Excellent - also interesting to know that the Philippines when they decommissioned their scorpions they also fitted the turrets to their M113's not sure still in service but definitely were in 2019
The markings/decals on this kit are incorrect. The vehicles tactical sign would be a triangle, point down not a square as they were only used in the reconaissance role in the medum reconaissnce regt and the Armoured Centre. The tactical sign for a recon regt is the point down triangle. I can't for sure recall the Armoured Centre marking but I wanna say they also used the recon triangle. Recon regiments that used the MRV included 2 Cav (regular army), 3/9 SAMR (South Australian Mounted Rifles), 12/16 Hunter River Lancers and possibly other ARes (Army Reserve) regiments/squadrons. The callsigns for these vehicles in would be: 11A, 11B, 12A, 12B, 13A, 13B - A Squadron 21A, 21B, 22A, 22B, 23A, 23B - B Squadron 31A, 31B, 32A, 32B, 33A, 33B - C Squadron The first digit denotes the squadron, the second digit is the troop, and the alphabetic character the vehicle's position within the troop. So 22B is the troop corporal's vehicle in 2 Troop B Squadron. The other callsigns in troop are as follows, I'll use 2 Troop B Squadron as that was my squadron. 22 LRV - Troop Leader 22A MRV - Troop Seargent 22B MRV - Troop Corporal 22C LRV - L/Cpl or senior Digger 22D APC L/Cpl or senior Digger - this vehicle carried a the Assault Section. There was no difference between an LRV and an APC other than role. In the early days of the M113AS1 the APC carried two .30 cal MGs in the T-50 Turret, and the LRV carried a .30 and a .50 in the turrent, but in the later years the APC and the LRV both carried the .30/.50 combo. 22E - The Assault Section's callsign, mainly used when dismounted. Assault Troopers ("Salties" or "Veggies") were RAAC troopers and NCOs trained in a disomount role. The Assault Section was led by a corporal with a lance corporal 2IC. Assault Secions were/are mainly used for dismounted reconaissance but could also act in an infantry or assault pioneer capacity. Every Sabre (Recon) troop had an Assault Section (on paper) and each squadron had an Assault Troop ( 3 assault sections and a HQ elelment), again on paper, so in theory every Medium Recon Squadron had the equivilant of two infantry platoons.
Yes, nice, however when I spent time at the Armoured Center at Pucka, I drove bothe the old Saladin Turret 'bucket' and the 1st derivitive of the Saracen Turret 'bucket', bother were a bloody nightmare, lack of crew sace in the turret, and as for driving them , lets just say they waddled around, care not to roll them was needed. But this kit is welcome
