(Photo : VASILY MAXIMOV/AFP via Getty Images)
In the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the use of main battle tanks is contested by many as obsolete as the wheeled chariot, but many counters spearhead attacks, and troop protection is important.
The Russia-Ukraine conflict is supposed to show that main battle tanks might be a major force on the battlefield. However, despite these flaws, they can be strengthened to make them less exposed in the era of more advanced precision weaponry.
Defense Deal by South Korea
A deal announced by Seoul revealed the sale of 1,000 K2 tanks and 648 K9 self-propelled K9 armored howitzers, in addition to the 48 FA-50 fighter jets to Poland costing the US $20 billion, noted Asiatimes.
By 2030, the UK intends to be able to deploy 148 Challenger 3 MBTs, though this number could rise in light of developments in Eastern Europe.
Heavy tanks like the German Leopard 2, American M1A2 SEP, French Nr. 8 Leclerc, and Israeli Merkava Mk.4 are mentioned in international arms negotiations, reported EurAsian Times.
There are now around 73,000 operating tanks worldwide, unintentionally designed by the British and utilized for the first time during World War I, mentioned Global Times.
Russia has 12,420 tanks compared to the US's 6,612, North Korea's 5895, China's 5,250, India's 4,614, and Pakistan's 2,824 tanks.
Tanks as Armored Cavalry
Tanks are essential because attacking armies require a mechanism to advance their soldiers. They must also cover those soldiers as they go forward.
They use their heavy weapons to destroy roadblock defenses and create panic in the enemy's rear. It is a tool that may be used in various ways to help any army advance.
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Losses are minimal when Russian main battle tanks have to learn how to fight in this theatre in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. On July 1, the West asserted that at least 1,500 tanks had been destroyed.
The Russians may have been caught off guard when using NLAWs, Carl Gustav M4s, and man-portable Javelins at the beginning of the battle, but they are no longer a factor. These weapons are prone to malfunction.
Western analysts assert that Russian tanks are poorly designed, with the crew and ammunition crowded together and inadequate protection from aerial attack.
Drones and Anti-Tank Guided Missiles
Two threats have been foisted, like man-portable missiles and drones on the battlefield that took casualties.
Detecting heat sources inside a tank and striking the weakest point of the armor, javelins and NLAWS are fire-and-forget rockets. These rockets can launch attacks from atop the tank in full attack mode.
Armed drones are a low-cost method of attacking tanks from the air, and Turkish-made TB2s, smaller than a light plane, has proven effective against armor in several international conflicts.
On Russian targets, the Ukrainians use laser-guided bombs. The US Switchblade and other suicide drones linger that divebomb targets.
Since then, all of these threats have been eliminated, the Ukrainian army has fallen, and Russian soldiers are now in charge of several regions of Ukraine.
Since the commencement of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Ukraine and the West have asserted that heavy tanks are ineffective against hand-held rocket launchers and drones. Since then, Russia has strengthened the protection of its main battle tanks with fewer losses.
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