Tanks thread?

Pretty cool video of what is going on in a Leopard 2A5 Tank. Lots of firing that is! 

One thing I noticed is the amount of powder smoke inside the tank. While nitro cellulose (the powder) isn't really bad for health, the binding agent which makes the powder stable and prevents the components from segregation is mildly carcinogenic. That is also why I don't shoot guns in confined indoor shooting ranges a lot. 

Israel's most advanced Shermans

looking at the russo-ukrainian war i wonder if Javelins, NLAWs and Panzerfausts will end the tank era or is it just russians being morons there and not using tanks properly.

Some parts of the Russian military tries to become more Western, but they're not managing it enough. Not enough money and too many old men around (In the old political thread I once posted an Ukrainian general's very scathing take on Russian generals and Russian warfare).

So tanks are same old Soviet crap, mass produced for stockpiling in preparation for WW3, crematoriums for the crew with low survival rate, lightweight, simple and uncomfortable, and mostly lacking what is necessary to be in synch with modern warfare. Like communication and sensors for situational awareness, and active anti missile systems like 'Trophy'.

There is this economy dynamics, same as with fighter aircraft, that more ambitious, expensive units make the addition of more, and more sophisticated, systems more cost effective.
But the Russians aren't fully on that track. 

But still, you also have to pay some attention to how you use your weapons. It seems to me, that the Russians so far have tried to drive straight into ambushes a lot. And now they will try to adapt their tactics, by bombing and shelling civilians. Nothing new. Same shit they always have done, since WW2.

The lesson that you can't just drive tanks blindly against the enemy, should have been learnt already during the '73 war in Israel. Everybody, Israelis, Egyptians, and Syrians learned that lesson the hard way. Israel when they initially tried to drive Egyptian forces out of Sinai. Egypt when they later tried to resume their advance in Sinai, and Syria when they tried to take the Golan heights.

But the US Marine Corps seem to consider dropping their tanks. Whether they will... <shrug> 🤷‍♂️

I may have judged reactive armor too fast. I'm now hearing and reading rumours, that the Russians half-arsed their upgrades: in some cases the RA has been inactive since installation.
I'm genuinely surprised that you know these brands. I would've thought they were mostly unknown outside Europe. Although, apparently they did sell some Ladas to Canada. Trabant on the other hand is so rare, that I've only ever seen a handful of them. They just did not last long enough.

That's something we have in common; I used to remember absolutely everything. But now I've noticed there are holes here and there.
Don't mind me: I sometimes forget that the tube exists! I thought you might have been stationed in Europe or something. (I read the other thread where you mentioned your service) It was something that someone who knows his Eastern European cars would say.

BTR-4 using its small 30mm autocannon to dispatch T72 main battle tanks. Quite interesting stuff. I do think small auto cannons of 30, 40 and 50mm are the future of tanks.

The gunner is very good. If you look closely, you'll also see that someone else (commander?) is pointing to exactly where on the T72 he should shoot. And he does, and shoots multiple rounds at the same place. Then there's a spark, he apparently got through, a couple of more rounds and the blaze is going.
They store extra ammunition low down on the floor of the turret cylinder in the T72. If you shoot just above the second last road wheels, you might get through to those. And I think that is possibly what happens here. Sure looks like it to me.

You can also see how good the gunner is, when he shoots at the IFV. When the soldiers evacuates behind, he lowers the aim and shoots into the ground under the vehicle, taking out the soldiers with shrapnel, before he continues to wreck the IFV.

This is close quarter urban sniping and counter attacking. 30 mm is not really normally effective against tanks, not even Russian tanks, unless the cannon shoots with tremendous muzzle energy, adds to it with flight speed, and attacks from above, and uses depleted Uranium for projectiles. There are reasons why the A-10 can do it.

Though to be honest, I know all that and I'm no gunner on any tank. Weak spots are the bottom of the ''pan'' between the wheels, the rear just above the threats where the engine is sitting, the turret ring. As for bouncing the rounds underneath the tank to get the infantry behind it, that's also a common tactic with small arms. Projectiles are way more bouncy than people realize, shot at a flat angle you can definitely skip the projectiles like stones on water and shred peoples legs with 5.56 and more so with 7.62x51.

What I find interesting is that the gunner works with a second crewmember like sniper and spotter, 4 eyes and 2 brains take in a lot more information. Also a nimble wheeled light tank with a 30mm seems to be a great combination for urban warfare. Imagine if they could get a 40mm bofors with 5 round bursts on a wheeled chassis. That would rock in that kind of warfare.