The Role of Heavy Armour in Modern Warfare

The end of the Cold War called an at least temporary halt to the idea of a conventional armed confrontation between two or more states with relatively equal capabilities. The need to manage unconventional and asymmetrical conflicts has led to a recalibration of military capabilities to respond effectively to new challenges. Western militaries have thus focused their efforts on achieving flexible and versatile capabilities. This new reality has naturally led to the constant neglect of heavy armoured forces. It is due to their relatively low utility in stability operations. However, recent conflicts, such as those in Nagorno-Karabakh and Ukraine, are bringing the need and desirability of using heavy armour in ground operations back to the forefront. Against this background, and with the unprecedented development of multispectral sensors, long-range, high-precision weapons and various unmanned platforms, the question arises as to whether heavy armoured capabilities still have a place in today’s conflicts. The meticulous analysis of the current military phenomenon, in particular the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, has made it possible to obtain relevant results regarding the future and the possibilities for their development. The results are valuable in view of the initiatives taken by the Romanian Armed Forces to strengthen the armoured capabilities, in particular the steps taken to acquire new tanks, infantry fighting machines and selfpropelled artillery.