Combat Vehicle Modernisation

The desire to retain and operate a selection of armoured combat vehicles in Asia Pacific is encouraging local industry to get ‘in on the act’.

- Stephen W. Miller

The range of armoured combat vehicles available to the modern soldier include direct fire vehicles centred on main battle tanks (MBTs), ‘light tanks’ and tank destroyers, as well as infantry carrier vehicles (ICVs), infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs), and armoured reconnaissance vehicles (ARVs).

These can have tracked or wheeled running gear but in either case are designed to move on and off-road and to manoeuvre to gain advantage over the opponent. Vehicles can mount armament ranging from large calibre cannon to medium calibre auto-cannon or machine guns. Each is protected to some level by armour but may also incorporate a range of other protective measures. They typically have optical sighting systems and fire controls that provide accurate engagement of various targets at maximum ranges and in various battlefield conditions. Combat vehicles offer significant offensive and defensive capabilities and when properly employed in conjunction with other combat arms like anti-tank guided missiles, mortars, artillery, and attack helicopters as well as aircraft, can dominate the battlefield.

Armoured combat vehicles, however, are costly both to acquire and operate/maintain. Warfare, especially armoured manoeuvre warfare, is dynamic with threats evolving, new more lethal and capable weapons being introduced and technologies being perfected and fielded that challenge existing combat systems. The diverse range of threats that they face include long range anti-tank missiles, hand held anti-armour weapons, mines and improvised explosive devices (IED) As ever, industry equally responds with improvement, upgrade and modernisation programmes for these vehicles.