- Yes
- No
Description: During Operation ITALCON IBIS 2 (the deployment of Italian troops during the Somali Civil War started in 1991), the Italian army decided to deploy an armored unit equipped with a total of 10 M60A1s from the Ariete division to support the Italian soldiers and light vehicles. In 1993, after various fights against the Somali rebels, the Italian army noticed that the main threat to be faced were the RPG rokets. And so the Italian army started to upgrade its vehicles with various kits of reactive protection armor, like, for example, the one seen on the Centauro Romor. But for the M60A1, the Italian army preferred to ask the American army, which had already performed an upgrade with ERA for their M60 in the RISE/passive project. At this time, the 10 Italian M60A1 were waiting in Italy for the final decision. The Italian army decided then to lease from the USA 10 already upgraded tanks that were put on reserve some years ago. The 10 M60A1 Rise arrived in the Italian city of Livorno in the same year and were later enbarked on an Italian transport ship used to transport supplies for the Italian troops in Somalia. The tanks were assigned to 9° Company Ghibli of the 132° Ariete armored brigade. In the Somali civil war, they didn’t see much action, but they were used multiple times alongside the Centauro ROMOR and Iveco Lince. After the end of the war, the tanks returned to the American Army, which later transferred them to another nearby armored unit. Sadly, it wasn’t possible to take any of these tanks to Italy as museum pieces, and the only thing that remains of them is some pictures taken by the crew.
Why it should be in game: It could givr to the Italian tt a new m60 that could go to the main line
Specifications
Sources
Riepilogo
M60A1 RISE/Passive
105mm Gun Tank M60 - Tank Encyclopedia
Storia Militare Debriefing N16° “Il carro armato M60”
Pictures
Riepilogo
