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DemolitionMan

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Perhaps because:

1. They didn't want some artilleryman to try to use them as quasi tanks; and

2. Because they only carry, what 2 or so HEAT rounds, that the additional cost of including one and bore sighting it, etc. wasn't worth it for the once in a lifetime requirement to use it in anger (after all down the barrel is probably fine for lobbing HE at a building or some such).

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WRT #1, there's basically two possible conclusions:

  1. They need to train direct engagements a lot more, or
  2. Why not admit that you can't fight dedicated AFVs with any reasonable chance of success, and skip that part of the training entirely

Seriously, the M109 has only minimal protection anyway (against artillery fragments), there's lots of ammo and propellant stored inside, so as an attacker you don't need much to blow them up once that you are in direct fire range.

The statement of the crew was that they are doing this rarely because it's dangerous (to themselves, I presume). I bet they don't have a simulator for this. Well, that's preparation for failure by my book. They don't have adequate sights, they don't have means to simulate these engagements. If they seriously want to defend themselves with direct fire and expect the need to do so, this must be trained a lot more because in order to do it successfully with these pitiful means requires A LOT of skill, which doesn't come over night.

What I've seen in this video was just a waste of time, ammo, and taxpayer dollars. Lipservice paid to the task of self defense when the leadership clearly demonstrates that they don't expect it to ever happen. That's legitimate (for some it may appear to be a tad optimistic) - but then be honest enough about it and tell the crews that should they ever be surprised by enemy armor, and be it measly BRDMs, they better haul ass and run for cover.

Even discounting the artificialities of live fire exercises, the direct fire gunnery skills demonstrated in this video were so poor that they could at best scare an inexperienced crew, or purely rely on nothing but luck. Even a "measly" 12.7mm HMG at 800m range will wreak havoc if it ever managed to get in range.

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