The caliber .50 Advanced Inbore Marksmanship Training Enhancement System for Tanks (AIMTEST), is manufactured by American Apex Corporation to provide high quality gunnery training at a cost that any organization can afford. AIMTEST is now available for all NATO standard 105mm or 120mm main tank guns. AIMTEST is designed to duplicate the ballistics of several types of standard tank ammunition in calibers 105mm and 120mm through the substitution of easily available cal. .50 ammunition types.

The trajectory of, cal. .50 SLAP-T, M962, (Saboted Light Armor Penetrator, Tracer) ammunition is an excellent match to 2000 meters, sufficient to exercise the tank crew with the standard half-scale or full-scale targets. 1500 meter capability can be achieved with the use of cal. .50 APIT, M20. Accuracy of AIMTEST will challenge the skills of the entire crew.

There is no compromise in the training standards for the crew. All functions performed during normal operational use of the tank must be performed with AIMTEST. The main gun electrical and manual firing circuits operates the firing mechanism of AIMTEST and all main gun safeties are operational. In addition, the range safety fan is reduced to 6700 meters. Noise of firing is reduced to small arms level because of the "muffling" effect of the long main gun tube. As a result, the crew is subjected to very low sound pressure levels. Both the range safety fan and noise levels are important in many countries due to restrictions being placed upon military activities in populated areas. Very realistic practice is achieved with vastly reduced costs.

AIMTEST is the best and most cost-effective means of training tank crews that is available in the world. It has all the characteristics that are sought after in military acquisition today, and will bridge the gap between simulators and live firing with 105/120mm practice ammunition. Acquisition and deployment of AIMTEST will permit armed forces to maintain operational readiness in areas where standard ammunition cannot be fired, and to retain forces, through reduced training costs, that would otherwise be lost to funding attrition. In this age of cost-conscious armed forces, AIMTEST is the right tool, at the right time.

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