The MBTs retained a very important role in contemporary combat, vividly reflected in the war in Ukraine. Even though they do not engage in great tank-to-tank battles characteristics of former war tanks are still very relevant for both offense and defense. The article points to the development of MBTs by presenting key features of their past, present, and future.
The “Age of Tanks” series gives a general history of the tank from the First World War into present times. The series starts with the British “Mark I” tank, developed in 1916, and goes as far as the Russian T-14 Armata, which entered production in 2015. Originally a French documentary, this was made available on Netflix in both an English-dubbed and English-subtitled version its objectivity and broad coverage of historical events include but are not limited to WWI, WWII, the Korean War, the Cold War, the Yom Kippur War, the First Chechen War, Operation Desert Storm, and Operation Iraqi Freedom. The United States is moving forward with the modernization of its armor inventories and has the M1A3 Abrams in development.
Years of testing, research, and feedback from operators convinced those in power to abandon further upgrade paths for the M1A2 and instead develop an all-new, more capable tank. The M1A3 sports a modular design, allowing new technology fits to be installed with speed and ease. The need to ensure mobility and survivability for Abrams to maintain the pace of the battlefields of the future was expressed by BG Geoffrey Norman. Again, the features publicized with the M1A3 include a hybrid electric drive, an autoloader, a new main gun, advanced munitions, integrated armor protection, advanced command and control capabilities, AI applications, and anti-drone technology.
Initial Operating Capability is slated for the early 2030s. Britain is also pushing ahead with their modernization program of the Challenger 3 to replace the aging Challenger 2. The new Challenger 3 shall be a 24-hour and all-weather capable tank fitted with a 120mm L55A1 smoothbore gun, tactical communication system, improved protection of turret and hull, state-of-the-art suspension, upgraded engine, and more electrical power.
It also says that the British military is set to begin receiving the first Challenger 3s in 2027, reaching full operational capability in 2030.
The MGCS is a French-German joint defense program for the development of a next-generation MBT. In both manned and unmanned versions, the MGCS will be developed on a modular design. The basic structure of the MGCS is foreseen to retain classic fire capabilities while introducing novel technologies like electromagnetic weapon systems, laser weapons, and electronic warfare capabilities. The MGCS is expected to achieve operational capability between 2040 and 2045. The Russian T-14 Armata has been described as the most advanced combat tank in the world but has been dogged by problems relating to reliability and production.
The T-14 features a remote turret that reduces its weight and removes the crew from the line of fire.
However, it makes for a larger target for medium-caliber gunfire mission kill, for example. The T-14 is competitive with Western tanks such as the Leopard 2A7 and M1A2. The development of main battle tanks, considering the paradigm of war and advanced capability, continues to be a matter of great significance for many countries. From leading programs in the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Russia, the future of armored warfare is indeed innovative and formidable.