US Ground Surveillance Radar

pvt64 · Post by **pvt64** » Thu Mar 21, 2019 8:08 pm

Gents,
Any suggestions for what to use for a set of Modern US infantry with a ground surveillance radar in 6MM? Suitable for the 1980s.

redleg · Post by **redleg** » Fri Mar 22, 2019 4:33 am

I don't know jack about ground surveillance radars, but from Google it looks like they are a tall tripod with a small, flat screen on top. If this is indeed the case, could you use a heavy mortar as a starting point and then attach a flat bit to the top? There is a mortar in the Vietnam US Heavy Weapons pack. Or could you scratch build one using small brass rod with a piece of styrene on top?

What is the nomenclature for the radar from the 80s?

mike robel · Post by **mike robel** » Fri Mar 22, 2019 6:18 am

AN/PVS-5B and 7 I think.

panzergator · Post by **panzergator** » Fri Mar 22, 2019 7:00 am

Carried on 2 or 3 M113s assigned to Combat Support Company, I believe, in H series TOE.

mike robel · Post by **mike robel** » Fri Mar 22, 2019 7:11 am

My Cav Troop had two in 2 M113s. Troop CO stole one to use as his track, since he only had a jeep.

redleg · Post by **redleg** » Fri Mar 22, 2019 7:20 am

AN/PPS-5 GSR. This thing?

I wouldn't think it would be too hard to scratch build, at least in a dismounted role. Were they mounted on the M113s or did you just use the tracks to transport them?

redleg · Post by **redleg** » Fri Mar 22, 2019 7:47 am

Speaking of nomenclature, I just remembered that I had this. I still have my cargo pocket battle book from when I was a battalion FSO and I had this in there. I photocopied it from one of those monthly Preventive Maintenance magazines that they used to send out with the cartoon characters in them doing maintenance.

This guide will help in understanding what the alphabet soup means in equipment nomenclature.

panzergator · Post by **panzergator** » Fri Mar 22, 2019 9:57 am

The M113s were used to carry them. Not mounted. The FAR tracks were often do-opted for other uses in ca V troops, but that didn't happen in the tank and I was in, at least (3).

pvt64 · Post by **pvt64** » Sat Mar 23, 2019 12:13 am

Redleg,
I'm afraid that I do not know. I'm converting rules systems to the modern adaption of the Battlefront WWII rules and one of the unit cards for American Mechanized Infantry is a ground surveillance radar. No picture of it on the card. To be honest I had never heard of the system at all before these rules. In the Marines we were not so high tech in the 80s:)

mike robel · Post by **mike robel** » Sat Mar 23, 2019 2:11 am

@Redleg, that's the thing.

@panzergater, we rigged up a mount in the back for the radar to protrude through the cargo hatch.

panzergator · Post by **panzergator** » Sat Mar 23, 2019 5:22 am

I figured GO ingenuity would prevail. I never saw any rig, but if there was an easier way, an American GI would find it.