What are the benefits of tracks instead of wheels on tanks?
Remington 1858
Active member
The reason that tanks have tracks rather than wheels has to do with their great weight, When a wheeled vehicle exceeds about twenty tons gross weight, it can't negotiate mud, snow or even soft ground. All the engine power is used to deform the ground surface and the vehicle either spins it's wheels or becomes bogged.
Tanks weigh anywhere from 35-70 tons. Tracks are able to distribute weight over a greater area and deform the ground surface less.
Wheeled armored vehicles are making a comeback though. That's because there is a need for rapid deployment and many of the newer wheeled armored vehicles such as Stryker have to be deployable by aircraft. Lightweight gun and missile systems have provided a high level of firepower for these new generation wheeled machines.
Tanks weigh anywhere from 35-70 tons. Tracks are able to distribute weight over a greater area and deform the ground surface less.
Wheeled armored vehicles are making a comeback though. That's because there is a need for rapid deployment and many of the newer wheeled armored vehicles such as Stryker have to be deployable by aircraft. Lightweight gun and missile systems have provided a high level of firepower for these new generation wheeled machines.
Vehicles like the Bradley are even under 30 tons yet they are still tracked. The tracks allows a vehicle to dig into the difficult terrain negotiating bumps - ditches etc., much better than wheeled wheels.
Where generally less firepower and more maneuverability on reasonable type surfaces is required wheeled AFV's will do the job as mentioned above.