Army Still Testing Ripsaw, the ‘Luxury Super Tank’

[rangerrebew]

Army Still Testing Ripsaw, the ‘Luxury Super Tank’


Posted By: Brendan McGarry March 21, 2017

The U.S. Army continues to test a lightweight tracked vehicle known as Ripsaw that’s now being pitched to the consumer market as a “luxury super tank.”

A handful of the Ripsaw Extreme Vehicle 2, or EV2, products made by Howe and Howe Technologies Inc., based in Waterboro, Maine, are undergoing evaluations at Picatinny Arsenal in New Jersey to assess how they could be used in future combat operations. Indeed, on Tuesday, Maj. Gen. Cedric T. Wins, head of the U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command, rode in one of the vehicles with a driver as part of a demonstration.

https://www.defensetech.org/2017/03/21/army-testing-ripsaw-super-tank/

[thackney]

Treads do not make it a tank.

No armor.

No main gun.

So it’s really more of a tracked DeLorean than a tank (see picture below).

[Idaho_Cowboy]

Treads do not make it a tank.

No armor.

No main gun.

Very cool looking though. Looks like something from the old GI Joe cartoons.

[geronl]

Very cool looking though. Looks like something from the old GI Joe cartoons.

so true

[Doug Loss]

Treads do not make it a tank.

No armor.

No main gun.

As I recall from the early development of the ripsaw, it was intended to be a remotely-operated vehicle, operating as flankers or points for convoys.  As such it could be armed and only armored around critical components (engine, magazine, etc.).  I don't know if that concept carried through to the final product, but if so it could still be a militarily-useful vehicle.

[geronl]

As I recall from the early development of the ripsaw, it was intended to be a remotely-operated vehicle, operating as flankers or points for convoys.  As such it could be armed and only armored around critical components (engine, magazine, etc.).  I don't know if that concept carried through to the final product, but if so it could still be a militarily-useful vehicle.

I don't think an RC vehicle would have windows and windshield wipers.

[Doug Loss]

I don't think an RC vehicle would have windows and windshield wipers.

As I said, early development.  Plus, if you read the article on defensetech.org it actually says that it was originally designed to be unmanned.