Tanks and other Armoured Vehicles Image thread.

[PsihoKekec]

with the front-engined Merkava being notable as an exception.

Which in turn has downsides of it's own, it turns out there are limits on how much armor you can put on engine area, thus limiting your frontal arc protection. Front mounted engine was a good idea when Mk. I was being designed, but since then advances in armor technology surpassed it.

APCs and IFVs on the other hand have smaller engines and don't mount that much protection, not to mention that rear exit for dismounts is a must, as amply demonstrated by BTR-60/70/80.

 

[ShadowArxxy]

TAM has joined the chat ...
But yes, front engine in tanks is extremely rare. Popular in APCs/IFVs though.

The TAM has a front engine because it's a glorified Marder IFV pretending to be a tank.

Edit: Just to be clear, this is literally the case. The TAM is a modified Marder 1 infantry fighting vehicle hull with a modified Leopard 1A4 turret on top.

 

[Doomsought]

Which in turn has downsides of it's own, it turns out there are limits on how much armor you can put on engine area, thus limiting your frontal arc protection.

The main reason for front engine designs is to use the engine itself as armor. It is highly effective against HEAT rounds due to engine bay functioning as spaced armor. This is why front engine designs are used where sacrificing the vehicle to protect the crew would be considered acceptable.

 

[paulobrito]

With the use of composite armors, ERA, and APS that solution is already not necessary.