U.S. Army eyes next-generation vehicle to dominate the battlespace: The drone tank

[Geee]

Washington Times

Armored tanks dominated the theater of war from the Battle of Kursk to Desert Storm and helped define combat in the 20th century.

But the mighty tank’s place in the battles of tomorrow isn’t entirely clear. Specialists argue that the changing nature of war could limit tanks’ effectiveness and mean a major demotion in how they are fielded in the face of more effective rocket fire, advanced radar systems that make it easier to spot and target the vehicles, and the proliferation of small, deadly drones that can rain destruction on armored columns.

Researchers stress that storied ground vehicles such as the M1A1 Abrams and the Leopard 2, along with models on the production line that stem from the Army’s groundbreaking “Next-Generation Combat Vehicle” program, will by no means disappear from the military landscape.