STEALTH Main Battle Tank set to take on Abrams, Merkava

By REV JIM PURCELL

A main battle tank is the basic tank of an army. For example, in the U.S. Army today the M1A2 is the MBT for the force. The MBT is that tank that a nation's armor theory and tactics is entwined with. With each new generation of armor, product improvement and peripheral systems (e.g. porcelain, depleted uranium, layered or Chobham armor systems), the ability of the armored force expands.

When the M1A1s were initially fielded in the 1980s, that one change sparked the creation of accompanying weapon systems that also required an upgrade due to the MBT for the U.S. changing from the M60A3 to the M1A1. Consequently, this gave rise to the MLRS system, as well as the dawn of the M2 Bradley Fighting Vehicle and the M-3, which was essentially an M-2 fitted for specific use by scout units. The Abrams was faster, heavier and required much more support than its predecessor. So, recovery vehicles like the behemoth M88 Recovery Vehicle were necessarily put into production, MLRS systems were developed and fielded for field artillery, so the pace and punch of artillery units could keep pace with the new needs dictated by the advent of a new American MBT.

Photo by Jim Purcell

When some company talks about challenging an army's MBT, it is an expensive change, albeit necessary to keep track with the times. Still, any possible retirement of the M1 series would likely spark retirement for many other classes of armored vehicles. So, new innovations are always worth taking a look at, if for no other reason for force logistical and tactical weapons changes.

Armored divisions are the 'gold standard' of the U.S. Army. The more armored divisions an army has, the better trained its crews and the more advanced the basic MBT, the more possibilities are given to commanders at all levels for facing a wide range of potential and actual threats. This impacts not just military policy, tactics and procedures, but also political thinking relative to matters of war during either peace or war. So, the replacement of an MBT is a 'macro' move that has ripples throughout the Army as a force.

When he served in the United States Army during the 1980s, Rev. Purcell served in the 4th Battalion, 41st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Armored Division (Forward), which was among the very first units to receive the then-newly fielded M2 and M3 Bradleys. In addition, then Sgt. Purcell was temporarily assigned to both the 1st Battalion, 41st Infantry and the 2nd Battalion, 66th Armored Battalion as an Intelligence Analyst (96B) during various training periods.