Military FAQ thread

[Shingy]

Quick question, i always thought due to fantastic German engineering and a few opinions from people German tanks were the best in the world, but having seen all these opinions on the American one, the abrams i am not really sure the name of it, is it better then leopard tanks? and which one would win in a battle?

[Gollevainen]

There such a good references to american tanks becouse we actually have a guy who had served with them...and you all know how ex-service mens are proud of their toys

To determ wich is better Leo II and M1 is propaply impossiple as they both have so similar performance. It's all down to how you use them.

[duskylim]

Dear Ahho,

The US 30 caliber machine gun of WWII vintage (it was actually introduced before the war!) was replaced by the M-60 GPMG. The old weapon (which is best viewed now in the TV-series "Band of Brothers") uses a unique fabric type of machine gun ammunition belt! Changes in weather or field damage frequently caused the weapon to jam. (I know - we were trained on US Army surplus weapons of this type in the Philippines!)

GPMG - That is General-Purpose, Machine Gun. It design was greatly influenced by US combat experience in Europe vs the German Army's MG 42 (the so-called Spandau), although, it uses a different type of operation (gas) and is not as reliable. It is also a 30 caliber weapon but uses the NATO standard 7.62 mm x 51 round not the old US Army .30-06. One improvement they made was to copy the German practice of using disintegrating metallic links for their machine gun ammunition.

German Infantry tactics so dominated post WWII US Army thinking that they copied both the equipment and tactical organization of their old enemies. They transitioned from squads to sections, each section was built around the machine gunner. Keep him supplied with ammo and he will do the majority of the fighting for you. (This came from German WW1 experience). The rest of the members of the squad are basically ammo carriers and spotters. Just look at the Vietnam War-Era US combat formation.

Hope this helps,
Best Regards,

Dusky Lim

[DPRKUnderground]

"I Was there in 2001, 2004 and this year, as well as past Red Flag, Maple Flag, Spring Flag/VOLCANEX and Cooperative Cope Thunder.

PAF is perhaps a top 15 in the world - not even close to the second best. I would have no problem putting the USAF/USN best up against the IAF's best any day of the week."

This guy on a blog said this. He's seen the PAF and he said their pilots aren't that great. How capable are the PAFs pilots?

[Gollevainen]

To determine exactly how good some spesific group of mens are is somewhat impossiple. Trying to solve it usually ends up very badly as nationalism and other irrelevant issues usually messes it up. Also without own expereince you cannot say anything solid about anything.

For example lets pretend someone askes who got the best artillerist. Well I would ofcourse jump out and say Finland as first i'm a finn and seccondly I have served with finnish artillery so I know what I'm talking about. But...(there's always a but) doesen't those two facts make me biased and thus unfit to awnser the question?? If we could close our eyes from the nationality-issue the fact that I've served only in finnish artillery makes me quite knowlidgble about finnish artillery, but I pretty much know about (mostly about the little matters that usually makes the difference) other artilleryes as much as any other that haven't served...So the expereince wont help you in the end to determine whos the best (wheter it's artillerists or pilots)

Seccond important factor is the actual results. Some countries have combat experience and we can try to analyze the results to find out who's the best...but then we face yet another proplem...the skill of the performer isen't the sole factor that leds us to the results. No matter how good you are, there is still factors that you cannot inflict. such as the equipment you are using, the maintenance and support (I highlighted that becouse so many armchair generals tend to forgot it...), enviroment, wheater...you name it, there are lots of variables. So even well documented facts cannot indisputably say they are better than the others...

So to determine who has the best pilots in the world (or how some countrys pilots are rated) is like determing the best rock n' roll band in the world...I say it's Led Zeppelin, many facts supports me, but...is it???(ofcourse it is, but to play along with my thetis I must act like there could be some doupt )


So who capaple are pakistanese pilots?? They are as good as you want them to be...

[ger_mark]

Golle did you make the same experience?

[Gollevainen]

Well mayby not that grotex manners, but surely those pics brings some memoryes.... Representing some alternative outfit combinations that you could produce whit our warddrope

Actually, one of those guys migth be my little sister's godmothers son...It was huge event when the pics were publiced as everyone forst tougth that they were forced to dress like that....but soon discovered that the guys didn't have anything better to do so they choose to fool around little bit....

[sumdud]

Does anyone know why the Wiesel has been removed from the German paratroopers?

Anyone know the noise levels of the An-70? (Its props are second best, I believe, to that of the Tu-95, but the Bear was even though a good plane, an ear-drummer)

Russian goods are claimed to be the best robust and reliable in the world, like the AK, but sometimes you look at their products, say, the Mig-29, their engines are maintence-prone. So the "Russian=robust, reliable" phrase exclude some items, right?

Does any Western tanks have Active Defence? I am not counting the Tharpy (Don't know exact spelling of that Israeli project.)

Lastly, what kind of modules and sights does a tank typically have for battle?

[Gollevainen]

Russian goods are claimed to be the best robust and reliable in the world, like the AK, but sometimes you look at their products, say, the Mig-29, their engines are maintence-prone. So the "Russian=robust, reliable" phrase exclude some items, right?

welll mostly this is prhaze comes to close of reality when we are talking of simple weapon systems where conterbury western system are usually packed whit fancy high-tech to the teeth and in combat situation the western system is more prone to maintanance proplems and needs at least Univesity degree to operate it.....But expection makes a rule....RD-33 is certainly a some sort of failure, where as AL-31 is often descriped as highly realible engine

[ger_mark]

Does anyone know why the Wiesel has been removed from the German paratroopers?

They don't
au contraire, they just ordered 70 Wiesel 2 last year, also 50 air defence wiesel's have been ordered

[sumdud]

I thought they were, or at least forbidden from air-drops?

One more question: Are there any non-5.56 SAW/LMGs out there that can use both drums/magazines and belts?

[Finn McCool]

Here's my question-

What the hell were those pictures (other than frightening).

[Gollevainen]

They were pics taken by some gonas (a word meaning a coscript near-end of his service) from one of our garrisons. They took them for fun but the pics leaked to internet and to our press. Our tabloids made huge fuzz out of this as they tought those guys were forced to wear those "gears" but it prooved out to be just for laughter...

[sumdud]

Does anyone have the performance and specs of the 35mm and 40mm AAA?

[The_Zergling]

Does anyone have the performance and specs of the 35mm and 40mm AAA?

What do you mean by specs? I'd expect that 35 and 40mm guns of different militaries would have different firing rates, rotation rates, targeting systems, etc.