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==Image Gallery==
 
==Image Gallery==
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Type-61-uc-hardgraph.jpg|M61A5 MBT on 1/35 UC HardGraph model kit's boxart
 
Type-61-uc-hardgraph.jpg|M61A5 MBT on 1/35 UC HardGraph model kit's boxart
 
Type61msigloo.jpg|The M61A5 MBT as seen in MS Igloo 2
 
Type61msigloo.jpg|The M61A5 MBT as seen in MS Igloo 2

Revision as of 02:34, 17 January 2017

Template:Infobox/Mobile Weapon Ver.2 The Type 61 or M61 main battle tank is a type of ground weapon in the anime series Mobile Suit Gundam. It was fielded by the Earth Federation in U.C.0061 and saw service up until at least U.C. 0079. The Type 61 tank featured dual 150mm cannons and a 12.7mm machine gun, as well as eight smoke dispensers. There were also a wide selection of variants made for transport and troop deployment.

Technology & Combat Characteristics

The tank in many ways follows the traditional layout defined centuries ago, with the notable exception of having twin main guns. An automatic loader is located at the bottom of the turret basket to feed both guns, with turret crew compartment on top of that loader. Turret crew in baseline models includes a gunner and a commander, who are cut off from the driver's compartment in the forward hull by the autoloader. Minimal close-in defenses against infantry or aircraft are primarily provided by a 12.7mm machine gun mounted on the commander's cupola; the stowage basket at the turret's rear can serve as a platform for another 7.62mm machine gun, but a crewman must exit the tank altogether to operate that second machine gun, or alternatively another personnel outside of the tank's crew complement (an accompanying infantryman, for example) can man the platform.

After the Zeon forces introduced the Zaku as a mainstay war machine in the One Year War, the Type 61 acquired a reputation of obsolescence, as Minovsky interference heavily undermined the tank's tactical communication abilities and also reduced its observation and targeting capabilities to line-of-sight optics. Another disadvantage was that mobile suits, being highly agile humanoid robots, could outmaneuver the slow-moving tanks at close distances and dodge tank rounds with ease, as well as attacking the tank from the top, whereas the tank lacks enough gun elevation to hit critical parts of the mobile suit at close range.

Armaments

  • 150/155mm Smoothbore Cannon
In (almost single-minded) pursue of firepower against armored opponents, this tank is initially armed with two massive 150mm cannons in its turret. These guns are aimed and fired by the tank's gunner (although conceivably the commander can take over in case the gunner should be incapacitated) and fed via an autoloader (by necessity due to the lack of any gun loader in the crew complement) at the bottom of the turret basket. This weapon is apparently capable of indirect barrage-fire for increased range, allowing the tank to function as a mobile field artillery of sorts.
Mounting two guns, however, necessitates a large turret ring, which sticks out of the tank's upper hull sides like a sore thumb, a vulnerability that can be exploited by a flanking enemy.
The upgraded A5 version has these guns replaced by a pair of more-powerful 155mm weapons, which along with other additional equipments lead to an unfortunate consequence of turret crew being reduced to just the tank commander, who now must be distracted with the burden of operating the main guns.  This undermines the commander's normal contribution to the tank's situational awareness.
  • 12.7mm Machine Gun
A heavy machine gun is mounted on the tank commander's cupola.  As the tank apparently lacks any co-axial machine gun in the turret, this weapon is often its only mean (another 7.62mm machine gun can be added to the turret rear) of providing close-in protection against enemy infantry attempting to assault the tank and, to a very limited extent, aircraft.  Unfortunately, the gun mount appears to be a simple pintle mount that requires the tank commander to expose him/herself to the outside to operate.

Special Equipment & Features

  • Smoke Dischargers
Four simple, mortar-like grenade launchers are mounted on each flank of the tank's turret. These special grenades can generate smokes upon detonation mid-air to conceal the tank from its opponent's line of sight. Also, it could be used as a mean to communicate with allies.

History

After Zeon initiated their Earth Drop Operation in March U.C.0079, Type 61s soon began to become the norm for protecting ground transports from attacks by the Magella Attack Tanks and were crucial in the Capture of Odessa and Defense at Jaburo where the Federation armor took most of the burden. Type 61 was one of the most heavily deployed military hardware in the One Year War, and also among the greatest casualties. While their battlefield anti-MS performance seems to be greatly lacking, improper tactics that negated the advantages of traditional tanks can often arguably be blamed for such heavy losses. While massive as a tank, they have a much-smaller frontal visual projection than mobile suits and can therefore be easily camouflaged for ambush operations. Concentrated firepower from larger tank formations can be very effective in suppressing enemy positions (as evident in the Odessa Campaign), complicating enemy reactions and consequently making it easier to exploit the range of the tank guns with even degraded fire control. The tank's smaller size is also an advantage in hit-and-run missions, especially on harassing raid on Zeon supply depots (which are often undermanned in defense), or between the tight, narrow streets of urban warfare. Before the formal introduction of Federation's RGM-79 GM mobile suits, Type 61s were Federation's backbone of resistance in their bitter 9-month stalemate against the Principality of Zeon.

In the strategy games series Gihren's Greed, the Type 61 functions as the Earth Federation Forces' only ground unit until the Project V is completed. As in the series, the Type 61s are no match for mobile suits in equal numbers. However, because they take up much fewer resources than mobile suits, it is possible to recapture large areas of Earth territory from Zeon by the sheer weight of numbers. Needless to say, when in the war's focus shifts into space, the Type 61's importance become moot (though the RB-79 Balls perform a similar function spacewise).

Variants & Upgrades

Type 61 "M61A5 MBT"

A variant was shown in the MS IGLOO 2 — the M61A5 MBT aka Type 61 5+. The main dual cannons are upgraded to 155 mm caliber smoothbore capable of firing a variety of ammunition including but not limited to APFSDS, flash-and-concussion round, and HEI. Side skirt armor and tool box can also be installed as optional equipment on the tank. The M61A5 includes equipments considered to be state-of-the-art to the Federation at the time of Type 61's rollout, including autoloader and satellite data link system. As a result the total crew number is reduced to two only - a driver and a tank commander, of which the latter must now function as the gunner as well.

Image Gallery

References


External links


Mobile Suit Gundam Mechanics
edit
Earth Federation Forces
Mobile Weapon
Mobile Suit
RGM-79 GM | RX-75-4 Guntank | RX-77-2 Guncannon | RX-78-2 Gundam | RX-78-2 Gundam + B-Parts
Mobile Pod
RB-79 Ball

Land Vehicle
Anti-Zaku Tank | Missile Buggy | Missile Car | Type 61 Tank | Vulcan Armored Car
Land Battleship
Big Tray-class
Ship
Himalaya-class
Aircraft / Spacecraft
Depp Rog | Dish | Don Escargot | Dragonfly | Fanfan | FF-4 Toriares | FF-X7 Core Fighter | FF-X7-Bst Core Booster | Flyarrow | Fly Manta | G-Armor | G-Bull | G-Bull Easy | G-Fighter | G-Sky | G-Sky Easy | Public-class | Space Launch
Transporter / Supply Ship
Columbus-class | Gunperry | Medea
Cruiser / Mother Ship
Magellan-class | Pegasus-class | Salamis-class | SCV-70 White Base | Trafalgar-class
Super Weapon
Solar System
Principality of Zeon
Mobile Weapon
Mobile Suit
MS-05B Zaku I | MS-06 Zaku II | MS-06F Zaku II | MS-06J Zaku II Ground Type | MS-06S Zaku II Commander Type | MS-07B Gouf | MS-09B Dom | MS-09R Rick Dom | MS-14A Gelgoog | MS-14S Gelgoog Commander Type | MSM-03 Gogg | MSM-04 Acguy | MSM-07 Z'Gok | MSM-07S Z'Gok Commander Type | MSM-10 Zock | MSN-02 Zeong | YMS-15 Gyan
Mobile Armor
MA-04X Zakrello | MA-05 Bigro | MA-08 Big Zam | MAM-07 Grublo | MAN-03 Braw Bro | MAN-08 Elmeth | MAX-03 Adzam

Land Vehicle
Cui | Magella Attack | Samson
Land Battleship
Dobday-class | Gallop-class
Ship / Submarine
Jukon-class | Mad Angler-class | Prober-class | Sealance
Aircraft / Spacecraft
Dodai YS | Dopp | Gattle | Jicco-class | Commu | Luggun | PVN.4/3 Wappa | Sodon | Zeon Space Launch
Transporter / Supply Ship
Fat Uncle | Komusai | Papua-class | Pazock-class
Cruiser / Mother Ship
Chivvay-class | Dolos-class | Gaw | Gwazine-class | Musai-class | Zanzibar-class
Super Weapon
Solar Ray
Civilians
Mobile Weapon
Mobile Suit
MS-06J Zaku II Ground Type

Aircraft / Spacecraft
Space Boat "Hulke" | Towing Ship | TV Space Boat


MS IGLOO Mechanics
edit
Principality of Zeon
Mobile Weapon
Mobile Suit
EMS-10 Zudah | GM Camouf | MS-05B Zaku I | MS-06F Zaku II (Propellant Unit) | MS-06C Zaku II Early Production Type | MS-06F Zaku II | MS-06J Zaku II Ground Type | MS-06JC Zaku II | MS-06M Zaku Marine Type | MS-06S Zaku II Patrol Type | MS-09R Rick Dom | MS-14 Gelgoog | MSM-07Di Ze'Gok
Mobile Armor
MA-05Ad Big Rang
Mobile Tank
YMT-05 Hildolfr
Mobile Pod
MP-02A Oggo

Aircraft / Spacecraft
Observation Shuttle | OP-02c Observation Pod | YOP-04 Balor
Support Weapon
QEX-04M Aegir
Transporter / Supply Ship
H.L.V. | HOTOL | Jotunheim | Komusai | Muspelheim | Papua-class
Cruiser / Mother Ship
Chivvay-class | Dolos-class | Gaw | Gwazine-class | Musai-class
Super Weapon
QCX-76A Jormungand
Earth Federation
Mobile Weapon
Mobile Suit
MS-06J Zaku II Ground Type | MS-06JC Zaku II | RGM-79 GM | RGM-79C GM Type C
Mobile Pod
RB-79 Ball | RB-79K Ball Type K | RB-79N Fisheye

Land Vehicle
Type 61 Tank
Submarine
Jukon-class
Aircraft / Spacecraft
FF-X7-Bst-II Core Booster II Intercept Type
Transporter / Supply Ship
Columbus-class
Cruiser / Mother Ship
Magellan-class | Salamis-class


MS IGLOO 2 Mechanics
edit
Earth Federation
Mobile Weapon
Mobile Suit
RGM-79[G] GM Ground Type | RTX-440 Ground Assault Type Guntank

Support Weapon
M-101A3 Regina
Land Vehicle
6×6 Cargo Truck | M353A4 Bloodhound | M72 Lakota | M61A5 MBT
Land Battleship
Big Tray-class | Heavy Fork-class
Aircraft / Spacecraft
Dragonfly | FF-X7 Core Fighter
Cruiser
Salamis-class
Principality of Zeon
Mobile Weapon
Mobile Suit
MS-05B Zaku I | MS-06J Zaku II Ground Type | MS-07B-3 Gouf Custom | MS-09B Dom

Land Vehicle
B.M.C. Z78/2 | Magella Attack | Magella Eins | PVN.3/2 Sauropelta | PVN.44/1 Weasel | Russel 1/12 Zebu
Land Battleship
Dobday-class
Aircraft
Dopp | PVN.4/3 Wappa
Transporter / Supply Ship
H.L.V. | Komusai | Papua-class
Cruiser / Mother Ship
Gaw | Musai-class


The 08th MS Team Mechanics
edit
Earth Federation Forces
Mobile Weapon
Mobile Suit
RGM-79[E] GM Early Type | RGM-79[G] GM Ground Type | RGM-79[G] GM Sniper | RX-75 Berge Guntank | RX-75 Guntank Mass Production Type | RX-79[G] Gundam Ground Type | RX-79[G]Ez-8 Gundam Ez8
Mobile Pod
RB-79K Ball Type K

Land Vehicle
Hover Cargo Truck | M61A5 MBT | Hover Truck
Land Battleship
Big Tray-class
Ship
Jungle Boat
Aircraft / Spacecraft
Dish | Fanfan | FF-6 TIN Cod | Jet Core Booster
Transporter / Supply Ship
Gunperry | Medea | Cargo Ship
Cruiser / Mother Ship
Magellan-class | Salamis-class
Principality of Zeon
Mobile Weapon
Mobile Suit
MS-05B Zaku I | MS-06F Zaku II | MS-06JC Zaku II | MS-06K Zaku Cannon | MS-06RD-4 Zaku High Mobility Test Type | MS-06V Zaku Tank | MS-07B-3 Gouf Custom | MS-07H-8 Gouf Flight Type | MS-09B Dom | MS-14A Gelgoog | MSM-03 Gogg | MSM-04 Acguy
Mobile Armor
Apsaras I | Apsaras II | Apsaras III

Land Vehicle
Armored Vehicle | Magella Attack
Ship / Submarine
Jukon-class | Mad Angler-class | Sealance
Aircraft / Spacecraft
Cui | Dodai II | Dopp | Gunship Heli | Luggun
Transporter / Supply Ship
Dora | Komusai
Cruiser / Mother Ship
Gaw | Musai-class | Zanzibar-class