M60A3 crews in training.
The first is practicing "hull down" firing and learning firing commands. They must have a new driver, because he's way to slow and you can hear the frustration in the commander's voice.
The second is "stabilization firing". The gunner locks the tank's main gun onto a target. The computer will track that target and keep the gun aimed at it while the tank is moving.
The gunner only has to make a final adjustment and then destroy the target. Practice ammunition is being used in both videos. Regular ammo would lift the 58 ton tank's front end almost 2 feet.
The dust cloud in the stabilization video would be much bigger and the tank would slow for a second when the main gun was fired.
It still brings back the memories and I can smell that tank in the video. If you know, you know. It's still the best job I ever had.