The Once-Dominant Tank Is Getting Humbled on the Battlefield - WSJ

POKROVSK, Ukraine—Even as tanks help Ukraine push into Russia, armies are rethinking how the powerful vehicles are made and deployed after a recent history of being humbled in combat.

Tanks were once the king of the battlefield. But the proliferation of drones in Ukraine means the large, noisy vehicles can be spotted and targeted within minutes. That has seen dozens of cutting-edge Western tanks used only sparingly in the battle they were meant to shape, while others have been damaged, destroyed or captured.

In response, armies are adding technology to tanks to spot and protect against drones while also exploring design changes to make the heavy, armored vehicles more maneuverable. Battlefield tactics are already changing and lessons from Ukraine are being integrated into training.

“In the near term, we absolutely need to urgently make some adjustments to maintain the survivability of our armored formations,” said Gen. James Rainey, who heads the U.S. Army Futures Command, which looks at ways to equip and transform the Army.

via www.wsj.com

The nature of land warfare is changing before our eyes. The best people are obviously on the Ukrainian side and they have the best possible incentives to innovate. Drones and surely more AI-equipped drones are quickly rendering tanks and aircraft carriers obsolete. The future is going to be strange.