Stavros Atlamazoglou
Though tanks are vulnerable to low-cost missiles and drones, their crews have adapted and developed countermeasures over time—giving them a continuing place in modern warfare.
The conflict in Ukraine will enter its fifth year later this month. During that time, observers have gathered many crucial lessons about the nature of warfighting in the 21st century.
If there is one lesson to take from the war in Ukraine, it is that—in spite of gloomy prognostication about their supposed “irrelevance” on the modern battlefield—tanks are here to stay. Indeed, tanks of different types and generations are fighting on the battlefield in support of the combatants’ tactical and operational objectives, with great effectiveness.
The Role of Tanks in Modern Warfare
Before the large-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, many analysts had begun to question the utility of armor in modern warfare. The hypothesis went that tanks were too detectable to modern ISR, and could be destroyed by anti-tank missiles at a fraction of their cost. Even then-British Prime Minister Boris Johnson weighed in in support of this view, claiming in 2021 that the era of tank battles was “over” and the British military should be investing in “better things” instead. Russia’s early setbacks following its invasion in February 2022 seemed to confirm doubts of tanks’ viability in combat.
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