Lets see how an Air Winger does building a Target. The last tank built was 20+ yrs ago and completed a few campaigns in the yard before being scraped. I purchased the Dragon M1A2 SEP kit. I also ordered the Tusk 1 upgrade set. Am I classified as losing my cherry(Again) as an Armor modeler? I have went on Primeportal and am using the material to help on the build. But I have questions that I cannot find answers for.
Questions:
1.what units operate the A2 with Tusk?
2.Are any units in Afgan or Iraq that used the A2 tusk & are decals available for those units?

I will be posting WIP pictures here very soon and will be asking lots of questions of the tank guys. I hope to get feedback from some of the Abrams crews that are here.

Thanks for the assistance.
Cheers & Semper Fi,
Jason

Hi Jason.

I will watch your build because i have something similar as project idea in the future, SEP with TUSK II.

Now some quote from Tankograd M1A1/M1A2 SEP Abrams TUSK publication.

"Currently the U.S. Army operates a fleet of some 560 M1 Abrams main battle tanks in Iraq. This fleet is a mix of different variants including M1A1 HA/HA+, M1A1 Heavy Common, M1A1 AIM (Abrams Integrated Management) and M1A2 SEP (System Enhancement Program). Until 2009 all these M1s will be fitted with TUSK. Different TUSK kits are available for the M1A1 variants and the M1A2 SEP."

This publication is great for the build because it has a lot of great pictures especially around the details. As i looked all pictures i didn't find any M1A2 SEP only with TUSK I. It appears that SEP comes with TUSK I + TUSK II. There is a lot of pictures of M1A1 with TUSK I only.

I am only referring to information provided by Tankograd publication.

but there is always google

M1A2 with TUSK I
http://images.ookaboo.com/photo/m/Mounted_Soldier_System_28MSS_29_m.jpg
http://www.militaryimages.net/photopost/showphoto.php/photo/52784

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

M1A2 SEP of the 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment with TUSK I and II, on a patrol in southern Baghdad in July 2008.

Some answers...

1. No, the USMC doesn't use the M1A2 at all. All their tanks are M1A1s.

2. TUSK can be added to any tank. It is a kit of bolt-on upgrades. Most units that went to Iraq in the later years had TUSK added to their tanks in Kuwait before going north, or in Baghdad once the new kits arrived in country. It is hard to say what unit had what, but 1st CAV or 4th ID are good bets to have it since both had M1A2 SEP tanks.

3. No Army tanks have been sent to A'stan, only one Company (14 tanks) from the USMC. These USMC tanks are M1A1 AIM tanks with partial TUSK I kits. For Iraq, see #2. Echelon has decals for M1A2 SEP tanks in Iraq.




There have been plenty of M1A2s with TUSK I on them. They are not limited to TUSK II. The reason you don't see them in the Tankograd book was that it was published before TUSK II was common.

Your best bet is to find a pic of a tank you like and model it. Like this, also from Iraq, unfortunately, I can't make out the bumper numbers for unit info.



Also, the M1A2 with TUSK II in the above post does not have a combo of TUSK I and TUSK II. It is simply TUSK II. The added pieces make it TUSK II.

Started work on my tank this weekend. The hull went together quickly and without to many problems. Had to look at pictures to verify details as I am not very tank savvy. I was speaking with a FAQ that worked with the Army & he told me they pad locked everything on their vehicles. I looked at the REF. Pics and noticed them. I will try to replicate this. I also did not like the PE chains used to keep track of locking pins so I made some out of thin copper wire. If you see anything that needs to be fixed please give a yell.




|:( I can already see what will be the bane of me building armor. Road Wheels and all the running gear. At least I do not have to run brake lines to every wheel . I do not know how you guys do this over and over again. I had 30+ wheels to clean and hated it.


And I had time to work on the turret. I was not happy when building the Alum barrel that DM did not give better instructions on lining up the keyway. I screwed this up and had to do some modifications to get the barrel installed correctly.


Thanks for looking.
Cheers & Semper Fi,
Jason

Looks like you are off to a good start.

Gentlemen thanks for all the help.
I have returned from vacation with my family in tow. I will now have to learn to model around these obligations since I have not had the family on the road with me in over a year.
I do have a question....what is the preferred color for Iraq &/or Afghan? I have access to lifecolor, Vallejo & some Tamiya.
Lots of retailers are having issues shipping non acrylic covers overseas.
Thanks for your assistance.
Cheers & Semper Fi,
Jason

looks great so far! Great base coat color as well. That'll look great if you chip the outer paint coat down to it while weathering. Can't wait to see more of your progress!

One small thing I'd mention before you get too far: The small square void on the upper left-hand side of the rear of the tank, next to the lifting ring shouldn't be there. It's an error by Dragon that has supposedly been filled in more recent moldings. A very easy fill/sand job.

As for the color, I've seen both NATO camo and full CARC sand schemes on Tusk tanks. I could be wrong here, but I think that the majority of A2 SEP variants with TUSK upgrades are fully painted with the more 'modern' monotonic sand color. Field-replaced parts (fenders, road wheels, etc) are often olive drab/NATO camo in color. But many of the A1 AIM/HC variant Tusks are a mix of paint schemes, with the NATO camo scheme on the tank itself, and the Tusk upgrades painted in CARC Sand.

If you decide on NATO camo, not sure what specific colors to use. For the CARC sand, Model Masters Sand (FS#33531) or Gunze Sangyo H313 acrylic are probably the most accurate to the official CARC color. But if you don't have access to them, VallejoAir Sand VAL075 is just as accurate. The acrylic Tamiya XF-59 Desert Yellow is a bit too yellow on its own, but I've heard you can tone it down with a bit of Tamiya XF-57 Buff and it will work well.

Best of luck!

For an M1A2 SEP w/TUSK, the only option is overall sand. The only M1A2 SEPs in NATO camo is 1 BN out of Korea and they have not deployed those tanks to Iraq. The Bn just got SEPs late last year. All SEPs that were used in Iraq were in sand.

Thanks Arty!

Thanks for the advice on colors Dustin. I have Vallejo Air Sand so I will go with that. I am still trying to figure out the square that needs to be filled .
Heavy Arty thanks for the correction of information passed.

Cheers & Semper Fi,
Jason

In the below pic, just below the first knuckle of your index finger, at the top of the back plate, there is a square indent. It shouldn't be there and needs to be filled in and brought flush with the rest of the rear plate.

Thanks for the Barney style directions I needed them. Does the weld bead continue over repair?

I also was looking at the Tusk upgrade and it has a blankoff plate for the CITV sight assembly. But looking at photos it looks like most tanks still have the CITV installed. Is this plate for the non modified A1s?

Cheers & Semper Fi,
Jason

Yes, the weld bead does continue across the filled in square.

For an M1A2 SEP, keep the CITV. The TUSK set will also fit on an M1A1 and the blaking plate is for building an M1A1 w/TUSK, not the M1A2 version.