A reasonably good MBT cost 5 million to buy and a million a year to run. A military grade antitank weapon costs 20 thousand. Every generation of tanks gets heavier armor and more sophisticated self-protection systems at greater cost. Every year antitank weapons get cheaper with greater range and easier-to-operate aiming systems. You do the math.
Yeah, just tell that to the Egyptians...nothing like three man teams to take out Isreali tanks, until you put a couple of grunts on it and watch the 3 man teams go. The tank will stay, tank shock is a known fact and I've seen it's affect on training with friendly grunts who simply have never been around tanks. The first time we charged, these guys litterly dropped their weapons and ran...ran for their lives, as if this was real. It took several days for them to become somewhat stead...and that's knowning that this was only training.
Only arm chair or very narrow minded "generals" make such stupid assertions. They have been made about the infantry, about artillery, aviation, helicopters, etc. A $400 dollar missile can take out a chopper, but look what a chopper can do. There is nothing that can effectively stop a tank formation but another tank. T-90s herald new anti missile technologies...only a matter of time before miniture phalax systems and anti personal systems are installed. Now if you could only invent effective hover tanks....oh lordy. Tanks have anti aircraft rounds (basically hive rounds), effective anti personal (HE and beehive) or just give the following command:
Driver, tracks, troops, drive and adjust.
The tankers here will know what I'm talking about...the best way to deal with bothersome grunts and same ammo.