M1A1/A2 전차들의 시가전 전투력 증강 킷트인 TUSK (Tank Urban Survival Kit)가 곧 실전투입될 것이라는 내용입니다.

1차적으로 565개의 킷트가 도입될 예정이고, 현재 발전형인 TUSK II/III도 개발중에 있다고 합니다.
전차 1대분 킷트의 비용은 40만 달러라는군요.


U.S. To Add Survivability Gear To Tanks

By MICHELLE TAN, FORT KNOX, KY.


The U.S. Army will field its tank urban survivability kit in Iraq this summer, outfitting the M1A1 and M1A2 Abrams with additions such as reactive armor, belly armor, thermal sights for the loader and a second .50-caliber machine gun.
The package, known as TUSK, was on display at the 2007 Armor Warfighting Conference April 29 to May 3 here.
“The guys can’t wait,” said Capt. David Centeno, assistant product manager of the TUSK program. “They need this stuff. Every time I go [to Iraq] they ask, ‘When will we get it?’”
Centeno, fresh off a recent trip to Iraq, will return in July to coordinate the fielding of the kits, which will begin in earnest in September, he said. In all, 565 kits will be sent to Iraq over a year.
“The goal is by fall next year, all tanks will be fitted with TUSK,” Centeno said.

Each tank urban survivability kit costs about $400,000, and includes:
• A .50-caliber machine gun mounted on the main gun, giving the crew the ability to shoot back at snipers without leaving the protection of the tank.
The .50-cal will slew with the main gun’s system, and because it’s mounted on the main gun, will be able to shoot single shots more accurately.
A second .50-caliber on the Abrams isn’t new, Centeno said. About 130 systems have already been sent into theater, but putting one in the TUSK will ensure every Abrams in theater has one, he said.
• Belly armor made from shaped aluminum to divert the blast of improvised explosive devices. The belly armor weighs 3,000 pounds and can be installed in two hours.
• Reactive armor tiles to provide side protection. The tiles are already being used in theater on Bradley Fighting Vehicles.
• A tank infantry phone to allow dismounted troops to communicate with the tank crew. The phone will be on the rear right side of the tank.
• Thermal weapon sights for the loader, giving him night vision capability.
The loader also will have a mounted display on his helmet, allowing him to use the system from anywhere in the tank.
• Gun shields made from armored glass and steel for the loader, providing him with protection without compromising his ability to see his target.
• A driver’s vision enhancer, or DVE, which will improve the driver’s thermal night and all-weather vision.
• Remote thermal sights for the tank commander, allowing him to engage targets without opening his hatch. This addition is only for the M1A1.
• A power distribution box to provide power feeds with proper circuit protection to the different pieces of the TUSK package.
The entire kit can be added to a tank in 12 hours, Centeno said, minimizing the time tanks spend offline.
“You have to remember, when we do field this, we’re taking a tank off the battlefield,” he said.
Centeno plans to spend one day outfitting the tanks and another day training the crew on the new additions.
As the Army begins fielding TUSK, work continues on TUSK II, which will include a rear-view camera for the driver.

Centeno said he hopes to field the cameras in May or June 2008. A similar camera also is in the works for the Bradley armored vehicle.
Also part of TUSK II are 360-degree barriers to protect the tank commander and the loader.

TUSK III is in the works and could include remote-operated weapons systems. Testing is under way to determine which system would work best for the Abrams, Centeno said.
“The tank was not designed to do what it’s doing now in Iraq,” Centeno said. “You take this massive tank and put it in the middle of a city, now you have to design something to enable it to survive and still do its mission in a city.”