Comments on: GoPro Tanks

By: Alex J.

Alex J. — Thu, 06 Nov 2014 17:43:03 +0000

“The video for example, is so clear and steady as to seem unreal, yet one must constantly remind oneself, it is real. It is the movie images we are accustomed to watching which are unreal.”

I smell an opportunity. There have been a few more-dramatic-than-drama war videos I’ve seen. The Afghan IED medic video. The Edinborough Risk Route Irish ambush video which has been the subject of thorough analysis. The closest film treatment I can think of is “No Man’s Land (2001)”.

By: Alex J.

Alex J. — Thu, 06 Nov 2014 17:18:29 +0000

Also, I think that “homemade” Kurdish rocket launcher is a BM-21.

By: Alex J.

Alex J. — Thu, 06 Nov 2014 17:17:53 +0000

The Tamil Tigers used armored bulldozers in Sri Lanka, with cage armor too. There’s a picture on wikipedia.

(The 122mm thing looks like it was an error. It’s been changed.)

By: Isegoria

Isegoria — Thu, 06 Nov 2014 14:37:00 +0000

I really wish English speakers could agree to use tank as a generic term for armored fighting vehicles, instead of restricting it specifically to main battle tanks. Then we could have battle tanks, troop tanks, artillery tanks, etc., instead of tanks, armored personnel carriers (or infantry fighting vehicles), self-propelled guns, etc. It's as if we decided that ship meant battleship, and any other use was incorrect.

By: Lucklucky

Lucklucky — Thu, 06 Nov 2014 14:31:53 +0000

If it is a 122mm gun then it is not a tank gun but a self propelled artillery piece.

By: Isegoria

Isegoria — Thu, 06 Nov 2014 14:14:06 +0000

Based on the past couple wars in Iraq, American tanks are excellent at shooting Russian tanks. They’re also excellent at crossing wide expanses of open country to strike at an enemy weakness — at least as long as they have air superiority.

The Israelis found that their Merkava tanks could be taken out by man-portable missiles, but they generally survived.

Vehicle-mounted machine-guns don’t have the same effect as a well-sited, and dug-in, tripod-mounted gun.

By: AAB

AAB — Thu, 06 Nov 2014 13:04:24 +0000

Alrenous said:
“Not that I’m suggesting the Syrians have the resources for the necessary R&D.”

Seeing that at least one Kurdish blacksmith has manufactured his own armoured vehicle (http://rt.com/news/191312-syria-kurds-home-made-armor/), the Syrians could probably do the same (or better if they can get hold of weapons from Hezbollah or one of the other local arms suppliers).

By: Alrenous

Alrenous — Thu, 06 Nov 2014 07:52:40 +0000

It seems the one thing tanks are not for is shooting other tanks, but I’m betting the Russian tanks are designed for exactly that.

Modern infantry portable weapons should be powerful enough to rival the tank’s main gun for these roles, especially if you can carry extra ammo on the IFV. Anything to reduce the number of targets for the ATGMs, and infantry are just cheaper, especially with the Syrian’s proper respect for the soldier’s life. Mount the coax on the IFV and you can do without tanks entirely.

Not that I’m suggesting the Syrians have the resources for the necessary R&D.