Abrams aint the best in the world.
 

[quote:412fa]Germany’s Leopard 2 Remains the World’s Best Tank

Newtown Connecticut, USA, January 8, 2001 — The Pentagon’s gas turbine-powered M1 Abrams may be the first tank that comes to the minds of most Americans, but overall, Germany’s Leopard 2 is the world’s best. In a new analysis of the world tank market, Forecast International/DMS finds that, based on an overall comparison in terms of lethality, fightability, mobility and survivability, the Leopard 2A6EX comes out on top. The annual tank analysis and ranking, the only one of its type available from open sources, is a product of Forecast International’s Weapon Group.

Although the Leopard 2A6EX ranked above the M1 Abrams (in the A2 System Enhancement Package model), the gap between the two tanks remains exceedingly small. In this year’s survey, the deciding factor was the Leopard 2’s 55-caliber version of the Rh 120 tank cannon and the formidable DM 53 long rod penetrating ammunition. The Abrams is slated to receive the same cannon, but not for several years.

New and improved fire control components, the addition of an auxiliary power unit, as well as overall performance helped push the Leopard 2 A6EX ahead of the M1A2 System Enhancement Package model in Forecast International’s latest ranking. Even so, the M1A2 System Enhancement Package, which is bringing all M1 tanks to a single improved level, represents a major enhancement to the Abrams’ already formidable proven fighting ability. Indeed, based on its superior performance during the Persian Gulf War, the Abrams stands at the head of the ranking in terms of combat performance.

In addition, the vacillating Russians aside, the M1 is still the only tank in production that firmly uses a vehicular gas turbine as its prime mover. The U.S. Army recently selected the General Electric LV-100 vehicular gas turbine to re-power the Abrams.

Coming in at third place in the rankings is Japan’s highly sophisticated Type 90, an amalgamation of German tank technology and Japanese expertise in advanced electronics. The Type 90 is followed by the Leclerc of France and the United Kingdom’s Challenger 2, both in their latest versions.

Making a significant rise in the rankings this year is Israel’s Merkava in the latest Mark III Baz model. Contributing to this rise in the standings is the enhanced armor protection and greatly improved fire control components of this latest version of the Merkava.

The latest analysis and ranking again has the omnipresent Russian tanks falling short of their Western counterparts, despite some recent major improvements as well as the continued lead by the Russians in active defense systems[/quote:412fa]

Im suprised the japs got into the top 3 at all. eek: Seems germany is still king in tank design though.

Saying that though therea russian experimental tank called the black eagle which is nuclear powered ed: .

...a nuclear powered tank?

what's it got, giant laser beams attached to the turret? (wouldn't be surprised)

Couldn't a nuke powered tank be dangerous. What if say it was in a battle, and gets hit in the nuke engines? I don't know though...

Just the following


[quote:c7d98]Model Type: T-12UM1
Vehicle Type: Main Battle Tank
Crew: Three (Driver, Gunner, and Commander).

M.D.C. by Location:
[1] Tractor Treads (2): 100 each
[2] Weapons Turret: 300
152 mm smooth-bore gun: 100
10 mm turret mounted Railgun: 50
5 mm Railgun: 25
Multi-Option Jammers (2): 25
Reinforced Crew Compartment: 200
[3] Main Body: 450

Speed:
Ground: 55.9 mph (90 kph) maximum road speed; 43.5 mph (70 kph) off-road.
Maximum Range: Unlimited (Nuclear Fusion power supply; 5 years.)

Statistical Data:
Height: 7.15 feet (2.18 meters) to top of commander's cupola.
Width: 18.33 feet (3.59 meters)
Length: 28.9 feet (8.8 meters) not including gun barrel
Weight: 65 tons (59 metric tons).
Power Source: Nuclear fusion reactor; Must be refueled every five years, otherwise effectively unlimited.
Cargo Capacity: Minimal, enough for equipment with crew
Tank crews often personalize them with their pay in the armies of the assorted warlords to be considerably different from these Soviet-Era specifications. T-12UM1s (Normally simply called "T-12s") still in the service of the New Sovietskiy, however, follow these specifications to the letter.

Weapon Systems:

152 mm Smooth Bore Cannon/Missile Launcher: Mounted in the tank's main turret. The T-12UM1 enjoys a +2 to strike for the main gun using the laser targeting sight (not for the ATGMs). The T-12UM1 can also fire the AT-25 ATGW through the 152 mm gun; Truly a multi-purpose weapon that is considerably effective against enemy armor and robots alike.
Maximum Effective Range: Direct fire range is 2,500 meters. Has a quadrant site that allows the Sabot (APSD) rounds to be fired indirectly out to 10,000 meters. Range for missiles varies with Medium range missile type; Usually AP are carried (Go to Revised bomb and missile table).
Mega-Damage: (HE): 2D6x10 with a blast radius of 25 ft. (HEAT): 3D6x10, blast radius of 10 ft. (AP): 3D8x10. (APSD): 2D6x10. (PLASMA): 4D6x10+5, blast radius of 30 ft. Mega-Damage for missiles is as per medium missile type; almost always Armor Piercing (Go to Revised bomb and missile table).
Rate of Fire: Twice per melee.
Payload: 38 gun rounds. Usually 7 HE, 8 HEAT, 8 AP, 9 APSD, and 6 Plasma. An additional round can be stored, ready to fire, in the main gun. If they are available, this is usually a plasma round so that the tank can deal with a surprise attack of any type. With the exception of the New Sovietskiy, most powers in Russia have extremely limited supplies of Plasma rounds; Substitute them for one more each of the other types of rounds, and if a round is carried in the barrel, it will probably be HEAT. Also carried: Six AT-25 ATGMs; These are essentially a surface to surface version of the standard Rifts medium range missile. Armor piercing versions are standard, though plasma and even fusion versions were made. All of these rounds are stored horizontally stacked in the large turret bustle, and are ready to feed into the autoloader. In essence, the bustle is part of the autoloader assembly.
Bonuses: +2 to strike at all times with cannon shells from the laser sight; No penalties to fire when vehicle is moving. APSD shells have a +4 bonus for long range fire from the Quadrant sight, but only when the vehicle is not moving. No Bonuses for firing the AT-25s.
10 millimeter Railgun: Mounted in a mini-turret atop the main turret, this gun has a 360 degree swiveling fire-arc and is capable of tracking aerial targets even directly overhead the T-12UM1.
Effective Range: 4,920 feet (1,500 meters)
Mega Damage: Single shot does 2D4 and 20 round burst does 1D6x10+10
Rate of Fire: Equal to combined hand to hand attacks of gunner; usually the commander.
Payload: 1200 rounds (60 bursts).
5 millimeter Light Railgun: Mounted on the opposite side of the turret from the 10 mm railgun and controlled by remote from inside the tank without the bonuses for the 10 mm railgun.
Effective Range: 2,000 feet (609.6 m)
Mega Damage: One round does 1D4 M.D.C. to M.D.C. targets or 6D6x10 S.D.C. to soft targets. Twenty round bursts do 4D6 M.D.C; Forty round full bursts do 1D4x10
Rate of Fire: Equal to combined hand to hand attacks of gunner; usually driver.
Payload: Carries 4,000 rounds total (100 full bursts or 200 half-bursts)
Multi-Option "Shtora-8A" Jammers (2): These are multi-purpose jamming devices designed to stop incoming missiles and confuse an enemy targeting the T-12UM1
Effect: Each firing launches two Chaff rockets, two Flare rockets, and the tank begins emitting a large cloud of smoke, both standard and Anti-Laser Prismatic aerosol; The Chaff rockets detonate and spread Chaff over the area, the flare rockets floating down by parachute; Effects last for one minute (4 Melee rounds.) The Chaff rockets have a 20% chance of interfering with the course of enemy missiles each (40%, total) that are radar guided so that they miss the tank. The flares have the same percentages, except with IR-guided missiles. The Anti-Laser prismatic aerosol causes -4d4 damage to any laser beam striking the tank (With the exception of X-ray lasers and variable frequency lasers; X-Ray lasers suffer no damage modifiers, and variable frequency lasers do not suffer the penalty after two test firings into the cloud to find the right frequency.), and adds a +4 difficulty to targeting the tank with a laser guidance system or visually.
Rate of Fire: Usually once every four melee rounds; Effects are not cumulative.
Range: Around tank only; Rough distance of 80 ft (24 m) around tank.
Payload: Sufficient for twenty firings; One of each type of jamming option from each side of the vehicle.
Sensors:

Anti-Aircraft Radar: Range of 10 miles (16 km); Capable of tracking up to 10 targets simultaneously, this radar serves to guide the 10 mm Railgun in engaging aircraft (+2 to targeting aircraft and missiles with the 10 mm Railgun), and providing early warning of incoming aircraft and missile attacks; The radar can be programmed to shut off immediately if it detects an aircraft firing a missile, incase the missile is a radar-homing HARM type. The radar is highly ineffective against ground targets (-60% to sensor rolls.)
Quadrant sight for long-range targeting of Sabot rounds: +4 to firing the long-range Sabot rounds only, when the vehicle is not moving.
Data-interlink transmitters: For using targeting data from scout vehicles for firing the Anti-Tank missiles or Sabot rounds. Bonus varies on the quality of the data being provided, but all data would allow the tank to fire over obstacles if the scout vehicle is in the right position. The normal effective battlefield range is 5 miles (8 km).
Full Infrared viewing mode: Range of 2 miles (3.2 km), with IR searchlight (+3 to detecting targets with IR when in use, however, +3 to detecting the T-12UM1 with IR equipment when in use, as well.)
Two Periscopes: Has up to x100 magnification for commander and driver to view out of while maneuvering the vehicle. Visual targeting sight with same magnification possible for gunner.
Laser targeting system for main gun: range of 3,000 meters.
[/quote:c7d98]


ed:

railguns? what the fuck is a plasma round?

Something that looks as though its gonna kick the living shit outta any other tank. ed:

pic?

Ah, here we go.

[img]http://www.fprado.com/armorsite/Leo2_Pics/LEOPARD2A6-BIG.jpg[/img]

[img]http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/land/row/leopard-2-pz87-093.jpg[/img]

[img]http://www.fprado.com/armorsite/Leo2_Pics/Leopard-2-Austere-Version-C.jpg[/img]

[img]http://www.fprado.com/armorsite/Leo2_Pics/Leo2A4_scan01.jpg[/img]

[img]http://www.fprado.com/armorsite/Leo2_Pics/leo2a5_05.jpg[/img]

[img]http://www.fprado.com/armorsite/Leo2_Pics/Leo2A6-Firing.jpg[/img]


ed:

[img]http://armor.kiev.ua/fofanov/Tanks/MBT/640.jpg[/img]

nice happy: black eagle tank /\ other pics from vance are leopard 2.

There was a special on new age tank warfar the other night. I think it was on Discovery or TLC, but anyways. I don't think I could ever do that stuff. My I'd be very clastrafobic! The gunner has like no room. The only guy with actual room is that guy who loads up the shells.

Same here, Airborne. Not to mention that tanks attract planes and artillery, and of course, other tanks. biggrin:

Leopard 2 is the bast tank?

That really suprises me. The Leopard is the oldest of the modern tanks.

Canada uses Leopard tanks. Not all of them are Leopard 2 however, and i'm sure their not better than the Abram.

ed:[/quote:3fe59]

you stupid meatheads, that is data from an RPG or similar game.

there's no such thing as the "New Sovietskiy" in the real world

NO! India was defeated by the U.S. in the war of 2012. MORON!

plasma rounds? rail guns?