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It's safe to assume DakkaDakka has more than its fair share of TreadHeads. What do you think is the best real life Tank in the world right now?

The one with the biggest gun.

The one left standing?

How could i not go with the M1 Abrams!

Definately what the Americans think but don't the Germans say there's is bestest?

They think that their leapord is better, but its just a cheap knock-off of the Abrams.

Probably this

Clearly it's the ROFLTANK:

This one..... It holds BEER!

But... Kegs hold beer too. Wouldn't that just make it a giant Keg?

metallifan wrote:Clearly it's the ROFLTANK:

halonachos wrote:They think that their leapord is better, but its just a cheap knock-off of the Abrams.

But the Leopard 2 was made a few years before the M1 Abrams tanks.

So if anything is the knock off its the Abrams

mind you the americans and germans designed a tank called a MBT-70 so it might be a hard call on who came up with the design 1st

It all depends on what criteria you give it. In terms of a one on one duel across open plains, no tank comes close to the Abrams.

But tanks don't just operate to destroy other tanks in open fields, and they aren't just designed with that purpose in mind. Consider the Israeli Merkava, which is built with an understanding that much of it's operations will be patrolling cities, as a result is has nothing like the top speed of other tanks, but instead has much greater armour protection on the top and excellent crew protection. It was first designed in the 60s and is more than showing its age by now, but I think when the US was trying drive Abrams around Baghdad they might have been better served with Merkavas.

So really, best depends on what you want the tank to do.

The Merkarva doesn't have better armour protection than the Abrams, the crew (not the tank itself) are more likely to survive a penetrating hit than an Abrams but the armour itself is weaker.

The Merkarva is a 'generation' older than the Abrams though.

Nobody builds 'tanks' to patrol cities. If you want to patrol cities you build something else.

KamikazeCanuck wrote:It's safe to assume DakkaDakka has more than its fair share of TreadHeads. What do you think is the best real life Tank in the world right now?

Define "best tank".

No.

Define "best".

Define "tank".

THEN define "best tank".

Melissia wrote:

KamikazeCanuck wrote:It's safe to assume DakkaDakka has more than its fair share of TreadHeads. What do you think is the best real life Tank in the world right now?

Define "best tank".

No.

Define "best".

Define "tank".

THEN define "best tank".

Or, do what we were doing -before- Captain thread-crash showed up

I don't know what the best tank is, but that certainly sounds like the best plan!

chowderhead13 wrote:

metallifan wrote:Clearly it's the ROFLTANK:

George Spiggott wrote:The Merkarva doesn't have better armour protection than the Abrams, the crew (not the tank itself) are more likely to survive a penetrating hit than an Abrams but the armour itself is weaker.

The Merkarva is a 'generation' older than the Abrams though.

Nobody builds 'tanks' to patrol cities. If you want to patrol cities you build something else.

Please read more closely. I didn't say the Merkava had the best armour, I said it had greater armour protection on the top and excellent crew protection.

And yes, no-one designs a tank to patrol through cities but any army that thinks equipment will only be used to perform the job it is first and foremost designed is a stupid army. It is a reality that tanks will be tasked with patrolling cities, and it is a reality that there simply isn't the resources available to task some other specialised unit with performing that job and that job alone. So in the case of the Merkava some specialisation was surrendered in exchange for the ability to better perform roles into which it will inevitably be sent.

And yes, the Merkava is a generation older than the Abrams, I said as much when I pointed out that it was showing it's age, yet despite that it would likely perform better in an urban environment, a role Abrams were being sent into in Iraq despite the fact that 'no-one builds tanks to patrol cities'.

T-90. With reactive Armor. Thing is beast.

There is no clear criterion to call any of the modern tanks "the best".

Karon wrote:

chowderhead13 wrote:

metallifan wrote:Clearly it's the ROFLTANK:

Although Dogs Rule Cats Drool, I like what you've done here.

I would put money on the Type 99KM to go toe to toe with the M1 Abrams

CHALLENGERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Leopard II

Kilkrazy wrote:There is no clear criterion to call any of the modern tanks "the best".

That's what I said, but apparently who dares suggest this is the case is being overly serious. Because, you know, you can't have a serious conversation about large vehicles of destruction on a 40k forum.

Medium of Death wrote:

Septic FTW!

Ok.. armor, gun, and speed are all nice but what about:
Adaptability? Dependability? Fuel consumption? Tactical Flexability? Ease of repair?

Most modern tanks are fuel heavy, require modifications for different arenas (sometimes Heavy mods), cannot be repaired "in the field", and most are about 30 feet long, 12 feet wide and 50+ tons, making them unsuited for cities or crossing some bridges.

There is, however a tank that was designed to be adaptable, flexable, easy to fix "in the field", and dependable regardless of the arena......

The M4 Sherman.


Sure, it didn't have the biggest gun, nor was it the fastest..... but it was the most widely deployed tank of WWII. Shermans saw service from 1940 through 1970... Thats 3+ wars..... Lets see your Abrams last 30+ years of constant use.

Uh, it already has? The Abrams was put into use in 1980. It's now 2011. Although arguably its first combat run was in 1991 (previously it was only involved in trial exercises during the cold war), if you mean actual use rather than service. But that means it only has a decade to go... and I don't see it being replaced that soon.

The Char B1 BIS is where its at.

If it comes down to looks...

Merkava MK III beats all for me