“The Once-Dominant Tank Is Getting Humbled on the Battlefield”
“The rise of drones has prompted armies to change tactics and add defenses to the powerful armored vehicles”
“Even as tanks help Ukraine push into Russia, armies are rethinking how the powerful vehicles are made and deployed after a recent history of being humbled in combat.
Tanks were once the king of the battlefield. But the proliferation of drones in Ukraine means the large, noisy vehicles can be spotted and targeted within minutes. That has seen dozens of cutting-edge Western tanks used only sparingly in the battle they were meant to shape, while others have been damaged, destroyed or captured.
In response, armies are adding technology to tanks to spot and protect against drones while also exploring design changes to make the heavy, armored vehicles more maneuverable. Battlefield tactics are already changing and lessons from Ukraine are being integrated into training.
“In the near term, we absolutely need to urgently make some adjustments to maintain the survivability of our armored formations,” said Gen. James Rainey, who heads the U.S. Army Futures Command, which looks at ways to equip and transform the Army.”
BRICS, RICKS, DICKS
As older people stay in the workforce, that means fewer jobs for younger people.
“For Years, Chinese Workers Could Retire at 50. Now, China Can’t Afford It.”
“To bolster China’s pension system, Beijing moves to raise the retirement age for men to 63 from 60, and for some women to 55 from 50”
“China has for years had one of the lowest retirement ages among major economies. Men started life’s next chapter at age 60, while women did so as early as 50.
But now, China’s next generation will have to work for longer.
To address looming pension-system shortfalls and economic strains, Beijing on Friday moved to gradually raise the statutory retirement age to 63 for men and 55 for blue-collar women. The retirement age for other women will increase to 58 from 55.
The increases will be gradually implemented over 15 years and affect most working people in China.
China is one of many big economies trying to shore up pension systems and maintain economic productivity as people live longer and have fewer children. U.S. Social Security estimates that, without major changes, it can’t fully pay beneficiaries starting in 2034. France last year raised its retirement age to 64 from 62, triggering nationwide protests.
What makes China different is its exceptionally low retirement age, which even after the overhaul will still be lower than the U.S. and Western European norm of 67. China’s demographic challenges were also heightened by its decadeslong one-child policy, which was scrapped in 2016.
Chinese authorities must also be cautious about how the new retirement age might affect high youth-unemployment rates, which hit 17.1% in July.”