MacCaulay
Banned
...so I've been doing research for Soviet Invasion of Iran, 1981, and that's required some reading up on the Chieftain Main Battle Tank and it's strengths, weaknesses, capabilities, etc.
But one of the things that was very interesting was the following passage in Osprey's Chieftain Main Battle Tank 1965-2003:
The Foreign Office decided to rescind the deal with the Israelis and in a stunning display of realpolitick ended up selling the tank not only to Libya but to Iran. The Iranian models (the Shir Iran modification would later become the Challenger 1) ended up being in the service of Jordan.
I just felt like throwing this out there. Israel basically could've had an indigenous armoured force in time for the Yom Kippur War in '73, one which would've added to the strength they had in Centurions and M-60s as far as up to date MBTs go.
Also, the Israeli Merkava MBT is very much an independent design. This would put the Israelis firmly in the British camp of tank design. That's not bad, but it's a bit different from where they are now. Though it would be kind of neat to see a Chieftain rolling into Lebanon in '82 fitted with Blazer.
But I just thought I'd throw this out there for folks to mull over.
But one of the things that was very interesting was the following passage in Osprey's Chieftain Main Battle Tank 1965-2003:
Right before the Six Day War in '67, the British Foreign Office asked the Israelis to withdraw the two Chieftains they had for testing away from the border with Egypt. The Israelis replied a few days later that "we have moved the borders."In the same month [April 1966], a delegation from the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) arrived in Britain to study the Chieftain. For years the IDF had been forced to acquire tanks from a wide variety of sources, be they East or West. As a result, the Israeli Armoured Corps was determined to produce its own battle tank, following a decision in February 1964, so as to ensure a continuity of supply. At first the Israelis wished to assemble the French AMX-30 tank in Israel as, hitherto, the French had been the most reliable supplier of weapons to Israel from the West. The intention was for Israelis to assemble the chassis locally with the turrets being imported from France. By this time the Centurion was in widespread service with the IDF and the Israeli Armoured Corps, under the dynamic leadership of Major General Israel Tal, was more inclined to the British school of tank design rather than the French belief in high mobility at the expense of armour protection. After protracted discussions, while the Foreign and Commonwealth Office dithered for fear of offending Arab opinion, the British agreed to sell Chieftain to the IDF including setting up a production line in Israel. Initially, the the tanks would be assembled in Israel from kits supplied from Britain before full production was undertaken in the country. In return, the Israelis agreed to share development costs and provide their particular expertise ni operating tanks in desert conditions.
The Foreign Office decided to rescind the deal with the Israelis and in a stunning display of realpolitick ended up selling the tank not only to Libya but to Iran. The Iranian models (the Shir Iran modification would later become the Challenger 1) ended up being in the service of Jordan.
I just felt like throwing this out there. Israel basically could've had an indigenous armoured force in time for the Yom Kippur War in '73, one which would've added to the strength they had in Centurions and M-60s as far as up to date MBTs go.
Also, the Israeli Merkava MBT is very much an independent design. This would put the Israelis firmly in the British camp of tank design. That's not bad, but it's a bit different from where they are now. Though it would be kind of neat to see a Chieftain rolling into Lebanon in '82 fitted with Blazer.
But I just thought I'd throw this out there for folks to mull over.