Why haven’t main battle tanks’ top speeds gone much past 50 MPH?
Tanks are heavy artillery. They don't need to be particularly close, in fact it might be better if they are out of the range of sight entirely, given that you can perform parabolic bombardment. As a result, high mobility isn't required — just enough to make it competitive with conventional vehic…
The Short Answer
Tanks are heavy artillery. They don't need to be particularly close, in fact it might be better if they are out of the range of sight entirely, given that you can perform parabolic bombardment. As a result, high mobility isn't required — just enough to make it competitive with conventional vehicles like trucks. You're never going to outrun a plane and the average non-tank vehicle is a trivial threat, so there isn't a need for much more than this. When they do require long distance travel, odds are it would be more efficient to transport them by rail or plane, given how much work they need to be restored to fighting shape. Furthermore, tanks require a ton of maintenance — not as much as a fighter jet, which can take as much as 30 hours of crew time per hour of flight time — but substantial. Faster/further travel would only cause more wear and tear, and battlefield logistics suggests that minimal bursts of action, followed by minimal down time, would be the most effective use of tanks.
Analysis
Key Concepts: Tanks, need, time
This explanation focuses on tanks, need, time and spans 177 words across 7 sentences. At 146% above the average History explanation (72 words), this is one of the more thorough answers in this category, reflecting the complexity of the underlying question.
What This Answer Covers
The explanation opens with: “Tanks are heavy artillery.” It then elaborates by presenting a contrasting perspective, ultimately building toward a complete picture across 7 connected points.
How This Compares in History
Ranked #5 of 500 History questions by answer depth (top 2%). This places it in the comprehensive tier — the top quarter of most thoroughly answered questions. Questions at this depth typically involve multi-faceted topics requiring nuanced explanation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a simple explanation for why why haven't main battle tanks' top speeds gone much past 50 mph?
Tanks are heavy artillery. They don't need to be particularly close, in fact it might be better if they are out of the range of sight entirely, given that you can perform parabolic bombardment. As a result, high mobility isn't required — just…
How detailed is this explanation compared to similar History questions?
This is one of the most thorough answer at 177 words, ranked #5 of 500 History questions by depth. The key concepts covered are tanks, need, time.
What approach does this answer take to explain why haven't main battle tanks' top speeds gone much past 50 ?
The explanation uses root cause analysis and contrasting perspectives across 177 words. It is categorized under History and addresses the question through 2 analytical lenses.