Indian Defence Review

TATA's KESTREL AFV

Initially, the tank came into use when lines of defence became impassable. The main aim of the tank was to break through defensive barriers that were often heavily fortified; all other uses of the vehicle were sprung from circumstance. Tanks are most effective for breaking through barriers in places where there are structures to be breached, meaning fortified constructions and boundaries to plateau-like spaces that are easy for tanks to access. Unfortunately, tanks more often than not come to painful ends. This occurs particularly when they are used in cities or purely for defence; the use of tanks in mountainous terrain is also quite rare. The future of the tank however, was seriously put to question only when the efficiency of military aircraft in air-sea and aerial combat became clear, followed by an unprecedented rise in its use.

Over time the role of military aircraft in modern warfare has steadily increased. Moreover, the technology of aerial combat has fundamentally changed the ways in which wars are conducted. Development in aerial combat has been swift and its effect on land forces profound, particularly when it comes to Armoured Fighting Vehicles (AFV). The money allocated by the United States (US) government in 2011 for the enhancement of major tanks was reduced by half when compared with the previous year. In 2012, that amount was cut once again. That trend will probably continue until 2017, meaning that improvements to Armoured Fighting Vehicles (AFV) will move rather slowly1. Moreover, these cuts are happening at a time when M1 Abrams, a major American tank, is expected to remain a key weapon in the US armed forces until 2050.

It seems that the US Army plans to improve its armed machines little by little, at a rate of about ten machines per year until 2028. It is interesting that the US is not eager to get rid of its tanks but at the same time, is taking time to upgrade them.

The Barrier Breaker

Initially, the tank came into use when lines of defence became impassable. The main aim of the tank was to break through defensive barriers that were often heavily fortified; all other uses of the vehicle were sprung from circumstance. Tanks are most effective for breaking through barriers in places where there are structures to be breached, meaning fortified constructions and boundaries to plateau-like spaces that are easy for tanks to access.

Unfortunately, tanks more often than not come to painful ends. This occurs particularly when they are used in cities or purely for defence; the use of tanks in mountainous terrain is also quite rare. The future of the tank however, was seriously put to question only when the efficiency of military aircraft in air-sea and aerial combat became clear, followed by an unprecedented rise in its use.

Too Soon to Say Goodbye

In such cases when there are no boundaries to break and seize, an army may often choose to attack from the air. These circumstances make it possible for land forces to lose a battle without actually entering into combat. For example in 1973, the Israeli Air Force stopped several thousands of modern Soviet tanks which had broken the boundary of Bar-Levin and greatly outnumbered the Israelis. In 2003, US divisions that had already reached Baghdad were able to manoeuvre the battlefield freely as each division was accompanied by hundreds of helicopters. In other words, once the US tanks were fortified with an air force, enemy tanks could do little against the land forces.

To this day, it is possible to find hundreds of pictures of burned and destroyed tanks or other types of military vehicles that, even without firing one shot, were rendered useless as soon as they became targets of high-flying military aircraft. These findings clearly show that even being well-disguised does not save AFVs from military aircraft. Of course, this newsflash does not infer that in the near future, tanks will sprout wings and take to the air, as was attempted by some research experiments in the past.

Naturally, in situations where there is direct contact with the enemy, the main weapon of land forces remains the tank. Not always is it necessary to break lines of defence, it is also possible to go around them. However, this requires paratroopers and relatively advanced aircraft. Not everyone can afford such technology and during prolonged wars this tactic maybe difficult to maintain.

Specifically in our region of the Southern Caucasus it is very difficult to deploy and manoeuvre large units of tanks. This is mainly due to the mountainous terrain of the area. Nevertheless, for solving strategic problems such as defeating an enemy and freeing occupied territories, armoured forces are currently irreplaceable. Of course, we are in reference to the forces themselves and not the fighting machines (such as tanks) of which they are comprised. It is also very possible that in the future, combat in this region may not only take place in mountainous terrain.

During the Artsakh struggle of the early nineties, Azerbaijan used large armoured units comprising 40 to 50 vehicles. Due to the terrain however, as well as poor strategies, the invading forces did not succeed in taking the area and suffered significant losses. Initially the Armenians were unable to deploy such quantities of tanks, partly because they did not have them and partly due to the nature of their military operations.

The limited number of tanks that they did have however were distributed among small fighting units and used as enforcement in battles. As a rule, tanks release sniper fire at a distance of 2.5 kilometres since they are equipped with smoothbore cannons, and this makes them a good addition to small units of land forces. In the final phases of military action, when Armenian forces were in the process of freeing occupied territories, they began to use land forces that were easy to maneuver, in other words armoured forces.

Current Issues

In order to improve modern tanks it is necessary to address their limited visual field, firing speed and the ability to multitask. The weight of modern tanks keeps increasing which creates major problems of manoeuverability. Modern tanks generally weigh between 60 to 65 tonnes and the power of their motors usually reaches 1,500 h/p2. The tank was developed during the Cold War when all attacks were expected to come from the front and for this reason only the front armour was thick.

New tanks need all around protection, which will create even more problems due to increased weight. The main firing weapon of the tank remains the cannon, the firing speed of which is very low. These days a well armoured tank is necessary because during guerilla warfare attacks come from every direction. Thus the modern tank contradicts the two main rules of war – manoeuvre with force and with fire.

Possible Solutions

It is no accident that the last war in which tanks were used to a great extent was the Iran-Iraq War in 1980. All attempts after that have not been successful, in many local wars the air force has been able to effectively fight against tank units. Now there are hundreds of machines that can do limited tasks and are rapidly wearing out.

In modern warfare, the role of the tank is minimum. However, the problem of the tank’s visual field might be solved with UAV and satellite navigation. Some have even considered installing radars on each tank. For example, the Russian tank that was showcased at the WWII parade in Moscow was created as a solution to many of the tank’s problems. They tried to solve the problem of the crew’s safety by means of a special chamber, they made better the firmness of the armour by using special materials, and they tried to install a special radar. Nevertheless all the improvements mentioned above are for problems that are difficult to solve, and in the case of this project not meant to be addressed.

Naturally, one cannot solve all of the general drawbacks of the tank by improving only one of the components. Moreover, even when improved, an advanced field of view will not save the tank from defeat by air force. Even small UAVs that can be released into air belong to the sphere of military aircraft. If, for example, there are one thousand tanks in a unit, they will not shoot all at the same time but rather a few will release their UAVs, and the rest will receive information from a central device. This device however, is still dependent on air domination, because it might be shot down.

Soon, thousands of small UAVs also will enter into the air supremacy struggle. In the case that all of tanks in a unit choose to release their UAVs, then the sky will become crowded. If each tank has its own anti-aircraft gun, then the same issues of overcrowding and competition will occur. If the anti-aircraft actions are centralised as well, then once again the solution belongs to the air force realm. In other words, tanks are designed for the past or else they must succumb entirely to air firepower.

More on the Development of Tanks

The problem of the tank is primarily economic and strategic. Thus we see the effect of military aircraft on AFVs but that is not all. The use of tanks has come close to its end, and it is hard to start a new revolution in that sphere.

The fact is that any victory for tanks is connected with air supremacy, and the best tanks will be used in Eurasia where they will use this supremacy to its full, particularly in limited contact battles. In other words, the West (in this case the USA) never intended to hold extensive strategic actions or exhausting wars, otherwise we would have seen the replacement of tanks long ago.

Note: The latest tank that was created in the world is Japanese «Type 10» which is considered a simple machine. The interesting thing is that the car is extremely close to Soviet/Russian machines in its size and weight. In spite of that it has high electrical standards, and is considered a modern yet weak machine. Although this vehicle is not considered to be the best among 50 tonne fighting machines, today it is probably the best tank in the world.

Another problem is the continuation of famous tank generations – Т-90С, Т-64, Т-72 and Т-80. In this line Soviet/Russian machines are the simplest but also the most unreliable. Moreover, they are designed for combat in total wars.

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Not all tanks will disappear at once; the internet did not abolish newspapers or the cinema all at once. However, the main thing keeping tanks around is the fact that the world’s strategic centre remains to be Eurasia. Wars in this region will not be determined by air supremacy, rather there will be land wars in which armoured forces will play a huge role. Tanks will stick around because no acting country will find replacements for them.

Creating Something New

It seems that thus far no one is willing to create something that will take the place of the tank and thus critically change modern warfare. There is no country today that creates tanks from completely new designs. The current trend is that superpowers dictate military development.

Almost all major development of tanks is currently being carried on by Eastern countries such as China, Korea, and Japan. These new tanks however are not original and mere reinterpretations of Western machines. From time to time they speak about creating new machines with Russian specialised frames, yet this has never been actualised. As was mentioned earlier, tanks are created mainly by the pioneers of military research and the Russian Federation is not considered to be as such, besides there is no need for the extra expense.

Discussions about possible substitutes for tanks are ongoing, and there have been a great deal of intriguing suggestions. For example, specialists think that the new Russian tank must have a 140mm cannon, because the existing model does not meet Western standards. Of course such improvements will create new problems for the machine and raise the price; thus we have our typical deadlock.

Lots of possibilities of armoured machines have already come close to tanks, they also come close to their possible limits. Modern fighting machines with their weight, engine power and other expenses have reached the standards of tanks from 1950 to 1970s. The weight of tanks already surpasses all reasonable conditions. Of course, the added weight comes from heightened measures for protection. The difficulties that arise from tank development suggest that solutions ought to be sought elsewhere.

Where to Look

All these issues make us think about the eminent replacement and improvement of tanks, especially as we may soon be facing new wars in this region. In all probability new tank models will be uniform and differ only in weapons systems. Such designs are already underway in various countries. Fighting machines are created in Israel on the basis of Soviet “Т-54/55” tanks and are designed with increased protection.

Namer fighting machines are created based on the designs of one of the world’s best Merkava tanks.4 This machine has an additional department for personnel – a unique feature for tanks. It also seems that Israel is the new dictator when it comes to weapons research and development in this sphere.

There are several factors that show why expectations of new tanks are simply naive. Modern arms that are not usually used for traditional fighting actions (some people consider them means of occupation) have become supports for tank forces, and in some cases, have merged with them. Nowadays, the supports to tanks play an interesting role; machines that provide protection, rapid fire, a better visual field and increased mobility to tanks present new and interesting options.

Tank Supports and the Future

Let us look at a concrete example of the tank support technology mentioned above. The Russian “БМПТ (Объект 199 Рамка)” AFV is made based on the designs of the traditional tank, yet it is on another level entirely. The machine is armoured with two powerful 30 mm automatic rockets, two automatic bombers, an anti-tank rocket multiwave complex and common machine-guns. Evidently the firepower of the machine is great. Moreover, the car can hold two snipers along with the commander and can fight against three targets at the same time. Indeed this new model is a high quality machine5.

Machines of that kind will see significant use in future. The interesting thing is that it is not difficult to build them. It is possible to take the main arm base from the old tanks and use them to construct newer models. The problem in this case is mainly electronic – the controlling system decides the success of the machine. Even today you can find improved variations of the machine.

A system of this type can be armoured with target finding radio location, satellites and laser systems. It should also have two automatic cannons with 30 mm caliber combined, and at least 2,500-3,000 fire speed with the ability to shoot together or with aim at different targets. They must also have approximately 5,000 shell stock. It is necessary for such a machine to be armed with fire guns that can also work together or separately.

The machine must have two common 7.62 mm machine-guns and be armed with a rocket complex that can aim at two different targets and carry at least eight rockets. The machine must also be armed with laser pressure weapons, different types of modern protective systems and so on.

This kind of system can place various kinds of arms in its body. However automatic cannons must be placed on the tower and should be used all around. The fire guns must also be used all around as the automatic independent form cannons. The two operators of the machine must be able to command the machine’s weaponry easily. The commander joining the operators may be free to command other groups. With this kind of approach, where electronic devices play a significant role, it will be possible to aim at four targets at the same time. Moreover, such machines will have an advantage over tanks, fighting more effectively against air targets.

Conclusion

Tanks are gradually giving way6; they are like armoured trains and battleships in the 1920s and 1940s that vanished due to advancement in the air-force. Nowadays however, non-traditional armed machines are merging with one another to create new and interesting weapons.

It is likely that wars fought in Asia will use tanks that are enhanced with qualities now associated with military aircraft. Perhaps they will build tanks that are lighter and do not need personnel; such machines would be used to break barriers and would be followed by slower tanks that would carry commanders who will direct the battle. Especially considering that most losses occur during the initial breach of defensive lines, using tanks without personnel for such actions will be of great advantage.

Once adversary defensive lines have been broken, the lighter and simpler tanks will be of great use in the battle. In this case the role of the above mentioned fire enforcement machines will also be clear; they will be able to back up the breakthrough units with greater fire power. This strategy is also used in aerial combat. In the future, military aircraft will fight in ranks as well, with first rank aircraft entering a battle followed by commanding aircraft.

Thus, it seems clear that the solution to most problems connected with AFVs has to do with aircraft technology. Furthermore it is evident that improvements to AFVs must come in the shape of better field of vision, aim, fire speed and manoeuverability thus enabling the machines to hit their targets and survive battles.

In other words, it is crucial to transfer the basics of military aircraft technology onto the design and use of tanks and other AFVs; essentially aircraft technology acts as both the problem and the solution when it comes to armoured land forces.

For some time now, attack and defence issues for tanks have been solved using the same models that are applied to those of the air force. For example, anti-air defence systems that can hit approaching shells and missiles are placed on cars. The Israeli army was the first to promote this technique of defence, not only was it behind the development of the technology, but was also the first to actually use it7. While this technique of defence may prove highly effective, evidently it is another case in which the tank has been improved using technology that comes from the sphere of military aircraft. In the future, it seems that new models of tanks will be lighter and resemble some form of hybrid. Moreover, they will be crewless and have armour built from very different materials than before. Nonetheless the superiority of aircraft over tanks is irreversible, and their effect, the only salvation for the traditional war machine that is the tank.

After nearly 50 years of research, American specialists have concluded that the primary causes of defeat in a fair battle stem from the following:

• 67 per cent lack of maneuverability
• 12 per cent lack of fire strength
• 12 per cent lack of support.7

These statistics act as further proof that military aircraft technology touches all other spheres of warfare. Indeed, during the past fifty years the air force first showed dominance over land forces, then over the navy and now finally over the “God of War”.