Gone are the days when massive rows of tanks filled the battlefield to launch an armored attack. Recent developments in shoulder-launched anti-tank missile technology has demonstrated that the survivability of tanks diminishes rapidly.
Tanks are thought to be the spearhead of any infantry strike, softening enemy defenses with their firepower. World War Two has witnessed the heydey of tanks, when armored assaults with precise tactics proved decisive. A coordinated tank attack had a good chance of wrecking havoc in the enemy’s ranks.
Today’s battlefield has changed a lot compared to the days of World War Two thanks to advancements in warfare technology. We have stronger radars and UAVs to precisely detect the enemy’s whereabouts. A big column of tanks ready to strike will immediately sound the alarm for the opposition. Attack helicopters boasting a diverse range of anti-armor weapons have the capability to hunt the tanks from afar.
The war in Ukraine has shown that tanks fall victim to Manpads (shoulder-launched missiles) often. These missiles can lock on tanks from miles away. All the operator needs to do is push the trigger and forget. The missile guides itself to the target pretty much automatically. These missiles hit the tanks from above, where the armor's strength is weakest.
These and similar gadgets reduce the survivability of the tank dramatically. However, tactics and strategies on the battlefield are known to adapt to changing threats and conditions. A winning tactic can always be met with a counter-tactic that could potentially nullify the other. There is still room for the tank in today’s warfare theory. It only takes time for tactics to evolve and triump over each other.
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