Leopard 2A4 MBTs for Singapore
A friend is sceptical of the value of main battle tanks (MBTs) in a tropcial environment. He stated:
"What mission exactly does the military have in mind for MBTs? These MBTs are going to do squat. Tanks are inherently offensive weapons, yet JB and the rest of the peninsular isn't tank country. If the mission is indeed offense, think clogged streets; long, slow-moving tank columns; a long and vulnerable logistical tail. If the mission is defense, then what'll happen is the MBTs surrender their mobility and become pillboxes (hulldown around reinforced concrete blocks). Or they are used as mobile, armored QRFs, but then, Singapore isn't exactly MBT country either, assuming very plausibly there will be aerial and arty interdiction. End result: a very expensive and sophisticated piece of hardware reduced to a glorified AT gun with MGs in static positions."
He makes some valid points here.
It will be the doctrine and employment of the Leopard 2A4s which will count.
2 comments:
Maybe the L2A4s are just a stepping stone? After all, our tankers deserve better protection than just those AMX13s. We get to learn about operating and fighting in modern MBTs, spaced-amour characteristics (lots of spare hulls for testing, hee hee), the pitfalls and logistics problems for 120 ammo, etc, THEN build a custom platform that's lighter, better protected and armed for our needs.
MBTs are sexy military toys. Perhaps some scholar 'soldier' is bucking for a promotion, or perhaps he's facing compulsory retirement and is bucking for a GLC position. - Silver.
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