Are tanks worth it?

[Pax Nerdvana]

Rail guns?

Guided projectiles are better, and already available.

Rail guns could turn most tanks into smoking wreckage. Missiles too.

[Fartsniffage]

Guided projectiles are better, and already available.

Rail guns could turn most tanks into smoking wreckage. Missiles too.

Only problem is the size of the tank you'd need to carry the power plant you need for a decent rate of fire.

[Pax Nerdvana]

Rail guns could turn most tanks into smoking wreckage. Missiles too.

Only problem is the size of the tank you'd need to carry the power plant you need for a decent rate of fire.

Yeah, there's that. But if we could shrink them down enough...

[Uxupox]

Only problem is the size of the tank you'd need to carry the power plant you need for a decent rate of fire.

Yeah, there's that. But if we could shrink them down enough...

Then the modern designers would make a good or at least decent counter to it.

[The first Galactic Republic]

(Image)

A weapon to surpass tanks!

[Fartsniffage]

Yeah, there's that. But if we could shrink them down enough...

Then the modern designers would make a good or at least decent counter to it.

There is very little that can be done about an inert piece of metal travelling at hypersonic speeds. Physics is a harsh mistress.

[Hurdergaryp]

(Image)

A weapon to surpass tanks!

Unfortunately also a weapon you can trip.

[Thermodolia]

A weapon to surpass tanks!

Unfortunately also a weapon you can trip.

I think the empire learned that the hard way

[Thermodolia]

Then the modern designers would make a good or at least decent counter to it.

There is very little that can be done about an inert piece of metal travelling at hypersonic speeds. Physics is a harsh mistress.

Energy shields. Because if we could shrink railguns down to that level then it’s not impossible to have energy shields

[Hurdergaryp]

There is very little that can be done about an inert piece of metal travelling at hypersonic speeds. Physics is a harsh mistress.

Energy shields. Because if we could shrink railguns down to that level then it’s not impossible to have energy shields

There's always space artillery, providing kinetic bombardments by means of rods of god. Granted, all the combat vehicles in the world ain't going to help you once a conflict has entered that stage.

[The first Galactic Republic]

A weapon to surpass tanks!

Unfortunately also a weapon you can trip.

So you’re saying some, like, teddy bear esque creatures could roll logs or something under it to make it lose balance? Ridiculous.

[The Two Jerseys]

As long as I can have one for rush hour on the long island expressway, we are good.

I seriously want an M18 Hellcat for a daily driver...

[Hurdergaryp]

Unfortunately also a weapon you can trip.

So you’re saying some, like, teddy bear esque creatures could roll logs or something under it to make it lose balance? Ridiculous.

Ram attack with a conventional vehicle, aim for the legs.

[Fartsniffage]

Unfortunately also a weapon you can trip.

So you’re saying some, like, teddy bear esque creatures could roll logs or something under it to make it lose balance? Ridiculous.

They captured a Jedi, a 200 year old battle hardened Wookie and a droid with scanning capabilities with a bit of meat and a net. Taking out some storm troopers would have been a cinch.

[Hurdergaryp]

So you’re saying some, like, teddy bear esque creatures could roll logs or something under it to make it lose balance? Ridiculous.

They captured a Jedi, a 200 year old battle hardened Wookie and a droid with scanning capabilities with a bit of meat and a net. Taking out some storm troopers would have been a cinch.

It should also be noted that Star Wars VI was not a documentary.

[The first Galactic Republic]

So you’re saying some, like, teddy bear esque creatures could roll logs or something under it to make it lose balance? Ridiculous.

Ram attack with a conventional vehicle, aim for the legs.

The Battle of Lissa was a long time ago. We need to move past this mindset.

[North Arkana]

It won't be bigger guns, it'll be better projectiles.

Rail guns?

More like M829A4 APFSDS. The angriest sabot of all time.

[Uxupox]

They captured a Jedi, a 200 year old battle hardened Wookie and a droid with scanning capabilities with a bit of meat and a net. Taking out some storm troopers would have been a cinch.

It should also be noted that Star Wars VI was not a documentary.

It was a propaganda reel made by the rebels in order to defame the Empire.

[San Marlindo]

The costs on society for building and maintaining defenses have always been high. Nation's have traditionally needed them to remain independent or expand. Old technology often remains in place decades after it's use has ended.

Tanks are possibly coming to that point in their history. At 2 to 10 million USD a vehicle they are expensive to build and maintain. Even modern variants can be destroyed by relatively inexpensive personal weaponry. They rarely engage each other. APC's and other "light" combat vehicles have been up armored and upgunned in continual mission creep. It's nearly to the point where a Bradly or btr can stand in for a tank. Anything requiring heavier firepower may come from the air.

Tanks require significantly more logistical support then almost any other ground equipment. Transport, maintenance, fuel, training, etcetera.

On the other hand a tank must have an affect on morale. They are the spearhead of mechanized warfare. The modern era has been filled with one sided wars that have skewed the view of certain nation's.the idea that armor is of little value is predicated upon a belief that air superiority is assured. Forthcoming technology will quite possibly require these beasts.

What do y'all think?

Tanks are necessary for conventional war, they are unnecessary for the asymmetric forms of warfare which are currently the most common types of war being waged today.

Whether a country should have tanks or not should depend on the likelihood of conventional war in their future. A country being threatened by its neighbors, who have conventional weaponry up to and including tanks, needs tanks to fight them. Sure, man portable anti-tank weapons are cheaper, but even the latest RPG won't kill a modern tank like the Merkava every time. The best weapon the fight a tank is another tank. You can't possibly suggest that you try and fight tanks with Bradleys and APCs alone.

If your enemies have tanks, buy tanks.

If your enemies are poorly armed insurgents whose primary tools are fertilizer and TNT, buy mineproofed MRAPs.

[Fartsniffage]

If your enemies are poorly armed insurgents whose primary tools are fertilizer and TNT, buy mineproofed MRAPs.

....and hope to god that Russia hasn't shipped them any RPG-29s.

[San Marlindo]

Back to the topic, the Bradley is the only light AFV that could pull up against a tank that i can think of.

Centauro/120 (wheeled), Sprut SD (tracked, airdroppable)...

Chad was able to take out Libyan tanks with this mini miner sized thing that predates both the Bradley and Centauro by decades.

[San Marlindo]

If your enemies are poorly armed insurgents whose primary tools are fertilizer and TNT, buy mineproofed MRAPs.

....and hope to god that Russia hasn't shipped them any RPG-29s.

I understand that RPG-29s are relatively rare outside the former Soviet bloc and the Middle East. They're also expensive, and most armies that have them tend to keep them close. A standing paramilitary force with massive semi-conventional capabilities like Hezbollah is likely to have them.

Your average FARC type guerrilla group is not.

[The Lone Alliance]

I haven’t seen a heavy tank in action but I know an rpg can take out every thing I have seen in action short of a plane

Look up in the thread about the Challenger 2 tank getting hit by 40 RPGs only for it to do nothing.

Video games aren't always accurate.

[Purpelia]

They are also stupendously large and heavy and not exactly easily portable. Not something a squad could lug around. More like a company or higher level support weapon.

[Fartsniffage]

They are also stupendously large and heavy and not exactly easily portable. Not something a squad could lug around. More like a company or higher level support weapon.

What is?