Full Description
An engaging and insightful account of the evolution of the tank since 1945.
Sam Cranny-Evans explains how the technology behind the armour, weapons, mobility, and mission systems actually works, as well as how it has got to where it is today. The modern tank is essentially the same concept as the tanks that fought at the beginning of World War II - an armoured vehicle that can take a large gun to where it is most needed and support infantry. However, the technology that they now use is a blend between those things that would have been recognizable 80 years ago - the gun, armour, and tracks - and things that would have been entirely unimaginable, like the 1 million lines of code in an Ajax reconnaissance vehicle, or the uncrewed turret of the T-14 Armata.
Target Stopped explores the technical evolution of the systems that make up a modern tank through a chronological account of the major eras since 1945, from the Cold War to the various conflicts in the Middle East to Ukraine, and by explaining the threats that have driven these changes. It uses accounts of tank combat - collected from existing historical records or re-produced from archival footage - to give life to the stories and help readers feel the importance of each technological trend. Drawing on years of expertise in this area, Sam Cranny-Evans also looks ahead to the revolutionary changes that will drive forward the tanks of the future.
Contents
List of Illustrations and Maps
Introduction
Part 1: 1945-53: South Korea and the makings of the main battle tank
1. Tanks are all about the guns
2. Simple protection
3. 'Anywhere a tank can go, is tank country: even the tops of mountains'
4. Dominating no-man's land
Part 2: 1954-65: Buttoned up - tanks and the nuclear era
5. The L7 105mm vs D-10TG 100mm
6. Stability starts with the tracks
7. Buttoned up and fighting dirty
8. Fighting at night
Part 3: 1965-73: The die is cast - MBTs take their final form?
9. Enter the smoothbore
10. Armour vs mobility
11. 'They will pay for this for years to come'
Part 4: 1973-91: Trial by fire - tanks go to war
12. Mass efficiency vs bunker mentality
13. Rheinmetall returns
14. On the subject of engines
15. The West takes the lead
Part 5: 1992-2025: Conventional war and counterinsurgency - the tank adapts
16. Active protection becomes essential
17. Catch me if you can
18. The sensors, not the shooters?
Part 6: 2030-50: A brave new world
19. The future of the modern tank
Final Thoughts: A tank is like a ladder
Glossary
Notes
Index
