Why Are NATO Tanks Bigger Than Russian and Chinese Tanks?
This question circulates a lot, and there are many doctrines and circumstances to consider. However, at the heart of the problem, Russian and Chinese both built their cold war tanks with the intention of using bridges which can typically hold a freighter truck at 40 tonnes. NATO, on the other hand, went bigger in the hopes that they could bring and build their own bridges. Yet these decisions have many consequences.
The Leopard 2 weighs 62 tonnes, the Abrams weighs 55 tonnes, and the Challenger 2 weighs 64 tonnes. By comparison, the T 90 weighs 46 tonnes, and the Chinese Type 88 weighs 39 tons.
In Iraq, the Americans were forced to rethink their decision. Many US tank commanders feel they made an error. After all, building bridges in combat is tough — even with air superiority and fire support. The newest concepts for US tanks see them going lighter, yet the newest tank from Germany, the Panther KF51, still comes in at 59 tonnes.
One of the main reasons NATO said screw it on weight restrictions has to do with precision weaponry and its ability to cripple bridges.
Every general hates a river when attacking but loves it for defending. So naturally, when defending, you want to make a crossing as difficult as possible for the enemy. Hence bridges being prime targets for…
