"Bradley Tank" Topic

I saw some footage of the Commander in Chief of the Armed forces of the USA describing the Bradley as "a tank".

Is this an official reclassification ?

only of the standards for a commander in chief.

Still beats 'corpseman'.

The Bradley M2 is an IFV and M3 is a CFV … I wouldn't expect elected or assign governmental officials, like many in the general US population, to know the differences. Unless you were in the military[but not always] you probably wouldn't know the differences between APCs, IFVs, CFV, MBT, SPFA, etc., etc.

You can include the media overall not knowing the difference between any type of AFV. If it is big, has tracks or even Big wheels, e.g. Strykers, LAVs, etc., to them it is … "TANK" …

Bradley's a "tweener" between an APC and an MBT and is hence called an IFV, but the uninitiated (laymen) still call it a "tank."

Though the term seems to have broadened over the years.

If we want to get really technical, is the Swedish S-Tank really a tank, or is it a tank destroyer?

I served in a unit that had Bradleys. They were used more like light tanks that carried infantry more than an actual APC.

It's got tracks and a turret. Pretty frickin close to a tank

It is a bus,,,with guns.

While they can attempt to use thier weapons systems, they are putting their cargo at risk.

Maybe this guy has taken too many dodge balls to the head?

It's got tracks and a turret. Pretty frickin close to a tank

Well, sure. Although that makes a tracked SPG a tank as well.

But what I was really thinking is that tanks and IFV/APCs usually get used for different things. If the Commander in Chief says it is now a tank is it going to stop being used as a battle taxi and take on an essential crew only scouting role, for example?

Bellavia in House to House describes them as being used extensively in Fallujah. The troops definitely rode into the city mounted up inside but once they dismounted and started working building to building they stuck around and provided a lot of fire support with their cannon, command and control, and evac capabilities.

They were used more like light tanks that carried infantry more than an actual APC.

Well they certainly had more firepower and armor than the M113 APCs we had …

To use an M113 like a Lgt Tank … would assuredly get you killed !

Its a small pet peeve of mine but them 99% of the population doesn't know the difference.

Would that make the US M3 Lee and the French Char B1 vehicles of WWII, Self Propelled Gun Tanks?

Char B1 is more of a Support Tank, but the Grant/Lee – I never really understood how that got commissioned. But it looks good in a "so ugly it's great" way.

The Grant/Lee was a stopgap to get ANY tank up and running while the US built the factories able to cast turrets big enough for the Sherman's 75mm.

The Stridsvagen 103 (S-Tank) is a tank with a fixed gun. It was designed to be used the same as a turreted tank. And was actually faster to engage targets than an M60A1 or Leo1!

My question is, what happens if/when you get an IFV/ICV with a gun big enough to throw a worthwhile explosive round (minimum 50mm, like the 50x330mm Supershot). Is that a tank with an infantry capacity, or is it still an armored personnel carrier with a gun?

Its a small pet peeve of mine but them 99% of the population doesn't know the difference.

Me too … but that is only a small item on lists of things 99% of the population don't know or understand about the military, etc. But again, what can you expect, much of the citizenry is clueless about so many things ?

Is that a tank with an infantry capacity, or is it still an armored personnel carrier with a gun?

Any BT can be a "de facto" APC … I know we were trained to ride on the back deck of MBTs. And did … There was even a phone on the M60 so Grunts could talk directly to the TC. Of course that is not a new tactic. Many troops of many armies rode on tanks in WWII and beyond.

Now when the shooting starts, you get the Hell off the Tank(!) and run for cover. Then commence with fire & maneuver, use the phone on the hull to talk to the near by BT, calling in FA, etc.

I remember in the run up to Desert Storm some "correspondent" with Bradleys being trucked on the road behind him reporting on the "tanks" being moved to the west. He must have got it past the censors.

Again, that's the norm … anything with tracks is a "tank" … LOL !