Thread by @nicholadrummond

IAV 2020 PREVIEW (Thread on Armour)
It’s that time of year again. The International Armoured Vehicles (IAV) Conference 2020 is next week. It’s an annual event where industry, the Army & MoD get together to talk tanks. @IAVehicles

defenceiq.com/events-interna…

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Every year, we ask ourselves the same question, just to make sure we’re not wearing the Emperor’s New Clothes: is it time to write the obituary of the tank?

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This year, the answer is still "No!" Tanks aren’t obsolete because soldiers fighting from under armour over the last 12 months have suffered less casualties than those fighting without protected vehicles. Just as they did in WW2, Korea, Iraq, and Afghanistan.

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Bullets and explosives are easy to obtain. But sophisticated anti-tank guided weapons capable of destroying modern AFVs are in short supply. And, there’s a new kid in town. Active Protection Systems (APS) can destroy a HEAT missile en route to a target.

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In fact, over the last 12 months, APS means tanks have become less obsolete than they were. You have better survivability in a tank, unless, of course, you come up against another tank. Tanks firing APFSDS kinetic penetrators can defeat APS and reactive armour (ERA).

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There’s also the issue of 70,000 MBTs that remain in service across the globe and 45,000 of those belonging to potential adversaries. So, if a tank remains the best means of neutralising another tank, then, yes, we still need them.

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So, today, there are two primary types of armoured vehicle:

1⃣Protected Mobility
2⃣Protected Firepower

These can be divided in Medium and Heavy, with Medium being wheeled and Heavy being tracked. This creates four categories of armoured vehicle.

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Protected Mobility transports infantry to wherever they are needed on the battlefield and supports them as they close-in to seize and hold ground. This category includes infantry fighting vehicles (IFV) and infantry carrier vehicles (ICV)

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Protected Firepower supports infantry both in the assault and in defence. It neutralises other armoured vehicles. This category includes main battle tanks (MBT) and Mobile Gun Systems (MGS), which is what we used to call an Assault Gun or Tank Destroyer.

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The iron triangle of FIREPOWER, PROTECTION & MOBILITY, adds CONNECTIVITY (share information via voice & data across formations), ADAPTABILITY (Performing multiple roles with minimal reconfiguration) & SUPPORTABILITY (platform's logistical footprint).

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Thus, Iron triangle has evolved into a capability matrix where trade-offs are made according to the four Cs: Crew factors, Complexity, Combat utility, and Cost.

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Another thing that's changed over the last decade the increasing importance of mobility. It is a recognition of the fact that getting to the fight has become as challenging as the fight itself. It means that armies need to be expeditionary by design.

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Increasingly, we talk about two types of mobility:

Tactical mobility - X-country performance within area of combat operations.
Operational mobility - getting from Theatre Entry Point to Area of Combat operations.

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Tracked AFVs excel off-road, but are less good on-road. Wheeled AFVs excel on-road, but are now much better off-road. Wheeled AFVs may generally be easier to operate & maintain, but tracked AFVs are still required for heavier platforms and extreme off-road conditions.

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This duality means wheeled AFVs like Boxer & MRVP and tracked AFVs like Challenger 2 & Warrior still have a place in modern armies. In 2010, some people said heavy metal was pointless. After Russia annexed Ukraine territory, the same people then changed their minds.

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So while we need to invest in new capabilities like Cyber, AI, unmanned systems, C4I, EW, and activities below the threshold, heavy metal still matters. Next week, the Army will be asking if plans made 10 years ago and delayed by austerity, are still relevant..

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The answer is a resounding "Yes!" although we may need to make a few adjustments. But basically we’re on track. Or rather, we’re on tracks… and wheels. Long live the Tank!

#IAV2020

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