Design Configuration of a Generation Next Main Battle Tank for Future Combat

Abstract

NomeNclatureA Distance between sprocket to CG W Gross vehicle weight in N INtroDuctIoNMain battle tank (MbT) Forms the backbone of the mechanised forces for any conventional army. Traditionally these platforms were designed keeping in mind the conventional warfare philosophy or the iron triangle of firepower, mobility and protection. Such an iron triangle underwent minor changes with the introduction of un-conventional warfare by non-state actors post 1 9/11. Hence, the conventional design philosophy based on contemporary threat scenario needs to be modified or incorporated with fresh threats in order to extrapolate it as a future combat scenario. One such future combat scenario is as shown in Fig. 1. This threat scenario forms the baseline for arriving at the configuration for the generation next main battle tank (GNMbT). However, the dilemma facing designers of such GNMBT is whether to arrive at a configuration which is evolutionary or revolutionary in nature.An evolutionary approach per se is an extension of an existing platform with add-ons or technology upgrades so that contemporary threats are addressed. Examples for such an approach include Arjun (Mk-I and Mk-II), Challenger (1,2 and TES), M1 Abrahms (A1 and A2), Leopard 2 (A1 to A7+) etc. On the other hand, the alternate approach includes arriving at an altogether new configuration which not only addresses the future threats but also truly revolutionary in configuration and design. Design Configuration of a Generation Next Main Battle Tank for Future Combat ABsTrACTThe future combat scenario will undergo a sea change as compared to the conventional and un-conventional warfare employed by the traditional armies and non-state actors. In such a scenario, the main battle tank which serves as a game changer during these conflicts has to face the dilemma whether its design should be either evolutionary or revolutionary. To determine the basis of selecting the right type of design based on the above, the broad parameters that define the configuration namely number of crew, weight, armament system, survivability, operating range, transportability, tactical mobility, trafficability, intelligence -surveillance -target acquisitionreconnaissance (ISTAR), system modularity and theatre of operation have been considered. Taking these parameters into account, this study evaluates both the evolutionary and revolutionary design configurations for a generation next main battle tank. Finally, from the outcome of this study it is observed that the revolutionary design approach not only fares better compared to the evolutionary approach, but also possess ease of adaptiveness as an universal combat weapon platform.

Effects of Tank Gun Structural Components on the First Shot Hit Probability

“…For a future combat scenario, requirements for the main battle tanks may considerably vary than the traditional main battle tanks. The revolutionary configuration may require higher fire power but a lighter platform 32 . Therefore, the gun system design may change accordingly in order to achieve higher accuracy and consistency.…”

Information geometry-based action decision-making for target tracking by fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicle

“…This study considers a UAV decision-making problem, in which the goal is to design an algorithm to control a UAV for target tracking. Specifically, the UAV motion model is simplified as equation (1). It is mounted with a sensor that measures the relative position of the target.…”

“…Guiding unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to detect and track a suspicious ground target is an important requirement in many intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance (ISTAR) 1 problems. Different from predefined trajectory tracking problems, tracking a moving target is more challenging, since it requires the UAV to respond promptly to the random movement of the target.…”

Effect of Hull Obliquity on Crew Protection, Mass and Space Occupancy of Light Armoured Vehicle

“…Along with protective capability, the effect of hull obliquity on vehicular weight and occupant space is equally important 9,31 . The hull needs to be designed with minimum weight and maximum resistance to increase vehicle mobility and reduce material costs 10,35,36 . Moreover, the effect of the geometric change on occupant space and vehicular weight is still contradictory, and there is a need to analyse their combined effects 11,12 .…”

“…In order to increase the passive protection, the diamond geometric shape of the hull (oblique armoured surface) is one of the commonly used armour types 14 . The shoulder-launched missiles or rounds/bullets are most likely to hit the hull's surface from a horizontal direction 10 . The obliqued armour plate has been proven to deflect the energy of projectiles/bullets that comes from horizontal direction and minimise surface penetration 15 .…”