Originally Posted by the_13th_redneck

Next to the driver? Isn't that the most vulnerable spot fron the front side of the tank???
Jeez...

I wouldn't call it vulnerable, it has about 600mm KE and 1200mm HEAT, more then the Abrams glacis. The rounds are pretty well protected against heat and flame. I don't think it would pop the top of the Leo, but an ammo cookoff would definitely knock the tank out. While an ammo cookoff in the Abrams allows for retreat, easy recovery. There have even been a couple instances of crews fighting after their ammo explodes.

You mean the Abrams right?
Now that's survivability and that's the kind of tank I want to be in.

Originally Posted by Kozzy Mozzy

I wouldn't call it vulnerable, it has about 600mm KE and 1200mm HEAT, more then the Abrams glacis. The rounds are pretty well protected against heat and flame. I don't think it would pop the top of the Leo, but an ammo cookoff would definitely knock the tank out. While an ammo cookoff in the Abrams allows for retreat, easy recovery. There have even been a couple instances of crews fighting after their ammo explodes.

Both tanks have this. I think most tanks (atleast modern) has this feature. The leo also has two compartments for ammo making it able to fight with one nocked out. One ammo storage is located behind the loader and one in some other place which i dont know.

Storage is in a crew safe "box", directing the blast upwords to protect the crew and tank.

This makes the third contest in a row that the Abrams went head to head with a tank that could arguably be better than it. I think the consensus is pretty clear on one thing: Challenger, Merkava, M1a2, and Leopard2a6 are probably the best 4 tanks in the world. Deciding what order they rate in is tricky. Personally, I think the Leopard is slightly superior to the M1 in everything but ammo ... a very big matter indeed.

Originally Posted by AlexKall

Both tanks have this. I think most tanks (atleast modern) has this feature. The leo also has two compartments for ammo making it able to fight with one nocked out. One ammo storage is located behind the loader and one in some other place which i dont know.

Storage is in a crew safe "box", directing the blast upwords to protect the crew and tank.

Half the Leo's ammo is in the turret bustle, behind the loader for quick loading. If this cooks off the Leo is safe and good, the other compartment is next to the driver. If this cooks off the Leo would be knocked out, so the crew survivability of the Leo is lower on that aspect. The Abrams has all it's ammo in the turret bustle, making it safer.

Originally Posted by godofthunder9010

This makes the third contest in a row that the Abrams went head to head with a tank that could arguably be better than it. I think the consensus is pretty clear on one thing: Challenger, Merkava, M1a2, and Leopard2a6 are probably the best 4 tanks in the world. Deciding what order they rate in is tricky. Personally, I think the Leopard is slightly superior to the M1 in everything but ammo ... a very big matter indeed.

The M1A2SEP also has superior optics to the Leopard 2A6. The x50 FLIR sight allows for target ID to greater ranges then the optics on the Leopard 2A6. The M1A2SEP has slightly more firepower then the Leopard.

The Leopard 2A6's frontal armor has an incredibly high CE protection 1800mm+, more then the Abrams. It probably has thicker flank and rear armor too.

So first site first kill goes to the Abrams - and that's everything these days. I would have thought the Germans would have kept up on optics and sighting tech.

Either way....

By your votes, the best tanks in the world are

1-M1A2 Abrams
2-Leopard 2A6
3-Merkava Mk4

We could do matches to determine who is the best runner up of course. Up to Sherman, its his baby.

maybe tommarow, m kind of tired...