US media: "King of land warfare" urgently needs to adapt to the drone era
Reference News Network reported on September 18 that the US "Wall Street Journal" website published an article on September 13, entitled "Once dominant tanks are now declining on the battlefield", written by Alistair McDonald. The article is excerpted as follows:
Although tanks have helped Ukraine advance towards Russia, the military is reconsidering how to manufacture and deploy this powerful vehicle because tanks have been performing poorly in recent battles.
Tanks were once the king of the land battlefield, but the proliferation of drones in Ukraine means that these noisy large vehicles can be discovered and targeted within minutes. Dozens of advanced Western tanks have not been used much in the battles where they should have played a role, while others have been damaged, destroyed or captured by opponents.
In response to the difficulties faced by tanks, the military is adding technology to tanks to detect and defend against drones, and is also considering modifying tank designs to make this heavy armored vehicle more maneuverable. Battlefield tactics have changed, and lessons from Ukraine are being gradually adopted.
“In the short term, we urgently need to make some adjustments to keep our armored formations viable,” said Gen. James Rainey, who leads Army Futures Command, which studies ways to equip and transform the Army.
The rethinking is another sign of how drones are reshaping warfare. Adapting tanks to the drone age is essential if Western armies are to maintain their edge in conventional warfare. Some Western armies have put tanks at the heart of their land strategies for decades. In the past, tanks have also been adapted to accommodate new adversaries such as aircraft and anti-tank missiles.
When members of Ukraine’s 47th Mechanized Brigade learned last year that they would be getting Abrams tanks, they hoped the American machines would allow them to finally break through Russian defenses.
Of the 31 Abrams tanks sent to Ukraine by the United States, six have been destroyed, and the others have seen little use, according to Oryx, a website that tracks losses in conflict zones.
Of the other Western tanks sent to Ukraine, 12 of the 18 newer German-made Leopards have been destroyed or damaged, Oryx said. Russian tanks have also suffered heavy losses, analysts say.
"As soon as you get on the road, drones see you, and then you get hit by artillery, mines, anti-tank missiles, drones and guided bombs," said a Ukrainian driver of an Abrams tank.
Tanks are more vulnerable to drones than other armored vehicles because they are large and have large rotating turrets with thin armor on top. Tanks' cannons are also not well suited to shooting down drones, and tanks typically carry only 30 to 40 rounds.
Drones represent a new threat. They are cheaper than tanks' traditional opponents, such as aircraft or anti-tank missiles. Unmanned reconnaissance drones can allow these old adversaries to better target tank formations.
The rise of drones has made training more focused on the need for constant movement, said the commander of a Finnish armored brigade. "You can't leave a combat tank in the open for a moment," he said. "If you stop moving, you have to get under trees, you have to take cover."
Doug Bush, assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics and technology, said efforts are also underway to make tanks harder to detect, including changing the way they are painted and reducing their electronic markings.
Sweden's Saab Group said it has seen interest in a camouflage net it offers that wraps around all parts of a tank, making them harder to spot and partially masking the heat it radiates.
The United States and its allies are also adding new countermeasures to many of their tanks, including Israel's Iron Fist system, which fires small explosive munitions when it detects an aerial threat.
Shortly after the Russian-Ukrainian conflict began, Poland agreed to buy hundreds of South Korean K2 tanks. Months later, the Poles added new requirements, including equipment to jam drones. Such equipment is becoming essential to tanks.
