The technology is becoming available to take a very different approach to MBT design using advanced materials, novel automotive systems, new weapon systems and active protection systems, resulting in much lighter, more agile platforms,” Suttie says. “There will always be the issue of affordability and robustness that comes with increased complexity, as these advanced solutions must be able to operate reliably in all environments and be resilient to all types of threat.” However, the Army is studying a potential future vehicle or vehicles to replace the Abrams, Coffman said. There’s no official name, although “ Decisive Lethality Platform” and “ Optionally Manned Tank” have come up in previous reporting. Even more so than OMFV, the Army is looking at a wide range of possibilities, including unmanned and optionally manned vehicles.

The Main Battle Tank became a mainstay during the 1970s when every advanced nation adopted a single model that would gradually replace all other variants. Different nations produced their own versions, including the US M1 Abrams, the Soviet-Russian T-80/ T-90, the German Leopard II, the French Leclerc, the Chinese ZTZ80/88 , the Israeli Merkava, the British Challenger 2, and others.This will enhance the Army’s ability to compete, providing a constant global presence engaging with allies and partners, and building a modern force fit to face current and future threats. The Future Soldier Vision (FSV) is part of the Ministry of Defence’s plan to ensure that British soldiers of the future have high quality equipment, utilising the latest technologies. Today’s unveiling shows what a soldier could be wearing and using on the battlefield in the 2020s, based on current military research and emerging commercial technology. The first phase of the concept has been developed by the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) with industry partners Kinneir Dufort and SEA Ltd with the British Army. It will be on display at the Future Soldier Showcase at DSEI, in the Land Zone. By 2050, the growth of distributed systems, quantum computing, 3D printing, cryptocurrencies, biotechnology, and climate change is expected to cause an even more drastic shift. For one, some have argued that the power of nation-states is expected to decline considerably and to give way to autonomous regions, megacities, and private interests.

It’s also easier to keep AMPV moving, since it’s far less prone to breakdowns and far easier to maintain than the geriatric M113. The future of body armor is something that needs to be considered carefully. There are a number of considerations, such as the effect on warfare and how this will affect soldiers’ lives in the long-term. The M2 Bradley has been repeatedly upgraded since its introduction, but after 40 years in service, the vehicle is reaching its limits. Another change that is already evident is the growth and proliferation of stealth technology. Development of radar-absorbent material and radar-deflecting surfaces began in the mid-1970s and resulted in the first stealth aircraft by the late 1980s — such as the F-117 Nighthawk and B-2 Spirit.The fact that most combat engagements in the modern era have not included battles between tanks has also shown that their importance may be on the wane. Between the high cost of maintaining armored units and their diminishing role on the battlefield, armies worldwide are considering replacing the tank with more flexible combat systems. There have been advancements with main battle tank technologies that we are very, very excited about,” he told me. Those include AI-aided target recognition, low-recoil cannon, automatic loaders, active protection against anti-tank weapons, and signature management to make a tank harder to detect on infrared or by its radio-frequency emissions. “There’s just a whole bunch of things that are interesting and fun to think about,” Coffman said, “[for] how we can better wage war as we close with and destroy our future adversaries.” Predicting what armoured vehicles will look like is as difficult as forecasting the threats that they will face, but it does appear that the long-standing axiom is finally going to be laid to rest; the days of simply adding more armour are over. Future Soldier is the most significant transformation of the British Army in more than 20 years. The combination of soldiers enhanced with technology will enable the British Army to maintain its advantage. It’s usually used for people who have disabilities or injuries, but it can also provide an advantage for those with healthy bodies. While these new exoskeletons are going to help give those who need it an extra layer of protection on the battlefield or be used to allow people with paralysis from spinal cord injury to walk independently again after years of being bed ridden.

Of course, reconnaissance, sensors, and networks are never perfect, and sometimes even the smartest soldier gets ambushed. For those occasions, you really want to have a vehicle tough enough to keep you alive when it takes a hit. The world leading new modular armour has been developed through advances in armour technology provided by the in-house Chief Scientific Advisor (CSA) funded armour expertise held within Dstl. This Dstl owned Intellectual Property (IP) has generated significant interest and is being exploited through the close links Dstl has with MOD and Industry. We are in the midst of an enormous modernisation programme which will transform the British Army into a state-of-the-art fighting force equipped with the latest vehicles, informed by coherent information systems and networks, and employing the very best people.

Rise of the robots?

As the old saying goes, "soldiers are always preparing to fight the last war." This means that armies are always evolving to meet new challenges after they've met them (kind of like anti-virus software). This honored tradition is sure to continue into the indefinite future, with difficult-to-predict results.