As it happens with any other weapons platform, tanks too must evolve to keep in touch with the ever changing requirements of military operations. The current generation of tanks, regardless of their source, are decades old and will soon need to be replaced by newer versions.
One option on the table for the military to study is the one of the project currently under development at the hands of Hisham Awad, project leader for BAE Systems' Future Protected Vehicles. The project is called Raider and is built pretty much like the Tumbler vehicle from the two latest Batman movies.
Whereas the details of the project are not entirely known, Awad admits that the Tumbler was the inspiration for the Raider. Asked if it's a good idea to take inspiration from a movie when designing a possible new tank, Awad replied:
“Well, why not? You see, it turns like a motorbike and it has the same wheel configuration. In all seriousness, we decided that we didn't have a monopoly on inspiration, and if we saw something in a film that we thought might be a good idea, why not take a look at it and see if there's something practical we can develop?"
Of course, countless years will probably pass until the new tanks will become reality, if ever. But when and if they will become reality, Hollywood can safely say "we told you so!"
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