Quote:
|
Originally Posted by SHERMAN However, as a tank commander in the IDF i have to say a few things...
1. Thoguh all out wars with massive tank fleets seem a thing of the past, i wouldent put my money on it... After WWI all out war in europe with millions of soldiers seemed a thing of the past. When big players decide to play against each other(Russia Vs China, India Vs. Pakistan, Israel Vs. Egypt/Syria...) one of the weapons of chice will have to be the tank. Nothing takes the fight to the enemy like an armoured brigade, nothing. |
I think the US/UK offensive operations in 2003 spelled the end of massed armoured and armoured infantry divisions swarming 'blitzkrieg-style' into the enemy. The main issue, as I'm sure you know, is the stupendous amounts of fuel a modern tank brigade, never mind a full division or even an corps, takes for any kind of sustained operations. The US and British armoured advance into Iraq in 2003 was stalled not because of enemy action but simply because they ran out of fuel. So in future we might see armoured brigades with very high tooth to tail ratios that can perform operations that required full divisions in the past. We won't see an operation like Desert Storm again though because even the richest nation in the world, i.e. the US, can no longer afford them.
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by SHERMAN 2. Unamanned turrets scare me. As a tank commander i am taught to use my eyes to locate the enemy, and see the terrain. I dont see how and opics will allow me to see as well as with my head outside. |
It seems to me that modern technology is far superior to the human eye for observation and detection purposes but as I'm not a tank commander and you are, I'm sure what you say has to be considered very seriously.
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by SHERMAN 3. Autolaoders... I feel the same about them as i feel about unmanned turrets. I dont know about loaders in your army...But my loader is preetey fast, and dose good work with his MG. Not to speak of the 60mm mortar. And when you have 3 men to maintain your tank, it takes more time than a 4 men crew...
just my thoughts. |
My feeling is that because armies are downsizing the number of tanks they have, autoloaders are less of a priority than they were before. The Soviets liked them because they had massive tank fleets but the future is small and I think one of the main arguments for them, namely to free up trained men, is disappearing to an extent.