“I figure smart bombs a cheaper than tanks, so that about does away with tank battles.”
Isn’t that what hellfires were for?
Yep. And the latest and greatest series of Hellfires have shaped charges that can blow to pieces even the most advanced tanks. I'm sure the Russians and Chinese have their equivalents to the AGM-114.
People envision these great tank battles like Kursk taking place again but the Army is probably right. Tanks are expensive and becoming obsolete. Land can be held with smaller, faster, more agile (and cheaper) fighting vehicles.