Which is better for combat, treaded or hover vehicles?

[Sea Skimmer]

I dont think it would be too hard to come up with new mines for hover vehicles. Old style pressure mines would not work, but Im sure they could make mines that detect a vehicle through noise, vibration or some other standard.

Bolting on mine plows to a normal tank is hardly a big deal.

And we already have mines that use tilt rods that protrude above ground and mines, which use acoustical sensors to locate tanks and then actually shoot a bomb into the air to attack from above. MAD mines have also been designed.

In fact a hover unit would be very venerable to bottom attacks and shell burst close along side and would need some very heavy armor under its self along with heavy side skirts. Those would set off mines anyway.

You wouldn't use it as an armored vehicle, or an assualt vehicle. Its uses would be splendid for fast troop movements and deployments over various terrain. Think a smaller version of an LCAC for the land.

I think I'll just drive my LCAC onto the land or one of many other military transport hovercraft. They do just fine until you get to steep hills, which any hover vehicle would have problems with.

[jaeger115]

Even if the hovercraft had anti-gravity, it would be a bitch getting the craft back into place after firing the cannon, assuming that it is a projectile weapon. And it would make a hell of a noise manuvering and accelerating because of the jet engines Antigravity can't turn or accelerate a vehicle.

[Sea Skimmer]

Treads are still weaker to attack, though.

Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin

But a hover vehicle will have less weight available to armor unless we resort to total Sci Tech

Any tank can be killed by infantry. Treads are the weakest spot on a tank. Destroy the tread, and the tank just sits there, doing nothing.

Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin

Generally it spins around the turret and fires back if you've only blown off a track. The lesser armor of a hovercraft will make it venerable to destruction by weapons, which would at worst disable a MBT and leave it still able to fight.

Hover units will never be suitable for assault roles because of more limited protection and an inability to carry a big direct fire weapon. Tank and IFV roles are not an option. As an simple battle taxi or ATGM track it might be okay.

[fgalkin]

But a hover vehicle will have less weight available to armor unless we resort to total Sci Tech

Any tank can be killed by infantry. Treads are the weakest spot on a tank. Destroy the tread, and the tank just sits there, doing nothing.

Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin

Generally it spins around the turret and fires back if you've only blown off a track. The lesser armor of a hovercraft will make it venerable to destruction by weapons, which would at worst disable a MBT and leave it still able to fight.

Hover units will never be suitable for assault roles because of more limited protection and an inability to carry a big direct fire weapon. Tank and IFV roles are not an option. As an simple battle taxi or ATGM track it might be okay.

Usually, infantry can close in on the tank pretty fast, so the main gun won't make much of a difference.

Btw, hover wehicles can carry big guns, but then they would have to land with every shot. This can be a sort of uber-mobile artillery (i.e. get into position quick and start shelling the enemy). But you're right, hover vehicles are no good in assault roles untill energy weapons come into play.

Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin

[Darth Wong]

This depends on whether we're talking about realistic hover-vehicles or sci-fi hover vehicles (remember which forum we're in). Anti-grav mitigates the armour problem in sci-fi hover-vehicles, although other problems remain.

[Sea Skimmer]

Usually, infantry can close in on the tank pretty fast, so the main gun won't make much of a difference.

Btw, hover wehicles can carry big guns, but then they would have to land with every shot. This can be a sort of uber-mobile artillery (i.e. get into position quick and start shelling the enemy). But you're right, hover vehicles are no good in assault roles untill energy weapons come into play.

Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin

Well that’s a useless innovation, Crusader could fire its 155 on the move. No need to stop at all.

If infantry can get to close for the main gun or the machine guns of a tank to hit them, then anything in that situation is utterly fucked because your clearly in a city with nil support. The weapons dead space around a modern tank is quite small.

[jaeger115]

As for dead spaces:

I'd bet that a treaded tank would have a much smaller dead space for its weapons because it's closer to the ground thus has less of a blindspot. A hovercraft floats a few meters (or feet, if u want) off the ground therefore it can see less of the ground near or right under it.