TangoTwoBravo
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Jarnhamar said:With the tech level and availability of STANO/ISTAR in the world today isn't it much harder for recce elements to hide and employ stealth? Coupled with the battlefield being saturated with portable anti-armor weapons (thanks Russia and USA) wouldn't it make more sense to lean towards more heavily armored vehicles used in a recce role. With beefed up surveillance and comms packages.
We had a great discussion regarding this about ten years ago springing from an article named "Trading the Sabre for Stealth." I think that you have a point - US commanders during Gulf War 1, for example, ended up not leading with their HMMVW-mounted scouts due to their vulnerability to all manner of enemy fire.
Regarding the TAPV itself, it could work well in a place like Mali. If a 3rd battalion ends up going somewhere like that they will suddenly want those TAPV! I observed a wide variety of recce/patrol vehicles with the UN recently in Southern Lebanon. The Italians had a nice "truck" for patrolling, while the French had both the little VBL and some much larger wheeled AFVs.