Why?
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Does anyone know why MBTs developed by the ex-communist countries such as in Russia and Eastern Europe and China are equipped with a 12.7 mm machine gun on the turret instead of smaller calibre guns like 7.62 in other countries? I understand that the gun is used for air defence but doesn't tanks from other countries also face the same aerial threat? Please comment.
Chinese Type 98 Main Battle Tank
http://www.sinodefence.com/army/tank/type98.asp -
hmm...a case of the bigger the better??Originally posted by tankee1981:Does anyone know why MBTs developed by the ex-communist countries such as in Russia and Eastern Europe and China are equipped with a 12.7 mm machine gun on the turret instead of smaller calibre guns like 7.62 in other countries? I understand that the gun is used for air defence but doesn't tanks from other countries also face the same aerial threat? Please comment.
Chinese Type 98 Main Battle Tank
http://www.sinodefence.com/army/tank/type98.asp
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I guess it's a case of 'mine's bigger than yours'.
Seriously speaking, I guess the PLA has 'the bigger, the better' mentality. After all, rounds of that caliber could surely penetrate lightly-armoured vehicles like the original M113 without add-on armour. -
Commies tend to add extra features to vechicles , ships, in order to make themselves feel mighty.
Do you know that Russian ships are better armed than its Western counterpart?
Russian light Aircraft carriers ,(Kiev, Minsk) and main aircraft carrier (Adm Gors----)( sorry , don't know how to spell). are armed with anti ship cruise missiles , long ranged and medium ranged SAMs and wide array of guns.
There were attempts by ex-Soviet navy to arm the submarines with SAMs to ward off ASW aircrafts. -
It is still debatable as to the Russian navy's doctrrine of having many weapons on one platform is useful. This is because the Russian navy haven't fought any major sea battle since WWII. However the idea of having SAMs on submarines to deter ASW aircraft is an intresting idea nonetheless.