Main Battle Tank
From Conservapedia
A Main Battle Tank (MBT) is a tracked vehicle providing mobile firepower and crew protection for offensive combat. Also called Modern Armor, they are the development of earlier tanks. While tanks were relatively slow, MBTs are often capable of road speeds in excess of 40mph. The earlier diesel or multifuel powerpacks have often been deleted in favour of more compact gas turbine engines.
MBTs have also replaced the earlier monobloc steel armor with composite protection. Traditional rolled homogenous armor is combined with air gaps and materials made from synthetic fibres to form an armor sandwich often referred to as Chobham. The use of such composites arises from the huge advances in non-metallic materials science, particularly plastics and recycling. Chobham armor is significantly more effective than RHA of the same weight.
The traditional large calibre gun remains the main armament, but is now an extremely high velocity weapon optimized for the anti-vehicle role. Anti-tank ammunition is by fin-stabilized sabot rounds of tungsten or depleted uranium. Shaped charge rounds are general carried for use against lighter vehicles and are moderately effective against fortifications and buildings. Some MBTs enhance their long-range anti-tank firepower by launching ATGMs from their main gun. Fire control is extremely sophisticated, and MBTs can fire accurately while moving and achieve first-shot kills. This feat would have been impossible with traditional tanks, which could only fire effectively while stationery.
MBTs have now reached the maximum practical weight limit for a combat vehicle, and engineers are looking for lightweight methods of improving protection. Explosive reactive armor provides greater protection against shaped charges while the Russians have developed an active armor system which uses radar to detect incoming projectiles and launch an interceptor. Research into exotic armors such as all-plastic and electrical armor is also ongoing.
