Well, when(or if) the FCS hits the US military, only a few brigades will be equipped at first. So they could probably be considered the best of the armored forces.

Dude the people that already do the job, are the best at what they do. So therefore this is futile.

The ones we have now are fairly good, but imagine men that made careers out of it. That lived and breathed it. If we could set up a program like that, wouldn't it be a force to be reckoned with, especially on a battlefield.

Originally Posted by WarMachine

The ones we have now are fairly good, but imagine men that made careers out of it. That lived and breathed it. If we could set up a program like that, wouldn't it be a force to be reckoned with, especially on a battlefield.

Don't need to imagine it, it is being done by the servicemen assigned to such tasks, again special ops is quite different then operation of the MBT

Israeli strike on the Iraqi nuclear power plant way back when would be a classic example of an aircraft based special operations mission.

Originally Posted by the_13th_redneck

Israeli strike on the Iraqi nuclear power plant way back when would be a classic example of an aircraft based special operations mission.

Strategic strike: stealth bomber, stealth fighter.

Wid jets yea, we pretty much have that whole special operations down. But how come we only have one mbt? Why not multiple versions for different situations? And like aircraft strike teams, you can have armored strike teams. Why not leave the generic missions to the regulars, and the more dynamic ones to the veteran elite?

Alright, my 2 cents... Armor does have an "elite" side, look at the scouts that are assigned to the brigades and battalions. Wether or not it's called "Special" by the military, most do have the best trained and highly motivated people doing "just a little more" than the rest, and teaching someone else to take their places.

But how come we only have one mbt? Why not multiple versions for different situations?

The M8 AGS (Armored Gun System) was supposed to fill this role, however the program was cancelled. Why? Budget concerns. The Army asked that there be no troop cuts so money that would've gone to this system was cut.

http://www.globalsecurity.org/milita...und/m8-ags.htm

This is more of what i'm talking about. In order to be successful in an operation, you need verstatility. The abrams is a good tank but not capable of everything. These lighter tanks would've been perfect for urban combat and special teams alike. I think the army sees that now in all the urban fighting that's been going on. Maybe the elite forces themselves would have marksmenship training for these circumstnaces.