Kris sends
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You Never Know Where They’ll Show Up
Kris sends
MBT-70 / KampfPz 70 in that 2nd photo….nice!
miclo18d,
You know your tanks! Especially since neither version even went into production. As I recall, when the joint program died, the Germans went on to the Leopard 1 and we developed the M1 Abrams instead. I built a model of the “futuristic” MBT 70 when I was in High School in the early 70s.
I believe I saw most – if not all – of these at the Armor Museum at Fort Knox some years ago. I am guessing this is the Sand Hill area of Fort Benning. That is where almost all of the displays were moved to when the Armor School transitioned to Benning. Hopefully to be put on display to the pubic again someday soon.
TLB
The one at Fort Benning is the XM 803 prototype and doesn’t have the “reactive armor” (there may be 2 at Fort Benning)
This one has been moved around from Aberdeen and now…Fort Lee?
(Also, I play World of Tanks Blitz and I have the Kampfpanzer70, German versión of the MBT70) 😉
Cool! I’ve never been to Fort Lee or Aberdeen – so I am not sure what they have or had. The first picture looked like Benning (Sand Hill) to me. You pass an old(er) motorpool turned storage lot as you drive into the area. But if this is Fort Lee or elsewhere, I stand corrected.
TLB
I do have a lot of older Armor related reference books – Hunnicutt’s encyclopedic volume on the Sherman tank for example – with pictures of the extensive vehicle collection on display at Aberdeen. Come to think of it, I probably should put a visit there onto my bucket list.
TLB
The tanks pictured are near Harmony Church at Benning (over by ABOLC), if I remember right they were/are getting repainted. The bulk of the collection is over at Sand Hill in a yard where you can see alot of historical armor. Its pretty cool to be able to walk around that stuff and touch it vs just reading about it!
Thanks for the confirmation. It does look like Benning, but I’ve been wrong too Amy times…..
Hi! Just a little add: After the MBT70 Project, Germany build the Leopard 2 from it, not the Leopard 1 🙂
….. i need these patch to germany!
What is going on at Fort Knox these days?
i was born in the Ireland Army hospital but haven’t been down there lately – it was in a sad state during the Clinton admin.
Wait…that one is SN 6, RN 09A00668, where is it now located? Fort Lee?
Aberdeen collection was supposed to move to Ft Lee, but I haven’t been by in several years to check out how it went.
Aberdeen’s collection was outdoors and poorly maintained, which was disheartening, but I spotted something from my childhood tucked in a non-display area:
http://www.primeportal.net/tanks/david_lueck/rdf_lt/
The AAI Rapid Deployment Force/Light Tank, which is by all visual cues the basis for the 1985 GI Joe Mauler tank, which I would love to see restored and displayed as an example of “art” imitating life: it was my toy version of Jayne’s “Vera” from Firefly.
The American Armored Foundation (Tank Museum) in Danville VA isn’t too far from Ft Lee, and a must visit for Armor enthusiasts.
My favorites include the last surviving Syrian Panzer IV from the 1967 War, one of the only 4 surviving American 6 Ton M1917 tanks (1st American tank, 1st tank with standard configuration), and the only civilian-owned “pseudo-Bradley” pieced together out of a soft steel prototype hull with a prototype turret placed on it.
I was reading Clancy’s “Armored Cav” when recruited, and ended up at Bliss during the ADA years; no 3rd ACR, no 1st Armored, kinda weak for the kid within…
I love the reference to GI JOE! I wish we had GI JOE these days to influence our younger generation to serve. I credit the toys/cartoon/comic to my service.
Go Joe!
Thanks for that website! That’s a great resource!
It is also Twilight:2000’s LAV-75. And the aforementioned MBT70 is the GI Joe MOBAT. And a hybrid of the FMC XR311 and Lamborghini Cheetah/LM002 is the VAMP.
And knowing is half the battle….