I wish I could tell you. I find that article on mbts being extinct kinda of premature. I just don't see the main gun being replaced as the primary weapon on a ground combat vehicle. Just to many things that go against missles on a vehicle like that.
as a jtac I know how tempermental hellfires can be. The damn things go stuck on the rails for ever shot at cax. Also with missles you really have to watch them when you transport them and store them a lot more than regular ammo. Plus hellfires are so damn expensive.
But I love them so much....almost as much as I love the laser maverick
Or, take the outer two cells, combine them, and widen them. Enough space for a 19-round 2.75 launcher that could be loaded with conventional as well as PGM versions of the 2.75" rocket (that's a total of 38 2.75s and 4 Hellfires).
Final thought, a 4-pack of LG OR IR Zunis for targets that are too small for the Hellfire, yet too big for the 2.75.
Reconfigure the armored box so each cell can do a Hellfire for a 4-pack of Zunis... so you end up with 4 Hellfires, 8 x PGM Zunis (50lb warhead), and 19 2.75 PGMs.
Long after everyone reading this is long dead they'll still be predicting the death of the MBT. The combined arms team has been with us since the dawn of warfare and it's simply never going away. While the tank (cavalry) might some day be replaced it's not happening anytime soon.
One could make a very good argument that with active defense systems becoming both common and affordable that anti tank missiles and rockets will become less effective, tanks more survivable, and the tank main gun essential. Various nations are developing new MBT's. Tank development in the West will eventually restart, if for no other reason than for export sales.
As far as the M113 with the Hellfire boxes the first thing that came to mind was gigantic, open, sympathetic detonation boxes. On a serious note I can't believe the thing was designed for line of sight operations. For non line of sight wouldn't a lofted profile be better?
Since the US Army doesn't have a good track with procurement AND our defense contractors can't seem to figure out NLOS, I wonder what the Israelis could do with their M113s after the Namer takes their place.
Load them up in a mini-MK41 VLS with Spike LR or Spike ER, attach them to mechanized mortar companies and rain down death upon Hezbollah Panzerjaeger teams. Heads-up, Hakim, Booyah!
Actually there is a Spike NLOS missile. It's about 150lbs with a range of 25km and can hit a window. Rafael has marketing materials showing it fired from quad launchers on a Humvee and from small boats. Spike ER has the same range 8km range of the Hellfire at less than 3/4 the weight.
Remember the Milan and Hot European ATGW's? They're mostly being replaced by EuroSpike, which is simply a joint venture with a German company so everyone in Europe doesn't freak out buying from Israel.
For striking AT teams the Israeli's will use a variety of systems but seem to prefer mortars. They're inexpensive and the IDF puts 60mm mortars, either externally or internally, on it's tanks. A 60mm mortar round is much cheaper than a 120mm tank round and if it will do the job they'd rather use that besides having the capability to engage non line of sight.
That's pretty fraken awsome!
ReplyDeletehey...tell me something. different subject though. you ever see vids of guys shooting while walking up to their targets? what is the reasoniing.
ReplyDeleteI wish I could tell you. I find that article on mbts being extinct kinda of premature. I just don't see the main gun being replaced as the primary weapon on a ground combat vehicle. Just to many things that go against missles on a vehicle like that.
ReplyDeleteagreed. remember it was before iraq and afghanistan.
ReplyDeleteBack on the subject... imagine a couple of those Hellfires swapped out with a 4-pack of DAGR/LOGIR each.
ReplyDelete32 missiles in all? sounds pretty darn good to me. cheap, effective against most battlefield targets and easily reloaded.
ReplyDeletethey'll never do it. it makes too much sense.
as a jtac I know how tempermental hellfires can be. The damn things go stuck on the rails for ever shot at cax. Also with missles you really have to watch them when you transport them and store them a lot more than regular ammo. Plus hellfires are so damn expensive.
ReplyDeleteBut I love them so much....almost as much as I love the laser maverick
Or, take the outer two cells, combine them, and widen them. Enough space for a 19-round 2.75 launcher that could be loaded with conventional as well as PGM versions of the 2.75" rocket (that's a total of 38 2.75s and 4 Hellfires).
ReplyDeleteFinal thought, a 4-pack of LG OR IR Zunis for targets that are too small for the Hellfire, yet too big for the 2.75.
ReplyDeleteReconfigure the armored box so each cell can do a Hellfire for a 4-pack of Zunis... so you end up with 4 Hellfires, 8 x PGM Zunis (50lb warhead), and 19 2.75 PGMs.
I think that's a nice mix.
Long after everyone reading this is long dead they'll still be predicting the death of the MBT. The combined arms team has been with us since the dawn of warfare and it's simply never going away. While the tank (cavalry) might some day be replaced it's not happening anytime soon.
ReplyDeleteOne could make a very good argument that with active defense systems becoming both common and affordable that anti tank missiles and rockets will become less effective, tanks more survivable, and the tank main gun essential. Various nations are developing new MBT's. Tank development in the West will eventually restart, if for no other reason than for export sales.
As far as the M113 with the Hellfire boxes the first thing that came to mind was gigantic, open, sympathetic detonation boxes. On a serious note I can't believe the thing was designed for line of sight operations. For non line of sight wouldn't a lofted profile be better?
Since the US Army doesn't have a good track with procurement AND our defense contractors can't seem to figure out NLOS, I wonder what the Israelis could do with their M113s after the Namer takes their place.
ReplyDeleteLoad them up in a mini-MK41 VLS with Spike LR or Spike ER, attach them to mechanized mortar companies and rain down death upon Hezbollah Panzerjaeger teams. Heads-up, Hakim, Booyah!
Actually there is a Spike NLOS missile. It's about 150lbs with a range of 25km and can hit a window. Rafael has marketing materials showing it fired from quad launchers on a Humvee and from small boats. Spike ER has the same range 8km range of the Hellfire at less than 3/4 the weight.
DeleteRemember the Milan and Hot European ATGW's? They're mostly being replaced by EuroSpike, which is simply a joint venture with a German company so everyone in Europe doesn't freak out buying from Israel.
For striking AT teams the Israeli's will use a variety of systems but seem to prefer mortars. They're inexpensive and the IDF puts 60mm mortars, either externally or internally, on it's tanks. A 60mm mortar round is much cheaper than a 120mm tank round and if it will do the job they'd rather use that besides having the capability to engage non line of sight.
NLOS laser guided support was what I was thinking of.... and I'm a 19k btw.
ReplyDelete