flamming_python Fri Feb 14, 2014 5:42 pm
Simplicity, reliability, mobility?
Marines are meant to attack the more vulnerable parts of an enemy's defenses and from there, there are a number of ways they can be employed such as encircling enemy formations in co-ordination with attacks from ground forces on the other side, striking nearby strategic targets or establishing and then defending beachheads for further forces and supplies to come in.
If you think about it, the idea is that they won't be facing the enemy's front-line divisions, the toughest defenses and so on. If they are - then someone has made a terrible mistake. Hence the heaviest & latest tanks are less of a priority than they would be for armour and motor-rifle brigades or divisions let's say.
The second thing you'll notice is that they will have to rely on speed and mobility a lot of the time. They may have to land, gain a little ground, beat off a counter-attack and then rapidly move & out and reach their next targets before the enemy can organize and retaliate properly.
And by mobility I mean - they will landing from the sea, and it's a fair possibility that they may have to cross rivers and such in pursuit of further objectives. The entire marine unit won't have anything more than an attached engineering battalion, more likely a company; certainly not the sort of infrastructure available to the regular armour/motor-rifle units - therefore amphibious tanks and vehicles will be more of a priority and of course such vehicles are lighter; hence the light tanks.
Thirdly, as mentioned - they won't have the infrastructure and support elements available to the ground forces moving along the front with the logistics chains behind them. All the marines have is what they land with, and options for reinforcement, resupply and repair from the outside (i.e. their ships) will be limited at best; in the worst-case there won't be any of that at all.
If a tank in an marine brigade breaks down due to its sophisticated, needy engine, or it's electronic systems taking too much damage; what are you going to do? Wait for the armoured recovery vehicle? To take it to where? Each Russian Naval Infantry tank battalion, as I understand it, has it's own supply & maintenance section. A few dozen men. That's it.
Hence you need simpler, more reliable tanks. And if some break down beyond quick repair, they may have to be abandoned altogether depending on the situation. And you don't want to run the risk of abandoning your most advanced & expensive tanks.
Last edited by flamming_python on Fri Feb 14, 2014 8:14 pm; edited 2 times in total