vyacheslav Mironov: Assault on Grozny Downtown]
- [http://lib.ru/WSUWOROW/specnaz_engl.txt Spetznaz, the inside story] Category:Military of the Soviet Union Category:Special forces of Russia th:สเปซนาซ

Cyborg

in Star Trek: Voyager]] The term cyborg, a portmanteau of cybernetic organism, is used to designate an organism which is a mixture of organic and mechanical (synthetic) parts. Generally, the aim is to add to or enhance the abilities of an organism by using technology.

Overview

The concept of a man-machine mixture was widespread in science fiction before World War II. Edmond Hamilton presented space explorers with a mixture of organic and machine parts in his novel "The Comet Doom" in 1928. He later featured the talking, living brain of an old scientist, Simon Wright, floating around in a transparent case, in all the adventures of his famous hero, Captain Future. In the short story "No Woman Born" in 1944, C. L. Moore wrote of Deirdre, a dancer, whose body was burned completely and whose brain was placed in a faceless but beautiful and supple mechanical body. The term was created by Manfred E. Clynes and Nathan S. Kline in 1960 to refer to their conception of an enhanced human being who could survive in extraterrestrial environments. Their concept was the outcome of thinking about the need for an intimate relationship between human and machine as the new frontier of space exploration was beginning to take place. A designer of physiological instrumentation and electronic data-processing systems, Clynes was the chief research scientist in the Dynamic Simulation Laboratory at Rockland State Hospital in New York. According to some definitions of the term, the metaphysical and physical attachments humanity has with even the most basic technologies have already made us cyborgs. In a typical example, a human fitted with a heart pacemaker might be considered a cyborg, since s/he is incapable of surviving without the mechanical part. As a more extreme example, clothing can be seen as a cybernetic modification of skin; enabling us to survive in drastically different environments by constructing things that aren't naturally existing in those environments. A notepad can be seen as rudimentary memory augmentation. The boundary blurs even more when controlled fire or agriculture are thought of as modifications to our digestion processes. (See "Beyond the Body," below.) This is not a common use of "cyborg" in science fiction, but it is an accepted use in cybernetic systems theory. In the feminist thinking of Donna Haraway the cyborg becomes a starting metaphor for exploring ways of breaking down the nature/culture binary. She demonstrates how the desire to separate these two aspects of the world is becoming increasingly difficult and attempts to utilise this confusion of borders in order to create new ways of acting politically. This line of thought is known as cyborg theory. The term fyborg (a portmanteau of "functional" and "cyborg") was coined by Alexander Chislenko to differentiate between the cyborgs of science fiction and the everyday ways humans extend themselves using technologies such as contact lenses, hearing aids, and mobile phones. James Litten coined the term cyborgation to describe the action or process of becoming a cyborg. A 1972 science fiction novel by Martin Caidin titled Cyborg told the story of a man whose damaged body parts are replaced by mechanical devices. This novel was later adapted into a TV series, The Six Million Dollar Man, in 1973. A book titled Cyborg: Digital destiny and human possibility in the age of the wearable computer was published by Doubleday in 2001. Some of the ideas in the book were incorporated into the 35mm motion picture film Cyberman. Isaac Asimov's short story "The Bicentennial Man" explored cybernetic concepts. The central character is NDR, a robot who begins to modify himself with organic components. His explorations lead to breakthroughs in human medicine via artificial organs and prosthetics. By the end of the story, there is little physical difference between the body of the hero, now called Andrew, and humans equiped with advanced prosthetics, save for the presence of Andrew's artificial positronic brain. Asimov also explored the idea of the cyborg in relation to robots in his short story "Segregationist", collected in The Complete Robot. Today, the C-LEG system is used to replace human legs that were amputated because of injury or illness. The use of sensors in the artificial leg aids in walking significantly. These are the first real steps towards the next generation of cyborgs.

Cybernetic organism, beyond an individual

Generally, the term "cyborg" is used to refer to a man or woman with bionic, or robotic, implants. More broadly, the full term "cybernetic organism," is used to describe larger networks of communication and control. For example, cities, networks of roads, networks of software, corporations, markets, governments, and the collection of these things together. A corporation can be considered an artificial intelligence that makes use of replaceable human components to function. People at all ranks can be considered replaceable agents of their functionally intelligent government institutions, whether such a view is desirable or not. The prefix "cyber" is also used to address human-technology mixtures in the abstract- this can include things that aren't normally considered to be technology. Pen and paper, for example, as well as speech, language. Augmented with these technologies, and connected in communication with people in other times and places, a person becomes capable of much more than they were before. This is like computers, which gain power by using Internet protocols to connect with other computers. Cybernetic technologies include highways, pipes, electrical wiring, buildings, electrical plants, libraries, and other infrastructure that we hardly notice, but which are critical parts of the cybernetics that we work within.

Examples

Non-fiction

- Jesse Sullivan
- Ratbot
- Steve Mann
- Kevin Warwick

Fiction

- Steve Austin, The Six Million Dollar Man
- Jamie Sommers, The Bionic Woman
- Xenoborg, Aliens vs. Predator
- The Borg, Star Trek
- Cyberman, Doctor Who
- Cyborg, DC comics
- Daleks, Doctor Who
- Del Spooner, from the movie I, Robot
- Digit and Hacker, in the math mystery cartoon Cyberchase
- Edward Elric, from Fullmetal Alchemist
- The Terminator models, in related movies
- various characters in The Matrix trilogy of movies
- various characters in Star Wars saga, notably Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker General Grievous, Darth Malak, Admiral Screed, Grand Moff Trachta, and Lobot
- RoboCop, movie
- Capt. Picard and Lt. Cmdr. La Forge from Star Trek: The Next Generation and later movies, humans with a prosthetic heart and eyes, respectively
- Technomages, from the Babylon 5 universe, employing a high degree of "organic technology"
- Deathlok, the Demolisher, Marvel Comics

- Alan Gabriel, Big O
- Habermen,Scanners, Instrumentality & Rediscovery of Man Short Stories by Cordwainer Smith
- Supremor, the Kree Supreme Intelligence, Marvel Comics
- Motoko Kusanagi, among others, Ghost in the Shell anime
- Master Chief, Halo videogame series
- Metabarons, comics
- Cyborg Molotov, Empire Earth computer game
- Molly Ryan, Empire Earth
- Ziggurat 8, Xenosaga videogames
- Angus Thermopyle, The Gap Cycle
- Mechanikat, Krypto the Superdog
- Joe Shimamura, Cyborg 009
- Antoine, Suspected Cyborg Upright Citizens Brigade
- The Hacker and the Soldier, respective protaganists of the computer games System Shock and System Shock 2, and several types of enemy
- JC Denton among others, Deus Ex computer game
- The Strogg, Quake II and Quake 4 computer games
- Cyborgs, Cyberchase cartoon
- Cyberdemons, boss enemies in the Doom series of first person shooter games
- Psychotron, a part human, part computer killing machine from Megadeth's song Psychotron
- The Trans-Human arm of the Combine, from Half-Life 2
- Adam and the Frankendemons, the horrific human/demon/machine hybrids from Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 4
- Kiryu, aka Mechagodzilla 3
- Vast numbers of individuals from the Warhammer 40,000 universe, given "bionics" as replacements for body parts lost to injury or age or merely for enhancement

Notes

# In The Terminator and sequels, the titular assassins (models T-800, T-850, T-1000, and T-X) appear to be constructed beings rather than humans with bionic parts added, and are referred to throughout as both cyborgs and robots. The Terminator's status as a hybrid being is confirmed in Terminator 2: Judgment Day, in which he describes himself as a "[http://www.scifiscripts.com/scripts/t2.txt cybernetic organism. Living tissue over a metal endoskeleton.]"

References

- Manfred E. Clynes, and Nathan S. Kline, (1960) "Cyborgs and Space," Astronautics, September, pp. 26-27 and 74-75; reprinted in Gray, Mentor, and Figueroa-Sarriera, eds., The Cyborg Handbook, New York: Routledge, 1995, pp. 29-34. (hardback: ISBN 0415908485; paperback: ISBN 0415908493)
- Cyborg: Digital destiny and human possibility in the age of the wearable computer, (2001), Steve Mann with Hal Niedzviecki, ISBN 0385658257 (A paperback version also exists, ISBN 0385658265)
- The Oxford English dictionary. 2nd ed. edited by J.A. Simpson and E.S.C. Weiner.Oxford : Clarendon Press ; Oxford ; New York : Oxford University Press, 1989. Vol 4 p. 188.
- The Science fiction handbook for readers and writers. By George S. Elrick. Chicago : Chicago Review Press, 1978. p. 77.
- The science fiction encyclopaedia. General editor, Peter Nicholls, associate editor, John Clute, technical editor, Carolyn Eardley, contributing editors, Malcolm Edwards, Brian Stableford. 1st ed. Garden City, N.Y. : Doubleday, 1979. p. 151.

External links

- [http://wearcam.org/transvision2004.htm TransVision: Transhumanism Conference, 2004]
- [http://wearcam.org/cyberman.htm Cyberman reviews]
- [http://headlesschicken.ca/cyborgblog Cyborgblog]
- [http://cyborgfantasy.blogspot.com/ Cyborg Fantasies]
- [http://www.ethologic.com/sasha/articles/Cyborgs.rtf Are you a cyborg?] by Alexander Chislenko
- [http://www.clickz.com/experts/ad/lead_edge/article.php/3468651 Are you ready for the cyborg consumer?]
- [http://future.wikicities.com/wiki/Cyborg Futures wiki, Cyborg] Category:Humans Category:Portmanteaus Category:Fictional technology Category:Robotics Category:Biotechnology ja:サイボーグ

Humvee

:This article refers to the Military HMMWV, not the civilian Hummer sold by General Motors

HMMWV fording a stream

General characteristics (M998)

Manufacturer:

AM General

Length:

4.57 to 5.13 m

Width:

2.16 m

Height:

1.75 to 2.59 m

Ground clearance:

0.4 m (axle), 0.6 m (chassis)

Mass:

3.5 to 4.5 tonnes

Speed:

88.5 km/h

Range:

440 to 540 km

Crew:

2 to 4 people

The M998 High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV or Hum-Vee) is a highly durable military motor vehicle. It has largely supplanted the role formerly served by the jeep and other light trucks with the United States military, and is also used by a number of other countries and organizations.

Features

There are at least 18 variants of the HMMWV in service with the United States armed forces. HMMWV serve as cargo/troop carriers, automatic weapons platforms, ambulances (four litter patients or eight ambulatory patients), M220 TOW missile carriers, M119 howitzer prime movers, M-1097 Avenger surface-to-air missile platforms, MRQ-12 direct air support vehicles, S250 shelter carriers,radio humvees among many others. It is capable of fording 30 inches (0.76 m) normally, or 5 ft (1.5 m) with deep-water fording kit. Optional equipment includes a winch (maximum load capacity 6,000 lb (2,700 kg)), and supplemental armor. The M1025 and M1043/M1044 armament carriers provide mounting and firing capabilities for the MK19 grenade launcher, the M2 machine gun, the M240G machine gun and M249 SAW.

History

M249 In the 1970s, the United States Army concluded that the militarized civilian trucks in use no longer satisfied their requirements. In 1979, the Army drafted specifications for a High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle, or HMMWV. In July of that year, AM General began preliminary design work, and less than a year later, the first prototype, the M998, was in testing. In June 1981, the Army awarded AM General a contract for development of several more prototype vehicles to be delivered to the U.S. government for another series of tests, and the company was later awarded the initial production contract for 55,000 HMMWVs to be delivered in 1985. HMMWVs first saw combat in the Persian Gulf Conflict of 1990-91. They have become the backbone of U.S. forces around the world. Over 10,000 were used by U.S. forces as well as some other countries during the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

Use in Iraq and political implications

2003 invasion of Iraq 2003 invasion of Iraq With the rise of asymmetric warfare and low-intensity conflicts, the HMMWV has found itself thrust into roles it was not originally intended for. The HMMWV was not designed to offer protection against light infantry weapons and has proven very vulnerable to them. Although the large variety of HMMWV types is a testament to the vehicle’s adaptability to changing mission conditions, it was also never designed to be an armored personnel carrier (APC). As it is not an armored vehicle in its base form, an HMMWV is very vulnerable to rocket propelled grenades (or RPGs, which are common among the Iraqi resistance) and offer the troops within little protection from small arms fire. There are several armor kits available for the vehicle, which afford it greater protection from small-arms fire. These armor kits are desigined to protect a Humvee's occupants from small-arms fire up to an RPG, though these were not provided in adequate numbers to American forces in Iraq prior to the invasion. As a result of this, American soldiers often have to improvise extra armor layers with scrap materials (also known as "hillbilly armor") to improve the safety of the HMMWV. While “hardening” or “up-armoring” their vehicles with sandbags, metal, and plywood arguably does make the vehicles safer, it also slows them down. Some believe that hardening simply creates more shrapnel when attacked with an RPG or improvised explosive device. This extra hardening further hampered the ability of the M998 and M1025 due to the addition of excess weight which overloaded the suspension and drivetrain components of these HMMWVs. In 2004, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld came under criticism from U.S. soldiers and their families for not providing better equipped HMMWV [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6694474/]. Rumsfeld pointed out that, prior to the war, armor kits were produced only in small numbers per year. As the role of American forces in Iraq changed from fighting the Iraqi Army to suppressing the guerilla insurgency, armor kits were manufactured as quickly as additional production facilities could be brought online. In response to the public outcry over the perceived vulnerability of HMMWVs, the U.S. Department of Defense contracted AM General to make the M1114 Uparmored HMMWV. The M1114 has been in limited production since 1996 and had seen limited use in the Balkans before deployment to the Middle East. This design has a larger, more powerful engine with a turbocharger, air conditioning and a strengthened suspension and boasts a fully armored passenger area protected by hardened steel and bullet-proof glass. With the increase in direct attacks and guerilla warfare in Iraq, AM General has diverted the majority of its manufacturing power to producing these vehicles.

Versions

AM General AM General A partial listing of U.S. versions:
- M707 HMMWV Striker
- M966 HMMWV TOW Armored
- M996 Mini-Ambulance, Armored
- M997 Maxi-Ambulance, Armored
- M998 Cargo/Troop
- M998 HMMWV Avenger
- M1025 Armament Carrier, Armored
- M1026 Armament Carrier, Armored W/W
- M1035 Soft-Top Ambulance
- M1036 TOW Armored W/W
- M1037 S-250 Shelter Carrier
- M1038 Cargo/Troop Carrier W/W
- M1042 S-250 Shelter Carrier W/W
- M1043 Armament Carrier, Up-Armored
- M1044 Armament Carrier, Up-Armored W/W
- M1045 TOW Up-Armored Armor
- M1046 TOW Up-Armored Armor W/W
- M1069 Tractor for M119 105-mm Gun
- M1097 Heavy
- M1097 Heavy HMMWV Avenger
- M1109 Up-Armored Armament Carrier
- M1113 Expanded Capacity
- M1114 Up-Armored Armament Carrier
- M1116 Up-Armored HMMWV
- M1123 Heavy
- M1121 TOW Armored
- M1145 Up-Armored HMMWV

External links

- [http://www.sinodefence.com/army/transport/hmmwv.asp Chinese HMMWV development]
- [http://www.amgeneral.com/ AM General]
- [http://www.army.mil/fact_files_site/hmmwv/ Army fact file]
- [http://www.defense-update.com/features/du-3-04/up-armored-humvee.htm M1114 US Army Up-Armored HMMWV 'Humvee']
- [http://www.defense-update.com/products/h/humvee-IDF-ECV.htm Israeli Up-Armored HMMWV]
- [http://www.defense-update.com/products/h/hummer-plasan.htm Greek Up-Armored HMMWV]
- [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ground/hmmwv.htm HMMWV variants, specs, and pictures]
- [http://www.csctce.com/demos/hmmwv_char/ HMMWV characteristics]
- [http://www.army-guide.com/eng/product.php?prodID=974 HMMWV] at army-guide.com Category:Military trucks Category:Off-road vehicles ja:ハンヴィー

GAZ

This article concerns GAZ, the vehicle. For the Invader Zim character, see Gaz. Gaz GAZ or Gorkovsky Avtomobilny Zavod, Nizhny Novgorod, translated as Gorky Automobile Plant (Russian: ГАЗ or Го́рьковский автомоби́льный заво́д), started in 1929 as NNAZ, a cooperation between Ford and the Soviet Union. The name changed when when the city was renamed after Maxim Gorky. From 1935 to 1956, the official name was augmented with imeni Molotova (literally, in/by the name of Molotov). The factory's first model was the medium-priced Ford Model A, sold as NAZ A at first, and Ford Model AA under GAZ AA marque. "A" production commenced in 1932 and lasted until 1936, during which time over 100,000 examples were built. The A was succeeded by the more modern GAZ M1 (based largely on the Ford V8), produced from 1936-1942. The M letter stands for Molotovets ('of Molotov's fame'), it was the origin of the car's nickname, Emka (Эмка). Experience with the A and the M1 allowed the GAZ engineers to develop their own car model independently of Ford. Called the GAZ M2, this more upscale model entered production in 1942 and remained in limited wartime production until 1946. The M2's bodyshell entered limited production in 1941, mounted on a four-wheel drive chassis and sold in small quantities as the GAZ-61 (quite possibly the world's first all-wheel drive passenger car). During the war years, GAZ engineers worked to develop an all-new car model to enter production once hostilities ended. Called the GAZ-M20 Pobeda (Victory), this affordably-priced sedan with streamlined, fastback styling, entered production in 1946 and was produced by GAZ until 1958. (Licensed production continued in Polish FSO until the 1970's). GAZ-72, a four wheel drive version, was produced in low volume. GAZ also made GAZ-12 ZIM, GAZ-21 and GAZ-24 Volga and the luxury cars GAZ-13 and GAZ-14 Chaika. GAZ also makes trucks and 4x4s such as the GAZel and the famous GAZ-69.

Models

- GAZ-A passenger car (1932-1936)
- GAZ-AA truck (1932-1942)
- GAZ-AAA truck (1934-??)
- GAZ-03-30 bus (1933-??)
- GAZ-410 dump truck (1934-??)
- GAZ-MM truck (1934-1950)
- GAZ-M1 passenger car (1936-1942)
- GAZ-415 pickup truck (1936-??)
- GAZ-M2 passenger car (1942-1946)
- T-60 light tank (1935-1940)
- T-70 light tank (1938-1942)
- GAZ-61 4x4 jeep (1941-1944)
- GAZ-51 truck (1946-1976)
- GAZ-M20 Pobeda passenger car (1946-1958)
- GAZ-67 4x4 jeep (1944-1953)
- GAZ-63 4x4 truck (1948-1968)
- BTR-40 armored personnel carrier (1948-??)
- GAZ-69 4x4 jeep (1953-1972)
- GAZ-12 ZIM limousine (1950-1959)
- GAZ-21 Volga sedan (1956-1970)
- GAZ-22 Volga station wagon (1962-1970)
- GAZ-72 Pobeda 4x4 passenger car (1955-1957)
- GAZ-13 Chaika limousine (1959-1981)
- GAZ-52 truck (1958-?)
- GAZ-62 truck (1958-1960)
- GAZ-53 truck
- BTR-60 armored personnel carrier(1960-197?)
- GAZ-66 4x4 military truck (1964-1998)
- GAZ-14 Chaika limousine (1977-1988)
- GAZ-24 Volga sedan (1968-1985)
- BTR-70 armored personnel carrier (1976-??)
- GAZ-24-05 Volga station wagon (1972-1992)
- GAZ-24-10 Volga sedan (1985-1992)
- GAZ-3102 Volga luxury sedan (1984)
- BTR-80 armored personnel carrier (1984-??)
- GAZ-31029 Volga sedan (1992-1997)
- BTR-90 armored personnel carrier (1994)
- GAZ-310221 Volga station wagon (1997)
- GAZ-3110 Volga sedan (1997-2004)
- GAZ-3111 Volga sedan (1998-2000)
- GAZ-31105 Volga sedan (2004)
- GAZ-3302 GAZelle pick-up truck (1992)
- GAZ-3221 GAZelle passenger van (1992)
- GAZ-2705 GAZelle cargo van (1992)
- GAZ-2752 Sobol cargo van (1999)
- GAZ-2217 Barguzin passenger van (1999)
- GAZ-22171 Sobol passenger van (2000)
- GAZ-3937 Vodnik amphibious jeep (1997)
- GAZ-2975 Tiger jeep (2002)
- GAZ-2330 Tiger jeep (2002)

External links

- [http://www.gaz.ru/ GAZ]
- [http://www.autogallery.org.ru/pgaz.htm Oldtimer gallery]
- [http://www.users.bigpond.com/cpitman/album.htm The GAZ Album Page]
- [http://www.ladaparts.ru/volga.php GAZ Volga main types pics]
- http://gaz21.tut.ru/
- http://gaz21.com/
- http://gaz69.ru/
- [http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Speedway/4546/gaz66.html GAZ-66]
- [http://digilander.libero.it/cuoccimix/ENGLISH-automotorusse6(gaz).htm Autosoviet: GAZ-VOLGA] Category:Automobile manufacturers of the Soviet Union

Marder (IFV)

Marder is a German infantry fighting vehicle operated by German Army from the 1960s through the present day.

Overview

Developed as part of the rebuilding of Germany's armoured fighting vehicle industry, the Marder has proven to be a successful and solid infantry fighting vehicle design. While it does include a few unique features, such as the fully remote machinegun on the rear deck, it is overall a simple and conventional machine with rear exit hatch and side gun ports for mounted infantry to fire through. The government of Greece (as of 2005) is in negotiations with the German army for the purchase of 500 Marder vehicles. The vehicles were previously used by the German army and are to be retired.

Armament

Primary armament is the 20mm Rheinmetall MK 20 Rh202 autocannon mounted in a small two-men turret mid-mounted on the hull with armour-piercing and HE rounds. Secondary weapon is a 7.62mm MG3 machine gun mounted coaxially to the main gun. Early Marders up to and including version 1A1 had a second MG3 attached to the rear deck in a fully remote controlled housing. On current models since version 1A2, a MILAN anti-tank guided missile launcher can be attached to the turret to provide enhanced anti-armour capabilities. There are four (two per side) gun ports which can be used by mounted infantry to provide additional fire against attacking infantry targets. Six smoke dischargers can create a visual and infra-red blocking smoke screen (only five of them can be used on current models).

Variants

The Marder 1A3 is the currently most common version of this system, and is in service with the German Bundeswehr, the Marder 1A4 differs from the 1A3 only by the use of a cryptography-capable radio-set. Newest Version of the Marder is the Marder 1A5 with advanced mine protection. But only a small number is in service. The Marder served as the basis for Thyssen-Henschel's medium tank design which became the TAM for Argentina. The Marder is also used as a carrier for the Roland air defence system. The Kanonenjagdpanzer and Raketenjagdpanzer 2, which have been developed in parallel with the Marder, use the same chassis as the Marder. Category:Infantry fighting vehicles Category:German armored fighting vehicles Category:Cold War armored fighting vehicles Category:Modern armored fighting vehicles

M551 Sheridan


Country Of Origin:	United States
Designation:	Light Tank
Configuration:	Track
Manufacturer:
Crew:	4
Length:	20.6 ft (6.3 m)
Width:	9.2 ft (2.8 m)
Height:	7.6 ft (2.3 m)
Weight:	17.5 t
Clearance:	19 in (483 mm)
Fording:	mm
Obstacle:	33 in (838 mm)
Trench:	7 ft (2.13 m)
Speed:	42 mph (67 km/h) road
Range:	373 miles (600 km)
Primary armament:	152 mm gun
Secondary armament:	coaxial 7.62 mm MG, TC .50 cal M2HB machine gun
Armour:	mm
Power plant:	300 hp, diesel 6V53T engine
The above data pertains to the M551A1 Sheridan model The M551 became the M551A1 when equipped with the AN/VVG-1 LRF and the Tank Thermal Sight (TTS) AN/VSG-2B. The M551 became the M551NTC when configured for use in training at the National Training Center (NTC) in Fort Irwin, California and the Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC) in Fort Chaffee, Arkansas. The hull, suspension, and miscellaneous hull components of the M551A1 and M551NTC are identical.

The M551 Sheridan is a light tank and armoured reconnaissance vehicle developed by the United States. It is named after Civil War General Philip Sheridan.

Development

In the immediate post-WWII era the US Army introduced the M41 Walker Bulldog into service to fill their light tank role, armed with the war-era British designed 76 mm gun. However the lifetime of this system was fairly short, the 25 ton tank was considered too heavy to be a true light tank (the same weight as WWII mediums), and had a rather short cruising range. Plans started to build an even lighter replacement mounting the same gun, resulting in the T-71 and T-92 test designs. Two prototypes of the 19 ton T-92 were later ordered. However as the prototypes were entering testing, information about the new Soviet PT-76 tank became available. The PT-76 was amphibious, and soon there were demands that any US light tank be able to swim as well. The T-92 was too far into the design to be refitted, so the design of an entirely new system started as the XM551, no longer known as a "light tank", but instead "armored reconnaissance/airborne assault vehicle". The need for even lighter weight presented the design with a particularly difficult problem; guns capable of defeating modern tanks at reasonable ranges were so large as to make the vehicles able to carry them far too large and heavy to be used in the light tank role. The use of HEAT rounds instead of conventional penetrating ammunition could address this, but HEAT rounds work better at larger calibres. Gun weight is typically a function of the calibre and muzzle velocity, so in the case of the XM551 they sacrificed the latter, producing the M81 152 mm gun with very low muzzle velocity. The M81 would allow the XM551 to deal with most tanks, but only at short ranges due to the low accuracy of the "lofted" low-velocity rounds. At longer ranges the tank would be vulnerable, but it appeared there might be a solution to this problem. The solution was to equip the tank with gun-fired anti-tank missiles. A number of vehicles mounting only ATGM's, or alternately recoilless rifles like the US's own Ontos tank were already in service, but typically these vehicles had limited firepower in the infantry support role. The XM551 appeared to offer the best of both worlds, for infantry support the large calibre gun allowed it to fire full-sized artillery rounds and canister shot, while also giving it reasonable short-range anti-tank performance from the same gun. Although the Shillelagh missile was considered a risky project, if it worked the XM551 would be able to deal with even the largest tanks at extreme ranges. The vehicle designed to mount the gun was based on an aluminum-armored multipurpose tracked vehicle, powered by a large 300 hp (224 kW) diesel engine. The XM551 thus had an excellent power-to-weight ratio and mobility, able to run at speeds up to 45mph, which at that time was unheard of for a tracked vehicle. Unfortunately the armor was thin enough that it could be penetrated even by heavy machine gun rounds, and is apparently particularly vulnerable to mines. Swimming capability was provided in a unique and somewhat odd fashion. The front armor was actually three folded layers, hinged together. They could be opened up into a sloping vertical surface in front of the driver providing a bow of a boat hull, about even with the top of the turret. Fabric formed the rest of the hull, folding up from hatches lining the upper corner where the side met the top of the hull, and held up at the back with poles. The front of the "hull" was provided with a plastic window, but in practice it was found that water splashing onto it made it basically useless, and the driver instead had to stand up to see.

Production history

Production started in 1966, and reached service in 1968 as the Sheridan. 1,562 M551s were built between 1966 and 1970. The M81 gun had problems with cracks developing near the breach after repeated firing, a problem that was later tracked to the "key" on the missiles that ran in a slot cut into the barrel. Most field units were modified to help address the problem, but later the modified M81E1 was introduced with a shallower slot, along with a similar modification to the missile, that cured the problem. The Sheridan saw limited action in Vietnam. Like the Ontos, the battle reports from the troops were glowing, while the reports higher up the chain of command were entirely negative. Of course an anti-tank vehicle being fielded against an enemy that didn't use tanks was something of a waste, but the gun proved an able anti-personnel weapon, and was generally loved by the infantry who were desperate for direct-fire support. In this role the real problem with the Sheridan was its limited ammunition load, of only 20 rounds and 8 missiles. A common field-modification was to mount a large steel shield around the commander's 50 cal (12.7 mm) gun, allowing it to be fired with some level of protection. The Army started to phase out the Sheridan in 1978, although at the time there was no real replacement. Nevertheless the 82nd Airborne were able to keep them on, to the extent of 57 machines today. The Sheridan was the only air-deployable tank in the inventory, and as an elite force they had considerably more "pull" than general infantry and armor units who were forced to get rid of them. Their units were later upgraded to the M551A1 model, including a thermal sighting system for the commander and gunner. Sheridans were used Operation Just Cause in Panama in 1989, and were again lauded by their operators as providing firepower in needed situations. The Sheridan was also deployed in Operation Desert Shield in 1991. In the early 80’s the M551A1 was fitted with a visual modification kit to resemble Warsaw Pact vehicles at the National Training Center at Fort Irwin California. These modified vehicles still are running strong as the OPFOR or OPposing FORces and give the modern armor a hard time with their agility. Several attempts to upgun or replace the Sheridan have been made over the years since it was introduced, but none have yet been successful. Several experimental versions of the Sheridan mounting a new turret carrying the NATO-standard 105 mm gun were made, but the recoil was so great as to make it almost unusable. Several new vehicles were tested as a part of the Armored Gun System effort of the 1980s, but none of these entered service. Today the Stryker is intended to replace the Sheridan at long last, but many have commented that the Stryker's APC-based hull is even less capable than the Sheridan. Perhaps more annoyingly the 105 is a dedicated anti-armor gun and therefore less useful in the anti-personnel role than the M81. The most ironic part of the M551 story is that it was created in order to give the US forces an amphibious tank, causing the existing T-92 design to be abandoned. However for all the trouble, it appears that the swimming system of the M551 was never used in combat.

Variants

- XM551/M551 - The M551 was the basic production model, beginning production in 1967. The XM551 had been a limited run pre-production model produced in 1965.
- "Two Box" M551 - With the obvious shortcomings of the Shillelagh missile, all but two of the guidance and fire control components of the missle system were removed (the power supply and rate sensor were retained). The resulting additional space was filled with two seperate boxes, one for 7.62x51mm NATO ammunition, and one for 12.7x99mm BMG ammunition, and the missile stowage was redesigned to accept conventional rounds.
- M551A1 - Upgraded M551 with AN/VVG-1 laser rangefinder, used by the 82nd airborne only
- M551A1 TTS - Tank Thermal Sight, fitted with the AN/VSG-2B thermal sight unit, similar to the unit used on the M60A3 MBT. This later became standard to all M551A1s.
- M551 NTC - National Training Center. Using M551 hulls, the NTC created a number of mock vehicles for training exercises resembling common Soviet/Warsaw pact types.

Operators

: United States (in Reserve Storage after the 1990s) : Singapore (in Reserve Storage)

Combat History

: Vietnam : Operation Just Cause in Panama : Operation Desert Shield

External links

- [http://www.eaglehorse.org/4_ftx_gunnery/equipment/m551_sheridan/sheridan_intro.htm Vietnam-Germany-Fort Irwin: the Eaglehorse and the M551 Sheridan] - an excellent and in-depth history of the M551 Sheridan
- [http://afvdb.50megs.com/usa/m551.html AFV Database] Category:Light tanks Category:Cold War American tanks ja:M551_(戦車)

Patton tank


General characteristics
	M48	M60
Length:	21 ft (6.4 m)	22 ft 9 in (6.9 m)
Width:	11 ft 11 in (3.6 m)	11 ft 11 in (3.6 m)
Height:	10 ft 1 in (3.1 m)	10 ft 8 in (3.3 m)
Weight:	52 t	57.3 t
Speed:	30 mph (48 km/h)	30 mph (48 km/h)
Range:	258 mi (415 km)	280 mi (450 km)
Primary armament:	90 mm rifled tank gun, or 105 mm M68 rifled gun (M48A5)	105 mm gun
Secondary armament:	0.5 in (12.7 mm) machine gun, 7.62 mm machine gun	0.5 in (12.7 mm) machine gun, 7.62 mm machine gun
Maximum armor:	180 mm	180 mm
Power plant:	690 hp (510 kW) gasoline (later diesel)	750 hp (560 kW) diesel
Crew:	4	4

The M46, M47, M48 and M60 Patton were the U.S army's principal main battle tanks of the Korean and Vietnam Wars. The model was named after General George S. Patton, commander of the U.S. Third Army during World War II and one of the earliest advocates for the use of tanks in battle. It was replaced in US service by the M1 Abrams.

The M46

In May 1946, due to the changing conception of the US Army's tank needs, the M26 Pershing tank was reclassified as a medium tank. Designed initially as a heavy tank, Pershing was a significant upgrade from the M4 Sherman in terms of firepower and protection. Unfortunately, its mobility was deemed unsatisfactory for a medium tank as it used the same engine that powered the much lighter M4A3. Its underpowered engined was also plagued with an unreliable transmission. So in January 1948, work began on replacing the original powerpack with the Continental AV-1790-3 engine and Allison CD-850-1 cross-drive transmission. The design was initially called M26E2, but modifications continued to accumulate, and eventually the Ordnance desided that the tank "deserved" an index of its own. When the production began in November,1949, the upgraded M26 received not only a new powerpack and other improvements including a main gun with bore evacuator, but a new designation along with them - M46 General Patton or simply Patton.

M46 combat service

The only extensive combat use of the M46 was in the Korean War. The tank proved superior to North Korean T-34/85, which was expected from a much newer design. The M46 was exported to some European countries, including Belgium, France and Italy.

The M47

Italy Although the new powerpack corrected the mobility and reliabilty problems of the M26, the US Army considered the M46 a stopgap solution that would be replaced later by the T42 medium tank. However, after fighting erupted in Korea, the Army decided it needed the new tank earlier then planned. It was deemed that there was likely no time to finish the development of the T42 and then also to fix various problems that were likely to emerge in a new design. The final decision was to produce another interim solution, with the turret of T42 mounted on the familiar hull of the M46. The old-new tank, developed by the Detroit Arsenal, was named M47 Patton and entered production in 1951. The M47 was widely used by NATO allies and other countries, including Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Iran, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Netherlands, Pakistan, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Spain, Taiwan, Turkey and Yugoslavia. In the US, however, it was quickly replaced by the M48.

M47 combat service

French M47s saw limited action during the Suez Crisis in 1956. Jordan used its M47s in the Six Days War (1967) and Pakistan in the second Indo-Pakistani War in 1965.

The M48

second Indo-Pakistani War in 1965 A year after the M47 entered service, the US Army decided to replace it by yet another product of the evolution of the Persing/Patton line, the M48, still dubbed Patton. A deeper modernization than the M46 and the M47, the M48 featured a new turret, redesigned hull and an improved suspension. The hull machine gunner position was removed, reducing the crew to 4. Nearly 12,000 M48s were built from 1952 to 1959. The early designs were powered by gasoline engines which gave the tank a short operating range and were prone to catching fire when hit, earning it the unflattering nickname Ronson (which was also used for the earlier gasoline powered M4 Sherman ), after the popular brand of cigarette lighter. This version was considered unreliable and unfit for service, but numerous examples saw combat use in various Arab-Israeli conflicts. In 1959, American M48s were upgraded to the M48A3 model which featured a diesel power plant. In the mid-1970s, the M48A5 upgrade was developed to allow the vehicle to carry the heavier 105 mm gun. This was designed to bring the M48s up to speed with the M60 tanks then in regular use. Most of the M48s were placed into reserve service by this time. By the mid-1990s, the M48s were phased out of U.S. service. However, many foreign countries continue to use the M48 models.

M48 combat service

The M48s saw action during the Vietnam War, as did another variant, the M67A2 flamethrower tank. The M48s performed admirably in Vietnam in the infantry-support role. As there were few actual tank vs. tank battles, the M48s provided adequate shelter for its crew from small arms, mines and RPGs. M47s and M48s were first used in tank warfare by Pakistan against Indian Centurion and M4 Sherman tanks in the 1965 Indo-Pakistan War with poor results. Although technically superior to the enemy's tanks, it failed in war, but this was largely due to superior Indian tactics and crew ability. The Battle of Asal Uttar—where Pakistan's elite 1st Armoured brigade attacked Indian positions—saw about 100 Pattons being destroyed. It was later used in limited numbers by Pakistan in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 with similar results. In fact there was a place in Khemkaran in India called "Patton Nagar" ("Patton Town") that held 60-odd destroyed or captured tanks before the war trophies were relocated. M48s were also used with mixed results during the 1967 Six-Day War. On the Sinai front, Israeli M48s were used with stunning success against Egyptian T-54s and T-34s supplied by the Soviet Union. However, on the West Bank front, Jordanian M48s were regularly outclassed by Israeli WWII-era M4 Shermans, the result of superior Israeli tactics and crews. The Israeli Army captured about 100 of these Jordanian M48 and M48A1 tanks and pressed them into their own service after the war.

The M60

M4 Sherman In 1957, it was determined that the Soviets were in the process of developing a new medium tank, the T-55, with a 100 mm gun, superior to that of the American M48 tank. In response, an M48 tank was fitted with a new engine and later with a variant of the British 105 mm L7 series gun. This new vehicle (originally designated M68) was put into production in 1959, reclassified as the M60 and entered service in 1960. Over 15,000 M60s (all variants) were constructed. The improved design provided an increased operational range and mobility, requiried a minimum of refueling and servicing, and incorporated an improved main armament. A Continental V-12 750 hp. air cooled diesel engine powers the vehicle. Power is transmitted to a final drive through a cross drive transmission, which is a combined transmission, differential, steering, and braking unit. The hull of this vehicle is a one piece steel casting and is divided into two compartments, the crew in the front, and the engine at the rear. In 1963, the M60 was upgraded to the M60A1. This new variant, which stayed in production until 1980, featured a larger, better-shaped turret and improvements to the armor protection and shock absorbers. The M60A2 featured an entirely new low-profile turret with a commander's machine-gun cupola on top, giving the commander a good view and field of fire while under armour but spoiling the low profile. It also featured a 152 mm calibre main gun similar to that of the M551 Sheridan light tank, which fired regular rounds as well as the Shillelagh anti-tank guided missile (ATGM). There were a number of problems with the new gun (such as unburnt propellent from the missile fouling the tube and pre-detonating subsequent rounds), most of which were solved to some extent, but after all the problems the A2 model was abandoned and the turret for the A3 would be based on that of the A1. Most of the M60A2 tanks were rebuilt to M60A3 standard. In 1978, work began on the M60A3 variant. It featured a number of technological enhancements, including smoke dischargers, a new rangefinder and ballistic computer and a turret stabilization system. All American M60s eventually underwent the conversion to the A3 model.

M60 combat service

anti-tank guided missile.]] The M60 first saw some action in the Vietnam War with the Marine Corps. Later the Marine Corps also used the M60A1 variant in Operation Desert Storm in opposition to the Soviet-supplied Iraqi T-72 tanks which were comparable, if slightly better-gunned than the M60s. The M60A1s supported the effort into Kuwait City. A few M60s and M60A1s also saw action with Israel during the 1973 Yom Kippur War in both the Sinai and the Golan Heights. The United States sent additional M60s to Israel just before and during hostilities. Following the war, the IDF received many more M48s, M60s and M60A1s from the U.S.. Israel further upgraded their stock of M60s prior to their use in the invasion of Lebanon in 1982 as part of Operation Peace for Galilee. The Israeli modifications included new tracks and explosive reactive armor (ERA). This variant was known as the Magach 6B. Further work in Israel has been done on the upgraded Magach 6 models, adding new

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