Hope springs eternal:
The U.S. Army is rushing ahead with its project to develop a new light tank to give infantry brigades extra firepower, especially against a near-peer opponent such as Russia. In the past, though, developing a vehicle that is both lighter than a traditional main battle tank and still survivable and useful on a modern battlefield has proven to be a difficult proposition.
I don't understand why we can't attach Abrams tanks to our light infantry units if we expect them to take on enemy heavy forces.
Seriously, stop trying to build the wonder tank that combines lethality and survivability with strategic mobility.
I understand that the Army wants a light tank that can be airlifted or even air dropped to support early entry airborne forces. That has uses.
But that is a niche capability and if the idea is to provide weapons that can allow non-heavy forces to go toe to toe with enemy heavy armor, stop messing around with light armor somehow made lethal and survivable with technology and instead attach actual tank battalions or combined arms task forces to our infantry and Stryker brigades sent to fight in a high intensity environment.
And if the goal is to help infantry by giving them direct fire capabilities against enemy bunkers or troops defending in city structures, just give those infantry units some tanks with the TUSK urban combat modifications.
What is it that the Army actually wants? An airmobile tank? An assault gun to support infantry? A tank to help fight enemy armor?
Or a mythical wonder tank that does it all?
