Battle Tank Maintenance

[A3Driver]

Back in the late 1940s and early 1950s there was a battle tank refurbishing facility on the Gulf Freeway just southeast of Cullen Blvd. on the northeast side of the Gulf Fwy. As a small boy, we would drive by this on the Gulf Fwy and I would be enthralled with the tanks motoring around on the dirt track. Does anyone remember this and remember the name of the facility?

[TheNiche]

Back in the late 1940s and early 1950s there was a battle tank refurbishing facility on the Gulf Freeway just southeast of Cullen Blvd. on the northeast side of the Gulf Fwy. As a small boy, we would drive by this on the Gulf Fwy and I would be enthralled with the tanks motoring around on the dirt track. Does anyone remember this and remember the name of the facility?

Per Google Earth's 1953 historical imagery, the facility was where the Catholic Charismatic Center is now located, and the dirt track was just opposite the railroad tracks, where the Foley's distribution center was subsequently built.

[Guest Shawn]

Since the end of the first world war the main battle tank has been the most important piece of ground equipment in any military. Whole doctrines were evolved around the abilities and limitations of tanks. The current crop of main battle tanks are technological wonders of destruction able to fire accurately on the move, travel at high rates of speed, and be impeervious to almost any attack.

With that intro why do I think the main battle tank is dead or at least far less important than it once was? I belive anti tank technology, economics, and a changing world have limited the combat effectiveness and importance of the tank on the modern battle field and nations which realize and adapt to this fact the quickest will be the ones best prepared for the future.

Shortly after the tank appeared anti tank weapons were devloped. For much of the tanks history these were kenitic weapons throwing ever faster and heavier shells. Then into shaped charges delivered by rocket. The tank devloped ever better armor to defeat these weapons thicker, heavier and shaped better. Today we have a composite armor combined with reactive armor to defete incoming warheads. With the Javalin and other new anti tank weapons the race is over. They can defeat any armor are relatively light weight and portable and while expensive the cost per kill is a good rate of return. To develop a tank able to defeat these weapons would be an enormous expense and may not be possible with current technology, plus the anti tank weapons could be easily modified with some software and warhead changes.

So infantry now cannot only survive an armored attack but can defeat armor on a consistant basis. Added to this is the fact that with out air superiority or a very robust air defense tanks are sitting ducks for rotery and fixed wing aircraft.

Economics is another factor in the demise of the tank. While they are no plane or ship tanks are not cheap. They cost alot to develop, purchase, and maintain. One company of tanks (14) would cost about $42 million to buy. On a good year they would require about $6 million in parts, fuel and ammo to stay ready. The mainteance costs for many nations is going up as their fleets become older. As nations move forward they will need to look at their options and I belive devloping a new tank will not be an option most take. Most will decide to improve the models they already have or if they are smart develop a tank more suitued to the current situation.