“Armament consists of a 125mm gun, with a thermal sleeve and fume extractor – but the main gun is 51 calibers long, longer than the typical Russian/Chinese 125mm gun, and is called the ZPT-98. A thermal sleeve prevents warping in the gun after prolonged firing: The gun is a relatively standard 125mm – this one, however is smoothbore, and capable of firing ATGMs. While the Type 98 has seen more common deployment, the Type 99 remains China’s best (but also most expensive) MBT. One of the main features is the modular armour panels on the glacis, side skirts and turret. This swanky looking Chinese MBT is in actuality a modernised version of an upgrade to the descendant of the Russian T-72. There is always a time, however, when all you need is a big boom. Mobile Artillery guided by advanced spotting techniques (drones and lasers and the like) have meant that artillery is far more pinpoint precise than it ever has been. That Howitzer is, as the name suggests, a weapon designed to lob shells over a distance, perhaps over the top of obstacles, to devastate the enemy target. There obviously is not much armour, meaning the Paladin is meant for rear-guard action. Judging from the tank’s profile, I imagine the gun’s depression will not be great – something not really necessary considering its role as an artillery piece on treads.

The pros of the tank are the gun – while more difficult to load, that thing can delete just about anything it so much as looks at. While it was originally designed in America, it has since been used by virtually ever noteworthy NATO country, and seen a slew of variants and upgrades since its inception in the 1960s. It packs a top speed of 35mph, moving its 25 or so tons of armour (on average about 40mm of it, so not much) around well. The Paladin is a self-propelled howitzer that is more gun than tank.

Unsure of it yourself? I have just the post for you here. While this may be the reason that the UK has only 1 (one) tank regiment, the fact that other countries like Russia, America and China still have thousands of tanks still indicates their usefulness on the modern battlefield. Many argue that these days main battle tanks are superfluous to requirements.

Do tanks serve a purpose in modern day