As we know that the Army employs a range of land vehicles to carry out its role,
including armoured vehicles and tanks. But what exactly is an armoured vehicle,
and how does it differ from a tank? Anyway, the fundamental difference between a tank
and an armoured vehicle is their role on the battlefield. A tank is an armoured vehicle that
is specifically used to break enemy lines. Tanks, however, are vulnerable in certain conflict areas,
such as woodland or urban environments. This is because they are extremely vulnerable to
attacks from infantry, especially when isolated or on their own. Meanwhile, an armoured vehicle,
such as an armoured personnel carrier, is used so infantry can protect and keep up with the tank.
Historically, in both the first and the second World War, tanks were used to punch a hole in
the enemy’s line with infantry following under the protection of the tank. It was
very popular during the second world war and the method was designed to quickly strike an
enemy and take the position or territory as a result. This is because they are extremely
vulnerable to attacks from any infantry especially when they are left on their own.
Meanwhile, an armoured vehicle or a personnel carrier is used so infantry can protect and
keep up with the tank. These vehicles may not be able to provide the same firepower as a tank
but they are capable of protecting troops from infantry fire while transporting them. In any
dangerous situation such as challenging terrain or the lack of a tank threat from the enemy,
an armoured fighting vehicle, also known as an AFV, may be used instead of a tank.
To update some detail, a tank has some characteristics that are accepted which
include tracks instead of wheels, armour designed to withstand most
battlefield weapons and a turret mounting the main gun. They do not typically carry
infantry and are designed to fight direct compacts with the enemies using both their
armour and terrain to protect themselves and their main gun as their defence.
Main battle tanks (MBT) are the heaviest, best-protected
vehicles and they come fitted with a gun designed to destroy a number of targets,
including other MBTs. They are very mobile and armoured, equipped with a number of features
including an active protection system that is capable of defeating anti-tank missiles. If a
vehicle does not fit all of these categories, it is most likely a form of an armoured vehicle.
Talking about the role of armoured vehicles and tanks in warfare, military personnel’s
have to equip themselves with certain important equipment which the armoured vehicles and tanks
are amongst. To be specific, the role of armoured vehicles and tanks include serving as protection
from adversaries as they are made of strong steel and aluminium that cannot easily be penetrable.
Moreover, they can also break through any barrier put out by the enemies.
Some are unsuspecting so the enemies do not recognise that the military is around and this
provides the military an advantage in the battle field. In addition, some other come with guns and
armours and do not need the military to carry heavy machines that could slow them down but
instead attack from the vehicle or tank. They serve as hiding grounds for military personnel.
They are also well-suited with equipment that will be required throughout the warfare,
even with some extras in case military troops run out of supplies such as bullets or ammunitions.
The last question to discuss is how crucial are tanks and armoured vehicles in today’s
military warfare? Recently, tanks are much more formidable than they used to
be couple years ago. There is no day and night vision equipment that gives modern tanks a big
advantage over their WWWII equivalents. A tiger tank has a powerful gun that could finish off
one of today’s light armoured vehicles but it would be minor against a modern battle tank.
This only serves to demonstrate that later in the future, tanks or armoured vehicles
may be unrecognizable. Military technology has reached the point where unmanned tanks,
such as a land drone, are now possible. This is a huge business for those companies that
produce tanks, while it is a bigger trouble for guerrilla combatants who are seeking to
fight against a tank enemy. Modern tanks and AFVs need unprecedented levels of protection,
as artillery evolves, so do armour protecting vehicles have to revolve.
Although increasing more weight to armour brings incremental improvements,
it could hamper speed and mobility as well as driving up both development and costs.
That’s all for today, thanks for watching and see you next time!