# How Loud Is The Inside Of An Army Tank? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 9, 2010, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-loud-is-the-inside-of-an-army-tank/531911 "2010-03-09T21:50:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ronald\_C.Semone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/cc9497/32.png) [@Ronald\_C.Semone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ronald_C.Semone)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2010, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-loud-is-the-inside-of-an-army-tank/531911/1 "2010-03-09T21:50:24Z")
It seems to me that even when it is just cruising along the noise must be deafening to the crew. And once the crew starts firing the guns it must be loud enough to rupture eardrums. Do they wear earplugs? Do they just go deaf? Or am I missisng something? ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2010, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-loud-is-the-inside-of-an-army-tank/531911/2 "2010-03-09T21:55:27Z")
It’s exceptionally loud. They have headsets on to deafen the noise and communicate with each other/other tanks in their squad/command. ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2010, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-loud-is-the-inside-of-an-army-tank/531911/3 "2010-03-09T22:16:40Z")
Say what? ---
**Author:** ![ivn1188](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e480ec/32.png) [@ivn1188](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivn1188)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2010, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-loud-is-the-inside-of-an-army-tank/531911/4 "2010-03-09T22:55:19Z")
> [@Ronald\_C.Semone](#): > > It seems to me that even when it is just cruising along the noise must be deafening to the crew. And once the crew starts firing the guns it must be loud enough to rupture eardrums. Do they wear earplugs? Do they just go deaf? Or am I missisng something? The main gun isn’t actually that loud inside the tank – there isn’t any gas released from the shell inside the tank, and a foot of DU and steel and whatever else makes decent insulation from outside noises. Driving, it’s probably about like a normal passenger jet, but yes, they have headsets. The Abrams is more quiet than a Leopard because of the turbine, but it has an annoying whine to it that seems to annoy people more. ---
**Author:** ![AmunRa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@AmunRa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AmunRa)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2010, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-loud-is-the-inside-of-an-army-tank/531911/5 "2010-03-09T23:10:53Z")
My experience is with an [M113](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M113_armored_personnel_carrier), not tanks; however the answer is most definitely LOUD. The US Army uses [these](http://www.bose.com/controller?event=VIEW_STATIC_PAGE_EVENT&url=/professional/military/crewman.jsp) to reduce ambient noise and provide intercom communications for the crew and radio communications with the outside world. While wearing the CVC headset the noise is mostly a dull rumbling in the 113, and you can speak at a normal voice and be heard clearly on the radio. ---
**Author:** ![Covered\_In\_Bees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ab992/32.png) [@Covered\_In\_Bees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Covered_In_Bees)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2010, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-loud-is-the-inside-of-an-army-tank/531911/6 "2010-03-09T23:18:13Z")
> [@UncleRojelio](#): > > Say what? Is this even on? I can’t hear a thing! ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2010, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-loud-is-the-inside-of-an-army-tank/531911/7 "2010-03-09T23:43:17Z")
From all accounts inside a WW1 tank was horrific. You may need to define which tank/ period. ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2010, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-loud-is-the-inside-of-an-army-tank/531911/8 "2010-03-10T00:14:06Z")
> [@Cicero](#): > > From all accounts inside a WW1 tank was horrific Deafening sound _and_ carbon monoxide poisoning _and_ bullets flaking off red hot metal from the interior of the tank. ---
**Author:** ![ExTank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@ExTank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ExTank)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2010, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-loud-is-the-inside-of-an-army-tank/531911/9 "2010-03-10T00:16:27Z")
> [@ivn1188](#): > > The main gun isn’t actually that loud inside the tank – there isn’t any gas released from the shell inside the tank, and a foot of DU and steel and whatever else makes decent insulation from outside noises. > > Driving, it’s probably about like a normal passenger jet, but yes, they have headsets. The Abrams is more quiet than a Leopard because of the turbine, but it has an annoying whine to it that seems to annoy people more. What he said. The main gun firing is kind of like the special sound effect that they sometimes use in movies during a really loud explosion, where the sound goes totally silent for a heartbeat, before the really big bang. Only with the main gun, the muzzle blast is deadened consideraby by the thick frontal armor on the turret. Really, it’s like a sudden “pressure” that comes-and-goes very quickly. On pavement, the track produces a low to middle-range “rumble” due to the rubberized track pads. On regular ground, that pretty much goes away. The hydraulics always seemed more noisy than the engine to me. [M-1A1 Firing Sabot](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rq5FvDM58I&feature=fvw) [Yeah…](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hk9BiypNxQM&feature=related) [M1 Tank Road Test](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ltqh-DYIx4o&feature=related) [Tank Gunnery](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9Za-aDVgMc) [And some more tank gunnery…](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Av4UyKnhen0&feature=related) Tank porn. Heh. ---
**Author:** ![ivn1188](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e480ec/32.png) [@ivn1188](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivn1188)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2010, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-loud-is-the-inside-of-an-army-tank/531911/10 "2010-03-10T03:11:42Z")
Of course, standing _outside_ the tank near the main gun can damage your hearing pretty easily. If you survive. ---
**Author:** ![Declan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Declan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Declan)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2010, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-loud-is-the-inside-of-an-army-tank/531911/11 "2010-03-10T06:11:59Z")
> [@ExTank](#): > > Tank porn. Heh. Oh yea shall I walk through the valley of death cause I fear no evil. Declan ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2010, 8:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-loud-is-the-inside-of-an-army-tank/531911/12 "2010-03-10T08:55:18Z")
Do tankers go selectively deaf at those frequencies? ---
**Author:** ![SunSandSuffering](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@SunSandSuffering](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SunSandSuffering)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2010, 9:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-loud-is-the-inside-of-an-army-tank/531911/13 "2010-03-10T09:19:10Z")
> [@Pushkin](#): > > Deafening sound _and_ carbon monoxide poisoning _and_ bullets flaking off red hot metal from the interior of the tank. …and the terrible shaking and being thrown around! ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2010, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-loud-is-the-inside-of-an-army-tank/531911/14 "2010-03-10T15:32:13Z")
I know a guy who was a tank commander during the Yom Kippur war. Significant but not severe hearing loss. Modern enough and a well equipped force so I think that would be typical for today’s tank environment. ---
**Author:** ![\_xiao\_wenti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/_/b782af/32.png) [@\_xiao\_wenti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/_xiao_wenti)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2010, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-loud-is-the-inside-of-an-army-tank/531911/15 "2010-03-10T21:47:06Z")
Man, the whine of the turbine is _really_ annoying. Right up there with 1000 mosquitoes in your bedroom at night. ---
**Author:** ![ExTank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@ExTank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ExTank)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2010, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-loud-is-the-inside-of-an-army-tank/531911/16 "2010-03-10T22:32:26Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Do tankers go selectively deaf at those frequencies? I’m selectively deaf at most frequencies. ---
**Author:** ![slaphead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9bcb4/32.png) [@slaphead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slaphead)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2010, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-loud-is-the-inside-of-an-army-tank/531911/17 "2010-03-11T21:43:05Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > I know a guy who was a tank commander during the Yom Kippur war. Significant but not severe hearing loss. Modern enough and a well equipped force so I think that would be typical for today’s tank environment. Whut? The Yom Kippur war was in 1973 - I’d be a little wary of extrapolating anything from more than a third of a century ago to today. I know they don’t exactly bring out a fresh model of MBT each year, but still… ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2010, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-loud-is-the-inside-of-an-army-tank/531911/18 "2010-03-11T23:08:37Z")
I’ve only ridden in M113s, but it’s pretty loud in there. The CVC helmet cancels out most of the noise, and you can talk normally, but without the CVC, you just need some standard ear plugs. Even without those, you can ride pain-free, but I wouldn’t make a career of it. You’ll lose hearing eventually, but nothing right away. Hell, I took a 2 hour nap in there without earplugs. But then again, I’m a soldier…we sleep everywhere.