When armor just isn’t strong enough and munitions keep evolving such as the armor pier cing tandem rpg 27 (two shape charges), “active protection systems” are called upon. Currently in development for the Striker and the Israeli Merkava main battle tank is the TROPHY active protection system which promises to revolutionize military vehicle and armor defense. The U.S is not currently partaking in RAFAEL’s TROPHY weapon system as it has contracted a favorite , Raytheon, to build an equivalent system for its vehicles.

TROPHY is being produced by RAPHAEL and maintains a 360 degree field of view with its radar….

Abrams Tank Gets Stuck in the Mud.

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British Challenger 2 Main Battle Tank
Manufacturer: BAE Systems Land and Armaments [LSE: BA.L]

Photo Crown Copyright/MOD

The British Challenger 2 Main battle tank has several innovations unique to its design. One of the foremost innovations devised by the Brits is a type of armor known as Chobham armor, which is a layered matrix of steel and ceramics. In fact, incorporating layers of ceramic into steel has been a newer technique of strengthening steel, (the strongest knife blades are now layered steel and ceramics, because the ceramics provide an added measure of flexibility. The Chobham armor is known to perform especially…

Manufacturer: GIAT Industries

The French, their military history aside, actually are widely known in Europe for their innovative and solid armored vehicle designs. In the mid 1980’s, Britain introduced its Challenger 2 main battle tank, Germany rolled out the impressive Leopard 2, and the US unveiled its M1A1 Abrams tank. The world was being introduced to battle machinery that combined decades of design research and cutting edge electronics systems. Not wanting to be left behind, the French decided to join the party. They had initially planned on simply importing the German Leopard 2 tank, but after some cost forecasting and…

Manufacturer: General Dynamics [NYSE: GD]

Some countries excel in the creation of different things. It just so happens that the US excels in the creation of the machines of war. Aside from being the richest country in the world and having the Cold War spurring the development of said military technology, the Abrams tank was truly a revolutionary design when unveiled in the 80s. Despite whatever claims that certain tank exporting countries have about their newly designed next-generation tanks, none of them, aside from a distant second with the British Challenger 2 main…

The Israeli Defence Forces recently implemented a modernization drive on their main battle tank program. Their newest design, uveiled in 2002, features some technological advances forged from the fire of the battlefields of the Middle East. This video of the Merkava 4 main battle tank displays the blast-proof ammunition container, and the ability to target and track multiple targets while on the move, even helicopters. Likely the best features of the Merkava 4 are that it has one of the smallest profiles on the battlefield, the sloped turret angles allow for this advantage. Additionally, the Merkava 4 actually has a…

The Japanese Type 90 tank rivals any other main battle tank on the modern battlefield. The Type 90 incorporates several newer technologies, some that are even lacking in other nation’s tanks. For example, the Japanese employed an auto-loading cannon, which reduces the crew requirement and also increases the tanks rate of fire. Likewise, the electro optic thermal sighting system has a passive viewing mode, which enables them to target the infrared signals emitted from enemy vehicles rather than the type 90 having to target the enemy on its own. The type 90 employs the Japanese…

The Japanese-Self Defense Forces

After the fall of Japan in WWII, Japan succumbed to unconditional surrender to the US. Fortunately though, despite the complete disbandment of the military and initial humiliation of defeat, the future of Japan was not so bleak. With US help, the Japanese nation rose once again to become a regional economic power. As one can see in the video, The Japanese Self-Defense Forces possess the most modern military tactical and strategic technology. Technologies observed being employed in an integrated fashion were GPS targeting (cruise missiles), night vision, electronic battlefield command and control (AWACs),…