# Are Tanks Obsolete Weapons?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-tanks-obsolete-weapons/39083>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [October 31, 2000, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-tanks-obsolete-weapons/39083 "2000-10-31T15:14:48Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 6

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**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\
**Post date:** [May 13, 2022, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-tanks-obsolete-weapons/39083/101 "2022-05-13T21:05:48Z")

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> [@k9bfriender](#):
>
> That’s where air superiority comes into play, keeping the ground for more than 20 miles away clear, or at the least, quickly retaliating against any attacks.

Well, in the case of tiny drones like the switchblade: they’re small enough that finding them with a military radar is difficult, and they’re cheap enough that you can just flood the battle with them. That consideration is enough to make me think that the tank’s defenses against drones will need to improve to prevent the tank from becoming far less important, if not obsolete.

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**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\
**Post date:** [May 14, 2022, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-tanks-obsolete-weapons/39083/102 "2022-05-14T03:21:26Z")

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A recent thread on this:

> [@Are tanks of any use anymore on the modern battlefield?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-tanks-of-any-use-anymore-on-the-modern-battlefield/961813):
>
> I have seen it said that the reason one military needs tanks is to defeat the tanks the other side has. In Ukraine we are seeing Russian armor not doing well. Of what use is a tank if it can be taken out by a much cheaper system? Javelin antitank missiles cost around $200,000. Replacement missiles cost about $78,000. A TOW missile costs even less. An Abrams tanks costs around $9 million. So, why go tank-vs-tank? Why not make a jillion man portable anti-tank missiles and be done with enem…

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**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\
**Post date:** [May 20, 2022, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-tanks-obsolete-weapons/39083/103 "2022-05-20T16:39:34Z")

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> [@msmith537](#):
>
> And at $5 million a piece, that’s $1.3 billion in equipment destroyed by rockets that cost $100,000.

A bullet is cheaper than a soldier, but soldiers aren’t obsolete. Torpedoes are cheaper than ships but we still build ships. A missile is cheaper than a plane, but planes aren’t going anywhere soon. War is not about who destroys the greatest cash value. War is usually about taking and holding ground.

The problem the Russians have has not been the quality of their tanks. It’s been the quality of their officers.

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