Indian Defence Review

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”.