5 ms·

I thought the tank era had passed us. Once that tank fires a single shot, its location is revealed and an artillery or air strike can be ordered against its app

by josho 12y ago

I thought the tank era had passed us. Once that tank fires a single shot, its location is revealed and an artillery or air strike can be ordered against its approximate location. We are well in the era of air superiority and moving ever closer to the era of drones. Tanks are relevant for the previous wars only.

shortsightedsid 12y ago
Only one problem. The enemy can't surrender to an Aircraft. So even with all the air superiority, you still need the Cavalry. Source - http://bluenred.com/2010/11/11/they-can-not-surrender-to-aircraft/ http://bluenred.com/2010/11/11/they-can-not-surrender-to-air...
stcredzero 12y ago
So long as you need troops on the ground to hold territory, you will need mobile protection against machine guns and artillery. Once you have those, then you also will need something that takes the role of a tank. However, maybe technology will take us past the era of 70 ton behemoths armed with a huge cannon.
vacri 12y ago
its location is revealed ... and? Tanks don't have to rely on stealth to be effective. Air strikes are only reliable if you have some degree of air superiority. And tanks can move - depending on what kind of artillery you're facing, they might not be able to chase a moving target. There were tank-on-tank battles in the US's invasion of Iraq, so they're not that out-of-date. Plus, while there aren't going to many tank-on-tank battles, tanks are an important component of combined arms tactics - you need infantry to take urban areas, and infantry is more effective with armoured support.
- josho 12y ago
  Infantry support in urban areas don't benefit from a stealth tank. I'm not arguing that tanks have 0 value. I'm saying their value has diminished. In WWII they were the dominant technology, and if total war broke out during the Cold War it would have been as well. But, today their role is diminishing to newer technologies. I think we'll see the same happen to aircraft carriers, they'll be usurped by smaller drones that could launch from cruisers or destroyers. It's not unlike computer tech. We are seeing SSDs replace hard disks. The platter disk still has a role, but we all see the writing on the wall.
mieses 12y ago
Keep in mind that Poland's immediate threats are militias, irregulars, mafia, gangs, and assorted bashi-bazouks. A ground weapon with an aesthetically intimidating presence has value in this context.
- PeterisP 12y ago
  Poland's immediate threats - the thing that makes sense to invest % of GDP into military instead of medicine or education or whatever - include Russia.
  - mieses 12y ago
    I was specifically implying Russia in my comment. Russia uses patient, shady, and asymmetric tactics. Look at recent history. They annex small regions without waging outright war. Random undisciplined artillery commanders shoot down airliners without orders. Oops, we shot down your plane. Oops, we annexed the eastern half of your country. Oops, a bunch of Non-Russians guys with Russian equipment just invaded your country. They are getting clever. The structured processes of the UN and NATO are left paralyzed. Small, cheap, fast moving tanks might be useful against this gang warfare methodology.

by josho 12y ago

shortsightedsid 12y ago

Only one problem. The enemy can't surrender to an Aircraft. So even with all the air superiority, you still need the Cavalry. Source - http://bluenred.com/2010/11/11/they-can-not-surrender-to-aircraft/ http://bluenred.com/2010/11/11/they-can-not-surrender-to-air...

stcredzero 12y ago

So long as you need troops on the ground to hold territory, you will need mobile protection against machine guns and artillery. Once you have those, then you also will need something that takes the role of a tank. However, maybe technology will take us past the era of 70 ton behemoths armed with a huge cannon.

vacri 12y ago

its location is revealed ... and? Tanks don't have to rely on stealth to be effective. Air strikes are only reliable if you have some degree of air superiority. And tanks can move - depending on what kind of artillery you're facing, they might not be able to chase a moving target. There were tank-on-tank battles in the US's invasion of Iraq, so they're not that out-of-date. Plus, while there aren't going to many tank-on-tank battles, tanks are an important component of combined arms tactics - you need infantry to take urban areas, and infantry is more effective with armoured support.

josho 12y ago
Infantry support in urban areas don't benefit from a stealth tank. I'm not arguing that tanks have 0 value. I'm saying their value has diminished. In WWII they were the dominant technology, and if total war broke out during the Cold War it would have been as well. But, today their role is diminishing to newer technologies. I think we'll see the same happen to aircraft carriers, they'll be usurped by smaller drones that could launch from cruisers or destroyers. It's not unlike computer tech. We are seeing SSDs replace hard disks. The platter disk still has a role, but we all see the writing on the wall.

mieses 12y ago

Keep in mind that Poland's immediate threats are militias, irregulars, mafia, gangs, and assorted bashi-bazouks. A ground weapon with an aesthetically intimidating presence has value in this context.

PeterisP 12y ago
Poland's immediate threats - the thing that makes sense to invest % of GDP into military instead of medicine or education or whatever - include Russia.
- mieses 12y ago
  I was specifically implying Russia in my comment. Russia uses patient, shady, and asymmetric tactics. Look at recent history. They annex small regions without waging outright war. Random undisciplined artillery commanders shoot down airliners without orders. Oops, we shot down your plane. Oops, we annexed the eastern half of your country. Oops, a bunch of Non-Russians guys with Russian equipment just invaded your country. They are getting clever. The structured processes of the UN and NATO are left paralyzed. Small, cheap, fast moving tanks might be useful against this gang warfare methodology.