Pentagon's new mobile tank

[zemjw]

Wasn't sure whether to post this in modern or future - Pentagon researches 'more mobile' hi-tech tank

The tracks look very like the design on the new GW monstrosity (can't remember its name, and at work at the moment so can't check), so I suspect the lawyers are drafting the cease and desist order as I type

edit: PopSci covers the same subject and has a picture of a wheeled design as well

[commissarmoody]

Interesting to see how this turns out.

[Elbows]

If it's the same project as another article I read, the goal was: 50% the weight, 100%+ more power, and a vehicle which could cover 95% of possible terrain.  The companies looking into the design study want to go for less armour, but more modern defensive applications (think camo screens and explosive defensive measures in place of actual armor).

Be curious what they get from it.

[Ajsalium]

So, basically they are inventing... the buggy (with a small gun at the top).

[zemjw]

Yeah, I get the maneuverability and camo things, but the lack of firepower seems a strange choice - unless they're planning on it being a rail-gun or a laser

[CptJake]

Sounds like FCS clawing its way out of the grave.

Tech is good, and I'm sure some of what they develop will end up being implemented onto future vehicles and in many cases get slapped onto current platforms as block upgrades.


Having said that, a lot of if is pure pipe dream in anything approaching feasible from an affordability and implementation perspective.  Add in that the trend towards asymmetric warfare and I can think of several mechanisms to defeat the first two domes of protection (which currently DO exist by the way, but tend to have training and doctrinal solutions enabled by tech vice tech solutions).   

Interesting stuff, but in a time of very real limitations on budgets I often wonder at some of the choices we make.

[Khurasan Miniatures]

but in a time of very real limitations on budgets .

Well, I think we have to recognise that this is a relative thing.  Limitations compared to past budgets, perhaps ... but still!  If the Pentagon spends only one half of one percent of a single year's defence budget on this program, it will be about 3.5 billion dollars -- about the entire defence budget of Finland or Portugal!  

[Elbows]

Oddly, U.S. defense spending as a percentage of GDP is pretty normal (around 4.3-4.8% of GDP).  It's inline with most countries, we just happen to make a boatload more GDP than most.  However, silly countries like Eritrea spend 12% of their GDP on military materials.  Now that's a serious chunk! 

[Khurasan Miniatures]

It's economies of scale really.  Desperately poor countries still have to maintain something like a defence apparatus but even small expenditures are going to eat up a large percentage of their GDP.

I think an interesting analysis of defence expenditure is what percentage of government spending goes to the military. For instance, the US spends approximately 20% or so of its government spending on the military.  (Actually a bit more, but some spending that is clearly defence related is attributed to other expenses.)  The next biggest spender in the world is China, but they spend only about 10% or so of their government spending on the military.