US and West Germany collectively decided to embark upon an ambitious new tank-modernization effort
By Kris Osborn, Warrior President,
During the height of tense Cold War years in the 1960s just as the Berlin wall was establishing itself as a barrier, the US and West Germany collectively decided to embark upon an ambitious new tank-modernization effort and built the temporarily famous MBT-70 main battle tank.
The project included a number of key unprecedented innovations but ultimately failed due to cost overruns, developmental delays and concerns that the tank would encounter mass production and deployability problems.
However, as is often the case with ambitious efforts that wound up getting cancelled, its longer-term impact outlived its shorter-term development, as the MBT-70 pioneered a number of technologies which clearly informed tank designs and weapons stretching years into the future. The use of a remote-controlled 20mm autocannon was something ahead of its time, as in later years the Army made extensive use of various kinds of remotely operated weapons systems.
Remotely Operated Weapons
In later years, the US Army developed the widely known Common Remotely Operated Weapons System (CROWS) which continues to arm many of its combat vehicles. The concept is clear, as it enables soldiers with weapons to acquire targets and attack without having to expose themselves to direct enemy fire by virtue of remaining under armor. In modern times, this kind of cannon and gun operation has become somewhat standard, yet it was part of the MBT-70 design in the 1960s.
The MBT-70 also became famous for its “all-in-crew-turret” design intended to lower the height of the vehicle and improve survivability. While the concept makes sense, the configuration caused difficulties when it came to actual operations as it created maneuverability problems and “cramped” space for the crew resulting in motion sickness.
Surprisingly, the MBT-70 was also, somewhat surprisingly, found to be much more vulnerable than anticipated, as its armor came to be perceived as weak and “penetrable” by other tanks in its time. As part of this, the tank’s fire control system wound up being considered unreliable and overly complex.
All of these variables were likely critical elements in the ultimate decision to cancel the tank, yet as is often the case with cancelled programs, the innovations were not lost but rather adapted to future platforms. While the US Army abandoned the MBT-70 in favor of the Abrams Main Battle Tank, the concept of a remotely controlled cannon and advanced suspension were incorporated into the design.
Advanced Suspension
The most significant and longest lasting innovation central to the MBT-70 could arguably be its “hydropneumatic suspension” system, a technology engineered to improve ride quality by combining both hydraulic systems and pneumatic systems so that gas can absorb force while hydraulics directly transfer force. This kind of suspension enabled the now widely used “variable ride height suspension” creating a flexible and adaptable ground-clearance capability depending upon terrain. The Oshkosh M-ATV, for example, is known for its advanced TAC-4 suspension system which could be understood as a byproduct of the hydropneumatic suspension initially built into the MBT-70 tank.
There were likely also practical and geopolitical concerns in the 1960s, as West Germany was by no means “experienced” in collaborating with the US in the realm of weapons development. However, given the success of Germany’s Panzer tanks in WWII, it makes sense that the countries might wish to partner. At the same time, there simply may not have been the production infrastructure to support any kind of large scale manufacturing of the MBT-70 at this point in time, a logistical difficulty which likely weighed heavily upon developers of the tank.
Also, while Germany may not have been prioritizing or fully envisioning what would be its ultimate reunification, the idea of a US-West Germany major platform weapons development collaboration could have complicated the delicate and extremely tense geopolitical circumstances surrounding post WWII Germany. Yet another factor is that during 1960s post-war Germany, there was much rebuilding still being done given the massive extent to which the countries’ major buildings, facilities and basic infrastructure were destroyed by allied bombs.
Kris Osborn is the President of Warrior Maven – Center for Military Modernization. Osborn previously served at the Pentagon as a highly qualified expert in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army—Acquisition, Logistics & Technology. Osborn has also worked as an anchor and on-air military specialist at national TV networks. He has appeared as a guest military expert on Fox News, MSNBC, The Military Channel, and The History Channel. He also has a Masters Degree in Comparative Literature from Columbia University