This Is Why The U.S. Marines Are Dumping Their Tanks

A US Marine refuels an Abrams tank. Credit: Lance Cpl. Reine Whitaker.

Dave Makichuk, Asia Times: Why the Marines are dumping their tanks

Armored vehicles have had trouble surviving against the threat of precision strikes and the plethora of drone and recon systems

In late February, Turkish forces launched an operation targeting Syrian regime army troops, decimating more than a hundred tanks and armored vehicles, dozens of artillery pieces and hundreds of Syrian forces.

Posted videos highlighted the mixed role of drones, Paladin artillery systems and aircraft pounding Syrian armor from the skies over the course of several days.

The Syrian army appeared helpless to defend from the onslaught of long range systems. Even tanks camouflaged by buildings and bushes were no match for sensors and thermal imaging watching from the skies.

The lesson was not lost on US Marine Corps officials, who have decided to divest the force of tanks, cut ground cannon artillery and light attack air platforms.

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WNU Editor: What the Turks did to the Syrian Army last month was an eye-opener to everyone on what ground combat will look like in the future. It took only a  few days for drones, artillery, and air strikes to halt and destroy the Syrian Army's offensive in Idlib province. Another war-zone that has become a testing ground on what ground combat will look like has been in the Ukraine war. Drones, precision strikes, and artillery devastated the Ukraine Army at the beginning of the conflict. A lesson that the Ukraine Army has learned, now relying on mobile units that can survive these type of attacks, and to respond in kind.