Reply To: Sitrep Podcast: Historical Gaming (and Register for Upcoming Gaming Event)!

[oriskany 60771xp 3]

Thermal imaging is pretty easily defeated, at least temporarily, by a lot of armies.  Those “smoke launchers” we see on the left and right face of most tanks … that’s not just smoke, it’s usually some form of white phosphorus.  This burns as 2300F, called “hot smoke,” and yes … is opaque to thermal imaging.

Of course, it doesn’t last, the tanks have only so much of it, it is a huge hazard to any nearby friendly infantry, and has a very good chance of lighting the surrounding terrain on fire.  This is a bad thing if you’re trying to defend set positions (but then again, WHY are tanks trying to do THAT in the first place)?

So not an ideal solution … But it is out there and is in widespread use.

There are no “silver bullets” in warfare.