The Best Modern Tanks.

102first_hussars · 11-03-2005, 06:57 PM

Mind you guys the leapord2 beats both the Abe and the challenger in speed, Range,firepower(the Challenger and the Abe uses the 120mm rnd and the Leapord uses the 125mm.)

they all have the same Depleted Uranium armour armour, except the leapord2 has reactive armour so has more protection.

Like the other tanks, it has a gun stablizer, NBC protection, Thermol and infrared imaging also it has a Laser Range Finder.

It has some amphibious capability unlike the others..

Glider · 11-03-2005, 07:09 PM

I think you will find that the 125mm is a Russian gun. I thought that the Leopard 2 used a 120 althought there was a prototype with a 140mm which is starting to get silly.

102first_hussars · 11-03-2005, 07:59 PM

Thats not the first time the 140 has been tested on a tank, The KV was originally tested with a 140 then scaled down to 75mm.

trackend · 11-04-2005, 12:59 AM

The Leopard 2A5 carries the same gun as the Abram's the Rhienmetall 120mm L44. it is 4mph faster than the Abram at 45mph but lacks Chobham or DU armour

plan_D · 11-04-2005, 07:40 AM

I can't go into a long winded discussion at the moment because I have work in five minutes, but I would like to add that the M1A2 Abrams is capable of being fitted with reactive armour plating also. It is often done by the field engineers as the armour is designed to be field fitted.

trackend · 11-04-2005, 09:28 AM

Have fun D I've got another week off.

syscom3 · 11-04-2005, 11:31 AM

The Leopard hasnt been tested in battle, so we cant say it measures up to either the Abrams or Challanger.

And even if the Abrams is vulnerable in urban combat, so is every tank ever produced. Funny how the lessons of WW2 combat are still being relearned.

Glider · 11-04-2005, 06:13 PM

There is one tank that hasn't been mentioned and I believe deserves one is the Isreali Merkava. It has a number of interesting features.
Engine in the front to help protect the crew.
Ability to carry a small number of passengers who can cover the tank when in an urban environment
A fire control system designed to take on helicopters (with the main gun)
A mortar as a secondary weapon
Modular Armour

And no one can say it hasn't been used in combat

trackend · 11-04-2005, 06:41 PM

A good tank Glider, but the Merkava is a bit slow at 29mph and it is only recently they upgraded the gun to a smooth bore 120mm from the rifled 105mm gun which was made under licence in Israel and was infact an out of date British designed L7 also the suspension is based on the old Centurion's. A new MBT is on the drawing board for Israel apparently with a 140mm gun.

Glider · 11-04-2005, 06:55 PM

Be fair. They upgraded from the 105 about 12 years ago, which is roughtly when the Americans upgraded the M1 from a 105 to a 120. People tend to forget that the M1 started out with a 105.
Speed isn't everything its cracked up to be. What is important is how fast you can move around the battlefield in combat and the Merkava is fast enough.
The Centurian was never a fast tank but in a lot of peoples eyes, it was the tank of choice from around 1950 to the mid 70's which is quite an achievement.

plan_D · 11-04-2005, 07:16 PM

I honestly do not think that you can rank any of the top 5 above each other these days. They all have the ability to destroy one another at combat ranges and are more than capable of projecting a presence of power on any battlefield. In tank on tank combat, it's the crew of the armour greats and the tactics as opposed to the actual combat ability of the tank.

These days a tank has to defend itself more against it's main opponent, the aircraft. The new Russian 'Black Eagle' is being kept quite tightly under-wraps but apparently has extremely sophisticated AA defence.

The Abrams is suffering under urban conditions, which would be true for all tanks. However, the lessons are learnt from sixty years ago. But it's the only option, the tank provides a basic close fire support for the infantry and projects a presence of power. They will always be required on the battlefield in any new form that they take. Armour is still a key component of warfare.

The Merkava is an impressive tank, due mainly to the combat experience Israel has had against guerilla warfare. It is has many minor improvements which are often missed out on quick reviews. One such improvement is the ball and chains hanging from the rear of the turret that, apparently, throws off shells and missiles aiming at the point between turrent and super-structure (one of the weakest parts)...if it does actually work, it's quite ingenius.

For the current kind of combat I would probably take the Merkava for the anti-insurgent kind of warfare, but for open tank on tank combat the Challenger 2.

Glider · 11-05-2005, 01:34 AM

Cannot disagree with that.

syscom3 · 11-05-2005, 10:46 AM

I forgot about the Merkava.

It sure does deserve to be in the list.

HealzDevo · 11-05-2005, 11:37 PM

Leopold 2 as it reminds me of the King Tiger of Germany, an ultra good tank of its day.

102first_hussars · 11-07-2005, 05:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by syscom3

I forgot about the Merkava.

It sure does deserve to be in the list.

I was actually going to put the merk up their, it had qualities learned from Yom Kippur War, it proved invaluable in the Six-Day war, Its Low Profile Structure, The interior arrangement of where the crew is put increased their survival rating, its range is superior to both the Abe and the Challenger, except for the Leapord 2 its range is 342miles whereas the Merk is 310

however the Merks Power:Weight ratio is somewhat unbalanced(The German Tiger which is well known for its poor P:W could actually outrun the Merk) It still comes standard with the 105mm gun which will be insufficient in power in the future, It was specifacly designed for war in the desert in which has not been tested in any other enviroment.

I decided not to post it mainly because of its enviroment restrictions.