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This is the picture that JoeD sent me recently. This is the text he sent with it.



Hi Bob,
Attached is a picture for Roy. It's a M1A1 AIM hub. The tank is a brand new rebuild drawn from Kuwait. Picture was taken today. BTW, they still use Turbo Shaft for hub oil.

Joe

Even though in real life the oil is only 3/4 or 1/2 way filled, I think in scale the hub looks all black. Take a look at normal distance photos of the hubs and I think one would agree. Thus, I think the DML clear part is not needed since in scale it is not really clear looking. Even here in extreme close-up it appears all black, albeit two slightly different shades of black.

Without "Googling", what exactly is the M1A1 AIM and it's purpose/application?

- Burik

Even though in real life the oil is only 3/4 or 1/2 way filled, I think in scale the hub looks all black. Take a look at normal distance photos of the hubs and I think one would agree. Thus, I think the DML clear part is not needed since in scale it is not really clear looking. Even here in extreme close-up it appears all black, albeit two slightly different shades of black.

Is that what this was all about I was just the relay point and didn't remember the discussion that this was in connction with.

Oh and sorry about Penn State today ( I assume you are a PSU alum with that logo.) What was the score Notre Dame 41 - Penn State 10?

Yes, Bob,I am a PSU grad and in one sense it was bad news. But mostly it was good. It is a long story, (neighbor QB'd ND to a national championship in '73 and my brother was coached by Digger Phelps to the Sweet 16 in '72 the year before he went to ND, and we are Catholic, and...) but I still am a much bigger ND fan than PSU.

It was not easy being an ND fan while I went to Penn State while Gerry Faust was at the helm.

GO IRISH!

Talk tanks boys and can the college football banter !!!

Hi Folks!

Super thanks to Joe D and Bob for the M1 road wheel picture.
Very interesting. It has been a few years sense I saw one with my own eyes. The clear hub is not as clear as I was thinking it was.

To Jeff!

- JeffStringer

what exactly is the M1A1 AIM and it's purpose/application?

By the time you get done reading what an AIM is, I think you will understand the purpose/application part of your question, so I will not address that for now.

What is a AIM version of the M1A1.
AIM stands for Abrams Integrated Management program.
The term AIM is another one of those new teck speak things because the old terms don't sound cool.

Bottom line, AIM is nothing more than a depot level major overhaul and rebuilding job where the vehicle is taken apart down to the last nut and bolt. Everything is cleaned, old paint blasted off, all of the old wiring is removed and then the vehicle is put back together with all applicable MWOs added on. Sense the factory is not building new tanks, this is how an old tank is able to remain in service. The last report I have says the AIM rebuild is producting an 18% deduction in operating and service cost for vehicles coming out of the depot vis vehicles that have not been rebuilt yet.

The Army would like to upgrade all of the Abrams fleet to A2 Sep standards. However the funding is not there to buy the items that make a vehicle an A2Sep. The AIM program adds those items required by a depot level work for a later upgrade to A2 status. Should the funding for the parts for the upgrade become available someday, those parts can be plugged in by a tank unit's direct support maintenace unit. That is rather that ship the vehicle back to the deport or wait until the vehicle has reached it's mileage point for turn in.

If that part it true, I wonder if the depot in Kuwait could or is removing A2 parts from any damaged vehicles that need to be returned to the states for repair. Taking those parts and intalling them on M-1A1 AIM vehicles, Returning that upgraded AIM as an A2 to the unit that lost it, while the damaged A2 returns to the states, is repaired and returned to the field as a M1A1 AIM?

If I remember right, the M-60A0 and M-60A1s should have been returned to a depot for overhaul and rebuild at 6,000 miles. It is something tanks have been doing sense the first ones.

Spot Report!
Sgt, Scouts Out!


MWO = Modification Work Order, tech speak for replacing old parts with newer designed parts and adding items not part of the original build.

Hi Roy,
Glad to help with the picture. I can't see how well the picture is but the cap is a shiney brand new one. If you were to mark a oil line in your kit (Which I agree with Burik in that from a distance it's all the same color) it has to be just below half to be accurate.
About shipping the parts to make an AIM an A2 SEP, well, it's a lot more to it than that. It couldn't be done locally by a DS shop. M1A1's are tanks with computerized systems. M1A2's are Computers's that are wrapped in tanks clothing. In theory anything can be done but it wouldn't be practical. The tanks are so different that in 03 when the first A2 SEP's showed up in Kuwait with the 4th ID there was no support packages on the ground to maintain them initially other than the FSB's which were still coming off the ships. Kuwait Dynamics was actually contracted to provide support and build a sync ramp for them at the screening range.

Joe D

- Joe_D

Hi Roy,
Glad to help with the picture. I can't see how well the picture is but the cap is a shiney brand new one. If you were to mark a oil line in your kit (Which I agree with Burik in that from a distance it's all the same color) it has to be just below half to be accurate.
About shipping the parts to make an AIM an A2 SEP, well, it's a lot more to it than that. It couldn't be done locally by a DS shop. M1A1's are tanks with computerized systems. M1A2's are Computers's that are wrapped in tanks clothing. In theory anything can be done but it wouldn't be practical. The tanks are so different that in 03 when the first A2 SEP's showed up in Kuwait with the 4th ID there was no support packages on the ground to maintain them initially other than the FSB's which were still coming off the ships. Kuwait Dynamics was actually contracted to provide support and build a sync ramp for them at the screening range.

Joe D

The picture posted in the group is everybit as good as the original you sent me (Hey you can trust me I was never a recruiter )
The oil line in the photo is just below 1/2 way in the hub.

Hi Joe! Hi Folks!

- Joe_D

Glad to help with the picture. I can't see how well the picture is but the cap is a shiney brand new one. If you were to mark a oil line in your kit (Which I agree with Burik in that from a distance it's all the same color) it has to be just below half to be accurate.

I think what I am remembering about the last time I saw a hub up close was back when the 3rd ACR was moving out of Ft. Bliss and up the Ft. Carson. I was walking along side of a train load of vehicles that have been setting for a few days. Many of those vehicles where new rebuilds that had just been issued. Seamed like the top was very clear with a very sharpe line where the oil level was. A vehicle that has been moving would have a layer of oil on the top part which would darken the hub and I would be bet from a distance of a few feet would look like the hub is full to the top.

- Joe_D

About swapping the parts to make an AIM an A2 SEP, well, it's a lot more to it than that. It couldn't be done locally by a DS shop. M1A1's are tanks with computerized systems. M1A2's are Computers's that are wrapped in tanks clothing. In theory anything can be done but it wouldn't be practical. The tanks are so different that in 03 when the first A2 SEP's showed up in Kuwait with the 4th ID there was no support packages on the ground to maintain them initially other than the FSB's which were still coming off the ships. Kuwait Dynamics was actually contracted to provide support and build a sync ramp for them at the screening range.

Hey, that's the kind of ideas an arm chair ex-spert gets from reading reports in newspapers and magazines. That's why we need you active guys to keep us ex-sperts on track.

Thanks for the photo. It looks good.
Sgt, Scouts Out!