Not long ago, the Indian Army publicly showed pictures of some of its own weapons and equipment, and one of the pictures attracted the attention and discussion of all parties. This is the following picture of a tractor with a lot of anti-tank missiles installed. Judging from the picture, it is very likely that this tractor will be used as an "anti-tank tractor" in the Indian Army. Well, we can't help but ask, is this tractor really capable of "anti-tank"? And why did the Indian Army use tractors for anti-tank?
Let's start with the conclusion, it is undoubtedly very difficult for such a tractor to be used in anti-tank warfare. The reason is also very simple, that is, it can't catch up. In general, the speed of the tractor can reach 20-40 kilometers per hour, and if it encounters special terrain, then it may not reach such a speed. Although the tank looks much larger than the tractor, the modern tank is already relatively fast. According to relevant public data, the Russian T-90 tank can reach a speed of more than 65 kilometers per hour, and the German Leopard 2 and the French Leclerc can reach a speed of more than 70 kilometers per hour. If it is a modern light tank, it will be faster. Therefore, once it really encounters a tank, this kind of "anti-tank tractor" may face the dilemma of not being able to catch up and not be able to fight.
In addition, because the tractor is very noisy and produces a strong exhaust gas, it is very easy to detect. Once it is really in wartime, this kind of "anti-tank tractor" will undoubtedly become an excellent target for all kinds of drones and helicopter gunships, and it is very likely that they will be destroyed as soon as they show up. This is especially true when it is estimated that there is no protective armor for this tractor.
So, then, why does the Indian Army still use tractors "anti-tank"? In the author's opinion, although such a tractor does have an anti-tank missile launcher installed in the tail section, theoretically it does have the function of "anti-tank". However, in real cases, it is very likely that the greatest role of this tractor is still for the transportation of missiles or other materials. Especially in complex geographical environments, the transportation role of tractors may be stronger than that of ordinary vehicles.
Of course, this is also reflected in the fact that the Indian Army lacks high-performance transport vehicles. In fact, the Indian Army's more than one million troops have not yet been motorized, let alone mechanized. In many cases, especially in remote areas, armed forces also have to use mules and horses to transport supplies. For example, it was previously reported that the Indian side had formed a cavalry team and a cavalry artillery team in the Sino-Indian border area. These "cavalry" are actually used to a large extent for the transportation of materials and personnel.
Adapt measures to local conditions, use it if you can, in fact, there is nothing to laugh at, after all, everyone has come through a hard life.