Using tanks in modern warfare situations. Aren’t they sitting ducks if the opposition is equipped with anti-tank weapons? What are tanks good for in modern combat?
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Tanks aren’t meant to fight alone, and modern tanks are equipped with systems to reduce risk from anti tank weapons, if not outright mitigate them.
Tanks typically have infantry support, along with air assets. (Combined arms)
It all comes down to the roles that each platform plays. Tanks are meant to provide high firepower, and mobility. Infantry can supply high firepower through mortars or high caliber weapons, but infantry on foot are slow, and soft targets, not to mention that most of those weapon platforms need setup time, and are heavy themselves.
A well equipped, supplied, and trained tank squadron is highly mobile, packs a hell of a punch, and can survive quite a bit. You can shoot at a tank all day with small arms fire (rifles and machine guns) and all you’ll do is scratch the paint, maybe make a few small dents, possibly crack some optics. An infantry squad/section wouldn’t be able to withstand that without sufficient cover or a prepared position. A prepared position is hard to take/defeat, but it’s also stationary. Tanks can act as mobile prepared positions, some even have bulldozer blades that can be attached to allow the tank to dig its own little trench to sit in for even more protection (hull down).
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