The German Panther was one of the major tanks of the Second World War.

A tank is a tracked armoured fighting vehicle, designed to engage enemy forces by the use of direct fire. A tank is characterized by heavy weapons and armour, as well as by a high degree of mobility that allows it to cross rough terrain at relatively high speeds. While tanks are expensive to operate and logistically demanding, they are among the most formidable and versatile weapons of the modern battlefield, both for their ability to engage other ground targets and their shock value against infantry. The Panther ( ) was a tank of Germany in World War II that served from mid-1943 to end of the war in Europe in 1945. ... Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ... U.S. M60 Patton tank. ... An armoured fighting vehicle (AFV) is a military vehicle, equipped with protection against hostile attacks and often mounted weapons. ... Indirect fire is a characteristic unique to artillery in which the fire is adjusted out of sight of the guns. ... The bayonet, still used in war as both knife and spearpoint. ... Military vehicles are commonly armoured to withstand the impact of shrapnel, bullets or shells, protecting the soldiers inside from enemy fire. ... Military logistics is the art and science of planning and carrying out the movement and maintenance of military forces. ... For other uses, see Fear (disambiguation). ... Infantry of the Royal Irish Rifles during the Battle of the Somme in World War I. Infantry are soldiers who fight primarily on foot with small arms in organized military units, though they may be transported to the battlefield by horses, ships, automobiles, skis, or other means. ...

While tanks are powerful fighting machines, they seldom operate alone, being organised into armoured units in combined arms forces. Without such support, tanks, despite their armour and mobility, are vulnerable to infantry, mines, artillery, and air power. Tanks are also at a disadvantage in wooded terrain and urban environments, which cancel the advantages of the tank's long-range firepower, limit the crew's ability to detect potential threats, and can even limit the turret's ability to traverse. Armoured forces, collectively the armoured or armour, are military forces traditionally equipped with heavy armour. ... Combined arms is an approach to warfare which seeks to integrate different arms of a military to achieve mutually complementary effects. ... Various anti-tank and anti-personnel land mines A land mine is a type of self-contained explosive device which is placed onto or into the ground, exploding when triggered by a vehicle, a person, or an animal. ... A 155 mm artillery shell fired by a United States 11th Marine regiment M-198 howitzer Historically, artillery refers to any engine used for the discharge of projectiles during war. ... Military aircraft are airplanes used in warfare. ... Eucalyptus Forest at Swifts Creek in East Gippsland, Victoria, Australia. ...

Tanks were first used in the First World War to break the deadlock of the trenches, and they evolved gradually to assume the role of cavalry on the battlefield. The name tank first arose in British factories making the hulls of the first battle tanks: the workmen were given the impression they were constructing tracked water containers for the British Army, hence keeping the production of a fighting vehicle secret. Ypres, 1917, in the vicinity of the Battle of Passchendaele. ... Trench Warfare is a form of war in which both opposing armies have static lines of fortifications dug into the ground, facing each other. ... Kircholm, a 1925 painting by Wojciech Kossak. ... The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. ...

Tanks and armour tactics have undergone many generations of evolution over nearly a century. Although weapons systems and armour continue to be developed, many nations have reconsidered the need for such heavy weaponry in a period characterised by unconventional warfare. Unconventional warfare (UW) is the opposite of conventional warfare. ...

History

Main article: History of the tank

This article is about the history of the tank. ...

World War One: The first tanks

The fighting conditions on the Western Front prompted the British Army to begin research into a self-propelled vehicle which could cross trenches, crush barbed wire, and would be impervious to fire from machine-guns. Having already seen a Rolls-Royce Armoured Car used by Royal Naval Air Service in 1914, and aware of schemes prompted by Major Ernest Swinton to create a tracked fighting vehicle, First Lord of the Admiralty Winston Churchill sponsored the Landships Committee to oversee development of this new weapon. The Landships Committee created the first successful prototype tank, nicknamed Little Willie, which was tested by the British Army on September 6, 1915. Although initially termed landships by the Admiralty, the initial vehicles were colloquially referred to as water-carriers, later shortened to tanks, to preserve secrecy. The word tank was used to give the workers the impression they were constructing tracked water containers for the British army in Mesopotamia, and it was made official on December 24, 1915. Combatants Belgium, British Empire, France, United States, other Western Allies of WWI Germany Commanders No unified command until 1918, then General Ferdinand Foch Kaiser Wilhelm II Casualties ~4,800,000 Unknown though considerably higher Following the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, the German army opened the Western... The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. ... A selection of forms of barbed wire. ... A machine gun is a fully-automatic firearm that is capable of firing bullets in rapid succession. ... The Rolls-Royce armoured car was an armoured car developed in 1914 and used in World War I and in the early part of World War II. It was a simple vehicle built on a Rolls Royce car chassis. ... Personnel of No 1 Squadron RNAS in late 1914 The Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) was the air arm of the Royal Navy until near the end of World War I, when it merged with the British Armys Royal Flying Corps (RFC) to form the Royal Air Force. ... Ernest Dunlop Swinton KBE, CB, DSO, RE(1868 -1951 ) was a military writer and British Army officer. ... Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, KG, OM, CH, TD, FRS, PC(Can) (30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965) was an English statesman and author, best known as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. ... Categories: Wikipedia cleanup | Historical stubs ... Listen to this article · (info) This audio file was created from the revision dated 2005-09-11, and does not reflect subsequent edits to the article. ... The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. ... September 6 is the 249th day of the year (250th in leap years). ... 1915 (MCMXV) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... December 24 is the 358th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (359th in leap years). ... 1915 (MCMXV) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ...

This German photograph from World War I shows a captured British Mark II tank. The front part of the tracks are high off the ground in order to climb obstacles. The main guns are side-mounted to keep the centre of gravity low.

The first tank became operational when Captain H. W. Mortimore of the Royal Navy took a Mark I into action at Delville Wood during the Battle of the Somme on September 15, 1916. The French developed the Schneider CA1 working from Holt caterpillar tractors, and first used it on April 16, 1917. The first successful use of massed tanks in combat occurred at the Battle of Cambrai on November 20, 1917. Tanks were later used again to great effect in the Battle of Amiens, Allied forces breaking an entrenched German position with armoured support. The tank would eventually make trench warfare obsolete, and the thousands of tanks fielded during the war by French and British forces made a significant contribution. German photo of an English WW1 tank This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... German photo of an English WW1 tank This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... A Mark I tank on 26 September 1916 (moving left to right). ... Combatants British Empire Australia Canada New Zealand Newfoundland South Africa United Kingdom France German Empire Commanders Douglas Haig Ferdinand Foch Max von Gallwitz Fritz von Below Strength 13 British & 11 French divisions (initial) 51 British and 48 French divisions (final) 10. ... September 15 is the 258th day of the year (259th in leap years). ... 1916 (MCMXVI) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Schneider CA1 was the first French tank. ... Caterpillar Inc. ... April 16 is the 106th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (107th in leap years). ... 1917 (MCMXVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar. ... Combatants United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Newfoundland German Empire Commanders Julian Byng Georg von der Marwitz Strength 2 Corps 1 Corps Casualties 45,000 killed 9,000 prisoners 100 tanks destroyed 45,000 killed 11,000 prisoners The Battle of Cambrai (November 20 - December 3, 1917) was a... November 20 is the 324th day of the year (325th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1917 (MCMXVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar. ... Combatants United Kingdom, France, Canada, Australia Germany Commanders Henry Rawlinson Georg von der Marwitz Strength 4 Aus. ... Trench Warfare is a form of war in which both opposing armies have static lines of fortifications dug into the ground, facing each other. ...

Initial results with tanks were mixed, with problems in reliability (and impatient high command) causing considerable attrition in combat. Deployment in small groups also lessened their tactical value and impact, which was still formidable during first encounters. German forces suffered from shock and lacked counter-weapons, though they did (accidentally) discover solid anti-tank shot, and the use of wider trenches to limit the British tanks' mobility.

Changing battlefield conditions and continued unreliability forced Allied tanks to continue evolving for the duration of the war, producing models such as the very long Mark V, which could navigate large obstacles, especially wide trenches, more easily than many modern armoured fighting vehicles (AFVs). An armoured fighting vehicle (AFV) is a military vehicle, equipped with protection against hostile attacks and often mounted weapons. ...

Germany fielded a small number of tanks, mainly captured, during World War I. They only produced approximately twenty of their own design, the A7V. The first tank versus tank action took place on 24 April 1918 at Villers-Bretonneux, France, when three British Mark IVs met three German A7Vs. The A7V was a tank introduced by Germany in 1918, near the end of World War I. The name is probably derived from the Allgemeines Kriegsdepartement 7 Abteilung Verkehrswesen (General War Department 7, Branch Transportation), although some theorize that Hauptmann Joseph Vollmer gave the V to the name. ... April 24 is the 114th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (115th in leap years). ... 1918 (MCMXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. ... Villers-Bretonneux is a commune of the Somme département in France. ... The A7V was a tank introduced by Germany in 1918, near the end of World War I. The name is probably derived from the Allgemeines Kriegsdepartement 7 Abteilung Verkehrswesen (General War Department 7, Branch Transportation), although some theorize that Hauptmann Joseph Vollmer gave the V to the name. ...

Demands from infantry to have tanks close by during attacks would have pernicious effects on British tank design and tactics well into WW2.

Tanks of WWI.ogg Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ...

The interwar years: advances in design and tactics

Polish Vickers E.

With the tank concept now established, several nations designed and built tanks between the two world wars. The British designs were the most advanced, due largely to their interest in an armoured force during the 1920s. France and Germany did not engage in much development during the early inter War years due to the state of their economy, and the Versailles Treaty respectively. The US did little development during this period because the Cavalry branch was senior to the Armoured branch and managed to absorb most of the funding earmarked for tank development. Even George S. Patton, with tank experience during WWI, transferred from the Armoured branch back to the Cavalry branch during this period. Polish Vickers E tank (Mark A version) in early thirties, picture from the Polish wiki (see interwiki link for a detailed copyright info) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Polish Vickers E tank (Mark A version) in early thirties, picture from the Polish wiki (see interwiki link for a detailed copyright info) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... General characteristics Length: 4. ... George Smith Patton, Jr. ...

Throughout this period several classes of tanks were common, most of this development taking place in the United Kingdom. Light tanks, typically weighing ten tons or less, were used primarily for scouting and generally mounted a light gun that was useful only against other light tanks. The medium tanks, or cruiser tanks as they were known in the United Kingdom, were somewhat heavier and focused on long-range high-speed travel. Finally, the heavy or infantry tanks were heavily armoured and generally very slow. The overall idea was to use infantry tanks in close concert with infantry to effect a breakthrough, their heavy armour allowing them to survive enemy anti-tank weapons. Once this combined force broke the enemy lines, groups of cruiser tanks would be sent through the gap, operating far behind the lines to attack supply lines and command units. This one-two punch was the basic combat philosophy of the British tank formations, and was adopted by the Germans as a major component of the blitzkrieg concept. J.F.C. Fuller's doctrine of WWI was the fount for work by all the main pioneers: Hobart in Britain, Guderian in Germany, Chaffee in the U.S., de Gaulle in France, and Tukhachevsky in the USSR. All came to roughly the same conclusions, Tukhachevsky's integration of airborne pathfinders arguably the most sophisticated; only Germany would actually put the theory to practise, and it was their superior tactics, not superior weapons, that made blitzkrieg so formidable. The cruiser tank (also called cavalry tank or fast tank) was a British tank design concept of the interwar period. ... The infantry tank was a concept developed by the British in the years leading up to World War II. They were intended to work alongside infantry. ... One of the defining characteristics of what is commonly known as Blitzkrieg is close co-operation between infantry and tanks. ... J.F.C. Fuller (September 1, 1878 – February 10, 1966), full name John Frederick Charles Fuller, was a British Major General, military historian and strategist, notable as an early theorist of modern armoured warfare, including categorising principles of warfare. ... Major-General Sir Percy Cleghorn Stanley Hobart (14 June 1885-19 February 1957) was a British military engineer and commander of the 79th Armoured Division during World War II. He was responsible for many of the specialised armoured vehicles (Hobarts Funnies) that took part in the invasion of Normandy. ... General Heinz Guderian Heinz Wilhelm Guderian (17 June 1888-14 May 1954) was a military theorist and General of the German Army during the Second World War. ... Adna Romanza Chaffee, Jr. ... Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle ( ) (22 November 1890 – 9 November 1970), in France commonly referred to as le général de Gaulle, was a French military leader and statesman. ... Marshal of the Soviet Union Mikhail Tukhachevsky Mikhail Nikolayevich Tukhachevsky (also spelled Tukhachevski, Tukhachevskii, Russian: Михаил Николаевич Тухачевский) (February 16, 1893 - June 12, 1937), Soviet military commander, was one of the most prominent victims of Stalins Great Purge of the late 1930s. ... One of the defining characteristics of what is commonly known as Blitzkrieg is close co-operation between infantry and tanks. ...

There was thought put into tank-against-tank combat, but the focus was on powerful anti-tank guns and similar weapons, including dedicated anti-tank vehicles. This achieved its fullest expression in the United States, where tanks were expected to avoid enemy armour, and let dedicated tank destroyer units deal with them. Britain took the same path, and both produced light tanks in the hope that with speed, they could avoid being hit, comparing tanks to ducks. In practice these concepts proved dangerous. As the numbers of tanks on the battlefield increased, the chance of meetings grew to the point where all tanks had to be effective anti-tank vehicles as well. However, tanks designed to cope only with other tanks were relatively helpless against other threats, and were not well suited for the infantry support role. Vulnerability to tank and anti-tank fire led to a rapid up-armouring and up-gunning of almost all tank designs. Tank shape, previously guided purely by considerations of obstacle clearance, now became a trade-off, with a low profile desirable for stealth and stability. A self-propelled anti-tank gun, or tank destroyer, is a type of armoured fighting vehicle. ...

The tank in World War II

World War II saw a series of advances in tank design. Germany for example, initially fielded lightly armoured and lightly armed tanks, such as the Panzer I, which had been intended for training use only. These fast-moving tanks and other armoured vehicles were a critical element of the Blitzkrieg. However, they fared poorly in direct combat with British tanks and suffered severely against the Soviet T-34, which was superior in the armour, weaponry and cross-country performance while being equal in speed. By the end of the war all forces had dramatically increased their tanks' firepower and armour; for instance, the Panzer I had only two machine guns, and the Panzer IV, the "heaviest" early war German design, carried a low-velocity 75mm gun and weighed under twenty tonnes. By the end of the war the standard German medium tank, the Panther, mounted a powerful, high-velocity 75mm gun and weighed forty-five tonnes. This article is becoming very long. ... The Panzer I was a light tank produced by Germany in the 1930s, intended as a training tank, but also used extensively in the Spanish Civil War and early World War II. The Panzer I went by many names and designations, with the most common official designation as the Panzerkampfwagen... The T-34 is a Soviet medium tank first produced in 1940. ... The Panther ( ) was a tank of Germany in World War II that served from mid-1943 to end of the war in Europe in 1945. ...

Another major wartime advance was the introduction of radically improved suspension systems. Although this might not sound important, the quality of the suspension is the primary determinant of a tank's cross-country performance. Tanks with limited suspension travel subject their crew to massive shaking, making operation difficult, limiting speed, and making firing on the move practically impossible. Newer systems like the Christie or torsion bar suspension dramatically improved performance, allowing the late-war Panther to travel cross country at speeds that would have been difficult for earlier designs to reach on pavement. A British Comet with Christie suspension The Christie suspension is a suspension system developed by Walter Christie for his tank designs. ... Torsion beam suspension, also known as a torsion bar or torsion spring suspension, is a vehicle suspension system. ...

By this time most tanks were equipped with radios (all U.S. and German, some Soviet; British radios were common, but often of indifferent quality), vastly improving the direction of units. Tank chassis were adapted to a wide range of military jobs, including mine-clearing and combat engineering tasks. All major combatant powers also developed specialised self-propelled guns: artillery, tank destroyers, and assault guns (armoured vehicles carrying large-calibre guns). German and Soviet assault guns, simpler and cheaper than tanks, had the heaviest guns in any vehicles of the war, while American and British tank destroyers were scarcely distinguishable (except in doctrine) from tanks. The phrase command and control is used in various fields: In telecommunications Command and control (C 2) is the exercise of authority and direction by a properly designated commander over assigned and attached forces in the accomplishment of the mission. ... Combat engineers place satchel charges and detonating cord, preparatory to blowing up a railway bridge during the Korean War, 30 Jul 1950. ... A 155 mm artillery shell fired by a United States 11th Marine regiment M-198 howitzer Historically, artillery refers to any engine used for the discharge of projectiles during war. ... A self-propelled anti-tank gun, or tank destroyer, is a type of armoured fighting vehicle. ... The Brummbar was a German assault gun used in World War II An assault gun is an armoured fighting vehicle similar to a tank, but typically does not have a traversable turret, and may have an open roof. ...

Turrets, which were not previously a universal feature on tanks, were recognised as the way forward. It was appreciated that if the tank's gun was to be used to engage armoured targets then it needed to be as large and powerful as possible, making having one large gun with an all-round field of fire vital. Multiple-turreted tank designs like the Soviet T-35 were abandoned by World War II. Most tanks retained at least one hull machine gun. Even post-war, the M60 MBT had a smaller secondary turret for the commander's cupola. Turret (highlighted) attached to a tower on a baronial building in Scotland In architecture, a turret is a small tower that projects from the wall of a building, such as a medieval castle or baronial house. ... The T-35 was a Soviet multi-turreted heavy tank of the interwar period and early Second World War that saw limited production and service with the Red Army. ... The M47, M48 and M60 Patton were the United States Armys principal tanks of the Korean and Vietnam Wars. ...

The Cold War and beyond

After WWII, tank development proceeded largely as it had before, with improvement to both the medium and heavy classes. Light tanks were now limited to the reconnaissance role, and in U.S. use, airborne support as well. However, the weight limitations of air transport made a practical light tank almost impossible to build, and this class gradually disappeared over time.

But the seeds for a true transformation had already been working their way into existing designs. A combination of better suspensions and greatly improved engines allowed late-war medium tanks to outperform early-war heavies. With only slightly more armour and somewhat larger engines to compensate, mediums were suddenly protected against almost all anti-tank weapons, even those mounted on heavy tanks, while at the same time having the mobility of a medium tank. Many consider the turning point to be the Panther, which became the inspiration for almost every tank design after it. However the Panther was not terribly well armoured, and could not really fight the heavy tanks on an equal basis.

A highly successful post-war tank was the Soviet T-54, which started production in 1947. This successor to the T-34 of World War II represented a direct evolution of that tank's design principles, improving on its low profile, good armour, high mobility, and adding a 100mm tank gun. The T-55 and T-54 main battle tanks were the Soviet Unions replacements for the World War II era T-34 tank. ... The T-34 is a Soviet medium tank first produced in 1940. ...

Another new tank was the British Centurion tank. Centurion marks built in the late 1950s were able to resist hits from the infamous German 88 mm gun, were armed with the deadly 105 mm Royal Ordnance L7, and could reach 56 km/h due to the excellent 650-hp Rolls-Royce Meteor engine. The Centurion replaced all British medium cruiser tanks and finally led to the demise of the heavy infantry tank class entirely, becoming what the British referred to as the Universal Tank, soon to be known as the main battle tank in most forces, abbreviated MBT. The Centurion was the primary British Main Battle Tank of the immediate post-war era, and considered by many to be one of the best British tank designs of all time. ... German 8. ... Royal Ordnance L7 is the basic model of Britains most successful tank gun. ... The Rolls-Royce Meteor was a British tank engine developed from the Rolls-Royce Merlin aero-engine. ...

In response to the threat of antitank guided missiles (ATGMs), the focus in development shifted away from armour thickness, to armour technology. Gun technology remained remarkably similar even to WWI-era gun technology, with most tanks in service still being manually loaded, but with big advances in shell effectiveness. This article or section should be merged with Missile guidance A guided missile is a military rocket that can be directed in flight to change its flight path. ...

Although the basic roles and traits of tanks were almost all developed by the end of WWI, the performance of twenty-first-century counterparts had increased by an order of magnitude. They had been refined dramatically in response to continually changing threats and requirements, especially the threat of other tanks. The advancing capabilities of tanks have been balanced by developments of other tanks and by continuous development of anti-tank weapons.

Design

The three traditional factors determining a tank's effectiveness are its firepower, mobility and protection. The psychological effect on enemy soldiers of a tank's imposing battlefield presence is called shock action.

Firepower is the ability of a tank to defeat a target. This takes into account the maximum distance at which targets can be engaged, the ability to engage moving targets, the speed with which multiple targets can be attacked, and the capability to defeat armoured vehicles or entrenched infantry.

Mobility includes the speed and agility of driving cross-country, the types of terrain that can be covered, the dimensions of obstacles, trenches, and water that can be crossed, the ability to cross small bridges, and the distance that can be covered before refuelling is required. "Strategic mobility" also includes the ability to travel at high speed on roads, and the ability to be carried on rail or truck transport. Traditionally AFV mobility is measured by the following metrics:

• engine power
• engine torque
• power-to-weight ratio
• road speed
• off-road speed (a somewhat nebulous figure given the possible variation)
• road range
• off-road range
• weight (bridge classification)
• ground pressure
• width of trench crossed
• vertical step climbed
• angle of slope that can be climbed
• angle of side slope that can be negotiated
• ground clearance
• unprepared fording depth
• prepared fording depth (if different)

Protection is the amount of armour, the type(s), how it is arranged (i.e., sloped or not), and which areas are given more protection (e.g., the turret and tracks) and which receive less (e.g., the rear of the chassis). It also includes low profile, low noise and thermal signature, active countermeasures and other methods of avoiding enemy fire, and the ability to continue fighting after damage has been sustained.

Tank design is traditionally held to be a compromise between these three factors — it is not considered possible to maximise all three. For example, increasing protection by adding armour will increase weight and therefore decrease manoeuvrability; increasing firepower by using a larger gun will decrease both manoeuvrability and protection (due to decreased armour at the front of the turret).

How the compromise is achieved is influenced by a combination of factors, including military strategies, budget, geography, political will, and the requirement to sell the tank to other countries.

Examples of how different countries are influenced in their decisions are as follows:

• Britain has historically opted for better firepower and increased protection at the expense of speed and manoeuvrability. Britain maintains a small, highly-trained professional army, and so tank crew survivability is important. As limited resources may be available, the crew needs to be able to maintain their tanks in the field.
• The USA has a large army with sophisticated weaponry and a complex array of mobile support services. As their tanks are expected to rarely be away from support and repair units, less emphasis is placed on the crew's ability to maintain the tank themselves or to continue fighting with it once damage has been sustained.
• Germany has benefited from a technically superior armament industry and, following initial encounters with the T-34, have often mounted the most advanced main guns. Importance being placed on vehicle range, speed, and fire control systems due to the highly aggressive posture of German armoured doctrine.
• Soviet tanks are traditionally rugged, simple for production and maintenance, as exemplified by the T-34. State-controlled design development proceeds in incremental changes. Extensive maintenance is expected to be done in specialised depots. Russian tanks utilise an auto-loader to reduce both crew size and delay between shots.
• Israel is a small, but relatively rich, nation, with limited manpower in a hostile political environment. Its primary concern is therefore crew survivability. To this end it is the only nation to have produced a main battle tank with the engine placed at the front and fuel surrounding the crew to increase protection, the Merkava.
• French tanks tend to favour manoeuvrability and firepower over heavy armour. For instance, the Leclerc is relatively light (56 tonnes), but is capable of accelerating from 0 to 32 km/h in 5 seconds, and braking at 7 m/s². French tanks also use an auto-loader.

Further information: tank classification

State motto (Russian): Пролетарии всех стран, соединяйтесь! (Transliterated: Proletarii vsekh stran, soedinyaytes!) (Translated: Workers of the world, unite!) Capital Moscow Official language None; Russian (de facto) Government Federation of Soviet republics Area  - Total  - % water 1st before collapse 22,402,200 km² Approx. ... The T-34 is a Soviet medium tank first produced in 1940. ... Merkava (Hebrew: ) is a series of main battle tanks developed and manufactured by Israel for the Israel Defense Forces. ... The Leclerc is a main battle tank built by GIAT Industries of France. ... Tank classification can be done in a variety of ways: usually either by intended role, or by weight. ...

Weapons

Main article: tank gun

A US Medium Tank M4A3E8 tank fires from a prepared position during the Korean war

The main weapon of any modern tank is a single large gun. Tank guns are among the largest-calibre weapons in use on land, with only a few artillery pieces being larger. Although the calibre has not changed substantially since the end of the Second World War, modern guns are technologically superior. The current common sizes are 120mm calibre for Western tanks and 125mm for Eastern (Soviet and Chinese legacy) tanks. Tank guns have been able to fire many types of rounds, but their current use is commonly limited to kinetic energy (KE) penetrators and high explosive (HE) rounds. Some tanks can fire missiles through the gun. Smoothbore (rather than rifled) guns are the dominant type of gun today. The British Army and the Indian Army are now the only ones to field main battle tanks carrying rifled guns. Panzerkampfwagen IV with long-barrelled gun ISU-122 A tank gun is the main armament of a tank. ... Download high resolution version (740x601, 79 KB) Photo #: SC 398704 M4A3E8 Sherman Tank Of Company B, 72nd Tank Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division, fires its 76mm gun at enemy bunkers on Napalm Ridge, in support of the 8th ROK Division. ... Download high resolution version (740x601, 79 KB) Photo #: SC 398704 M4A3E8 Sherman Tank Of Company B, 72nd Tank Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division, fires its 76mm gun at enemy bunkers on Napalm Ridge, in support of the 8th ROK Division. ... General characteristics Length: 5. ... Combatants Western Allied/UN combatants: Republic of Korea United States United Kingdom Communist combatants: Democratic People’s Republic of Korea People’s Republic of China Soviet Union Commanders Douglas MacArthur Mark W. Clark Matthew Ridgway Jeong Il-Gwon Syngman Rhee Kim Il-sung, Peng Dehuai Strength Note: All figures may... 155 mm M198 howitzer USS Iowa (BB-61) fires a full broadside of nine 16/50 and six 5/38 guns during a target exercise near Vieques Island, Puerto Rico, 1 July 1984. ... A 155 mm artillery shell fired by a United States 11th Marine regiment M-198 howitzer Historically, artillery refers to any engine used for the discharge of projectiles during war. ... Panzerkampfwagen IV with long-barrelled gun ISU-122 A tank gun is the main armament of a tank. ... Kinetic energy (SI unit: the joule) is energy that a body possesses as a result of its motion. ... French anti-tank round with its sabot APFSDS at point of separation of sabot. ... This article is concerned solely with chemical explosives. ... Smoothbore refers to a firearm which does not have a rifled barrel. ... Rifling is the means by which a firearm gyroscopically stabilizes a projectile. ... The Indian Army is the land force of the Armed Forces of India and has the prime responsibility of conducting land-based warfare. ...

Modern tank guns are generally fitted with thermal jackets which reduce the effect of uneven temperature on the barrel. For instance, if it were to rain on a tank barrel the top would cool faster than the bottom, or a breeze on the left might cause the left side to cool faster than the right. This uneven cooling will cause the barrel to bend slightly and will affect long range accuracy.

Usually, tanks carry other armament for short range defence against infantry or targets where the use of the main weapon would be ineffective or wasteful. Typically, this is a small calibre (7.62 to 12.7 mm) machine gun mounted coaxially with the main gun. However, a couple of French tanks such as the AMX-30 and AMX-40 carry a coaxial 20mm cannon that has a high rate of fire and can destroy lightly armoured vehicles. Additionally, many tanks carry a roof-mounted or commander's cupola machine gun for close-in ground or limited air defence. The 12.7-mm and 14.5-mm machine guns commonly carried on U.S. and Russian tanks and the French Leclerc are also capable of destroying lightly-armoured vehicles at close range. A machine gun is a fully-automatic firearm that is capable of firing bullets in rapid succession. ... coaxial cable In geometry, coaxial means that two or more forms share a common axis; it is the three-dimensional analog of concentric. Coaxial cable, for example, has a conducting wire in the center and a second conducting layer running all the way around the exterior circumference, under the insulation. ... The AMX-30 is perhaps the most successful post-war French armoured vehicle design, amain battle tank designed by GIAT Industries with a focus on good firepower and superior mobility and first delivered to the French Army in 1966. ... A small American Civil War-era cannon on a carriage A caun is any large tubular firearm designed to fire a heavy projectile over a considerable distance. ... United States is the current Good Article Collaboration of the week! Please help to improve this article to the highest of standards. ... The Leclerc is a main battle tank built by GIAT Industries of France. ...

Some tanks have been adapted to specialised roles and have had unusual main armament such as flame-throwers. These specialised weapons are now usually mounted on the chassis of an armoured personnel carrier. German troops use a flamethrower on the Eastern Front during the Second World War A flamethrower is a mechanical device designed to throw flames or, more correctly, project an ignited stream of liquid. ...

Fire control

Historically, tank weapons were aimed through simple optical sights and laid onto target by hand, with windage estimated or assisted with a reticle. Range to the target was estimated with the aid of a reticle (markings in the gun sight which are aligned to frame an object of known size, in this case a tank). Consequently, accuracy was limited at long range and concurrent movement and accurate shooting were largely impossible. Over time these sights were replaced with stereoscopic rangefinders, and later by Laser range-finders. Sight of a Sig 550 rifle (muzzle) Sight of a Sig 550 rifle (stock) A sight is an optical device used to assist aim by guiding the eye and aligning it with the weapon or other item to be pointed. ... Stereo card image modified for crossed eye viewing View of Manhattan, c. ... A rangefinder is an optical device that allows distance to be estimated or measured using triangulation, laser, radar, or other method. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with LIDAR. (Discuss) A laser range-finder, or LIDAR (LIght Detection And Ranging), is a device which uses a laser beam in order to determine the distance to an opaque object. ...

Most modern main battle tanks in the armies of industrialised countries use laser range-finders but optical and reticule range-finders are still in use in older and less sophisticated vehicles. Modern tanks have a variety of sophisticated systems to make them more accurate. Gyroscopes are used to stabilise the main weapon; computers calculate the appropriate elevation and aim-point, taking input from sensors for wind speed, air temperature, humidity, the gun-barrel temperature, warping and wear, the speed of the target (calculated by taking at least two sightings of the target with the range-finder), and the movement of the tank. Infrared, light-amplification, or thermal night vision equipment is also commonly incorporated. Laser target designators may also be used to illuminate targets for guided munitions. As a result modern tanks can fire reasonably accurately while moving. A fire-control system is a computer, often mechanical, which is designed to assist a weapon system in hitting its target. ... A gyroscope is a device for measuring or maintaining orientation, based on the principle of conservation of angular momentum. ... A Lego RCX Computer is an example of an embedded computer used to control mechanical devices. ... Basic Definition In geography, the elevation of a geographic location is its height above mean sea level (or some other fixed point). ... Image of a small dog taken in mid-infrared (thermal) light (false color) Infrared (IR) radiation is electromagnetic radiation of a wavelength longer than that of visible light, but shorter than that of radio waves. ... Night-vision is seeing in the dark. ... Lasers were used in the 2005 Classical Spectacular concert Soon after the invention of the laser in 1960, it was described as a solution in search of a problem. However, since that time, the laser has found a place as a useful tool in many scientific, military, medical and industrial... A guided munition is a weapon which is able to alter its course after being fired, typically to correct for aiming error, wind or a moving target. ...

Ammunition

There are several types of ammunition designed to defeat armour, including High explosive squash head (HESH, also called high explosive plastic, HEP), High explosive anti-tank (HEAT), and kinetic energy penetrators (KEP, or armour-piercing discarding sabot APDS). For accuracy, shells are spun by gun-barrel rifling, or fin-stabilised (APFSDS, HEAT-FS, etc.). High explosive squash head (HESH) is a type of explosive ammunition designed to defeat tank armour. ... High explosive anti-tank (HEAT) rounds are made of an explosive shaped charge that uses the Neumann effect (a development of the Munroe effect) to create a very high-velocity jet of metal in a state of superplasticity that can punch through solid armor. ... French anti-tank round with its sabot APFSDS at point of separation of sabot. ... A 35 caliber Remington, with a microgrove rifled barrel with a right hand twist. ...

Some tanks, including the M551 Sheridan, T-72, T-64, T-80, T-90, T-84, and PT-91 can fire ATGMs (anti-tank guided missile) through their gun barrel or from externally mounted launchers. This functionality can extend the effective combat range of the tank beyond the range afforded by conventional shells, depending on the capabilities of the ATGM system. It also provides the tank with a useful weapon against slow, low-flying airborne targets like helicopters. The United States has abandoned this concept, phasing the M551 and M60A2 out of their forces in favour of helicopters and aircraft for long range anti-tank roles, but CIS countries continue to employ gun-missile systems in their main battle tanks. The M551 Sheridan is a light tank and armoured reconnaissance vehicle developed by the United States. ... The T-72, a Soviet main battle tank entered production in 1971. ... The T-64, a Soviet main battle tank, was introduced in the late 1960s. ... The T-80 is a Soviet/Russian/Ukrainian main battle tank. ... The T-90 is a main battle tank of Russian Federation Army. ... The T-84 Main Battle Tank is a Ukrainian development of the Soviet T-80 main battle tank, first built in 1993. ... The PT-91 Twardy (PT-91 Hardy) is a Polish main battle tank. ... An Anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) or weapon (ATGW) is a guided missile primarily designed to hit and destroy tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles. ... Headquarters Minsk, Belarus Member states 11 member states 1 associate member Working language Russian Executive Secretary Vladimir Rushailo Formation December 21, 1991 Official website http://cis. ...

Protection

Sections of the side-skirt are swung aside on this M1 Abrams tank to expose the track so that a road wheel can be replaced. Photo from B Company, 4th Tank Battalion, 4th Marine Division, US Marines.

The main battle tank is the most heavily armoured vehicle in modern armies. Its armour is designed to protect the vehicle and crew against a wide variety of threats. Commonly, protection against kinetic energy penetrators fired by other tanks is considered the most important. Tanks are also vulnerable to antitank guided missiles; antitank mines, larger bombs, and direct artillery hits, which can disable or destroy them. Tanks are especially vulnerable to airborne threats. Most modern MBTs do offer near complete protection from artillery fragmentation and lighter antitank weapons such as rocket propelled grenades. The amount of armour needed to protect against all conceivable threats from all angles would be far too heavy to be practical, so when designing an MBT much effort goes into finding the right balance between protection and weight. Download high resolution version (2288x1712, 692 KB)This image was downloaded from http://www. ... Download high resolution version (2288x1712, 692 KB)This image was downloaded from http://www. ... The M1 Abrams main battle tank is the principal combat tank of the United States Army and the United States Marine Corps, with three main versions being deployed starting in 1980: the M1, M1A1, and M1A2. ... A company is a military unit, typically consisting of 100-200 soldiers. ... Symbol of the Austrian 14th Armoured Battalion in NATO military graphic symbols A battalion is a military unit usually consisting of between two and six companies and typically commanded by a Lieutenant Colonel. ... The U.S. 4th Marine Division is a division of the United States Marine Corps. ... United States Marine Corps Emblem The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is the second smallest of the five branches of the United States armed forces, with 170,000 active and 40,000 reserve Marines as of 2002. ... French anti-tank round with its sabot APFSDS at point of separation of sabot. ... An Anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) or weapon (ATGW) is a guided missile primarily designed to hit and destroy tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles. ... Various anti-tank and anti-personnel land mines A land mine is a type of self-contained explosive device which is placed onto or into the ground, exploding when triggered by a vehicle, a person, or an animal. ... The Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB) bomb, also known as Mother Of All Bombs, produced in the United States. ... A 155 mm artillery shell fired by a United States 11th Marine regiment M-198 howitzer Historically, artillery refers to any engine used for the discharge of projectiles during war. ... A rocket propelled grenade (RPG) is a man-portable, shoulder-launched weapon capable of firing an explosive device longer distances than an otherwise unassisted soldier could throw. ...

Armour

Main article: vehicle armour

Abandoning a disabled M-3 tank in training

Most armoured fighting vehicles are manufactured of hardened steel plate, or in some cases aluminium. The relative effectiveness of armour is expressed by comparison to rolled homogeneous armour. Military vehicles are commonly armoured to withstand the impact of shrapnel, bullets or shells, protecting the soldiers inside from enemy fire. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (2081x1705, 464 KB) Description: Third Army Louisiana Maneuvers. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (2081x1705, 464 KB) Description: Third Army Louisiana Maneuvers. ... RHA stands for Rolled Homogeneous Armour. ...

Most armoured vehicles are best-protected at the front, and their crews always try to keep them pointed toward the likeliest direction of the enemy. The thickest and best-sloped armour is on the glacis plate and the turret front. The sides have less armour and the rear, belly and roof are least protected. Today, tanks are vulnerable to specialised top-attack missile weapons and air attack. During WW2, aircraft rockets earned a formidable reputation, especially in France after the Normandy landings (Operation Neptune); post-war analysis revealed many reported kills were near-misses. Aircraft cannon firing armour-piercing ammunition, such as the Hurribomber's 40mm or Stuka's 37mm, could be effective, also. Even a simple Molotov cocktail on the engine deck, however, may disable most tanks. A glacis, in military engineering (see Fortification and Siege) is an artificial slope of earth in the front of works, so constructed as to keep an assailant under the fire of the defenders to the last possible moment. ... Corbelled corner turrets at Newark Castle, Port Glasgow. ... A Redstone rocket, part of the Mercury program The traditional definition of a rocket is a vehicle, missile or aircraft which obtains thrust by the reaction to the ejection of fast moving fluid from within a rocket engine. ... Land on Normandy In military parlance, D-Day is a term often used to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. ... The Battle of Normandy was fought in 1944 between the German forces occupying Western Europe and the invading Allies. ... The Hawker Hurricane is a fighter design from the 1930s which was used extensively by the Royal Air Force during the Battle of Britain. ... Junkers Ju 87 Dive-Bombers The Junkers Ju 87 or Stuka was the most famous Sturzkampfflugzeug (German dive bomber) in World War II, instantly recognisable by its inverted gull-wings and fixed undercarriage. ... Molotov cocktail is the generic name for a variety of crude incendiary weapons. ...

Before the Second World War, several tank designers tried sloping the armour on experimental tanks. The most famous and successful example of this approach at the time was the T-34. Angling armour plates greatly increases their effectiveness against projectiles, by increasing the effective perpendicular thickness of the armour, and by increasing the chance of deflection. German tank crews were said to be horrified to find that shots fired at the angled plates of T-34s would sometimes simply ricochet. Sloped armour was developed as a defensive measure by the French SOMUA (Société dOutillage Mécanique et dUsinage dArtillerie) right before the outbreak of World War II. It was a technological response to the trend of fitting increasingly bigger guns on battle tanks. ... The T-34 is a Soviet medium tank first produced in 1940. ...

Even light infantry antitank weapons can immobilise a tank by damaging its suspension or track. Many tracked military vehicles have side skirts, protecting the suspension.

High explosive anti-tank weapons (HEAT), such as the bazooka, were a new threat in the Second World War. These weapons carry a warhead with a shaped charge, which focuses the force of an explosion into a narrow penetrating stream. Thin plates of spaced armour, steel mesh "RPG screens", or rubber skirts, were found to cause HEAT rounds to detonate too far from the main armour, greatly reducing their penetrating power. High explosive anti-tank (HEAT) rounds are made of an explosive shaped charge that uses the Neumann effect (a development of the Munroe effect) to create a very high-velocity jet of metal in a state of superplasticity that can punch through solid armor. ... The bazooka weapon was one of the initial anti-tank weapons based on the High Explosive Anti-tank (HEAT) shell to enter service, used by the United States Armed Forces in World War II and the Korean War. ... Sectioned HEAT round with the inner shaped charge visible A shaped charge is an explosive charge shaped to focus the effect of the explosives energy. ... A picture of a destroyed M113 armoured personnel carrier showing a section of the armour. ... A Rocket propelled grenade (RPG) is a hand-held, shoulder-launched anti-tank weapon capable of firing an unguided rocket equipped with an explosive warhead. ...

British Challenger 2 tank, fitted with Chobham Armour.

Some anti-tank ammunition (HESH or HEP) uses flexible explosive material, which squashes against a vehicle's armour, and causes dangerous spalling of material inside the tank when the charge explodes. This may kill the crew without penetrating the armour, still neutralising the tank. As a defence, some vehicles have a layer of anti-spall material lining their insides. Challenger 2 tank source: http://www. ... Challenger 2 tank source: http://www. ... The Challenger 2 is the most recent main battle tank in service with the United Kingdom and Oman. ... Spall are flakes of a material that are broken off a larger solid body. ...

Since the 1970s, some tanks have been protected by more complex composite armour, a sandwich of various alloys and ceramics. One of the best types of passive armour is the British-developed Chobham armour, which is comprised of spaced ceramic blocks contained by a resin-fabric matrix between layers of conventional armour. A form of Chobham armour is encased in depleted uranium on the very well-protected M1A1 Abrams MBT. Composite armour is a type of vehicle armour consisting of layers of different material such as metals, plastics, ceramics or air. ... An alloy is a combination, either in solution or compound, of two or more elements, at least one of which is a metal, and where the resulting material has metallic properties. ... Fixed Partial Denture, or Bridge The word ceramic is derived from the Greek word κεραμικος (keramikos, potters earth, or pottery). The term covers inorganic non-metallic materials whose formation is due to the action of heat. ... Chobham armour is a composite armour developed at the British tank research centre on Chobham Common. ... Fixed Partial Denture, or Bridge The word ceramic is derived from the Greek word κεραμικος (keramikos, potters earth, or pottery). The term covers inorganic non-metallic materials whose formation is due to the action of heat. ... Resin of a pine Insect trapped in resin. ... It has been suggested that Textile be merged into this article or section. ... Depleted uranium (DU) is uranium that has a reduced proportion of the isotope Uranium-235. ... The M1 Abrams main battle tank is the principal combat tank of the United States Army. ...

The Israeli Merkava tank takes the design of protection systems to an extreme, using the engine and fuel tanks as secondary armour. Merkava (Hebrew: ) is a series of main battle tanks developed and manufactured by Israel for the Israel Defense Forces. ...

Grenade launchers, smoke and passive defences

Most armoured vehicles carry smoke grenade launchers which can rapidly deploy a smoke screen to visually shield a withdrawal from an enemy ambush or attack. The smoke screen is very rarely used offensively, since attacking through it blocks the attacker's vision and gives the enemy an early indication of impending attack. Modern smoke grenades work in the infrared as well as visible spectrum of light. A grenade launcher is weapon that fires or launches a grenade to longer distances than a soldier could throw by hand. ... A U.S. Army Humvee laying a smoke screen A smoke-screen is a release of smoke in order to mask the movement or location of military units such as infantry, tanks or ships. ... Grenade may refer to: The well-known hand grenade commonly used by soldiers. ... Image of a small dog taken in mid-infrared (thermal) light (false color) Infrared (IR) radiation is electromagnetic radiation of a wavelength longer than that of visible light, but shorter than that of radio waves. ... The visible spectrum (or sometimes optical spectrum) is the portion of the electromagnetic spectrum that is visible to the human eye. ...

Some smoke grenades are designed to make a very dense cloud capable of blocking the laser beams of enemy target designators or range finders and of course obscuring vision, reducing probability of a hit from visually aimed weapons, especially low speed weapons, such as anti-tank missiles which require the operator to keep the tank in sight for a relatively long period of time. In many MBTs, such as the French-built Leclerc, the smoke grenade launchers are also meant to launch tear gas grenades and anti-personnel fragmentation grenades. Many Israeli tanks contain small vertical mortar tubes which can be operated from within the tank, enhancing the anti-personnel capabilities and allowing it to engage targets which are behind obstacles. There have been proposals to equip other tanks with dual-purpose smoke/fragmentation grenade launchers that can be reloaded from the interior. The Leclerc is a main battle tank built by GIAT Industries of France. ... A riot control agent is a type of lachrymatory agent (or lacrimatory agent). ... US soldier loading a M224 60-mm mortar. ...

Prior to the widespread introduction of thermal imaging the most common smoke grenade in AFV launchers was white phosphorus which created a very rapid smoke screen as well as having a very useful incendiary effect against any infantry in the burst area (e.g., infantry attempting to close with hand placed charges or mines). Thermography can refer to a printing process and a imaging process. ... White phosphorus is a common allotrope of the chemical element phosphorus which has found extensive military application as an incendiary agent , smoke-screening agent, and as an antipersonnel flame compound capable of causing serious burns. ...

Since the advent of thermal imagers most tanks carry a smoke grenade that contains a plastic or rubber compound whose tiny burning fragments provide better obscurant qualities against thermal imagers.

Some tanks also have smoke generators which can generate smoke continuously, rather than the instantaneous, but short duration of smoke grenades. Generally smoke generators work by injecting fuel into the exhaust, which partially burns the fuel, but leaves sufficient unburned or partially burned particles to create a dense smoke screen.

Modern tanks are increasingly being fitted with passive defensive systems such as laser warning devices, which activate an alarm if the tank is "painted" by a laser range-finder or designator.

Other passive defences include radio warning devices, which provide warning if the tank is targeted by radar systems that are commonly used to guide antitank weapons such as millimetre and other very short wave radar.

Countermeasures

Passive countermeasures, like the Russian Shtora system, attempt to jam the guidance systems of incoming guided missiles. Shtora is a Russian electro-optical countermeasures suite, designed to disrupt the laser target designation and rangefinders of incoming ATGMs. ...

Explosive reactive armour, or ERA, is another major type of protection against high explosive antitank weapons, in which sections of armour explode to dissipate the focused explosive force of a shaped charge warhead. Reactive armour is attached to the outside of an MBT in small, replaceable bricks. This article or section should be merged with Reactive armour Explosive Reactive Armour. ... High explosive anti-tank, more commonly known as HEAT, rounds are made of an explosive shaped charge that uses the Neumann effect (a development of the Munroe effect) to create a very high velocity jet of metal in a state of superplasticity that can punch through solid armor. ... Sectioned HEAT round with the inner shaped charge visible A shaped charge is an explosive charge shaped to focus the effect of the explosives energy. ...

Active protection systems go one step further than reactive armour. An APS uses radar or other sensing technology to automatically react to incoming projectiles. When the system detects hostile fire, it calculates a firing resolution and directs an explosive-launched counter-projectile to intercept or disrupt the incoming fire a few metres from the target. An active protection system, or APS, protects a tank or other armoured fighting vehicle from incoming fire before it hits the vehicles armour. ...

Exposed crew

An Australian Sentinel tank during trials in 1942. Note the commander's lack of protection (AWM 101156).

Paradoxically, a tank is usually in its safest state when the commander is in a personally unsafe position, (except if it is under heavy fire) riding in the open, head out of the turret, with no personal protection save his helmet and a flak jacket. In this rather high position the commander can see around the vehicle with no restrictions, and has the greatest chance of spotting enemy antitank operations or natural and artificial obstacles which might immobilise or slow down the tank. Tank periscopes and other viewing devices give a sharply inferior field of vision and sense of the countryside, despite constant advances in optics and electronics. Thus, when a tank advances in hostile territory with hatches closed, the commander and the crew might be personally safer, but the tank as a whole is more at risk given the extremely reduced vision. In order to overcome this problem improvements in onboard optical systems are ongoing. Image File history File linksMetadata Sentinel_(AWM_101156). ... Image File history File linksMetadata Sentinel_(AWM_101156). ... The Sentinel tank was designed in Australia in World War II in response to a possible Japanese invasion. ... Pickelhaube of a Swedish Royal Guard soldier For the band, see Helmet A helmet (a 15th century loan from Middle French, a diminutive of Frankish helm, from Proto-Germanic *khelmaz, PIE *kelmo- a cover) is a form of protective clothing worn on the head and usually made of metal or... A flak jacket is a MILSPEC jacket used by troops in wartime conditions. ... Search and attack periscopes of a French-built Scorpène class submarine. ...

Mobility

There are essentially three main aspects of mobility to consider, the tank's basic mobility such as its speed across terrain, the ability to climb obstacles and its overall battlefield mobility such as range, what bridges it can cross, and what transport vehicles can move it and turning. Mobility is what tankers and tank designers call 'agility'. Mobility of a tank is categorised as Battlefield Mobility, Tactical Mobility, or Strategic Mobility. The first is a function of its engine performance and capability of its running gear and is determined by aspects such as acceleration, speed, vertical obstacle capability and so on. The second is the ability of the tank to be readily transported within a theatre of operation. The third is its ability to be transported from one theatre of operation to other, dependent on its weight, air portability and so on.

A main battle tank is designed to be very mobile and able to tackle most types of terrain. Its wide tracks disperse the heavy weight of the vehicle over a large area, resulting in a specific ground pressure that might be lower than that of a man's foot ^{[citation needed]}. The types of terrain that do pose a problem are usually extremely soft ground such as swamps, or rocky terrain scattered with large boulders. In "normal" terrain, a tank can be expected to travel at about 30 to 50 km/h. The road speed may be up to 70 km/h. U.S. M60 Patton tank. ... A freshwater swamp This article is about the wetland type (a landform). ... In geology, a boulder is a rock with grain size of more than 256 mm (10 inches) diameter. ... A road ascends a mountainside using hairpin bends in the French Alps. ...

The logistics of getting from point A to point B are not as simple as they appear. On paper, or during any test drive of a few hours, a single tank offers better off-road performance than any wheeled fighting vehicle. On the road the fastest tank design is not much slower than the average wheeled fighting vehicle design. But in practice, the huge weight of the tank combined with the relative weakness of the track assembly makes the maximum road speed of a tank really a burst speed, which can be kept up for only a short time before there is a mechanical breakdown. Although the maximum off-road speed is lower, it cannot be kept up continuously for a day, given the variety and unpredictability of off-road terrain (with the possible exception of plains and sandy deserts). It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Off-roading. ... An armoured fighting vehicle (AFV) is a military vehicle, equipped with protection against hostile attacks and often mounted weapons. ... In geography, a plain is a large area of land with relatively low relief. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

A Leclerc crossing a gap.

Since an immobilised tank is an easy target for mortars, artillery, and the specialised tank hunting units of the enemy forces, speed is normally kept to a minimum, and every opportunity is used to move tanks on wheeled tank transporters and by railway instead of under their own power. Tanks invariably end up on railcars in any country with a rail infrastructure, because no army has enough wheeled transporters to carry all its tanks. Planning for railcar loading and unloading is crucial staff work, and railway bridges and yards are prime targets for enemy forces wishing to slow a tank advance. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1280x851, 291 KB) Author : Daniel Steger (Lausanne,Switzerland) Source: [1] File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Leclerc Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1280x851, 291 KB) Author : Daniel Steger (Lausanne,Switzerland) Source: [1] File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Leclerc Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the... The Leclerc is a main battle tank built by GIAT Industries of France. ... A 155 mm artillery shell fired by a United States 11th Marine regiment M-198 howitzer Historically, artillery refers to any engine used for the discharge of projectiles during war. ... Anti-tank, or simply AT, refers to any method of combating military armored fighting vehicles, notably tanks. ... A log bridge in the French Alps near Vallorcine. ...

When moving in a country or region with no rail infrastructure and few good roads, or a place with roads riddled by mines or frequent ambushes, the average speed of advance of a tank unit in a day is comparable to that of a man on a horse or bicycle. Frequent halts must be planned for preventive maintenance and verifications in order to avoid breakdowns during combat. This is in addition to the tactical halts needed so that the infantry or the air units can scout ahead for the presence of enemy antitank groups. Various anti-tank and anti-personnel land mines A land mine is a type of self-contained explosive device which is placed onto or into the ground, exploding when triggered by a vehicle, a person, or an animal. ... An ambush is a long established military tactic in which an ambushing force uses concealment to attack an enemy that passes its position. ... Binomial name Equus caballus Linnaeus, 1758 The horse (Equus caballus, sometimes seen as a subspecies of the Wild Horse, Equus ferus caballus) is a large odd-toed ungulate mammal, one of ten modern species of the genus Equus. ... This racing bicycle is built using lightweight, shaped aluminium tubing and carbon fiber stays and forks. ... Preventive maintenance (PM) has the following meanings: The care and servicing by personnel for the purpose of maintaining equipment and facilities in satisfactory operating condition by providing for systematic inspection, detection, and correction of incipient failures either before they occur or before they develop into major defects. ... Infantry of the Royal Irish Rifles during the Battle of the Somme in World War I. Infantry are soldiers who fight primarily on foot with small arms in organized military units, though they may be transported to the battlefield by horses, ships, automobiles, skis, or other means. ...

Another mobility issue is getting the tank to the theatre of operations. Tanks, especially main battle tanks, are extremely heavy, making it very difficult to airlift them. Using sea and ground transportation is slow, making tanks problematic for rapid reaction forces. In logistics and military terminology: An airlift is the act of transporting people or cargo from point to point using aircraft. ... Many American politicians had long argued that Europes economic influence should be matched by an ability to project military power anywhere on the continent. ...

Some tank-like vehicles use wheels instead of tracks in order to increase road speed and decrease maintenance needs. These vehicles lack the superior off-road mobility of tracked vehicles, but are considered by United States planners as more suited for rapid reaction forces due to increased strategic mobility ^{[citation needed]}. Military armored cars A French VBL reconnaissance vehicle. ...

Water operations

For most tanks water operations are limited to fording. The fording depth is usually limited by the height of the air intake of the engine, and to a lesser extent the driver's position. The typical fording depth for MBTs is 90 to 120 cm. (3-4 Feet.)

Deep fording

A T-90, snorkel erected.

However, with preparation some tanks are able to ford considerably deeper waters. The West German Leopard I and Leopard II tanks can ford to a depth of several metres, when properly prepared and equipped with a snorkel. The Leopard snorkel is in fact a series of rings which can be stacked to create a long tube. This tube is then fitted to the crew commander's hatch and provides air and a possible escape route for the crew. The height of the tube is limited to around three meters. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1024x768, 177 KB) Summary Im Alain Servaes owner of this picture, i have created a military magazine about all military equipment and vehicle in use today. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1024x768, 177 KB) Summary Im Alain Servaes owner of this picture, i have created a military magazine about all military equipment and vehicle in use today. ... The T-90 is a main battle tank of Russian Federation Army. ... Snorkel A snorkel (also spelled schnorkel or schnorchel) is a tube that allows a person, vehicle, or vessel to draw air while submerged under water. ...

Some Russian/Soviet tanks are also able to perform deep fording operations, however unlike the Leopard, the Russian snorkel is only a few inches round and does not provide a crew escape path. Russian snorkels are also fixed in length, providing only a couple of metres of depth over the turret height.

This type of fording requires careful preparation of the tank and the ingress and egress sites on the banks of the water obstacle. Tank crews usually have a negative reaction towards deep fording. This has influenced tactics in those countries where the psychological health of the crews or their capacity for rebellion is taken into account. However if properly planned and executed this type of operation adds considerable scope for surprise and flexibility in water crossing operations.

Amphibious tanks

Sherman DD (Duplex Drive) amphibious tank with waterproof float screens. When in the water the float screen was raised and the rear propellers came into operation. 1944

Some light tanks such as the PT-76 are amphibious, typically being propelled in the water by hydrojets or by their tracks. Image File history File links DD-Tank. ... Image File history File links DD-Tank. ... The PT-76 is a Soviet amphibious tank (Plavayushiy Tank) which was introduced in 1954. ... A DUKW (commonly DUCK), during World War II Propeller on a French VAB An amphibian or amphibious vehicle, is a vehicle that, like an amphibian, can move on land as well as on water. ... Typical jet ski pump jet A pump-jet or water jet is a marine system that creates a jet of water for propulsion. ...

Often a fold down trim vane is erected to stop water washing over the bow of the tank and thus reducing the risk of the vehicle being swamped via the driver's hatch.

In World War II the M4 Medium Tank "Sherman" was made amphibious with the addition of a rubberised canvas screen to provide additional buoyancy. It was propelled by propellers driven by the main engine. This was referred to as the Sherman DD (Duplex Drive) and was used on D-Day to provide close fire support on the beaches during the initial landings. The Sherman DD could not fire when afloat as the buoyancy screen was higher than the gun. A number of these DDs swamped and sank due to rough weather in the English Channel (having been launched too far out), and due to some turning to converge on a specific point on the battlefield. Those that did make it ashore, however, provided essential fire support in the first critical hours, getting off the beaches. General characteristics Length: 5. ... The DD Tank is commonly used to refer to amphibious tanks used in the Battle of Normandy, they were predominately American M4 Sherman medium tanks adapted to allow them to travel on water and land. ... Land on Normandy In military parlance, D-Day is a term often used to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. ... Satellite view of the English Channel Map of the English Channel The English Channel (French: La Manche (IPA: ) is the part of the Atlantic Ocean that separates the island of Great Britain from northern France and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. ...

Power plants

An M1 Abrams engine undergoing maintenance by the crew, with the turret turned sideways to expose the engine deck. Photo from B Company, 4th Tank Battalion, 4th Marine Division, US Marines.

The tank's power-plant supplies power for moving the tank and for other tank systems, such as rotating the turret or electrical power for a radio. Tanks fielded in WWI mostly used petrol (gasoline) engines as power-plants, unlike the American Holt Gas-Electric tank which was powered by a petrol (gasoline) engine and an electric engine. In the Second World War there was a mix of power-plant types used; a lot of tank engines were adapted aircraft engines. As the Cold War started, tanks had almost all switched over to using diesel, improved multi-fuel versions of which are still common. Starting in the late 1970s, turbine engines began to appear. Download high resolution version (2288x1712, 693 KB)This image was downloaded from http://www. ... Download high resolution version (2288x1712, 693 KB)This image was downloaded from http://www. ... The M1 Abrams main battle tank is the principal combat tank of the United States Army and the United States Marine Corps, with three main versions being deployed starting in 1980: the M1, M1A1, and M1A2. ... A company is a military unit, typically consisting of 100-200 soldiers. ... Symbol of the Austrian 14th Armoured Battalion in NATO military graphic symbols A battalion is a military unit usually consisting of between two and six companies and typically commanded by a Lieutenant Colonel. ... The U.S. 4th Marine Division is a division of the United States Marine Corps. ... United States Marine Corps Emblem The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is the second smallest of the five branches of the United States armed forces, with 170,000 active and 40,000 reserve Marines as of 2002. ... This machine has a single-stage radial compressor and turbine, a recuperator, and foil bearings. ...

The weight and type of power-plant (influenced by its transmission and drive train) largely determines how fast and mobile the tank is, but the terrain effectively limits the maximum speed of all tanks through the stress it puts on the suspension and the crew. Manual gearbox Gearbox redirects here. ... The drive train of a vehicle is its engine, transmission, suspension (mechanical), and final drive (wheels, caterpillar track, propeller, etc). ...

Multi-fuel diesels

All modern non-turbine tanks use a diesel engine because diesel fuel is less flammable and more economical than petrol. Some Soviet tanks used the dark smoke of burning diesel as an advantage and could intentionally burn fuel in the exhaust to create smoke for cover. Fuel tanks are commonly placed at the rear of the tank, though in some designs, such as the Israeli Merkava, the diesel fuel tanks are placed around the crew area to provide an additional layer of "armour." Fuel has often been stored in auxiliary tanks externally, or by other means such as in a small trailer towed behind the tank, able to be detached during combat. A Diesel engine built by MAN AG in 1906 Rudolf Diesels 1893 patent on his engine design The diesel engine is a type of internal combustion engine; more specifically, it is a compression ignition engine, in which the fuel is ignited by being suddenly exposed to the high temperature... Diesel or Diesel fuel is a specific fractional distillate of fuel oil (mostly petroleum) that is used as fuel in a diesel engine invented by German engineer Rudolf Diesel. ... Fuel is any material that is capable of releasing energy when its chemical or physical structure is changed or converted. ... Merkava (Hebrew: ) is a series of main battle tanks developed and manufactured by Israel for the Israel Defense Forces. ...

Modern tank engines are in some cases multi-fuel engines, which can operate on diesel, petrol or similar fuels. An engine is something that produces some effect from a given input. ...

Gas turbines

Gas turbine engines have been used as an auxiliary power unit (APU) in some tanks, and are the main power plant in the Soviet/Russian T-80 and U.S. M1 Abrams. They are comparatively lighter and smaller than diesel engines; at the same level of sustained power output (the T-80 was dubbed the Flying Tank for its high speed). This machine has a single-stage radial compressor and turbine, a recuperator, and foil bearings. ... An Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) is a relatively small self-contained generator used in aircraft to start the main engines, usually with compressed air, and to provide electrical power, hydraulic pressure and air conditioning while the aircraft is on the ground. ... The T-80 is a Soviet/Russian/Ukrainian main battle tank. ... The M1 Abrams main battle tank is the principal combat tank of the United States Army and the United States Marine Corps, with three main versions being deployed starting in 1980: the M1, M1A1, and M1A2. ...

However they are much less fuel efficient, especially at low RPMs, requiring larger fuel tanks to achieve the same combat range. Different models of the M1Abrams have addressed this problem with battery packs or secondary generators to power the tank's systems while stationary, saving fuel by reducing the need to idle the main turbine. T-80 tanks are commonly seen with large external fuel tanks to extend their range. Russia has replaced T-80 production with the less powerful T-90 (based on the T-72), while Ukraine has developed the diesel-powered T-80UD and T-84 with nearly the power of the gas-turbine tank.

Because of their lower efficiency, the thermal signature of a gas turbine is higher than a diesel engine at the same level of power output. On the other hand the acoustic signature of a tank with a muffled gas turbine can be quieter than a piston engine–powered one. The M1A2 was nicknamed Whispering Death for its quiet operation^[1].

A turbine is theoretically more reliable and easier to maintain than a piston-based engine, since it has a simpler construction with fewer moving parts. In practice, however, those parts experience a higher wear due to their higher working speeds. The turbine blades are also very sensitive to dust and fine sand, so that in desert operations special filters have to be carefully fitted and changed several times daily. An improperly fitted filter, or a single bullet or piece of shrapnel can render the filter useless, potentially damaging the engine. Piston engines also need well-maintained filters, but they are more resilient if the filter does fail.

Like most modern diesel engines used in tanks, gas turbines are usually multi-fuel engines.

Sonic, seismic, and thermal traces

An M1 Abrams tank on lookout. Heat haze from the turbine engine can be seen to the rear.

Stationary tanks can be well camouflaged in woodland and forested areas where there is natural cover, making detection and attack from the air more difficult. By contrast, in the open it is very hard to hide a tank. In both cases, however, once a tank starts its engine or begins to move it can be detected much more easily due to the heat and noise generated by its engine. The tank tracks across lands can be spotted from the air, and in the desert movement can stir up dust clouds several times the size of the tanks. This military photo was downloaded from http://www. ... This military photo was downloaded from http://www. ... The M1 Abrams main battle tank is the principal combat tank of the United States Army and the United States Marine Corps, with three main versions being deployed starting in 1980: the M1, M1A1, and M1A2. ... Anolis caroliensis showing blending camouflage and counter-shading. ...

A recently stopped stationary tank has a considerable heat signature. Indeed even if the tank itself is hidden, for example behind a hill, it is still possible for a skilled operator to detect the tank from the column of warmer air above the tank. This risk can be reduced somewhat by the use of thermal blankets which reduce the radiation of heat while the engine and tracks cool. Some camouflage nets are manufactured from unevenly distributed mix of materials with differing thermal properties, which are designed to "randomise" or at least reduce the regularity of the thermal signature of a tank.

Tanks are powered by a diesel or turbine engine of a power comparable to a diesel locomotive. From the outside a diesel powered tank smells, sounds, and feels quite like a diesel locomotive. The deep rumble of even a single tank can be heard a great distance on a quiet day, and the sharp diesel smell can be carried far downwind. When a tank stands still with engine running the land trembles around it. When moving, the vibrations are greater. The acoustic and seismic signatures of multi-fuel engines are comparable. The acoustic signature of a turbine engine is much greater: its high-pitched whine can be much more easily distinguished from other sounds, near or far. A locomotive (from Latin loco motivus) is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train, and has no payload capacity of its own; its sole purpose is to move the train along the tracks. ...

The very large power output of modern tank engines (typically in excess of 750 kW or 1,000 hp) ensure that they produce a distinct thermal signature. The unusually compact mass of metal of the tank hull dissipates heat in a fashion which marks it off sharply from other objects in the countryside. A moving tank is thus relatively easy to spot by good land-based or aerial infrared scanners. One of the reasons for the one-sided fighting during the Gulf War was that tanks like M1 Abrams had almost four times the night-time infrared scanning range of T-72s used by the Iraqi army. Another factor in the Gulf War was that, even when camouflaged and not moving, Iraqi tanks at night would cool at a different rate from their surroundings, making thermal detection easier. kW is a measure of power, kilowatt. ... The horsepower (hp) is the name of several non-metric units of power. ... Combatants UN Coalition Republic of Iraq Commanders Norman Schwarzkopf Saddam Hussein Strength 660,000 545,000 Casualties 345 dead, 1,000 wounded 25,000 dead, 100,000 - 300,000 wounded The Gulf War (1990–1991) (also called the Persian Gulf War or Operation Desert Storm) was a conflict between Iraq... The T-72, a Soviet main battle tank entered production in 1971. ...

Getting a tank to move proved to be important in the Kosovo conflict in 1999. During the initial few weeks of the conflict NATO air sorties were rather ineffective in destroying Serbian tanks. This changed in the final week of the conflict, when the Kosovo Liberation Army began to engage tanks. Although the KLA had little chance of destroying the tanks, their purpose was to get the tanks to move whereupon they could be more easily identified and destroyed by NATO air power. The term Kosovo War or Kosovo Conflict is often used to describe two sequential and at times parallel armed conflicts (a civil war followed by an international war) in the southern Serbian province called Kosovo (officially Kosovo and Metohia), part of the former Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. ... Motto: Samo Sloga Srbina Spasava (Serbian, Only solidarity will save the Serbs) Anthem: Bože pravde God of Justice Capital Belgrade Largest city Belgrade Official language(s) Serbian1 Government Republic  - President Boris Tadić  - Prime Minister Vojislav KoÅ¡tunica Formation and independence    - Formation of Serbia 814   - Formation of the Serbian Empire... Ushtria Çlirimtare e Kosovës. ...

Command, control, and communications

Commanding and co-ordinating a tank organisation in the field has always been subject to particular problems. Because of the isolation of small units, individual vehicles, and even the crewmen of a tank, special arrangements have had to be made. Armoured bulkheads, engine noise, intervening terrain, dust, and smoke, and the need to operate "hatches down" (or "buttoned up") comprise severe detriments to communications. A military unit is an organisation within an armed force. ...

Every action of a tank's crew, movement and fire, is ordered by its commander. In some early tanks, the crew commander's task was severely hampered by having to load or fire the main armament, or both. In many small armoured fighting vehicles, even into the late twentieth century, the crew commander would relay movement orders to the driver by kicks to his shoulders and back. Most modern AFVs are equipped with an intercom, allowing all crew members to talk to each other, and to operate the radio equipment. Some tanks have even been equipped with an external intercom on the rear, to allow co-operating infantry to talk to the crew. Intercom system in the Pittock Mansion An intercom is an electronic communications system within a building or group of buildings. ...

In the earliest tank operations, communications between the members of an armoured company were accomplished using hand signals or handheld semaphore flags, and in some situations, by crew members dismounting and walking to another tank. In World War One, situation reports were sent back to headquarters by releasing carrier pigeons through vision slits. Signal flares, smoke, movement, and weapons fire are all used by experienced crews to co-ordinate their tactics. A carrier pigeon is a breed of pigeon (specifically a domesticated Rock Dove, Columba livia) that has wattles, a nearly vertical stature, and that may once have been used to carry messages. ... Military tactics is the collective name for methods of engaging and defeating an enemy in battle. ...

From the 1930s to the '50s, most nations' armoured forces became equipped with radios, but visual signals are still used to reduce radio chatter. A modern tank is usually equipped with radio equipment allowing its crew to communicate on a company or battalion radio network, and possibly to monitor a higher-level network, to co-ordinate with other arms of service. Company or battalion commanders' tanks usually have an additional radio. Communications on a busy network are subject to a set of formalised language rules called radio voice procedure. A telecommunications network is a network of telecommunications links arranged so that messages may be passed from one part of the network to another over multiple links. ...

Most armoured forces operate with the crew commander, and possibly other crew members, "hatches up", for best possible situational awareness. When taking fire, or in potential NBC conditions, tank crews "button up" and only view the battlefield through vision slits or periscopes, severely reducing their ability to acquire targets and perceive hazards. Since the 1960s, a tank's commander has had progressively more sophisticated equipment for target acquisition. In a main battle tank, the commander has his own panoramic sights (with night-vision equipment), allowing him to designate one or more new targets, while the gunner engages another. More advanced systems allow the commander to take control of the turret and fire the main armament in an emergency. This article needs to be wikified. ... NBC is an initialism used to indicate nuclear, biological and chemical weapons. ... Search and attack periscopes of a French-built Scorpène class submarine. ... Two American soldiers pictured during the 2003 Iraq War seen through an Image Intensifier Night Vision is the ability to see, whether through biological or technological means, in a dark environment. ...

A recent development in AFV equipment is the increased integration of fire control, the laser range-finder, GPS data, and digital communications. U.S. tanks are fitted with digital computers which are connected into battlefield networks. These integrate known information on enemy targets and friendly units to greatly improve the tank commander's situational awareness. In addition to easing the reporting burden, these systems also allow for orders to be given complete with graphics and overlays, via the network. Over fifty GPS satellites such as this NAVSTAR have been launched since 1978. ...

See also:

• Military communications
• Command, control, and communications (C3I)
• C4ISTAR

Military communications are links between battlefield units, including connections to a higher command or home country. ... The military science term command, control, and communications or C3 designates a telecommunications network used by the command hierarchy for the command and control of a military force. ... C4ISTAR is an acronym used to represent the following group of related military functions that enable the coordination of operations: Command Control Communications Computers Intelligence Surveillance Target Acquisition Reconnaissance Many subsets of these elements are used, or have been used in the past, as acronyms. ...

Vulnerability

Despite being a powerful weapon and king of the battlefield, the tank is vulnerable. In fact, the tank's superiority has led to massive development of antitank weapons. When the anti-tank helicopter arrived (able to attack the more lightly armoured top of the tank), some claimed that the tank was essentially obsolete. There has not been tank and helicopter combat between evenly matched forces for many years, so this conclusion may be premature.

Infantry

The tank is still vulnerable to infantry, especially in close country or built up areas. The armour and mobility of tanks also make them large and noisy. This can allow enemy infantry to spot, track and evade tanks until an opportunity presents itself for a counter-attack. Since heavy tank losses in some Second World War arenas, tank tactics have generally included close infantry support. Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ...

Because tank crews have limited visibility, it is relatively easy for veteran infantry to get close to a tank, especially if the hatch is closed. If a crew member opens the hatch for the better visibility, he can be shot.

An infantryman cannot be targeted by a tank's weapons when close, as the main gun and coaxial machine gun cannot depress sufficiently. Where tanks are operating in groups, this is less of a problem, since they can call on nearby tanks to drive off the infantry with light weapons.

Whilst many handheld infantry anti-tank rockets, missiles and grenades will not penetrate the front armour of a tank, they may penetrate the less heavily armoured top, rear and perhaps the sides. Damage to the running gear can inflict a mobility kill. A mobility kill (or M-kill) in armoured warfare refers to damage inflicted by a weapon on a vehicle that immobizes it, but does not totally destroy it, leaving the vehicles crew able to use its weapons. ...

Tanks are also vulnerable to hand-placed anti-tank mines. Infantry have even immobilised tanks using a set of plates covered with leaves and dirt as dummy mines (the ruse being augmented by the crew's obscured vision). The infantry can then attack the tank while stopped. This tactic was taught to the British Home Guard during the Second World War since the Home Guard was not often provided with long-range anti-tank weapons. The Local Defence Volunteers (LDV) or Home Guard, was instituted by the British government during World War II to defend the UK in the event of an invasion by Germany. ...

In addition, in built-up areas the tank is very vulnerable to attack from above and sometimes from below, as the top and floor of the tank have the weakest armour.

Artillery

Conventional artillery shells are not very effective against tank armour, except a direct hit by a sufficiently powerful shell. A non-penetrating shell can still disable a tank through dynamic shock, internal armour shattering or simply overturning the tank.

In the last thirty years, however, a variety of artillery projectiles have been developed specifically to attack tanks. These include laser-guided projectiles, such as the US's now cancelled Copperhead CLGP (Cannon Launched Guided Projectile), which virtually guarantees a direct hit. Some of these CLGP's (such as the Copperhead) have HEAT warheads instead of common HE.

Guided and unguided scatter munitions and submunitions have also been developed: a single artillery shell containing a number of smaller munitions designed to attack a tank. A six-gun battery might be able to fire several hundred submunitions in a minute or two.

In one form, the shell bursts in the air above the tank and a number of shaped charge (HEAT) or HEDP (High Explosive Dual Purpose) bomblets or grenades rain down. Any that hit the tank have a good chance of causing damage, since they are attacking the thin top armour.

Another form scatters a number of small anti-tank mines in the tank's path, which probably will not penetrate the armour but can damage a track, leaving the tank immobile and vulnerable.

More sophisticated are submunitions with a homing capability. Once again the shell explodes above the tank position and dispenses a number of submunitions. The munitions contain some circuitry to identify tanks, such as IR or millimetre radar; when a tank is identified, a rocket propellant is fired to shoot the projectile at the tank. These munitions will often descend by parachute, to allow time for target acquisition and attack.

All of the above but the CLGP can be fired from medium (122/152/155-mm) artillery, both tube and rocket.

There has also been development of large calibre (81-mm and larger) guided mortar munitions with both internal (e.g., IR or radar) or external (i.e. laser designator) guidance.

See also: Anti-tank#anti-tank guns

Anti-tank, or simply AT, refers to any method of combating military armored fighting vehicles, notably tanks. ...

Helicopters

The single biggest threat to the tank today is the anti-tank helicopter armed with ATGWs (Anti-Tank Guided Weapons) or anti-tank cannons. An Anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) or weapon (ATGW) is a guided missile primarily designed to hit and destroy tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles. ...

The helicopter can position itself where it is not easily seen from a tank and then attack from any quarter. The limited visibility from a closed-down tank makes sighting a helicopter harder.

Most helicopter-launched ATGWs have sufficient range that they can under the right conditions be fired at a range too long for the tank to retaliate with its own weapons. This may change: it is believed that some countries are developing anti-helicopter weapons that can be fired from a main gun. Some tank gunnery systems are also probably capable of hitting a hovering or slow-moving helicopter at considerable range.

Even the light cannon of a helicopter gunship can be effective, as it can target the thinner top armour of the tank.

Mines

Mines have the advantage of attacking the thinnest armour of the tank and can be well concealed. Anybody with access to a few kilograms of high explosive, a detonator and a little knowledge has significant anti-tank capability.

With modern scatterable mines, and in particular artillery scatterable mines, it is actually possible to lay a mine field around a moving tank formation.

In addition to the traditional bottom-attack mine, the scatter mine, the artillery-delivered mine and the air-delivered mine, there are a number of side attack or "off-route" mines. These are mines that can be mounted on a vertical surface (such as a wall) or mounted on a stand, and are positioned where a tank is likely to pass. Choke points such as bridges, fords, gates and underpasses are all likely spots. When a tank passes, these mines fire into the side of the tank. The two common warheads for these mines are the ubiquitous HEAT and the less-common platter charge. These mines can be fired by a human operator, simple mechanical actuator (such as a tripwire or pressure plate) or by more sophisticated systems (such as seismic, IR or other electronic fusing systems). Some of the fusing systems are sophisticated enough to discriminate between different classes of target and attack only specified classes of vehicles (e.g., ignore wheeled vehicles). Some infantry anti-tank weapons can also be configured to act as off-route mines.

Aircraft

Many aircraft, including the A-10 Thunderbolt II and SU-25 Frogfoot, have been specifically built for close air support, including tank destruction. They can use weapons similar to helicopters and various bombs -- unguided or laser-guided and with or without submunitions. Primary user United States Air Force Number built 715 Unit cost US$9. ... Su-25SM The Su-25 (NATO reporting name Frogfoot) is a battlefield attack, close air support, and anti-tank aircraft designed by the Soviet Union. ... Close air support (often abbreviated CAS) is the use of military aircraft in a ground attack role against targets in close proximity to friendly troops, in support of ground combat operations. ... This article is about explosive devices. ... Beam-riding guidance leads a missile to its target by means of radar or a laser beam. ...

The future of tanks through research and development

Main article: Tank research and development

There has been much speculation as to how tanks will evolve for modern day conflicts. Current research involves making the tank invisible to radar by adapting stealth technologies originally designed for aircraft and a variety of luminosity and colour shaping technologies. Research is also ongoing in armour systems and new propulsion units. Tank research and development continues in many industrial countries despite the end of the Cold war. ... F-117 Stealth Fighter Stealth technology covers a range of techniques used with aircraft, ships and missiles, in order to make them less visible (ideally invisible) to radar and other detection methods. ...

One clear trend is the increasing number of electrical and communication systems on a tank, such as thermal scopes and higher powered radios. Thermography can refer to a printing process and an imaging process. ...

If tank designs switched to electrical motors like some other heavy construction equipment, rather than a direct drive transmission, or used electromagnetic guns, as is being studied for ships, there would still be a need for a good power-plant. The turbine engine and diesel (or multi-fuel) power plants meet current power needs but it is also possible that other types of power-plants such as fuel cells will provide a viable option, and they have been experimented with. For example, a hybrid electric version of the M113 APC outperformed the conventional one in many areas, but only at the expense of smaller range. Reduction of signatures and multi-fuel capability give the Stirling engine an advantage, and it has been examined. A prototype railgun This article is about an electromagnetic projectile launcher. ... The M113 is an armored personnel carrier family of vehicles in use with the US military and many other nations. ... A Stirling engine and generator set with 55 kW electrical output, for combined heat and power applications. ...

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Tank

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:

Tank

• Category:Tanks
• Armoured car
• Armoured personnel carrier
• Armoured warfare
• Hobart's Funnies
• Hull-down position
• Infantry fighting vehicle
• List of AFVs
• Tank classification
• Tank desant
• History of the tank
• List of modern armoured fighting vehicles

Image File history File links Commons-logo. ... Wikimedia Commons logo by Reid Beels The Wikimedia Commons (also called Commons or Wikicommons) is a repository of free content images, sound and other multimedia files. ... Image File history File links Wikiquote-logo-en. ... Wikiquote logo Wikiquote is a sister project of Wikipedia, using the same MediaWiki software. ... An armored car ( or armoured car in British English) is one of several types of wheeled armored vehicles: a civilian bullet-proof passenger car, a military wheeled armored vehicle, or a special-purpose armored cargo vehicle for transporting valuables. ... The M113, one of the most common tracked APCs, on duty during the Vietnam War. ... It has been suggested that Mechanized warfare be merged into this article or section. ... Badge of the 79th Armoured Division Amphibious DD tanks await blowing of breaches in the sea wall on Utah Beach. ... A tank in hull-down, turret-down, and hidden positions behind a crest of ground. ... A Warrior vehicle with UN markings, during the making of the eponymous film. ... This is a List of armoured fighting vehicles worldwide. ... Tank classification can be done in a variety of ways: usually either by intended role, or by weight. ... Soviet tank desant drill, on a BT-7 Model 1935 Tank desant is a military combined arms tactic, where infantry soldiers would ride into an attack on tanks. ... This article is about the history of the tank. ... // Argentina TAM VCTP Australia Wheeled Armoured fighting Vehicles ASLAV (113) Austria Steyr 4K 7FA-K Spz - MICV SPz Ulan - co-development with Spain (ASCOD). Pandur 8X8 APC-Design Similar to the Mowag Piranha. ...

Notes

2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... September 10 is the 253rd day of the year (254th in leap years). ...

References

• Ogorkiewicz, Richard M. (1991). Technology of Tanks. Jane's Information Group, Coulsdon, Surrey. ISBN 0-7106-0595-1.
• Ogorkiewicz, Richard M.. Design and Development of Armored Fighting Vehicles.
• Time Life Books editors (1990). The Armored Fist. Time-Life Books, Alexandria Va.. ISBN 0-8094-8609-1; ISBN 0-8094-8608-3; ISBN 0-8094-8704-7; ISBN 0-8094-8705-5.
• Weeks, John (1975). Men Against Tanks: A History of Anti-Tank Warfare. Mason Charter, New York. ISBN 0-88405-130-7; ISBN 0-7153-6909-1 (British printing).
• Macksey, Ken. Tank Warfare.
• Forty, G. The world encyclopedia of Tanks. Lorenz Books, 2006.

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Image File history File links Tank. ... Image File history File links Sound-icon. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... September 11 is the 254th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (255th in leap years). ... Image File history File links Sound-icon. ... Leonardo redirects here. ... Ariete is a main battle tank developed for the Italian Army to meet the needs of the 21st Century, by providing a credible indigenous tank design capable of competing with other current tanks on the battlefield and in the export market. ... [[ For other uses, see Arjun (disambiguation). ... The British FV4034 Challenger 2 is the main battle tank currently in service with the armies of the United Kingdom and Oman. ... The K1 (or Type 88) is a main battle tank in use with the South Korean ground forces. ... The Leclerc is a main battle tank built by GIAT Industries of France. ... The Leopard 2 is a German main battle tank built by the German company Krauss-Maffei-Wegmann, developed in the early 1970s and first entering service in 1979, replacing the earlier Leopard as the foremost MBT in the Bundeswehr. ... The M1 Abrams main battle tank is the principal combat tank of the United States Army and the United States Marine Corps, with three main versions being deployed starting in 1980: the M1, M1A1, and M1A2. ... The M-84 main battle tank is a Yugoslav produced version of the Soviet T-72. ... Merkava (Hebrew: ) is a series of main battle tanks developed and manufactured by Israel for the Israel Defense Forces. ... The PT-91 Twardy (PT-91 Hardy) is a Polish main battle tank. ... The T-80 is a Soviet/Russian/Ukrainian main battle tank. ... The T-84 Main Battle Tank is a Ukrainian development of the Soviet T-80 main battle tank, first built in 1993. ... The T-90 is a main battle tank of Russian Federation Army. ... The T-94 or T-95 is a prototype main battle tank, currently in development in the Russian Federation. ... The Type 90 is the current main battle tank (MBT) of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF). ... Also known as the Type 88C, the Type 96 is the final development variant of Chinas second generation main battle tank (MBT), with certain performance approaching the standard of the third generation MBTs. ... The Type 99, formerly known as Type 98 and Type 98G, is the latest main battle tank fielded by the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army. ... Image File history File links LinkFA-star. ...