Franken-AFVs

[cawest]

this might not be the best fit but I just found this image to day.

[pmulcahy11b]

Let me try something...get back to you tomorrow...

Well, I didn't find what I was looking for on my hard drives, but I did find this

https://euro-sd.com/2020/02/articles/16016/turret-options-for-8x8-combat-vehicles/

Which, among other things seems to say that most Western European, Canadian, US, Australian, Swedish, Finnish, and Kiwi 6x6 and 8x8 vehicles with a turret are designed to accept a wide variety of other turrets designed for other 6x6 and 8x8 turreted vehicles.

Not exactly what you were looking for, but useful information.

And let me try something else I just thought of... be back again tomorrow.

[Raellus]

MT-LB Plus...

Seems you can slap just about anything on top of an MT-LB. Both Russians and Ukrainians have been mounting all sorts of weapons that would have been widely available in the T2k timelines on the top decks of MT-LBs.

So far, I've seen:

ZU-23-2 (RU & UAF)
Vasilek auto-mortars (UAF)
MT-12 Rapira AT gun (UAF)

And, for a more modern timeline, a Turko-Ukrainian SEDAR remote weapon station (UAF)

Pics: Rapira at left, and Vasilek in armored barbette (improvised) at right.

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[CraigD6er]

I haven't found the turret ring diameter of the LAV-25 (but I haven't really searched for the info either) but according to one site I've visited a few times, the Bradley turret ring diameter is 150cm.
Does anyone have the the diameter for the LAV-25 so we can compare the two

Information source http://afvdb.50megs.com/
Specifically this page for the Bradley http://afvdb.50megs.com/usa/m3bradley.html#M3

Best I've got is that the Grizzly/Piranha 1 had a 1m turret ring. Whether this stayed the same as the vehicle design morphed to LAV-25 I can't tell.

https://scholars.wlu.ca/cgi/viewcontent.cgiarticle=1567&context=cmh

[Brit]

Possibly / probably not the info. required but this links to the What If modellers forum... and the theme is turret rings:

https://www.whatifmodellers.com/index.phptopic=32677.msg507093#msg507093

[Brit]

Okay here you go its M113/TS90

That really does look too much turret on too little a vehicle... but...

Go with me on this but the WWII Matilda tank turret to me works on the M113. I know I stuck one on one...

The WWII, etc, Stuart turret 'works' too...

[Vespers War]

Seems you can slap just about anything on top of an MT-LB. Both Russians and Ukrainians have been mounting all sorts of weapons that would have been widely available in the T2k timelines on the top decks of MT-LBs.

So far, I've seen:

ZU-23-2 (RU & UAF)
Vasilek auto-mortars (UAF)
MT-12 Rapira AT gun (UAF)

And, for a more modern timeline, a Turko-Ukrainian SEDAR remote weapon station (UAF)

Pics: Rapira at left, and Vasilek in armored barbette (improvised) at right.

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It's not all that surprising - the 2S1 Gvozdika self-propelled howitzer is on an MT-LBu chassis (7 roadwheels instead of 6). If a very slightly bigger variant can carry around a 122mm artillery gun and its ammunition, the MT-LB should be capable of carrying a fair bit of kit itself.

For the ZU-23-2 in particular, Iraq had two different versions of an MT-LB with ZU-23-2, one open mount for use as a SPAAG and one closed turreted mount for use as an infantry support vehicle.

The MT-LB is like a slightly more professional-looking technical - if it's at all possible to physically mount a particular weapon on it, someone has probably done so somewhere.

[Raellus]

Ukrainian Ark

Although not really an example an armored fighting vehicle per se, this thread seems to be the most appropriate place for it.

This UAF battlefield medical vehicle- which looks like it just rolled out of Damnation Alley- is based on a BTR-60 chassis but looks nothing like the original.

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/ukraines-post-apocalyptic-looking-ark-eyed-as-battlefield-medical-vehicle

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[Raellus]

From the Ukraine Weapons tracker Twitter account:

"An interesting Russian MT-LB variant was captured by the Ukrainian army in the vicinity of Vuhledar, #Donetsk Oblast - the APC was upgunned with a 2M-7 naval turret with 2 KPV 14.5mm heavy machine guns, originally intended to be installed on patrol boats and trawlers."

https://twitter.com/UAWeapons/status/1621590682849648644s=20&t=QKvbTAFvHQls0Ub9SBiG2A

That's a good amount of firepower for an APC, but the addition of the naval turret nearly doubles the height/profile of the MTLB.

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[kato13]

"An interesting Russian MT-LB variant was captured by the Ukrainian army in the vicinity of Vuhledar, #Donetsk Oblast - the APC was upgunned with a 2M-7 naval turret with 2 KPV 14.5mm heavy machine guns, originally intended to be installed on patrol boats and trawlers."
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MOUT (military operations in urban terrain) modification Gives you a higher inclination (I am assuming) in addition to higher volume of fire.

[Raellus]

MOUT (military operations in urban terrain) modification Gives you a higher inclination (I am assuming) in addition to higher volume of fire.

Good thought. The photo in the Tweet showed it on Ukraine's steppe, but that doesn't mean it isn't intended for MOUT.

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[Ursus Maior]

My money still is on "what was available". The vehicle seems to belong to one of the self-proclaimed proto-states in Donbas. They get the hand-me-downs Russia won't even give to it's mobilized troops.

[Raellus]

70 year-old armored tractor + 80 year-old naval guns =

https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidaxe/2023/03/04/desperate-russian-forces-are-adding-80-year-old-naval-guns-to-70-year-old-armored-tractors/sh=70c72160112c

"In early March, photos circulated online depicting MT-LBs with 2M-3 naval turrets welded to their roofs. The 2M-3 is two 25-millimeter auto-cannons, one atop the other in an enclosed casing. The 2M-3 made its debut in 1953."



This is an upgrade () on the modified MT-LB mentioned upthread. From the piece:

"The first of these weirdo MT-LBs started showing up in Ukraine last month. On or before Feb. 3, Ukrainian forces in Vuhledar captured from hapless Russian brigades a 13-ton, two-crew MT-LB sporting a 2M-7 gunboat turret.

The 2M-7 is an over-under pair of 14.5-millimeter machine guns behind a steel shield. It entered service with Soviet forces in 1945."

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[kato13]

The optimistic assumptions I have read about this particular conversion is that

• Perhaps 25mm Ammo is relatively plentiful in current stores (thought not manufactured since 1984)
• Increased elevation allows interception of drones (though ammo is not proximity fused)
• Up-gunned for urban warfare
• A feel good weapon for masses of cannon fodder (added in edit)

Or they are simply scraping the bottom of the barrel.

Edited ammo info after getting more information.

[Raellus]

Russian 25mm 2M-3M naval gun emplaced on a Russian ATS-59G artillery tractor.