The U.S. Army announced this week it will field a fleet of new armored fighting vehicles to a branch of the Montana National Guard, a move that could start this year and last through 2013.

The 1-163rd Cavalry Regiment of the Montana National Guard will receive the newly upgraded Abrams battle tanks and Bradley Fighting Vehicles, giving the unit a new posture for future operational missions.

“It’s a testament to the quality of soldiers, modern training areas, and the facilities we have in Montana,” said Maj. Gen. Randy Mosley, adjutant general of the Montana Guard. “This equipment will posture the 1-163rd for continued success in future missions.”

Montana’s fighting regiment deployed to Iraq in 2005 as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. In World War II, the state’s 163rd Infantry earned fighting fame in the South Pacific against the Japanese.

Today, Montana’s 1-163rd Cavalry is an element of the larger 116th Cavalry based in Boise, Idaho. The U.S. Army chose the unit to receive the armored vehicles due to its level of readiness and training standards.

Col. Guy Thomas, commander of the 116th, said the regiment has been consistently rated as one of the top units in the Army, the Army National Guard, and the U.S. Army Reserve.

“I think the decision to assign this equipment to us really speaks to the great reputation of our citizen soldiers,” said Thomas. “These fine men and women from Idaho, Montana and Oregon have consistently performed as some of the best soldiers in the either the Army National Guard or the U.S. Army as a whole.”

Upgrades to the M1A2 Abrams tank include faster processors and expanded memory banks that enable the vehicle to use the army’s command and control software, thus allowing the rapid transfer of situational data.

The tanks, which weigh more than 68 tons, can travel at speeds up to 40 mph while firing a 120mm shell. A crew of four soldiers serves in each vehicle. The Army uses the tank to close and destroy enemy forces on the battlefield.

The Bradley fighting vehicle is a smaller and faster tracked vehicle used to transport and protect infantrymen on the battlefield while providing supporting fire to dismounted troops.

The vehicles, which can carry up to nine people, are armed with a 25mm cannon, a TOW missile system, and a 7.62 mm machine gun.

It’s unknown how many vehicles the Montana Guard will receive. The new tactical vehicles should be in place by 2013, according to Mosley.

More than 4,000 soldiers are assigned to the 116th Cavalry from Montana, Idaho and Oregon. Seven communities in Montana are home to subordinate units of the regiment.

Reporter Martin Kidston: 447-4086 or mkidston@helenair.com