Is the tank going to be around for much longer? | World Defense

Is the tank going to be around for much longer?

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The advances made in portable anti tank weapons are amazing, so I'm wondering does the tank really have much of a future on the battlefields of tomorrow? They big bulky things that are fairly hard to hide away so I think in the future things like seek and destroy air drones will scour the battle fields for enemy tanks and just drop some anti tank device on the tank's soft top and take it out.
 

globulon

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It depends on the situation. In my opinion, during conventional warfare the tank is pretty much outdated due to the availability of drones and anti-tank aircraft weapons. However against foes with limited air support, tanks may still play a major tactical role.
 

DancingLady

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I think so, for one thing the tank is big and strong. It is a symbol of power and intimidation, when used for such purposes. I think it will definitely stick around if for no other reason than that some leaders like to bully people, and what easier way to bully a population than by rolling down the streets in a tank.
 

petesede

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I think so, for one thing the tank is big and strong. It is a symbol of power and intimidation, when used for such purposes. I think it will definitely stick around if for no other reason than that some leaders like to bully people, and what easier way to bully a population than by rolling down the streets in a tank.
Exactly this. I doubt there is ever going to be a tank v tank war ever again, but tanks are extremely useful for intimidation and blowing up cities from outside.
 
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Exactly this. I doubt there is ever going to be a tank v tank war ever again, but tanks are extremely useful for intimidation and blowing up cities from outside.
I'm not very convinced about the tanks' blowing up cities credentials. They only carry a handful of shells anyway, and these days artillery pieces can fire shells to targets positioned tens of kilometers away. A self propelled howitzer would do a lot more damage.
 

kittyworker

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Tanks can still play a role in urban warfare that may be too tight or present too much collateral damage to use an air strike. I think the days of pitched tank battles like you saw in World War 2 and the early stages of Desert Storm are gone. I agree with Julian though, while a tank is an effect artillery piece, it really cant compare to a howitzer.
 

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Depends what you mean by "Tank". The biggest problem with conventional tanks it the crew inside, it takes up space and adds weight to the tank. Probably future tanks will be remote operated drones of some sort.

So we will still have tanks, they just won't have humans inside them.
 

globulon

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I agree, if you want heavy firepower you would just use artillery pieces which can act at distance. For more precise destruction, I'd imagine helicopters, drones, or even infantry would do the trick better than tanks. Tanks just seem very bulky for anything like urban warfare and with all the mobile options to destroy a tank, one seems like a sitting duck.
 

mizrael

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If you think tanks will be a thing of the past think Again, you should take a look at the Obrum Advanced Stealth Main Battle Tank, this thing is state-of-the-art and has stealth capability, there are also tanks on drawing board that's completely automated, tanks of the future would not only be stealth, but also invisible to the naked eye.
 

Bread

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I find the tanks a bit outdated in strategic battles. Too large and too easy to find for an ambush, but it is very useful for all out battles. Drones on the other hand are game changers and the beauty of it is, if it explodes, you lose some $$$ but not lives, not much collateral damage in that.

I honestly don't like war, and think people who want to start wars go and send their presidents to beat each other with their shoes instead of sending innocent civilians to the battlefield while they sit pretty. That's why I hope drones are successful in changing how war flows.

@mizrael, that would be extremely cool and deadly. The world is starting to look like it's some sort of Metal Gear game in terms of technology. Makes you wonder if technology is good or bad for us.
 

003

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The advances made in portable anti tank weapons are amazing, so I'm wondering does the tank really have much of a future on the battlefields of tomorrow? They big bulky things that are fairly hard to hide away so I think in the future things like seek and destroy air drones will scour the battle fields for enemy tanks and just drop some anti tank device on the tank's soft top and take it out.

While I think that the tanks are a thing of the past, I strongly believe that they would still be around for much longer as they have been for a very long time. I mean strategies are plotted with their involvement. And also of the monetary concern, tanks are still cheaper than planes or other modern inventions that could be used for war. Despite their cheap price, one can't doubt their reliability. They are still completely reliable as a land protective weapon. And we shouldn't forget that wars are mostly held in land.
 

Onionman

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I can't see why they would disappear overnight, as there is still areas of conflict where standing armies are the standard way of warfare. But the 21st century is more about cyberwarfare and terrorism. That's where defense budgets need to be focused on and that's where the innovation is going to be in defense programs.
 

xTinx

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The tank's going to be there for centuries. Yes, drones and fighter planes may have some advantage when it comes to movement and parameters covered, but ground warfare isn't going away anytime soon. If you talk about breaching and infiltration, tanks are indispensable and they have the advantage because they're big, bulky and can't be hit by ordinary rifles. When you're at war, you cover all surfaces - air, water and ground.
 
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I suppose with the right tactics, like using them in large groups to punch holes through the enemy's positions they would still be useful for some time, but I can't help to think that over the long term they are simply going to be too easily detected and fired at. I mean they're big, not that fast and they make a lot of noise and have a fairly big heat signature. I can easily see how an army could really put a dent into a tank force with just a bunch of small drones.
 

tournique

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Tanks will stick along for a while. Because you cannot have ground warfare without a bulky fighter. Being hit by only heavy sized ammo is one of the best thing that is. Ordinary rifles cannot damage it and thus making it more viable.
 
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