Main battle tanks of today.....

[Kruska]

Hello Matt308,

No turret removed, the Leo was just taken as it is. The turret compartment is quite spacious for the crew, damn cramped with 4 extra infantry guys added (the tank crew then existed only by the driver and commander), so 2 crew + 6 infantry soldiers.

So the Leo was used in the function of an APC not as an AFV.

The Marder 1A3 APC/AFV was never further upgraded due to budget constrains in the years before, and since our loudmouth politicians wanted to "contribute" the Bundeswehr, the Leo was found to be the only save means of transportation in hazardous, landmine invested terrain.
Mostly due to this "APC incident" a "special" budget was allocated to upgrade around 250 Marders 1A3 into Marder 1A5 which then resulted into actually only 100 1A5's build due to the usual budget cuts.

Everybody is now waiting for the Puma AFV since the Boxer already ran into "unexpected" budget cuts.

Regards
Kruska

 

[Kurfürst]

The Puma looks good and very useful... modular armor, high survivability, the autocannnon can also act as AA defense against attack choppers, air transportable. etc.

 

[Kruska]

Hello Kurfuerst,

let's hope the Bundeswehr gets the necessary $$$$ alocated before 2015, because by then it would be as usefull/useless as a today's Marder 1A3.

Regards
Kruska

 

[parsifal]

Germans IMO make the best APCs in the world. there is only one problem, they cost a truckload of cash, meaning that peacetime armies have to spend a motza on battlefield transport, which might otherwise be spent on other items.

 

[Haztoys]

Great info guys

I could be wrong but..........

I was thinking in this last round of fighting in the medeast last year ..Israel did loose a lot of tanks ...A lot more then they were thinking they would ...??

Am I right or .......?

 

[Soren]

No he means they crammed 6 guys into a Leopard because of the protection. In combat it would not be very feasable because as your gusy are scrambling to get out of the turret hatches they will get picked off.

Exactly.

 

[parsifal]

I think the Israeli Merkava has a limited proper APC capability. From memory i think it is about 4 combat troops, and this tiny little hatchway at the rear of the tank

 

[Matt308]

Its actually not so tiny. The engine, transmission and driver are in front. Ass end has limited APC capability.

 

[Soren]

The most interesting thing about the Merkava is the emergency escape hatch, that's very smart.

 

[Kruska]

I think the Israeli Merkava has a limited proper APC capability. From memory i think it is about 4 combat troops, and this tiny little hatchway at the rear of the tank

Hello parsifal,

The Merkava MK.1, 2, 3 and 4 do have NBC protection/overpressure systems, with air-condition added since MK.3. for the infantry guys.
The rear hatch for the accompanying infantry also acts as escape/rescue hatch for in taking wounded soldiers.
Another very unique feature is the internal mounted 60mm mortar.

Regards
Kruska

 

[raffyboy]

My personal opinion…..

Tanks are mobile armors that must protect the crew extensively during the assault with enough firepower to stop the enemies.

Leopard 2 has the latest technology when it comes to tanks but it has not yet extensively proven in the battlefield compared to M1Abrams, Challenger 2 and the Merkava. M1 Abrams and the Challenger has been proven extensively throughout the gulf wars up to today and even the Merkava has been proven since the Golan Heights War and ever adapting and changing up to today especially its survivability.

If I am a tank commander now, I want to be on an M1 Abrams as I know its proven capability. If I am a member of the IDF (Israel Defense Force), surely there will be no other tank for me than the Merkava. The Merkava is designed specifically for Israel and Israel only, that's why there are no export customers for this tank. Some would say that the Merkava is too large and has a greater signature it's because of the desert landscapes and the environment of Israel. It is designed for crew survivability first and foremost. As I have researched, Merkava is tank for defensive and small assaults and not to be used for large scale assaults like the Abrams and the Challenger.

By the way, if I have a son in his teens, I would recommend the Leo2 for it is the tank of the future.

 

[walle]

I'd go with the Leopard 2, in a heart beat.

 

[SoD Stitch]

M1A2 SEP w/TUSK

 

[tomo pauk]

Merkava all the way, baby

As for not being capable for a sustained battle, I'd like to see some proofs for that.

 

[Colin1]

Do you think it's an outdated weapon?

It's difficult to see a future for MBTs now that the Cold War is over, certainly in the long term. War and strategy are moving away from classical battlefield engagements and into highly mobile war and/or counter-terrorism campaigns.

Likely, a terrorist is not going to confront your state-of-the-art MBT with another tank, he's going to ambush it with roadside devices and MBTs make for costly losses, especially when the people who did it are nowhere to be seen.

I work for a defence contractor and the next-gen vehicles that we are currently preparing a contract bid for are wheeled, rather than tracked; there is talk that Challenger 2 was the last traditional MBT that the British Army will receive.

 

[F4Uftw]

Tanks do have a limited defense against laser guided munitions, many of the latest tanks have the ability to fir a spray of fog from their smoke grenade launchers intended to disrupt the beam from a guidance laser.

 

[mkloby]

It's difficult to see a future for MBTs now that the Cold War is over, certainly in the long term. War and strategy are moving away from classical battlefield engagements and into highly mobile war and/or counter-terrorism campaigns.

Likely, a terrorist is not going to confront your state-of-the-art MBT with another tank, he's going to ambush it with roadside devices and MBTs make for costly losses, especially when the people who did it are nowhere to be seen.

I work for a defence contractor and the next-gen vehicles that we are currently preparing a contract bid for are wheeled, rather than tracked; there is talk that Challenger 2 was the last traditional MBT that the British Army will receive.

You are definitely off base with that one. While you are right about the nature of recent engagements, that in no way negates a role that the tank plays in today's military. Highly mobile is exactly the type of war that the tank is suited to fight, and the ability to lead attacks with mounted or dismounted infantry makes them valuable combined arms assets. Not to mention it would be quite foolish for a military to rid themselves of all heavily armored assets, which would create a huge vulnerability.

 

[fly boy]

Which is best, all things considered, on the battlefield today?

Is the Leopard 2

Challenger 2

M1 Abrams

Leclerc

Type 99

T-90

Arjun

Merkava

Missed anyone...?

is it just me or is the merkava kinda look like those new moblie artillary pieces

 

[timshatz]

Yeah, it does. Heavily armored sucker, that's for sure.

What I find impressive about the above photos is the only one that is an actual "in action" shot is the Abrams. Nothing like a battle tested machine to give it credibility.

 

[tomo pauk]

Merkava looks like SP artillery piece since it has engine in front, like those. That obviously dictates the turret goes at the back.

Of course, along with Abrams and Challengers, Merkava has enough won battles under belt.