France And Germany Remain Committed To Develop And Build A New Tank

Defense News: France, Germany remain committed to new tank, defense ministers say 

PARIS — France and Germany remain committed to jointly developing a next-generation tank in the framework of the Main Ground Combat System project, French Armed Forces Minister Sébastien Lecornu and German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius told newspaper Le Monde in a joint interview. 

A separate project by German, Spanish and Italian defense companies to develop a modern battle tank is an industry initiative, and not an alternative to the MGCS, Pistorius said. France and Germany are meeting regularly and are “determined” to continue their joint project to create one of the most modern armored systems in the world, he told Le Monde.  

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WNU Editor: I guess the tank manufacturers are learning a lot from the Russia - Ukraine war .... Ukrainian soldier says new Leopard tanks are better than old Soviet ones because the ammo doesn't explode, kill the crew, and blow the turret off if it takes a hit (Business Insider).

Israel Says It Has Developed A 5th Generation Tank

This handout photo, released September 19, 2023, shows a new IDF Barak tank. (Defense Ministry and Israel Defense Forces)  

Breaking Defense: Israel unveils new ‘5th generation’, ‘lightning’ version of Merkava tank 

The upgrades are focused not on the tank's physical structure, but on incorporating the latest tech and systems. 

JERUSALEM — Israel this week unveiled the latest iteration of its Merkava family of tanks, what the Israeli Defense Force calls the ‘Lightning’ version of the Merkava IV. 

The advanced tank has been under development and undergoing trials over the last half decade. In a joint statement from Israel’s Ministry of Defense and the IDF, it was presented as a key to the future of the IDF, incorporating the latest sensors, artificial intelligence, networking and active protection system — technological, rather than structural advancements.  

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Israel Says It Has Developed A 5th Generation Tank  

IDF Unveils Its New “Lightning” Tank -- Israel Defense 

Israel unveils IDF's new AI-powered 'Barak' super tank -- Jerusalem Post  

Advanced sensors, high-tech helmet: Israel’s 5th generation battle tank revealed -- Times Of Israel  

Meet Barak, Israel's New AI-Powered Military Tank Ushering in a New Era of Weaponry -- Knewz  

‘Extraordinary Leap Forward’: Israel Unveils Cutting-Edge, 5th-Gen Main Battle Tank – Merkava Mark 5 -- EurAsian Times

Russian ‘Experts’ Issue A Guidebook On Where & How To Destroy The US Main Battle Tank

The image seen above is quite old and famous within the Russian blogosphere, accompanied by a detailed write-up of how to destroy or damage an Abrams tank. 

EurAsian Times: How To Kill An Abrams! Russian ‘Experts’ Issue A Guidebook On Where & How To Destroy The US Main Battle Tank 

An image has resurfaced on social media showing vulnerabilities of the American-made M1 Abrams Tanks with instructions on where to hit the tank and using what weapons. 

US President Joe Biden, on January 25, pledged to send 31 Abrams tanks to Ukraine, apparently to pursue or put pressure on German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to supply Leopard 2 tanks to the war-ravaged country. 

“And today, I’m announcing that the United States will be sending 31 Abram tanks to Ukraine, the equivalent of one Ukrainian battalion,” Biden said in the presence of Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Anthony Blinken. 

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WNU Editor: The Kremlin says that these tanks are going to burn on the battlefield ..... Kremlin says U.S.-supplied tanks will 'burn' in Ukraine (Reuters). The US is saying that they have heard this before .... U.S. Dismisses Russia's Reaction to Abrams Tanks: 'Heard That Line Before' (Newsweek).

German Tank Manufacturer Says Even If They Get An Order Today To Send Leopard 2 Tanks To Ukraine, Delivery Will Not Be Possible Until 2024

A German Leopard tank in Bratislava, Slovakia. Getting the tanks ready for battle would take months, said Rheinmetall. Photograph: Radovan Stoklasa/Reuters 

The Guardian: German tank manufacturer’s warning puts pressure on Ukraine’s allies  

Defence firm dampens Kyiv hopes other European allies will follow UK’s lead in supplying heavy armour 

Battle tanks from German industrial reserves wanted by Ukraine will not be ready to be delivered until 2024, the arms manufacturer Rheinmetall has warned, increasing pressure on Nato allies to support Ukraine with armoured vehicles in active service instead, ahead of a key meeting this week. 

“Even if the decision to send our Leopard tanks to Kyiv came tomorrow, the delivery would take until the start of next year,” Rheinmetall’s chief executive, Armin Papperger, told the Bild am Sonntag newspaper. 

Rheinmetall, which manufactures the battle vehicle’s gun, has 22 Leopard 2 and 88 older Leopard 1 tanks in its stocks. Getting the Leopard tanks ready for battle, however, would take several months and cost hundreds of millions of euros the company could not put up until the order was confirmed, Papperger said. 

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WNU Editor: Ukraine needs hundreds of combat tanks and the infrastructure/ammo/fuel to back such a force. And they need it now. The above Guardian post pours cold water on Germany being able to supply these tanks anytime soon.

Will Giving Tanks To Ukraine Make A Dfference In The War?

British Challenger 2 battle tank  

DNYUZ/The Telegraph: The tank’s critics are about to be humiliated in Ukraine 

The brutal invasion of Ukraine in February last year, and the humiliation of the Russian army on the outskirts of Kyiv was, for some, a turning point in the history of warfare. Armchair generals pointed to the smouldering wrecks of Russian tanks – many destroyed from above – and declared that the age of armour had passed and the long-predicted era of the drone had finally arrived. 

Well, try telling that to the Ukrainians. Now, as a new year dawns and a renewed cycle of offensives and counter-offensives seems inevitable, they are desperate for the West to give them the most advanced tanks possible, seeing them as vital for the next phase of the war. They are right to do so. Far from the age of the tank being over, a new one is just beginning. As such, Downing Street is entirely right to be considering supplying Ukraine with Challenger 2 models that could deliver the knockout blow against Vladimir Putin’s forces.  

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WNU Editor: I am sure these tanks will help Ukraine in this war. But the Russians also have the means to destroy them like the Ukrainians do, and these tanks will have a lot of problems over long supply chains to receive the fuel that they need to conduct operations. 

Ukraine has been experiencing fuel and diesel shortages since the start of the war. Supporting a tank force that will make a difference on the battlefield will only make these shortages worse.

The Difference Between A T-72 And An M1

This may tell you a bit why the Poles are OK with replacing T-72 with M1. pic.twitter.com/LQEVibj3Ce

— cdrsalamander (@cdrsalamander) May 13, 2022

American SUVs Are Now Bigger Than The Tanks That Fought In World War II

An analysis of America's most popular trucks and SUVs shows they now rival the dimensions of the World War II tanks American auto makers once helped build. American trucks and SUVs have gotten bigger over the years, and pickup trucks in particular are the most popular, with the Ford F150, Chevrolet Silverado and the Dodge Ram 1500 the best selling for 2020. All three are longer than the 1942 vintage M4 Sherman  

Daily Mail: Road warriors: How American SUVs are now bigger than the TANKS that fought in World War II 

* As American pickups and SUVs increase in size, they have grown to rival the tanks manufacturers produced to fight World War II 

* The vehicles are also popular, with pickups making up the top three most popular vehicles in the US in 2020 

* As far as length, the trucks and SUVs often have the tanks beat, with the ever popular Ford F150 topping out at 250 inches long, and the Chevy Silverado at 266 inches, compared to just 228 inches for the Sherman 

* The vintage war machines are often taller, however, with the Sherman rising to 108 inches 

As American trucks and SUVs have gotten bigger, they now rival the size of the tanks American auto makers once helped build to win World War II. 

Pickup trucks are the most popular vehicles in the nation, with SUVs trailing not far behind, and they now in many cases exceed the length of the American M4 Sherman produced at the outset of America's involvement in the war in 1942. 

The tank was a mainstay of the Allied forces during the conflict, and American auto giants GM, Ford and Chrysler helped produce 50,000 of the steel beasts, before going back to producing civilian vehicles for the people back home. 

 But since then, the civilian vehicles have slowly grown in size to become the behemoths of the road they are today.  

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WNU Editor: WOW! This is a surprise.

U.S. Army Shows Its ‘Sniper Tanks’

 

Defence-Blog: U.S. Army shows its ‘sniper tanks’ 

The U.S. Army has released a 30-seconds video that showed some unusual tactics of using Abrams tanks and Bradley combat vehicles. 

The tweet with video, which includes footage of “sniper tanks”, shows Abrams tank and Bradley fighting vehicle, which are hiding in the folds of the terrain and dense overgrowth. 

Thanks to camouflage, combat vehicles are almost invisible and look like a sniper squad that is hiding in the bushes in anticipation of the enemy.  

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WNU editor: The problem with tanks is that they are loud. If they can muffle the sound .... hmmm .... now we are talking.

A Massive ‘Gun’ For Europe's Main Battle Tank?

 

19FortyFive: European Main Battle Tank Could Get A Massive ‘Gun’ 

On paper at least, the European Main Battle Tank could be a heavy-hitter. 

The joint Franco-German European Main Battle Tank venture aims at leveraging aspects of France and Germany’s tank programs to build a technologically advanced tank that both countries hope could be introduced into service Europe-wide. 

To date, the project has produced just a single pre-production prototype that combines features of both the French Leclerc main battle tank as well as the German Leopard 2. The design, intended to demonstrate the compatibility of French and German engineering and technology, mates the Leclerc’s well-protected autoloading turret with the Leopard’s robust chassis and reliable engine. A demonstration video showing a bit of the EMBT’s manufacture as well as mobility and firepower capabilities can be seen above and is worth the watch. 

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WNU Editor: This new tank is still a work in progress.

China Commissions Its First Type 15 Light Tanks

Type 15 lightweight tanks of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) were spotted participating in a recent exercise in a low temperature mountainous plateau region. This type of tank has significant advantages over other types of tanks or armored vehicles in such regions, experts said. 

Global Times: PLA Xinjiang Military Command commissions first Type 15 light tanks 

The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Xinjiang Military Command recently received delivery of and commissioned its first batch of China's newly developed Type 15 light tanks, which excels at rapid reaction combat in plateau regions, a Chinese expert said on Monday. 

With the commissioning, both Xinjiang and Tibet military commands safeguarding China's western borders are now operating these advanced tanks specializing in plateau combat, analysts said. 

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Update #1: Type 15 lightweight tank enters service with PLA's Xinjiang Military Command (Janes) Update #2: China's New Type 15 Lightweight Tank Enters Service In Xinjiang To Protect Western Borders (Zero Hedge) 

WNU Editor: This is why this tank is important .... China’s Type 15 Light Tank Matters for Asia’s Future Wars (National Interest).

US Army Tanks Now Have A New Active Protection System

An M1 Abrams Main Battle Tank is loaded on an M1300 Heavy Equipment Transport System at Bergen-Hohne Training Area, Germany, July 10, 2020 prior to phase two of DEFENDER-Europe 20. (U.S. Army/Sgt. Evan Ruchotzke)

Task & Purpose: Army tanks are officially rocking a new active protection system in Europe

Army tanks deployed to Europe as part of the service's largest exercise in years are rocking a new piece of sophisticated military tech: an active protection system designed to protect against anti-tank missiles.

Photos released on July 10 ahead of the second phase of the Army's Defense Europe exercise show an M1 Abrams main battle tank rocking an Israeli-made Trophy Active Protection System (APS) as the vehicle is loaded onto a heavy equipment transport at the Bergen-Hohne Training Area in Germany.

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WNU Editor: More details on this system can be read here.

The U.S. Army Wants a Better Tank

M1A2 Abrams Main Battle Tank

FOX News/Warrior Maven: Army research lab now building future tanks

You could call it a contradiction in terms, or even a paradoxical blending of opposites — the Army is now building a lightweight, highly lethal future armored tank that is easy to maneuver while being able to withstand dangerous enemy attacks and offering protection equal to or better than a 70-ton Abrams tank.

This goal lies at the center of the Army’s Next-Generation Combat Vehicle (NGCV), a family of new combat platforms now being developed by the service for future warfare. Its key goals are expeditionary, lightweight, fast, using artificial intelligence, potentially unmanned, extremely lethal and perpetually upgradeable. The effort involves building new infantry carriers, tanks and robotic vehicles networked together as part of an integrated tactical maneuver strategy.

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WNU Editor:  The US Army wants its future tank to be expeditionary, lightweight, fast, using artificial intelligence, potentially unmanned, extremely lethal and perpetually upgradeable. Wow. Talk about a wish list that may in the end result in a tank that will cost tens of millions of dollars per copy.

Russia's Tanks In Syria Were Not Invulnerable To Missile Attacks

National Interest: Russia's Tank Forces Got A Really Rude Awakening In Syria

Maybe the T-90 should have stayed out of the desert.

Key point: TOW missiles used by Syrian rebels blew holes through Russia's armored tanks.

The interconnected conflicts raging across the Middle East today have amounted to a dreadful human catastrophe with spiraling global consequence. One of their lesser effects has been to deflate the reputations of Western main battle tanks mistakenly thought to be night-invulnerable in the popular imagination.

Iraqi M1 Abrams tanks not only failed to prevent he capture of Mosul in 2014, but they were captured and turned against their owners. In Yemen, numerous Saudi M1s were knocked out by Houthi rebels. Turkey, which had lost a number of M60 Pattons and upgrade M60T Sabra tanks to Kurdish and ISIS fighters eventually deployed its fearsome German-built Leopard 2A4 tanks. ISIS destroyed eight to ten in a matter of days.

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WNU Editor: In the age of missiles everything is vulnerable to an attack.

Inside A Russian Tank Factory

The devastating war machine, pictured being tested, is an upgrade of the T-72 Soviet tanks that first entered production in 1971 and were first used in the Iraq-Iran conflict and the Chechen wars in the mid 90s

Daily Mail: Inside a Russian tank factory: Fascinating photographs show the construction and testing of the deadly 45-ton T-72B3 battle tank used in Syria

* The devastating war machine is a recent upgrade of the T-72 Soviet tanks that first entered production in 1971
* The third generation of the tank has had a number of upgrades making it more suitable for modern warfare
* Production of the deadly vehicle takes place in the plant at Uralvagonzavod, in the Russian city of Nizhny Tagil

These fascinating photographs show the construction and testing of the deadly 45-ton T-72B3 battle tank used in Syria.

The devastating war machine is an upgrade of the T-72 Soviet tanks that first entered production in 1971 and were first used in the Iraq-Iran conflict and the Chechen wars in the mid-90s.

The third generation of the tank has a number of upgrades making it more suitable for modern warfare, such as a new engine, new gunners sight and completely revamped fire control system.

New versions of the tank were first delivered to the Russian Army in 2013, and other versions have also been seen in 2016 and 2017.

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WNU Editor: A fascinating collection of photographs.

Russian Tank Sets Speed Record At Intl Army Games 2019

RT: Russian tank sets speed record at intl Army Games 2019 near Moscow (VIDEO)

A Russian T-72B3 main battle tank reached a speed of 84 kph (52.1 mph) during a tank biathlon event outside the capital. It’s an all-time record for the competition – and an impressive feat for a 64-ton armored behemoth.

The record speed was achieved in the mud of a rain-soaked tank range, rather than on an asphalt-coated race circuit. For comparison, the maximum speed of the US main battle tank, the M1 Abrams, stands at 72.4 kph (45 mph) on roads, though even faster machines exist – including Russia's next gen MBT Armata.

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WNU Editor: It reached the speed of 84 kph (52.1 mph).

Israel's Defense Ministry Unveils 3 Prototypes For Tanks Of The Future

Times of Israel: Defense Ministry unveils 3 prototypes for Israel’s tanks of the future

Carmel program yields first fruits as defense contractors offer proof of concept for a two-person tank, loaded with AI and improved visibility

The Defense Ministry on Sunday completed initial testing on a number of systems that it plans to install in both current and future models of the military’s armored vehicles, as part of its Carmel tank program.

Some of the systems will be implemented in the short term — including a high-tech helmet known as Iron Vision, which will be rolled out shortly — while others may be used further down the line, a Defense Ministry spokesperson said.

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WNU Editor: The Israeli Army is still hesitant to having unmanned systems on the ground .... Israeli army in no rush to go fully robotic (Reuters).

More News On Israel's Defense Ministry Unveiling 3 Prototypes For Tanks Of The Future

Israel unveils prototype 'tanks of the future' -- AFP
Israel Defense Ministry Unveils ‘Combat Vehicle of the Future’ -- Bloomberg
Israel unveils prototypes for 'combat vehicle of the future' -- Israel Hayom
'AI Systems, F-35 Helmets, Xbox Controllers': Israel Unveils 3 Prototypes of Next Generation Tanks -- Sputnik

The British Army Is Going To Cut Its Tank Force Even More

David Axe, National Interest: British Army Is Planning to Upgrade Just 148 of Its 227 Challenger 2 Tanks

A problem?

The British Army is planning to upgrade just 148 of its 227 Challenger 2 tanks, according to The Times.

The proposed cut to the armored force -- the British Army’s second major reduction in tanks since 2010 -- would make the U.K. ground-combat branch the 56th biggest tank-operator, The Times estimated.

Cutting tanks could jeopardize London’s plan to revamp its armed forces for high-tech combat with a major world power such as Russia.

As recently as 2010 the British Army possessed 316 of the 408 Challenger 2 tanks it originally acquired starting in the late 1990s.

Deep cuts across the U.K. armed forces in 2010 eliminated not only 89 tanks, but also two aircraft carriers, two amphibious ships, four frigates, an army brigade, a third of the army’s artillery and all of the air force's Harrier jump jets and maritime patrol planes. Uniformed manpower dropped by 30,000.

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WNU Editor: The diminishing of the British military continues.

Here Is How U.S. Troops Name Their Tanks

Tanks from the US Army's 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division prior to entering the live-fire lane during the combined arms live-fire exercise at Fort Hood in Exas, February 6, 2019. Maj. Carson Petry/US Army

Business Insider/We Are The Mighty: Here's the actual process US troops use to name their tanks

* An Army tank dedicated to Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson brought renewed attention to how US troops name their vehicles.
* The naming process isn't as strange or disorderly as some of the names might suggest.

Recently, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson got a tank named after him. The actor/wrestler/producer took joy in being given the honors and posted the image onto his social media.

Because you can't go two days on the internet without some sort of backlash from people with nothing better to do than argue over some mundane thing that has absolutely no bearing on their life... people argued.

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WNU Editor:  I would call mine "The Russian".

U.S. Army Considers What Future Armored Combat Vehicles Will Be Chosen

An M2A3 Bradley Fighting Vehicle crew changes position on the range during gunnery training at the Dona Ana Range Complex, N.M., Aug. 3, 2018. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo by Winifred Brown)

FOX News/Warrior Maven: Army considers German-built future armored combat vehicles

The U.S. Army is vigorously pursuing a new combat vehicle able to launch attack drones, carry longer-range TOW missiles, fire a 50mm cannon and operate “optionally-manned” technology, according to initial requirements outlined by service weapons developers.

The Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle (OMFV), an infantry fighting vehicle, is intended as a high-tech, more mobile and more lethal Bradley. The Army is already working closely with industry on accelerated plans to plans to engineer a mobile infantry carrier able to deploy quickly, traverse rough terrain, keep pace with maneuvering infantry and yet also operate with sufficient protection necessary to thwart the most advanced enemy attacks.

The effort is currently on the fast track; many industry teams are already offering vehicles, and the timeline has been accelerated by nearly a decade. The Army plans to have a combat-ready operational vehicle by 2026.]

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WNU Editor: The German built Lynx is impressive, but I do not see the Pentagon ordering armoured vehicles from a foreign source.

A Closer Look At China's Newest Tank

(Chinese internet)

Popular Mechanics: What You Need to Know About China's New Tank

The Type 15 is designed to go into places bigger, heavier tanks can’t go.

Chinese army units working in rugged, mountainous border regions are getting some new firepower now that China's new next-generation light tank has gone into service.The Type 15 tank is smaller and lighter than the existing main battle tanks of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), meaning it can traverse terrain heavier tanks can’t cross.

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Update: China’s new light tank for mountainous areas goes into service (SCMP)

WNU Editor: China is playing catch-up.