The ChieftainI throw my oar in to muddy the waters on the topic a bit more and divert into almost entirely irrelevant territory. Whilst editing this video, I have been reminded of Jack Nicholson's "can't we just get along" speech in Mars Attacks!, and Tim Curry's Wadsworth in Clue. But anyway. Why the Tank Internet World is spending so much time on this subject is beyond me.
0:00 Background 1:02 Rant asking why this is such an important argument anyway. 2:48 Appropriate responses to disagreements, and FOLLOW THE LOGIC, NOT THE CREATOR! 5:11 Did the Americans develop their own torsion bars? 6:24 The Tank Engine of Theseus 6:58 The Tank of Theseus 8:23 The T-14 breakdown on parade 9:09 Final thoughts
Thoughts on the T-14 Armata TiffThe Chieftain2023-08-07 | I throw my oar in to muddy the waters on the topic a bit more and divert into almost entirely irrelevant territory. Whilst editing this video, I have been reminded of Jack Nicholson's "can't we just get along" speech in Mars Attacks!, and Tim Curry's Wadsworth in Clue. But anyway. Why the Tank Internet World is spending so much time on this subject is beyond me.
0:00 Background 1:02 Rant asking why this is such an important argument anyway. 2:48 Appropriate responses to disagreements, and FOLLOW THE LOGIC, NOT THE CREATOR! 5:11 Did the Americans develop their own torsion bars? 6:24 The Tank Engine of Theseus 6:58 The Tank of Theseus 8:23 The T-14 breakdown on parade 9:09 Final thoughtsDoes the Chieftain Fit Into.... a Ford Model TThe Chieftain2023-11-19 | Filmed during a down-moment on a maintenance day at the Ontario Regiment Museum, which explains the fashion choice. Would rather old Army gear get oily than my jeans. The Model T is small and so old that I have to ask someone else at the end of the video how to drive it. Apparently the first conventional pedal arrangement was the Cadillac Model 53, but few people bought it. then the Austin 7 used it, and it was popular.
Financial donations: Patreon: patreon.com/The_Chieftain Direct Paypal: paypal.me/thechieftainshatPurpose of Tanker BootsThe Chieftain2023-11-09 | Tanker boots are not the same as normal miltary boots, being purpose designed for armor crewmen. The 60 second description, but don't forget my longer video on US Tank Crew Attire. youtu.be/6r-eoQ6tQZsInterview with Cone of ArcThe Chieftain2023-10-28 | Cone has been making videos for a couple of years now. I finally met him for the first time at a National Armor and Cavalry Collection open house a couple of months ago. And thus we have another episode of "Chieftain interviews random people" The open houses, by the way, are the only time that you can access the collection, they don't have the manpower to be open routinely. Keep an eye on their facebook page for announcements.
Public facebook page: facebook.com/TheChieftainArmor Twitter: twitter.com/Chieftain_armorSt George, Patron Saint of Tankers and Cavalrymen, in 60 secondsThe Chieftain2023-10-26 | He is also the patron saint of butchers, farm workers, saddlers, archers, shepherds, boy scouts and crusaders, but that's not important right now. Also not important, he's the patron saint of Canada, England, Georgia (oddly enough), Greece, Germany, Malta, Moldova, Russia, Serbia, Lithuania, Portugal, Montenegro and Ethiopia. The Order of Saint George is an officially unofficial but unofficially official award of the US Army's Armor and Cavalry Association, and the confusingly named but entirely non-associated Order of St George is the highest Russian military decoration.
Public facebook page: facebook.com/TheChieftainArmor Twitter: twitter.com/Chieftain_armorInside the Chieftains Hatch: Super Kurassier, Pt 3.The Chieftain2023-10-14 | A side-upgrade of SK-105. Often incorrectly terms "SK-105A3", this pre-dates the A2 upgrade and wasn't given a designation. The SK-105 is an Austrian vehicle using the French-style oscillating turret. The design supposedly came with a number of drawbacks, such as stabilisation problems (Stabilising a multi-ton turret instead of just a gun) and NBC problems. However, Austrian engineers had a crack at these problems, creating the vehicle you saw in parts 1 and 2. However, there was a further attempt at an upgrade, to use the more powerful NATO-standard 105mm gun. The request was made by Argentina to use the same gun as their TAM tank, and as Austria used a compatible gun on the M60, it made sense from the Austrian perspective as well.
Filmed at https://www.hgm.at/en Heeresgeschichtliches Museum
Public facebook page: facebook.com/TheChieftainArmor Twitter: twitter.com/Chieftain_armorDoes The Chieftain Fit Into... A Daimler Dingo?The Chieftain2023-09-24 | Filmed at Aquino 2023, this is the Scout Car donated by DeadmeatBC (That's a World of Tanks username) to the Ontario Regiment Museum. It is also quite small.
Financial donations: Patreon: patreon.com/The_Chieftain Direct Paypal: paypal.me/thechieftainshatSandbags and Sniper Brens: When Troops Act on Unfounded BeliefThe Chieftain2023-09-17 | Troops are usually not equipment experts or mechanical engineers. They will often act in what they perceive to be their best interests no matter what the reality says. Warfare is full of various myths, and the question of whether the sniper scene in "Siege of Jadotville" has any foundation is probably more difficult to answer than some may think. In addition, there is more at play than just the technical specs. Note update at the very end on the behind-the-scenes of the movie.
Public facebook page: facebook.com/TheChieftainArmor Twitter: twitter.com/Chieftain_armorThe M1E3: What has the Army actually said?The Chieftain2023-09-10 | I dig into the press release and make some observations on what the release says, what it doesn't say, and more importantly, some food for thought as to the possibilities which exist with the new development type.
Public facebook page: facebook.com/TheChieftainArmor Twitter: twitter.com/Chieftain_armorInside the Chieftains Hatch: Super Kurassier, Pt 2.The Chieftain2023-09-02 | The SK-105 is an Austrian vehicle using the French-style oscillating turret. The design supposedly came with a number of drawbacks, such as stabilisation problems (Stabilising a multi-ton turret instead of just a gun) and NBC problems. However, Austrian engineers had a crack at these problems, creating this prototype vehicle. Here's part 2, the gunner and commander
Filmed at https://www.hgm.at/en Heeresgeschichtliches Museum
Public facebook page: facebook.com/TheChieftainArmor Twitter: twitter.com/Chieftain_armorMy Speeding Ticket in a Tank in IraqThe Chieftain2023-08-23 | Since folks want the story. As an aside, there is also a story of an incident in the 1991 war of an MLRS unit getting hauled in as they were relocating to respond to a request for fires. I have not seen it verified in anything official, but I wouldn't put it past reality either.Inside the Chieftains Hatch: Super Kurassier, Part 1The Chieftain2023-08-19 | The SK-105 is an Austrian vehicle using the French-style oscillating turret. The design supposedly came with a number of drawbacks, such as stabilisation problems (Stabilising a multi-ton turret instead of just a gun) and NBC problems. However, Austrian engineers had a crack at these problems, creating this prototype vehicle.
Filmed at https://www.hgm.at/en Heeresgeschichtliches Museum
Public facebook page: facebook.com/TheChieftainArmor Twitter: twitter.com/Chieftain_armorInside the Chieftains Hatch: M25 Dragon Wagon, Part 2The Chieftain2023-08-10 | Part 2 of 2. Video cross-posted from World of Tanks channel for greater visibility. The M25 Transporter is often mis-named the M26, which, in reality, is only the tractor. But either way, it's a fascinatingly complicated piece of machinery designed to do particular job, and is another example of the 'behind-the-scenes' effort that the US Army took in creating a balanced, sustainable force in WW2. Not as glamarous as the tanks they transported, perhaps, but almost as vital.
In any case, these World of Tanks produced videos are advertising for WoT. If you wish to encourage WoT to make more, please feel free to try the game with this link and prove that the advertising works! worldoftanks.com/chieftain
Public facebook page: facebook.com/TheChieftainArmor Twitter... erm.. X twitter.com/Chieftain_armorInside the Chieftains Hatch: M25 Dragon Wagon, Pt 1.The Chieftain2023-08-03 | Video cross-posted from World of Tanks channel for greater visibility. The M25 Transporter is often mis-named the M26, which, in reality, is only the tractor. But either way, it's a fascinatingly complicated piece of machinery designed to do particular job, and is another example of the 'behind-the-scenes' effort that the US Army took in creating a balanced, sustainable force in WW2. Not as glamarous as the tanks they transported, perhaps, but almost as vital.
In any case, these World of Tanks produced videos are advertising for WoT. If you wish to encourage WoT to make more, please feel free to try the game with this link and prove that the advertising works! worldoftanks.com/chieftain
Public facebook page: facebook.com/TheChieftainArmor Twitter... erm.. X twitter.com/Chieftain_armorDesigning the Tank of the FutureThe Chieftain2023-07-22 | The discussion on vehicles of the future tends to revolve around the older paradigm of gun, protection & mobility but the reality is that those features seem to be less important considerations when providing an advantage over adversaries. Everyone now has gotten to "If you can see it, you can kill it." Brains over brawn will define the next generation of vehicles, and that future is closer than you may think. The conference in question was put on by IDGA.
Public facebook page: facebook.com/TheChieftainArmor Twitter: twitter.com/Chieftain_armorInside the Chieftains Hatch: BAE XM1302, Part 2The Chieftain2023-07-08 | The alternate proposal for the MPF program was the BAE XM1302. Again, I walk around the vehicle with the MPF product manager LTC George, and pepper him with unexpected questions in order to shed a little more light on this platform as well, whilst also trying to figure out what it's like on the inside. Reminder, though I wasn't permitted to film inside the GDLS entrant (XM10) as a US service vehicle, I did crawl around inside it, and can thus make some comparative statements. Vehicle filmed at Warren, MI, courtesy of PEO GCS, and National Armor and Cavalry Collection, then-Ft Benning, GA. Links for M10 and BAE part 1 at the end of this video.
Public facebook page: facebook.com/TheChieftainArmorInside the Chieftains Hatch: BAE XM1302, Part 1The Chieftain2023-06-24 | The alternate proposal for the MPF program was the BAE XM1302. Again, I walk around the vehicle with the MPF product manager LTC George, and pepper him with unexpected questions in order to shed a little more light on this platform as well. Vehicle filmed at Warren, MI, courtesy of PEO GCS. Given it isn't a US Service vehicle, I was allowed bring my camera inside, so watch part 2 for the important bits...
Public facebook page: facebook.com/TheChieftainArmorTanks 104: The basics of armored vehicle tracksThe Chieftain2023-06-08 | A short and simple video prompted by a Q&A question of "How does one get additional grip from a track?" As is my way, I attack this by addressing many somewhat irrelevant details first...
00:00 Intro, Warfighters. 3:22 German heavy tank doctrine in WW2 5:25 Thoughts on the Israeli Nagmachon 7:15 Why was there a shift in Soviet artillery from towed to self-propelled guns 7:50 Opinion on the AGS 13:20 Steel wheels on wheeled vehicles 14:54 If you could retrofit one thermal to either an old tank or an IFV, which vehicle? 15:26 Room for return of SPAAG 17:30 How good is modern thermal vision at target discrimination/ 19:03 How modular are vehicles? 20:04 Are you considering a second book? 20:36 Would WW2 "ghost army" tactics work today? 21:14 Do we train for scenarios in which friendly forces do not have air superiority 21:36 Reliable King Tiger vs post-war tanks 22:42 Is Challenger 3 worth-while? 23:50 Chieftain's life story(!) and why the move to the US 25:45 Is the use of rubber track blocks vs all-steel related to live vs dead track? 26:15 When were crew ergonomics first seriously considered as a factor? 28:00 Is Sentinel's turret still the worst you've encountered? 28:56 Why is a drone operator on an individual tank a bad idea? 30:35 Does a unit commander's tank's second-in command have autonomy to deal with threats? 32:20 Why is the US Army deleting MGS when other nations have continued operating wheeled cannon vehicles? 33:12 What goes into determining track commonality? 34:14 What music types do you listen to? 34:31 Is Merkava suspension basically Christie? 35:04 Would earlier introduction of serviceable high velocity HEAT have made heavy tanks pointless in WW2? 35:42 Why a fixed hull MG on the T-54? 36:39 Are autocannons better suited for untrained/undertrained crews? 37:38 How do you manage a logistics situation like the Ukraine? 40:47 Are there differences in casualties of men or vehicles between petrol and diesel Shermans? 41:15 Who would, hypothetically, have taken over for the various generals who crash-landed in Ireland had their internment been more than brief? 46:21 Opinion on post-WW2 French tanks? 49:44 Did the Germans consider Panther to be a medium or a heavy tank? 50:17 How has and will the war in the Ukraine affect AA doctrine 52:30 Why was no armored vehicle fitted with the Oldsmobile 37mm from P39? 53:04 Is the platoon or company the main armored fighting element for the US Army?
Public facebook page: facebook.com/TheChieftainArmorOdds and Ends at the Ordnance Training Support FacilityThe Chieftain2023-05-10 | The last video from my trip to the Ordnance collection in what was then Fort Lee, VA. (It has since been renamed as Fort Gregg-Adams). I'm sure I'll come back to film some more vehicles which caught my attention, but this is a bit of a teaser of some of the other things which are present.Behind Apache Gunnery, Pt 3. The Flight LineThe Chieftain2023-04-19 | Part 3, and last, of my visit to an AH-64 gunnery. This episode:
00:00 First Military Flight 00:51 Simulator 11:00 The DAR Team 17:07 The Fuelers 22:44 Ammo Handling 28:22 Loading Munitions
Again, may thanks to 1-227 Attack Battalion, and the 1st Cav PAO.
Public facebook page: facebook.com/TheChieftainArmorInside the Chieftains Hatch: All-American T3The Chieftain2023-04-01 | There is no vehicle more critical to the US military than the Bluebird All-American. Pretty much every serviceman and woman has been on one of these things from the day they they entered basic training. It has no armor, no guns, and is entirely unglamorous, but you always loved seeing one roll up at the range at the end of the day...
Public facebook page: facebook.com/TheChieftainArmorUS AFV Development in WW2, or why the Sherman was as it was.The Chieftain2023-03-17 | Several years ago, I gave a talk at the New York Military Affairs Symposium. It was a good talk, but it was necessary to re-record it. There's no Q&A, but the presentation has been updated a bit with more recent work and references.
Public facebook page: facebook.com/TheChieftainArmorBehind AH-64 Gunnery, Part 2: The Master GunnerThe Chieftain2023-03-11 | If there's a single person behind any tank gunnery, it's the Master Gunner. Turns out that's the case for aviation gunnery as well. Here's half an hour talking about the administration and 'rules' behind AH-64 gunnery. Again, you will see nothing 'exciting' here, it's a half-hour of sitting down and talking. It is, however, extremely important to a gunnery if you want it to be good and useful for anything. Part two of three or four.
Public facebook page: facebook.com/TheChieftainArmorBehind AH-64 Apache Gunnery, Part 1.The Chieftain2023-03-04 | The first of three (or maybe four, but probably three) videos on the behind-the-scenes of AH-64 gunnery. This isn't going to be awesome footage of helicopters shooting things. Frankly, it's not a spectator sport and will get boring quickly. However, there's a lot which goes on behind the scenes before you get to the cool gun camera footage. Thanks to 1-227th Attack Battalion (and 1st Cav's PAO).
00:00 The mechanics. 16:25 The UAS/Grey Eagle Company
Public facebook page: facebook.com/TheChieftainArmorCut-Open Museum TanksThe Chieftain2023-02-25 | A number of musea have cut-open tanks to allow people to see inside them. In some cases, like Centurion, this is uncontroversial. In the case of WW2 German AFVs, some strong responses can be elicited.
In the US context, they were cut open for use as training aids, otherwise, there were just going to be scrapped (Just another enemy tank at the time, after all). However, as training aids or educational pieces, they arguably are far better for the learner to understand a 'tank' as opposed to looking at the exterior, inside small openings if accessible, or simply looking at wargame stats.
Public facebook page: facebook.com/TheChieftainArmorUnofficial High-Speed Tour of Australian Armor and Artilley MuseumThe Chieftain2023-02-11 | Cairns in Queensland is the typical stopping point for folks looking to dive the Great Barrier Reef. But in addition to the joys of the tropical weather and the large bats (and I genuinely like Cairns as a town), they have a world-class tank museum. It's nice to have a tank museum at a place that people actually want to go to, so if you're on your Aussie vacation, drop the family off at the Esplanade and drive up the ten miles from downtown.
They also have an annual "AusArmor Fest", where the theme is visitor involvement. Not many other places let you ride in a Panzer IV or T-72.Preparing the US Army for WW2The Chieftain2023-01-28 | An overview of some of the things which the US Army, and McNair in particular, did in order to bring the US Army from a desert Constabulary Force to something prepared to engage in WW2.
The Museum of the American GI, College Station, TX, has an invited speaker season going. I was the second. americangimuseum.org
Public facebook page: facebook.com/TheChieftainArmorTen Responses to the MPF DiscussionThe Chieftain2023-01-19 | [I strongly recommend reading the pinned comment]. The MPF has led to a number of talking points, some of which I agree with, many of which I do not. These are my observations on these talking points.
Public facebook page: facebook.com/TheChieftainArmorAn interview with Peter Samsonov of Tank ArchivesThe Chieftain2023-01-15 | Peter Samsonov is the name behind the Tank Archives channel. He has just finished his book on IS-2, and this seemed like a good excuse to chat with him. The book is available here. http://is-2-tank.comInside the Chieftains Hatch Snapshot: XM10 BookerThe Chieftain2023-01-08 | The MPF is an entirely new armored fighting vehicle recently selected for introduction into service. I walk around the vehicle with the MPF product manager LTC George, and pepper him with unexpected questions in order to shed a little more light on this platform. Vehicle filmed at Warren, MI, courtesy of PEO GCS.
Public facebook page: facebook.com/TheChieftainArmorInside the Chieftains Hatch Snapshot: T88 HMCThe Chieftain2022-12-31 | The T88 HMC was a prototype SPG placing a 105mm howitzer into an M18. This survivor is at the Fort Lee TSF, the Ordnance Collection.
00:00 Intro, update about recent audio problems. 02:50 Has anything coming out of Ukraine genuinely surprised me? 04:33 What books would you recommend to someone who is new to tanks? 05:35 Do I have anything on the use of Chieftains in the Iran/Iraq war? 06:43 What would you recommend for a young boy’s first 1/35 armored vehicle? 08:30 How have missions/operations changed for a tank commander or platoon leader from WW2 to the last deployment? 10:18 Why was the T-34/76’s gun enclosed in a long shroud or mantlet, but the Sherman or Panzer had a more ‘traditional’ mantlet? 11:18 If money were not an object, was MGS worth saving? Was it technological limitations or design inertia which kept the transmission in the front of a tank 12:27 What required a drive shaft going the length of the vehicle until the advent of the power pack? 14:30 In WW2 the Germans experimented with S-mine launchers on tanks, and more recently claymores were proposed for anti-infantry defense. Do these ideas have any merit? 16:15 Why are automatic grenade launchers not more commonly seen on tanks? 17:58 Do I have any insight on the MPF? 18:42 Why was the M26 phased out so quickly in favour of M46, 47 and 48? 21:13 Did the US ever test the concept of the squeeze-bore gun like the Germans? 25:06 What tracked AFVs would I select for Ireland? 28:13 Did I have a favourite armored vehicle growing up as a young lad? 28:30 Why didn’t the US consider autocannons in the interwar period as tank armament? 28:48 Preferred pizza? 28:55 How might late cold war vehicles be simplified to cut cost and production time if the US got to the point that it ran out of M1s in a war? 30:30 Is there any combat vehicle which turned out to be ‘bad’ at the job it was designed for, but ‘good’ at some other purpose? 31:17 Has the origin of calling the gunner’s control handles “Cadillacs” ever been sourced? 31:28 What’s in the display case on the wall to your left? 32:28 How is the recovery of vehicles achieved in the modern US military? 32:46 Is there a vehicle I had an opportunity to operate, but passed on it and now regret? 32:59 Is there a sci-fi weapon that you don’t care how impractical, or how dumb it seems, you want to get one? 33:47 GOTM 40:34 Were you the American who went to a Russian museum and remarked "that's unfair" when looking at T-34's track pin system? 41:34 What did Marines think of the M4? 42:59 Hybrid Drives and See-through armor 42:33 WW2 Contact Drill Commands (Or lack thereof) 43:59 What about T24E1? 45:01 What were casualties of the end of the cold war in terms of technological development? 47:07 What do the higher-ups think of my youtube career? 47:50 How useful is a thermal CITV vs a non-thermal commander’s viewer on a vehicle which already has a thermal imager for the gun? 49:50 What were the major turning points in North Africa, other than Second El Alamein? 50:33 Why was the 76mm gun considered a failure in Europe 1944/45, but a success in Korea? 51:47 Were there official studies done on the effectiveness of sandbags as armor? 54:33 The "peek around the corner" camera on the Streetfighter tank. 55:28 Was the change from the H to J series MTOE cavalry units a boon or decrease in capability? 59:59 How exactly is armor penetration ability defined? 1:02:20 What have I found about T28 in the archives? 1:02:44 Thoughts on MPF 1:03:19 Did anyone put a 40mm Bofors onto a 20-ton tank? 1:04:35 Was the M103 outmatched by the Soviet tanks it was facing by the 1970s? 1:05:21 What’s the deal with the supposed early M1 hitting 100mph with the governor removed? 1:05:56 Were the M1 skirts a development from Schurzen? 1:06:41 Man-hours of maintenance per hour of use for Sherman 1:07:43 How does one earn a Stetson and spurs in a cav unit? 1:08:56 Can you blind-fire with non-Area of effect weapons? 1:09:15 Did the Soviets copy the Jerrycan? 1:09:53 How the the Kangaroo series of vehicles come about? 1:12:24 Do I have any intention of doing a 6+ hour Q&A?Professionals make things look easy. Even military things.The Chieftain2022-12-12 | A recent interview over on Lindybeige's channel had a clip about the nature of international volunteers in Ukraine. If you're the sort of person watching my channel, you've probably seen it. I've seen a lot of people extrapolate that because US soldiers are used to operating with good support that somehow that reduces the quality of the personnel (A different matter from the level of dedication to the Ukrainian cause of any particular individual) Well, train as you fight, fight as you train, as they say. And getting the correct resources in the correct place at the correct time doesn't just happen, even if you have the resources in the first place. Incidentally, that chap apparently doesn't understand that an 11B in 10th Mountain could have been an 11B in 1st Cav or will rotate to 4th ID afterwards. The US doesn't have the same 'regimental' system he may be used to.Interview with “Tankers” Facebook community.The Chieftain2022-12-08 | So there is this Facebook page called “Tankers”. They basically post videos and images of tanks around the world. What better thing to do with FB? They showed up at Fort Benning at the Sullivan Cup, and I put one of them in front of my camera. facebook.com/Tankersofficial
Public facebook page: facebook.com/TheChieftainArmorInside the Chieftains Hatch: Christie M1931The Chieftain2022-11-26 | The first of the Army's Christie-type tanks, which they put a lot of effort into testing in the 1930s, came in two designations: Convertible Medium Tank T3, and Convertible Combat Car T1. This is one of those two vehicles, though in fairness, we're not quite sure which. After editing, I'm mostly leaning to the idea of this being a T3 which was converted to have the machineguns in the same manner as the T1, which seems to be unreported in the books, mainly due to the period photograph at 24:55 which, if so, simply did not have the machinegun mounted at the time.
Public facebook page: facebook.com/TheChieftainArmorInside the Chieftains Hatch Snapshot: AMPV MCmdThe Chieftain2022-11-12 | The AMPV is the long-awaited replacement for the venerable M113 based series of vehicles. In this video, I walk around the vehicle with the AMPV product manager LTC Costa, and pepper him with unexpected questions in order to shed a little more light on this new vehicle which we'll be buying by the thousand but seems to have somewhat gone under the radar. Vehicle filmed at Warren, MI, courtesy of PEO GCS.
Public facebook page: facebook.com/TheChieftainArmorAbramsX and KF51 Panther Rambling.The Chieftain2022-11-05 | Totally unresearched Op-Ed piece, due to popular demand. Why some of the new features aren't new, why some make sense, and why I think neither tank is going to go into production. Edit: Indeed, so unresearched, I missed that though KMW makes Leopard 2, the KF51 is Rheinmetall.
Public facebook page: facebook.com/TheChieftainArmorSnapshot: Early HVSS and the M3A1.The Chieftain2022-10-26 | At the Ordnance Collection in Fort Lee, two interesting 'missing link' vehicles.
Public facebook page: facebook.com/TheChieftainArmorT72M1 Switchology and Fire Control SystemThe Chieftain2022-10-15 | Returning to Steel Beasts Pro PE in order to show the fire control systems of various vehicles, here's the T-72M of about 1980. Tankograd website has a very in-depth assessment of all the components of the tank.
Public facebook page: facebook.com/TheChieftainArmorModern US Vehicle Procurement, w/ MG Dean & BG NormanThe Chieftain2022-10-06 | Joining me for a live discussion are MG Dean, PEO GCS, and BG Norman, Next Generation Combat Vehicles Cross Functional Team, as we discuss how the US Army selects and develops its vehicles today.
00:00 Futzing around and intro. 02:37 Guest introductions 03:30 What is a PEO GCS and why do we need one? 05:15 And what does the NGCV CFT do? 07:00 Do both teams work concurrently or sequentially? 08:40 In WW2, vehicle procurement went through Ordnance officers to Chief of Ordnance and ASF. But you are a tanker. What changed? 11:18 You have taken the "Functional Area: Acquisitions" career track. What is that? 13:20 Why is "acquisitions" not required for the CFT position? 16:20 Are your organisations mainly military or civilian personnel? 17:30 Why is the CFT part of Futures Command, but not in Austin? 20:10 The old procurement chain used to be purely through the military side to chief of Staff of the Army, the current one goes to SecArmy. Why the change? 22:10 A US Advantage in WW2 was the Army Industrial College. Does the successor Eisenhower School today still do the same thing? 26:00 In WW2, the using arm and the technical arm never settled the question of "who sets the requirements". Who is in charge these days? 30:30 Do you have a guy in Futures command whose job it is to keep track of new technologies which might be useful? 32:28 What are JCIDS and DOTMLPF, how do they work? 35:22 The Operational Needs Statement, and the example of Stryker Dragoon. 37:20 Back to JCIDS and DOTMLPF 44:15 How specific are requirements issued to industry? 49:20 When determining requirements, how far ahead in time are you looking? 52:00 We have a history of failed multi-national developments, but where do we sit on multi-national requirements? 56:20 What went wrong with Sgt. York, and how are such things prevented by the current system? 58:35 In WW2 most tanks took about two years to field. Current standard is 'speed of relevance', but longer. What is an acceptable amount of time between 'go' and 'field'? 1:03:53 Is 'maintaining institutional knowledge' an Army concern, or a political one? 1:06:25 In the three years between selection of MPF and fielding, is there the possibility of changes due to new requirements, or is the vehicle stuck to be delivered in 2022 configuration? 1:12:00 Is field testing using notional equipment (eg a truck with "tank" painted on the side) still done? 1:14:28 At what stage is the 'abort' button pushed to cancel a program? 1:17:13 In WW2 era, the US Army's Arsenals were capable of creating a new vehicle, even prototypes, on their own, then handed the design over to private industry. Does the Army still have such a capability? 1:19:53 What happens if private industry shows up with an unsolicited item? (eg AbramsX) 1:25:47 In a competitive bid, how much 'take it as it is' is there? eg Can the Army instruct the overall winner to incorporate a good idea from the other guy's entry? 1:29:52 Must the Army accept the submission from the lowest bidder, or does it get a bit of wiggle room for superior performance at greater price? 1:33:46 After engineering tests, vehicles go to troop trials. Are these make/break tests, or are they more a 'you're getting this thing, we're just asking you for refinement requirements'? 1:40:25 Do we still do anything like the inter-war "educational orders" today? 1:41:45 How is the level of field contractor support determined in a contract? 1:43:59 What's the warranty on a tank? At what point is it no longer the contractor's problem to fix? 1:44:44 Is the tank as a concept now, finally, dead? 1:46:40 Are we going to be able to rely more on the AI for 'technical' functions to free up the human crews for 'tactical' functions? 1:48:55 How are we going to avoid the information overload problem which is looking at happening with increased sensors/drones/etc? 1:50:50 There is a push/pull between making a smaller tank (fewer crew) and adding more crew for the workload. Where is that balance struck? 1:53:07 Are we going to go away from the traditional tank crew paradigm of gunner, loader, driver, TC? 1:54:15 What did the US Army procurement system do better in the 40s and 50s, and why do we not do it today? 1:56:26 How tolerant are we of failures in testing? 1:58:25 Final thoughts/commentsDoes Chieftain Fit Into..... a Renault UE?The Chieftain2022-09-28 | The Renault UE, or the Chenillette was a small armored supply vehicle. A very small armored supply vehicle, actually.
Public facebook page: facebook.com/TheChieftainArmorInside the Chieftains Hatch Snapshot: M5 Robotic Combat VehicleThe Chieftain2022-09-17 | Textron is submitting what it's terming its "M5" to meet US Army requirements. This particular one is optimised for the Counter-UAS role (i.e. anti-drone configuration, in plain English).
Public facebook page: facebook.com/TheChieftainArmorUnofficial High Speed Tour of Panssarimuseo, ParolaThe Chieftain2022-09-03 | The national armor museum of Finland is at a place called Parola. During a day off, I took a roam around. Official website: https://www.panssarimuseo.fi/en/front-page
Public facebook page: facebook.com/TheChieftainArmorInside the Chieftains Hatch: Skeleton Tank.The Chieftain2022-08-27 | The Skeleton Tank, AKA the Spider Tank, was a proof-of-concept from the WW1 era to try to combine the light weight of a smaller tank with the off-road and trench crossing capability of a larger tank. Video filmed at the Training Support Facility, Ft Lee, VA.
Public facebook page: facebook.com/TheChieftainArmorInside the Chieftains Hatch: ItPsv 41 Anti IIThe Chieftain2022-08-13 | Six Ilmatorjuntapanssarivaunu 41 were delivered to Finland after experience in the Winter War indicated a need for better air defense at the front line. Landsverk of Sweden delivered with this L-62 based vehicle, derived from the Hungarian Nimrod. Note: turns out 1664 is not the cc of the engine, it's just the name. 7.5l or to.
Thanks to the Panssarimuseo (Parola Tank Museum) and the financial support from Patreons, merchandise purchasers, or other direct donations for making the trip possible.
Public facebook page: facebook.com/TheChieftainArmorInside the Chieftains Hatch Snapshot: M1 Thunderbolt.The Chieftain2022-08-03 | The first of the M1s to come off the production line (so early that it was still officially an XM1) was "Thunderbolt", named after Creighton Abrams' tanks in WW2. This short video will cover a few of the features of the very earliest variant of the M1.
Thanks to the US Army's Ordnance Collection and the financial support from Patreons, merchandise purchasors, or other direct donations for making the trip possible.
Public facebook page: facebook.com/TheChieftainArmorAustrian Armour at the Heeresgeschichtliches Museum, Part 2The Chieftain2022-07-23 | During a recent visit to Vienna, I commandeered Mr Franz Brodl for a couple of hours to talk about Austrian armored vehicles, and the Panzerhalle collection of the HGM downtown. This is, oddly enough, part two of the talk. I'm sure I'll get around to traditional videos there later.
Merchandise (The carousel below seems dodgy) the-chieftains-retail-hatch.creator-spring.comAustrian Armour at the Heeresgeschichtliches Museum, Part 1The Chieftain2022-07-16 | During a recent visit to Vienna, I commandeered Mr Franz Brodl for a couple of hours to talk about Austrian armored vehicles, and the Panzerhalle collection of the HGM downtown.
Turned out to be about an hour and a half, so here's 45 minutes to get you started. Apologies for the audio trouble. Part 2 is better.