ATGMs are single-shot and 50lbs. They're hard to carry around the battlefield, and the people carrying them aren't carrying much else.
Furthermore: Tanks provide 40+ shots upon their call, and tanks easily maneuver around the battlefield at 30mph or faster.
Finally, Tanks have 3000m to 4000m range. Javelin only has 3000m range, while NLAW only has 1000m range. The tank is faster, the tank is more maneuverable, the tank is better armored, the tank has more range, the tank has more bullets, the tank has bigger shots (120mm rounds blow a bigger hole in the enemy than Javelins do). When the tank fires, their shells travel at literally hypersonic (Mach5) speeds. There's various stories of how tank-commanders saw an enemy's ATGM, fires back with the main cannon, and pops their thermal-smoke grenades to avoid the missile.
At 2000m or 3000m range, its really hard to actually fight a competent tank crew. Even if you are provided with the best of the best weapons (an NLAW is fully outranged and outgunned)
To carry similar firepower to a tank, you'll need 40 troops, each carrying a 50lb Javelin into the battlefield. Sure, the tank can die to one Javelin, but your 40 troops can all die to a few 152mm shells... and troops don't have the luxury of sitting in a vehicle (troops carrying 50lb weapons move slower than the armored cars we call "tanks"). Nor do they have immunity to sniper rifles or machine gun fire.
And once you have those troops in position, there's still the problem of the innate slowness of the ATGMs compared to tank APFSDS / HE-frag rounds. Yes, rockets are fast, but tank-rounds are far far faster.
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No one can deny the shear offensive prowess of the tank on the modern battlefield. ATGMs are very good tools as well, but even they pale compared to a tank APFSDS round or HE-frag round from a tank.
Now those benefits are negated in urban environments. Close quarters combat, within 500m or 200m is common, as ambushes can be setup anywhere. But still, the tank's role is needed in these urban environments. The 120mm tank gun is the only weapon that can repeatedly blow up squads who are hiding inside of a house for example. (It'd be too expensive to use ATGMs vs a house, but its not that expensive to use tank HE-frag or APFSDS rounds).
> ATGMs are single-shot and 50lbs. They're hard to carry around the battlefield, and the people carrying them aren't carrying much else.
This seems to ignore the infantry shield required for armour. Not to mention the logistical chain.
> Furthermore: Tanks provide 40+ shots upon their call, and tanks easily maneuver around the battlefield at 30mph or faster.
This seems to ignore the infantry shield required for armour. Not to mention the logistical chain.
> To carry similar firepower to a tank, you'll need 40 troops, each carrying a 50lb Javelin into the battlefield.
This seems to ignore the infantry shield required for armour. Not to mention the logistical chain.
> and troops don't have the luxury of sitting in a vehicle (troops carrying 50lb weapons move slower than the armored cars we call "tanks").
This seems to ignore the infantry shield required for armour.
> No one can deny the shear offensive prowess of the tank on the modern battlefield.
This seems to ignore all those denying the sheer offensive prowess of the tank in the modern world.
> The 120mm tank gun is the only weapon that can repeatedly blow up squads who are hiding inside of a house for example. (It'd be too expensive to use ATGMs vs a house, but its not that expensive to use tank HE-frag or APFSDS rounds).
This seems to ignore the existence of the recoilless rifle (and an uncountable number of mounted weapons).
Overall, I don't believe you have any first-hand insight or understanding of armour or combined arms operations.
Anyone can plainly see footage of M1147 AMP and compare it against any footage of the Carl Gustav 84mm and see that the firepower is incomparable.
I don't need experience to see the difference between the two weapons. Speed, penetration, range, accuracy. Completely incomparable.
Tanks were shooting 3000m in the 80s and have probably gotten better. Carl Gustav needs laser guidance for 2000m and even then is still outranged by decades old tanks.
> There's various stories of how tank-commanders saw an enemy's ATGM, fires back with the main cannon, and pops their thermal-smoke grenades to avoid the missile.
I call bullshit. Yes, a Javelin at maximum range takes 10 seconds to arrive, and that theoretically gives the turret time to traverse to target and return fire… Assuming the commander saw the puff of smoke appear and reacts instantly… with perfect knowledge of the distance of the engagement… and full confidence his countermeasures will be 100% effective…
Naw. Too big a risk to take out 2 dudes who just expended their only means to hurt you, and are already on the move anyway. His attached units can go after the ATGM squad.
Javelin? Not quite. But yes for sure with M47 Dragon systems. (Especially back then, if you killed the guy aiming the missile, the missile will almost certainly miss).
In any case, Javelin is thermal imaging and thermal smoke probably works as a countermeasure.
The speed of ATGMs is a major downside in any case, leaving room to react and for smoke countermeasures.
This seems to ignore the existence of the ATGM?