Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

To: Frank Sheed
Good points!!

The 1st one as it goes with the tank. The Merk is a great tank but suffers from the one weakness all MBTs do: lack of side/rear/top armor. The ATGMs in question were top of the line tandem charge/top attack models like the AT-14 and RPG 7VR. Interesting that brand new weapons from Russia find there way into terrorist hands (and the Chechens are what religion Vlad???).

There have been tremendous advances in active protection systems and avoidance systems in the last decade. I am willing to bet the Israelis will be adding these to the tanks, along with "slew to cue" options which swing the turret towards the missile. This gives you a more armored profile and points the gun at the shooter. The Israelis will also adapt tactics to cover the tank's vulnerabilities and probably add reactive armor as was done to the M1. All this is a guess, but changing tactics and reactive armor solutions are the most likely early responses.

Fixed positions. Hizzbollah seems to have forgotten these don't work to well in mobile warfare. Every army needs fixed sites for supply, medical, and C2. Some of these sites are more fixed than others. Missiles are usually an issue as they require support systems to function. A "sprint" or "Hail Mary" or "Thunder Run" could have isolated these positions while artillery and airstrikes pounded them until an armor/infantry team went in at leisure for a kill. That said, even bypassed strongpoints can hinder lines of communication. A cleared corridor would be needed to keep the penetration force moving.

The bottom line is, while I love the Air Force, the only way to win a war is to have a ground-pounder stand on a piece of dirt and say "I own this because there is no one left alive to take it from me". Of course, having a few large tanks and artillery pieces nearby making sure anybody threatening left alive is soon to join the world of the dead is a good thing.

Combined arms: Variety is the spice of battle. No one arm wins a war. Israel's senior leaders forgot this, just like the US did in the 90s.
50 posted on 08/16/2006 7:50:18 PM PDT by M1Tanker (Proven Daily: Modern "progressive" liberalism is just National Socialism without the "twisted cross")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 49 | View Replies ]


To: M1Tanker

Thanks, dude! Very good info for me to assimilate.

Frank


56 posted on 08/17/2006 3:58:25 PM PDT by Frank Sheed (Tá brón orainn. Níl Spáinnis againn anseo.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 50 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson