Top 10 Military Machines in 7 categories

[Winner]

​

Before I begin:

Spoiler :

NO, THIS IS NOT A THREAD ABOUT THE MILITARY CHANNEL'S JOKE OF A DOCUMENTARY!

Oh, and it's not about World in Conflict either, I just liked the picture because it includes many different types of military machines

CFC seems to be full of experts in military technology with great insight and vast knowledge of modern military machines. I would describe myself as an interested layman, so I'd like to see our resident experts to make a list of top 10 military machines in some of these categories (it's not required to participate in all 7 categories):

- main battle tanks
- infantry fighting vehicles
- fighter planes
- military transport aircrafts
- transport helicopters
- attack helicopters
- self-propelled artillery
- did I forget something?
- no ships or small arms, sorry!​

Please adhere to the following rules:

1) Be objective!
2) Only the machines which are currently in service are eligible. No WW2 machines and no future machines, which are currently in development and have not entered active service yet or their parameters are not known.
3) Judge them by their performance and capabilities, not by their cost or the time they're in service. Don't be such idiots as the Military Channel and don't use irrelevant criteria like "fear factor" or "awesomeness".
4) Explain your top choice, why do you think it's the best, what were your criteria.
5) Provide the name of the country of origin in (brackets) after the name of the machine.
6) If you can't make a list of 10 machines, it's no problem. Just name at least five.
7) Pictures are welcome Use spoiler tags.
8) Discussing other people's lists is allowed, of course, but try to be civil and do not derail the whole thread into some flamefest. If you don't agree, fine, but don't spam the thread with thousands of posts.

Discuss

 

[RedRalph]

This should be an interesting thread IF there are enough people with the knowledge to back up their opinions... I'd be surprised if there are. I certaintly wouldnt have enough knowledge, I'd be surprised if more than Patroklos, maybe MB and a few others do

 

[GinandTonic]

- did I forget forget something?

All naval ships

Goes to show the difference between an island and a landlocked nation, I would have had a bunch of naval catigories.

 

[RedRalph]

All naval ships

Goes to show the difference between an island and a landlocked nation, I would have had a bunch of naval catigories.

He's from Czechia, its easy to see how it could slip his mind

 

[Winner]

He's from Czechia, its easy to see how it could slip his mind

I actually thought about it, but in the end I thought that navy should be kept out of this thread. With so many classes of ships, it would add at least half a dozen new categories.

 

[RedRalph]

I actually thought about it, but in the end I thought that navy should be kept out of this thread. With so many classes of ships, it would add at least half a dozen new categories.

Fair enough. I think you should pare it down to top 5 though, no one is going to have a top ten in every category

 

[Winner]

Fair enough. I think you should pare it down to top 5 though, no one is going to have a top ten in every category

Nobody has to. It's not required to participate in all 7 categories.

 

[Bugfatty300]

No small arms?

 

[Winner]

No small arms?

No small arms, for the same reason I didn't include ships - too many different classes.

---------

Come on people, post your lists

 

[Bugfatty300]

No small arms, for the same reason I didn't include ships - too many different classes.

Too bad

Top 10 infrantry rated individual weapon platforms/series:

1. AK-47 (russia)
Simplicity is often the best and most virtuous approach to any design.
2. FN FAL (weird country near france)
3. M14 (USA)
4. HK416 (doytchland/USA) (probably should combine it with #5 but I won't)
5. M16 (USA)
6. HK G3 (doytchland)
7. Galil (Israel) (probably should be higher but whateva)
8. FN FNC (weird country near france)
9. Steyer AUG (austria)
10. FAMAS (france)

 

[Winner]

Too bad

Top 10 infrantry rated individual weapon platforms/series:

1. AK-47 (russia)
Simplicity is often the best and most virtuous approach to any design.
2. FN FAL (weird country near france)
4. M14 (USA)
3. M16 (USA)
5. HK416 (doytchland)
6. HK G3 (doytchland)
7. Galil (Israel)
8. FN FNC (weird country near france)
9. Steyer AUG (austria)
10. FAMAS (france)

Thanks. Now, this is what I want to see in this thread (more comments and explanation and more focus on the performance of the weapons would be appreciated), except that small arms is not one of the categories

 

[bigdog5994]

Tanks

1. M-1 Abrams (US) Best tank ever no contest
2. T-34 (Russia) Its been in service for this long for a reason
3. Leopard 2 (Germany) its like a modern tiger tank
4. Centurion (UK) Badass tank
5. Challenger (UK)
6. Merkava (Israel) just because its so cool looking
7. Type 90 (Japan)
8. GIAT Leclerc (France)
9. T-90 (Russia) still junk in my eyes
10. T-54/55 (Russia) i think these are pieces of junk only good for target practice

edit: my bad sorry Winner

 

[RedRalph]

T-34 is still in service, before you say it Winner.

 

[Winner]

T-34 is still in service, before you say it Winner.

Tiger is not, and neither is PzKpfw.IV.

READ THE RULES, PEOPLE!

 

[J-man]

Top tank: the French Leclerc, it is the most modern Western tank.
Top self propelled artillery: PzH 2000, the most modern Western howitzer.

 

[Lillefix]

What about bombers. The americans have used the B52s for about 50 years and have plans to use it for at least another 40. That's longevity.

 

[Winner]

My attempt (I am layman, as I said):

1) Merkava Mk.IV

Not the fastest tank in the world, but very hi-tech, diesel engine (not a thirsty gas turbine, superb protection of the crew (designed for high crew survivability), full of Israeli innovation to make it more durable in urban enviroment and even capable of transporting some infantry or acting as a field ambulance (tankbulance). In short, you can use it both in tank-to-tank warfare and anti-insurgency warfare (Gaza, Lebanon). If I was in charge of our military, I'd certainly buy some of these.

2) Challenger 2

Again, excellent protection of the crew, diesel engine, hi-tech, very durable, but somewhat underpowered.

3) M1 Abrams

Very good tank suffering from extremelly high fuel consumption and thus vulnerable if supply lines are not fully secured.

4) Leopard 2

Reliable and powerful (and German) but it's getting old - it's the oldest of the 3rd generation MBTs.

5) Leclerc

Designed for high mobility, but lacking on protection. I think this concept is becoming obsolete as most of armed conflicts today are assymetric in nature.

I don't know enough about the rest to make at least partially accurate guess. As you can see, the criterion I consider as most important is the crew protection and survivability (very important in today's world, where 5 dead soldiers in one day constitute heavy casualties). Fuel consumption and versatility are IMO also more important that sheer mobility, range etc.

 

[GoodGame]

This should be an interesting thread IF there are enough people with the knowledge to back up their opinions... I'd be surprised if there are. I certaintly wouldnt have enough knowledge, I'd be surprised if more than Patroklos, maybe MB and a few others do

Yeah, not too many of us work for Janes, et al, and if we did, we probably have oaths of secrecy.

 

[IglooDame]

no ships or small arms, sorry!

Oops, that leaves me out.

 

[GinandTonic]

1) Merkava Mk.IV

Not the fastest tank in the world, but very hi-tech, diesel engine (not a thirsty gas turbine, superb protection of the crew (designed for high crew survivability), full of Israeli innovation to make it more durable in urban enviroment and even capable of transporting some infantry or acting as a field ambulance (tankbulance). In short, you can use it both in tank-to-tank warfare and anti-insurgency warfare (Gaza, Lebanon). If I was in charge of our military, I'd certainly buy some of these.

2) Challenger 2

Again, excellent protection of the crew, diesel engine, hi-tech, very durable, but somewhat underpowered.

3) M1 Abrams

Very good tank suffering from extremelly high fuel consumption and thus vulnerable if supply lines are not fully secured.

4) Leopard 2

Reliable and powerful (and German) but it's getting old - it's the oldest of the 3rd generation MBTs.

5) Leclerc

Designed for high mobility, but lacking on protection. I think this concept is becoming obsolete as most of armed conflicts today are assymetric in nature.

I agree.

xcl