Tanks are tracked, armored fighting vehicles, designed for heavy infantry support and breaking through fortified enemy positions. Tanks have been in service since the first World War (although similar concepts were theorized before this time, none of them left the planning stage) and have been used by most organized armies since.

Contents 1 Difficulties 2 Armament 3 Advantages 4 Disadvantages 5 World War Z usage 6 28 Weeks Later timeline

DifficultiesEdit

Driving a tank can be very hard, or even impossible for

someone who has not learned/been taught the proper way to operate one. These are also very hard to repair unless you are a trained tank mechanic. They are dificult to come by as well unless you are near an army base or in the military

ArmamentEdit

The armament of a standard Main Battle Tank (MBT) consists of a single-shot high velocity cannon from callibers ranging from 75 to 150mm in size. They typically feild as defensive weapons medium calliber machine guns that fire from the bow or coaxialy with the cannon. They also usually have a heavy machine gun in an anti-aircraft mount on the commander's copula, though used less for anti-aircraft and more for anti-infantry assault.

AdvantagesEdit

The primary advantages of a tank are it's heavy armor, armament and it's ability to traverse nearly any kind of terrain. Tracked vehciles like tanks are also more maneuverable than wheeled vehicles, as they can turn in place, rather than requiring some form of momentum like a wheeled vehicle. The armor of most modern MBT's are capable of resisting everything save other tank cannons, heavy anti-tank missile launchers and heavy anti-armor mines. Most tanks are laiden with weapons, a few offering special weapons (coaxial cannons, flamethrowers and cannon-launched missiles). Most tanks made after World War 2 also have special systems to allow their crews to survive in a NBC Environment. Against raiders, only the most heavily armed would even attempt to attack these fighting vehicles. Against zombies, they would be near-impossible to penetrate, however, the opposite is the same: tanks cannot do much real damage to them either.

DisadvantagesEdit

Tanks are resource-heavy vehicles. Most tanks require large amounts of fuel to operate and often require steady supply lines. Tanks also require specialized equipment to repair or replace parts. Most weapons on a tank are not ideal for zombies, even massed hordes (though there are special anti-infantry canister shots for the M1A2 Abrams tanks under development) due to the high velocity of the shells simply passing through legions of undead or worse, splitting them apart and making them harder to find. In a fierce battle, against either zombies or humans running out of fuel and/or ammunition will leave you trapped within your vehicle, effectively becoming your tomb. Tanks offer limited crew space and visibility, and destroying the optic systems of tanks can render them virtually combat ineffective. Destroying the treads of a tank will also strand it, and requires heavy lifting gear to move and repair. Older tanks have thinner armor and (especially early post-war models) have engines prone to mechanical failure. Most armored vehicles require specialized training and a highly co-ordinated crew to avoid injury and to use to it's utmost effectiveness. And finally, Tanks are simply rare and one is unlikely to find one in serviceable condition, and ones that are are likely under the control of government forces or raiders. Tanks used against zombies will eventually become surrounded by them, making obtaining one more difficult.

Although this is an usually overlooked disadvatage, numerous undead can actually overwhelm a tank. While the majority of the vehicles are inefficient at ramming, tanks have a problem, at the other end of the spectrum. Because of their massive weight, the tank will actually squish an undead in a second flat. While this may not seem like a big problem, it is, because the undead entrails will severely limit transportation, and soon, the tank will be immobile. This problem combined with the weapon inefficiency problem makes the tank little more than a mobile fortress, with no resources. The infected will eventually overwhelm the tank (although this may take days), or the occupants in the tank will starve to death or will make a run for it after a dozen or so hours. In the end, the tank did little more than dismember a few dozen zombies and squish one, while a team of vehicle specialists and a good amount of fuel and supplies are wasted.

World War Z usageEdit

Abrams tanks were used unsuccessfully at the Battle of Yonkers. During the reclamation of territory in World War Z, tanks were only used by the US to kill rebels. The Russian Army used tanks extensively (but inefficiently) against the Undead. A zombie's composition makes them highly resistant to the Hydrostatic Shock effect that makes their cannons so effective against humans.

28 Weeks Later timelineEdit

Tanks were probably effective against these Infected as they can be killed more easily. Tanks are seen once, but they are parked and are not seen fighting at all. Although the main cannon wouldn't have been used, the machine gun would have been be its primary weapon.