5 ms·

On that topic: why Russian tanks are so vulnerable to these missiles and explode spectacularly [1]. Basically the canon auto-loads shells, and the shell storage

• Kuinox 5y ago
  Most of the tanks always store a dozen of rounds in the turret for faster reloads.
  • torstenvl 5y ago
    > a dozen of rounds This made me happy. :) (In Russian, numeric determiners 2-4 place the noun in genitive singular and numeric determiners 5+ place the noun in genitive plural. One book, two of book, three of book, four of book, five of books.)
    • smcl 5y ago
      Czech is exactly the same - jedno pivo, dvě piva, tří piva, čtyří piva, pět piv, šest piv etc ...
  • patleeman 5y ago
    The American Bradley stores rounds in a separate armored compartment behind the loader. If the compartment gets hit and the rounds cook off, the blast is redirected out the top of the tank away from the crew compartment which makes the vehicle much more survivable.
    • tablespoon 5y ago
      Don't you mean the Abrams tank? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M2_Bradley https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M2_Bradley: "The use of aluminum armor and the storage of large quantities of ammunition in the vehicle initially raised questions about its combat survivability." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M1_Abrams https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M1_Abrams: "The M1 Abrams...introduced several innovative features, including a multifuel turbine engine, sophisticated Chobham composite armor, a computer fire control system, separate ammunition storage in a blow-out compartment"
  • simonh 5y ago
    In the Abrams shells are stored in a separate armoured compartment and are individually fed to the loader as needed. The loader might have a shell fed and in hand ready to reload the gun, so that's one shell in the compartment at the ready over the one loaded in the gun at any given time. There just isn't space for more shells lying around.
• dreen 5y ago
  None of these articles seem to mention WHY the tanks are designed this way (although I admit I just searched for keywords). As far as I know, it is because the current gen of Russian tanks were designed for how they envisioned WW3 40 years ago [1]. Basically the tanks would follow nuclear strikes, and making humans load the ammunition would make them die a lot quicker from radiation, so they made an autoloader. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_Days_to_the_River_Rhine https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_Days_to_the_River_Rhine
  • celticninja 5y ago
    The difference seems to be capacity of crew. With an autoloader crew is down to 3, Russians opt to have 4 crew and a cheaper per unit tank. To the Russian Army soldiers have always been expendable.
    • mango7283 5y ago
      ? Russian tanks are the ones with autoloaders and 3 crew... Of the modern NATO tanks only the French use autoloaders and 3 crew, US and German tanks are 4 crew.
      • sofixa 5y ago
        And French tanks have been using autoloaders since before WW2 (back then it was partly to offset demographic problems).
  • ejolto 5y ago
    How does loading ammunition make humans die quicker from radiation?
    • masklinn 5y ago
      Possibly that the higher number of crew & higher average effort means the internal resources can not last as long, and thus the NBC seal has to be broken sooner? According to the wiki, an autoloader also improves smoke removal, which would also help maintain a safe NBC-isolated interior space.
• John23832 5y ago
  The saying goes, Russian tanks depend on an auto Loader. American tanks depend on a 19 year old with a strong right arm.
• thriftwy 5y ago
  It depends on who you watch - on Russian telegram channels there's also an endless supply of videos where Ukrainian stuff blows up by missile, drone or captured intact. It's a large-scale conflict so one can cherry-pick enough footage to support any narrative.
  • cm2187 5y ago
    The Ukrainian tanks are Russian made, so would have exactly the same vulnerability. But the Ukrainians being mostly on the defensive and vastly outnumbered, I don't know that they rely on them as much Russia does.