Tanks, the conventional ones, are slow and out-dated, right? But we all know that the modern warfare is about agility and to move rapidly while delivering the necessary firepower. So what is US Army going to do? The answer is quite simple; they are going with smaller, off-road vehicles that embody smart armor. The vehicle is being called the GXV-T (Ground X-Vehicle Technology).
According to DARPA; ‘For the past 100 years of mechanized warfare, protection for ground-based armored fighting vehicles and their occupants has boiled down almost exclusively to a simple equation: More armor equals more protection.’ The issue at hand is the fact that the weapons’ ability to penetrate armor is rapidly growing as well and that is exactly why what’s needed can be stated in a nutshell as armored and yet fast vehicle.
The GXV-T has been dubbed as ‘X-Planes for Tanks’ and has been designed so that a number of other variations of new vehicles can be manufactured. According to Kevin Massey who is DARPA program manager; ‘GXV-T’s goal is not just to improve or replace one particular vehicle – it’s about breaking the ‘more armor’ paradigm and revolutionizing protection for all armored fighting vehicles. Inspired by how X-plane programs have improved aircraft capabilities over the past 60 years, we plan to pursue groundbreaking fundamental research and development to help make future armored fighting vehicles significantly more mobile, effective, safe and affordable.’
The US Military is currently at the point where it has to consider more than just firepower and must consider facts such as tactical mobility, survivability along with cost. Fingers crossed for this new generation of military vehicle.