Main Battle tanks

[Prowler]

I've heard alot of "experts" say that main battle tanks are going to be a thing of past wars. Because of the future of urban warfare and the fall of the end of the cold war, the mbt will be replaced by smaller more agile vehicles. I personally think this is nuts. We will always need our powerful tanks to show dominance. Do we have any tanks on the horizon the replace the Abrams?

[Marine1812]

The Marine Corps has put out a letter stating the M1A1 will remain in the arsonal until 2021. The Army is trying to develope a lighter, more mobile tank, using varients of the LAV.

The biggest problem with the M1 is the weight, 70+ Tons. Once the DOD figures how to mount a 120mm main gun on something that weighs 45/50 tons, and when you fire it, it doesn't flip over, we will have a new tank.

[Prowler]

Yeah but what about protection? Right now the M1 is basically unstopable. I would hate for us to give that up.

[Marine1812]

Tanks have three main characteristics that they have to be designed around:

1. Fire Power;
2. Speed/Mobility; and
3. Armor Protection.

With each one of these, the more you gain in one, the less you get of another. More speed/mobility = less weight (armor protection), more fire power = bigger cannon = more weight = less speed/mobility.

As the M1A1 being unstoppable, I can not agree, since we have had our first two lost in combat, three others in operational losses. They are very good tanks, the best on the battlefield by far, but the weigh is the biggest problem with them. Less weight, less armor...


I think the main battle tanks are going away, at least in the respect that we know them. But, you never know...

[IrishEKU]

Gunny,

Thanks for your input and let me be the first to welcome you both aboard!

Your info is spot on except for the weight, it's about 63 tons dry and about 67.4 tons combat load. I used to haul them all over the place in my M-88A1.

Here is a link to the fact sheet located on this site:
http://www.trackpads.com/portal/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=189

Aside from that keep up the good work!


Quick question, when was the last time you were at Knox?

[Marine1812]

IrishEKU,

The weight issue on the M1A1: I have seen it given anywhere between 67 tons and 70 tons, as my Master Gunner told me it was dependent on the armor. But, either way, it's a heavy MOFO.

Last time I was in Knox was 2000 for TT-XI/XII.

[Dauntless]

Not as heavy as a full dressed Challenger2 CR2 though at about 74 tonne. I would argue that the M1-a2/3 is not as good as the CR2 in the areas of protection. But superior in other areas though.

There are 2 programmes at present being run to partially replace these heavy beast. The US is running the Future Combat System FCS that will provide a medium capability for future wars. It will have a 120 Line of sight weapon vehicle and othe tank like capabilities.

The other is FRES the UK Future Rapid Effects System. It will be like the US system and weigh in at about 22-34 tonnes.

These systems are all faced with the same problems high internal voulme required for sensors crew etc mean high weight and high protection means high weight. Not good for proposed airportability.

They are developing lighter armours made fro Glass fibre titainium and ceramics. Also more fuel efficient desil / electric hybrid drive vehicles see attachments fro UDLP