Re: Supertank?

Michael Blair wrote:

> This brings me to another question, how sensible are IFVs, surely they
>
> are there to get the infantry to where they are needed, not to fight
> with the troops on board and to stay away from hostile panzers. I
>

They are absolutely ivaluable. The mech rifle company's killing power
was increased dramaticaly by the introduction of IFVs. A casual perusal
of the Mechanized Infantry Company Field Manual will show you that the
infantry are meant to dismount in most	circumstances (once within small
arms range) during the attack and on the defense, of course, always. The
bradley (and BMP) has the survivability of any other APC with the added
bonus of its weapons. If you've been in the infanty for more than five
minutes, the added advantage is apparent and appreciated.

>realize that TOW etc. gives them a good stand off punch to supplement
>the panzers' guns but will they survive long enough to use them?

That depends whether you assume IFVs will just sit out there in the open
and trade shots with enemy tanks or whetther they'll use intellligent
fire and manuever and terrain selection to stay alive. Especiallly in
anything but Billiard table terrain. And even on biliard table
terrainteh TOW has a range advantage over a tank main gun. And anyway,
an straight boxed M113 is in no better postion to withstand hits than an
IFV.

Tows are stand off weapons. SO if you are attacking a target you move
your IFVs to withinX km and they're used in that role, while other IFVs
and tanks go in

<anecdote>
BTW, in an infantry assault the 25mm gun is a great force multiplier to
the squad. They're quite amazing things. My first ride in a Bradley: I
was in the turret of a Bradley and the gunner locked the gun onto the
tip of a telephone pole. Then the IFV vibrated a lot and made a lot of
noise for a few minutes. After that we moved to anotehr site and
repeated the process. When we got back to teh spot where the grease
monkeys had been working on tehvehilcle I asked why they had stopped so
many times and revved the engine. The guys said they hadn't stopped. he
had locked the gun onto a target then was doing donuts and all kinds of
high speed manuevers. The whole time, the gun remained locked onto the
telephone pole. Amazing gun stabilization!

Los