[farmfriend]

If you guys know of anyone who might be interested in this story, ping away.

[Dead Dog]

The author loses credibility when refering to the Sherman as a great tank.

[LibKill]

After WWII, some experts predicted the death of the Army, let alone the tank.

I'm betting tanks will be around long after I am not.

[ClearCase_guy]

the famed drive of General George Patton's Third Division armor deep into Europe gave tanks a somewhat mythical reputation they didn't completely deserve.

Nonsense. Patton's rapid advance in the face of a determined enemy, and with tenuous supply lines at his back was only possible due to tactics based on tank warfare. How did this give the tank a reputation it didn't deserve?

Kinda like saying the Roman Legions dominated warfare in the Meditaranean area for over 500 years, which unreasonably leads some people to assume that they were a capable military force.

[MediaMole]

with the exception of tracks, how does going to the lighter, armored car concept change any of these items?

# Fire control systems, radios, the main gun and the machine guns must be regularly recalibrated because they are subject to vibration and violent knocks.
# The drive sprockets, road wheels and rollers of the track mechanism, the tracks themselves, as well as the bearings on which the ten-ton turret revolves, are subjected to grueling wear because of the sheer weight of the machine.
# All these load-bearing, moving parts must operate in mud, sand, snow, water, and in rough terrain. A good rule of thumb for a tank, even when it is just moving around and not in combat, is at least eight man-hours of maintenance every day - inspection, adjustment, lubrication, replacement and repair.

Whatever vehicles the Army chooses, they will still have to fire heavy weapons on improvised battlefields while facing heavy enemy weapons. The Abrams has proven itself time and time again. We need to improve our sealift and airlift capacity, not degrade our fighting capabilities.

[caisson71]

There is a psychology that goes along with the presence of a tank. In Nam, the M-48s were used mainly for smashing & bashing and maybe drawing fire from the APCs which could not handle RPG-7s very well, especially the gas models. Tanks, in one form or another, will always be around, IMHO.

[Nick Danger]

Tanks were invented by the British, and originally called "land ships."

Not exactly.

I shall make covered chariots, that are safe and cannot be assaulted; cars which fear no great numbers when breaking through the ranks of the enemy and its artillery. Behind them, the infantrymen shall follow, without fearing injury or other impediments

-- Leonardo da Vinci, around 1487

[Colt .45]

Kinda like when they were saying that the aircraft carrier is obsolete. However, nothing is quite as effective towards getting your point across, like parking 90,000 tons of diplomacy off of some dickhead's coast and projecting the will of American resolve, when you're launching those first airstrikes. Speed and firepower plus good strategy win wars, this turd talking about the end of the tank era is , IMHO full of crap. You still will need them for the heavy infantry supporting firepower. Tanks can and do instill fear in the enemy.

[farmfriend]

ping

[Seydlitz]

The article is okay, but the author makes it painfully clear that he does not understand armoured warfare doctrine. Rather, he sounds like a technophile with a very basic understanding of military affairs.

The tank is going to be around a lot longer than any of the Pentagon's Jedi Knights would like to admit. The tank may be slow in getting to the theater, but so is most everything required to enable an armed force to operate effectively in any high-intensity conflict. It is the logistical infrastructure required for modern war that is slowest of all to arrive and deploy, and I cannot help but wonder if Rummy & Co. fully appreciate that fact. It would be a shame if we encountered a foe tougher than Saddam's Iraqis and had to learn the hard way.

[NFOShekky]

"It must be noted that many of these losses can be recouped. American tank crews are the best in the world. They are made up, after all, of young American men - many of whom have spent weekends, wrench in hand, under the hood of a hot rod or pickup truck. U.S. experience in the modern tank era (World War II to the present) indicates that almost two thirds of combat-damaged tanks can be repaired and put back on the line. Excellent retrieval equipment, skilled repair units and frequently resourceful crews also mean that 95 percent of non-combat breakdowns will be repaired, usually in less than a week. (However, it must be noted that a week delay in combat may be six days too long.)"

This says it all!! With 22 years in military aviation, I've seen these young kids (hell, I was one myself once:-) working under the worst conditions and with no rest, and under the tutelage of skilled NCOs they can fix ANYTHING!