Tanks are the largest and mightiest representatives of armoured vehicles, as well as a salient constituent part of every modern army and, therefore, one of the key segments of land warfare. In comparison to other military branches, working in a tank is much more demanding since it requires efforts that cannot be observed elsewhere. The origins of Slovenian tank units date back to the times of the Yugoslav people’s army, since numerous tanks remained in the Slovenian territory after 1991. Consequently, the development of tank units, the training and education of their military personnel have been built on the foundations of Yugoslav equipment, literature, armaments and tank knowledge. Despite the rich tank history on Slovenian soil, the tank’s value and place within the Slovenian armed forces tend to diminish. This results in a gradual loss of tank knowledge and qualified military personnel, as well as a lack of financial resources. Since training and education of tank units is crucial for their success and survival on the battlefield, some long-term solutions, which can already be observed with some NATO members, are mandatory in order to preserve this weapon system. A man is the centre of every combat operation, which signifies that a well-trained tank crew can destroy, weaken or disable even a technologically advanced opponent. A tank will, therefore, only be as good as its crew.
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