Land Systems
Armor, artillery, and ground combat technology.
Land Systems: In-Depth Analysis & Coverage
Ground combat technology spans main battle tanks (MBTs), infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs), self-propelled artillery, rocket artillery, and ground-based air defense. Our land systems coverage tracks platforms like the M1A2 Abrams, Leopard 2, Russian T-90M and T-14 Armata, China's Type 99A, self-propelled howitzers like the PzH 2000 and M109, rocket artillery like HIMARS and the Russian Tornado-S, and ground-based air defense from the Patriot to the Russian S-400. We analyze armor protection, main gun caliber, mobility, active protection systems (APS), and combat performance from recent conflicts.
There is no single "most advanced" tank — the U.S. M1A2 SEPv3 Abrams, German Leopard 2A8, and South Korean K2 Black Panther each lead in different areas. Russia's T-14 Armata is technically ambitious but produced in very small numbers. Armor, firepower, sensors, and active protection systems are all critical, but crew training and logistics often matter more in actual combat.
HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System) is a wheeled, highly mobile launcher that fires GPS-guided rockets and missiles (like ATACMS and GMLRS) with high precision at ranges up to 300+ km. Traditional rocket artillery like the BM-21 Grad or Tornado-S fires unguided or semi-guided rockets in saturation barrages. HIMARS trades volume of fire for accuracy and survivability — one precision strike replaces dozens of unguided rockets.
An Active Protection System (APS) is a defensive system that detects incoming anti-tank missiles and rockets and intercepts them before they hit the vehicle — typically by launching a small explosive charge that destroys or deflects the threat. Examples include Israel's Trophy (used on Merkava and Abrams), Russia's Arena, and the U.S. Iron Fist. APS significantly improves tank survivability against modern anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs).