What is the purpose of this post outside of being a douchebag?
US Military News, Reports, Data, etc.
- Thread starter tphuang
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What is the purpose of this post outside of being a douchebag?
Whille a hybrid tank platform sounds good in theory, how practical is it? Hybrid cars usually weigh a lot more than conventional ones, and the Abrams is already a heavy tank. Tanks also tend to be very cramped, is there really space for a battery pack? I don't think battery technology has developed enough for this to be feasible.
I take it they will be moving away from the turbine and switching to a piston based engine?
It is. T-72 to T-14 is just placing crew in the hull. This is the entire drivetrain changed to a totally different technology using different physics, requiring a mastery of the different physics. No one can deny that this is a more daring leap. Whether it's appropriate and useful? Who knows. They think it is worth investing in.
T-72 to T-90 jump is just assortment of subsystems and every other core system is just either the same or an improvement. All are working on the same principles. Just like M1 to M1A1 to M1A2 are improvements of subsystems no matter how capable, they are not unique in doing this. Most tanks improve various subsystems during modernisation programs. T-14 was previously the only tank to make a big leap and that leap was almost entirely in the manned turret to unmanned. I know everything else improved, new gun, new engines etc. But again Type 98 to Type 99A there's massive leaps in subsystems, armour, APS, and engines too. It's just not a leap to really take note of in the way a new generation of tank does. T-14 is a new generation of tank in its own right. Going from internal combustion to hybrid is a considerably bigger leap than going from manned turret to unmanned. I guess personal definitions are valid here.
Gotta start working on the tech somewhere.
That "somewhere" is the key. They could've started the work on an APC or IFV like that new Stryker, mature the tech, work out the kinks, then migrate it instead of slapping it onto a "next gen MBT" right from the get-go.
But hey, it worked out swell for the JSF programme, so might as well have a redux for the Army this time around.
From what I've gathered so far a main advantage of this engine is fuel consumption, this engine allows for longer operational time before needing refueling. The battery powered engine kicks in allowing the turbine engine to shut down while idle or on initial start up of the vehicle. The battery mode also allows the vehicle to move silently around the battlefield giving it enhanced stealth capability.
As if the hull of the T-14 is the same as that of the T-72, Abrams IS just grabing the crew and shoving them in the existing hull. The engine just a Hybrid drivetrain, not an all that different concept as what you find in a Prius. It's not a fusion engine.
The T-14 does have a hybrid engine in the plans to replace the current 12H360, if thats going to be your metric, though.
Also improvements on the APS, integrating both soft kill and hard kill countermeasures,
Not really, in my opinion. Going from manned to unmanned requires a lot of development related to situational awareness, crew ergonomics, energy requirements, integration, etc.
The AbramsX does have the added downside that now you have all three crew members behind the rather weak Lower Front Plate of the tank.
That said, it doesn't matter. This is just a tech demonstrator to test and integrate technologies for a future MBT, this thing is unlikely to be mass produced, just like the EMBT concept, etc.
AUSA Day 1 Video dropped:
Didn't realize the Abrams-X has Trophy built in! Also, Switchblade UAVs launched from it as well and can be controlled by the crew.
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