Why is there no tanks in SG?

[Ouroboros]

For all the talk of tanks and everything to it's worth mentioning that just some sort of small Jeep type vehicle with a mounted machinegun would be a world of help just for getting around and transporting materials.

Having an actual belt fed machine gun would be a big help against the disorganized human waves that represent the cutting edge of everyone elses advanced space age military doctrine to.

Some sort of jeep or even a halftrack type design would work well. It doesn't have to be very heavily armoured even because it's not exactly like the other guys are loaded for bear with viable AT weapons.

[Dr Lee]

The main reason why we've not seen tanks or the like in SG is because fo the budget the show gets.

But if they got the chance to get land vehicles in the show and they use them trough the gate, i would have to say they should just use ATV's or dirt bikes. Both are capable of traversing the SGC corridors.

[Sealurk]

For all the talk of tanks and everything to it's worth mentioning that just some sort of small Jeep type vehicle with a mounted machinegun would be a world of help just for getting around and transporting materials.

Having an actual belt fed machine gun would be a big help against the disorganized human waves that represent the cutting edge of everyone elses advanced space age military doctrine to.

Some sort of jeep or even a halftrack type design would work well. It doesn't have to be very heavily armoured even because it's not exactly like the other guys are loaded for bear with viable AT weapons.

So...how about a land rover with an M134 Minigun on a turret and a few thousand rounds of 7.62mm in the back, or more in a trailer? Like you said, the SGC and Earth in general seem to be the exception rather than the rule when it comes to tactical, stealthy, well-thought out and minimalist infantry use. Every other major power chooses the Wall of Cannon Fodder / Zap Branigan approach: a) get the enemy tired of killing by sending thousands of men to their death and / or b) clog the enemy's territory and line of sight with corpses...see a).

So the SGC's logical answer would be to use an existing vehicle. After all, 304s aren't cheap, so naquadah-powered hovering cloaked shielded stealth tanks with rail guns and energy weapons aren't going to be high on the list of priorities when an existing, cheap, low-tech vehicle would do much the same job without costing the same as a Stealth Bomber...fleet.

Something like a humvee or land rover, with a little bit of armour (nothing fancy, just easily replaced/recycled ablative metal plate covered in insulating cloth) and a rotary cannon with a huge ammo hopper? Even a single barrel machine gun, like a GPMG would work. Two would be even better, one either side but sharing the same ammo so if one does get taken out, the other has full access to the remaining ammo. Something like this could easily provide anti-infantry support, and when the ammo runs out...ori road-kill anyone?

Other variants (or even the same vehicle with different plug-in modules) could be equipped with mortars and 40mm auto-grenade launchers (face it, no Stargate ground engagement has taken place at distances where a mortar wouldn't be damned useful, and shooting a belt of fragmentation grenades into the tightly packed rabble of an Ori task force is just too tempting to pass up).

Then you could have the all-important anti-air, which could be like a scaled down version of a naval vertical launch system. Basically a jeep with the back filled with upwards pointing tubes that fire something like the British Starstreak then drives off once the tubes are empty.

Then there's anti-armour. Though no enemy force has really been seen using armour, low flying, relatively slow and heavily shielded/armoured craft like Alkesh might count, especially when landed...and a few hummvees with TOW or hellfire launchers, or something similar might do a little damage to a landed Hatak (assuming shields down).

And a land rover or hummvee style vehicle would also have an impact on planetary exploration, making long treks a lot simpler, and long stays a bit more comfortable (all the supplies you could store, a power source, heavy mounted weapons and a good comms system if needed).

But, as ever, its the show's budget that has the last word.

[Xzyl]

It could be doable if the show went the dune buggy route. Considering the number of dune buggy manufactures and that its mostly a consumer market could they not make a deal with one of them. Its not like other shows don't do similar with a "(Product) provided by (manufactier)" blurb durring or in the credits.

[Cloudmaster101]

waste of money lol, but it's a good suggestion of why theres no tanks.

[Ouroboros]

So...how about a land rover with an M134 Minigun on a turret and a few thousand rounds of 7.62mm in the back, or more in a trailer? Like you said, the SGC and Earth in general seem to be the exception rather than the rule when it comes to tactical, stealthy, well-thought out and minimalist infantry use. Every other major power chooses the Wall of Cannon Fodder / Zap Branigan approach: a) get the enemy tired of killing by sending thousands of men to their death and / or b) clog the enemy's territory and line of sight with corpses...see a).

A minigun's a bit overkill for these poor saps. Just borrow an M240 off an Abrams, fill the backseat with ammo boxes, and away we go.

So the SGC's logical answer would be to use an existing vehicle. After all, 304s aren't cheap, so naquadah-powered hovering cloaked shielded stealth tanks with rail guns and energy weapons aren't going to be high on the list of priorities when an existing, cheap, low-tech vehicle would do much the same job without costing the same as a Stealth Bomber...fleet.

I agree about 900% with you here. You need fancy dancy weapons tech here about as much as you'd need fancy dancy weapons tech to swat a fly. Their ground armies are so inept just riding around in unarmed humvees and shooting out the windows would probably already be more than they were prepared to handle.

Something like a humvee or land rover, with a little bit of armour (nothing fancy, just easily replaced/recycled ablative metal plate covered in insulating cloth) and a rotary cannon with a huge ammo hopper? Even a single barrel machine gun, like a GPMG would work. Two would be even better, one either side but sharing the same ammo so if one does get taken out, the other has full access to the remaining ammo. Something like this could easily provide anti-infantry support, and when the ammo runs out...ori road-kill anyone?

Again, exactly what I'm thinking. Just keep it simple, there's no need for anything more complex. More complex and "advanced" just invites extra complication and expense into the idea.

Other variants (or even the same vehicle with different plug-in modules) could be equipped with mortars and 40mm auto-grenade launchers (face it, no Stargate ground engagement has taken place at distances where a mortar wouldn't be damned useful, and shooting a belt of fragmentation grenades into the tightly packed rabble of an Ori task force is just too tempting to pass up).

Don't forget an optional vehicle scale flame thrower, you know just for fun, and to help all those farm people with some quick deforestation.

But, as ever, its the show's budget that has the last word.

I wonder about that to. How much, relative to actuals how budget, could it really cost to buy an old milsurp humvee? Once you've bought a few of them you'll never need to spend that money again either. Hell you could even by non running ones on the cheap to use just for set pieces and maybe only 1 or 2 that were actually driveable.

[Sealurk]

Don't forget an optional vehicle scale flame thrower, you know just for fun, and to help all those farm people with some quick deforestation.

Oh, nice touch!

"Hallowed are the Ori! Death to unbelievers!"
VROOOOOOSH
"Putitoutputitoutputitoutputitoutputitout!!!!".

Ahem, sorry.

Of course, it just takes one stray staff blast to say goodbye to your fuel source...and anybody within twenty or so metres. Probably better as a remote controlled weapon...viewed from a remote distance.

As for seeing them in the show or any more SG-1 films...I'd bet that had the earlier SG1 seasons had a bigger budget, they might well have featured, back when the series was slightly more grounded in reality (or as grounded in reality as a show about evil aliens posing as gods and a transgalactic subway system can be) and they needed to do a major battle scene. With Stargate the way it is now, I think TPTB probably would opt for a cloaked, shielded, hovering, railgun-boasting trinium-hulled naquadah powered tank.

Vehicles would also have another use that'd make them well worth deploying through the gate - cover. Imagine SG teams under heavy fire, massively outgunned and outnumbered, and the gate's surrounded, but Earth has dialled in. Three tonnes of steel and firepower roars through the gate, with machine guns and grenade launchers spewing death, staff blasts being absorbed by steel plate. The heavy firepower alone would be very useful, but even if the jeep gets trashed, the guns run out of ammo, there should still be a nice chunk of twisted steel for an SG team to hide behind. And having to buy a load of replacement hummvees or land rovers is way preferable to replacement SG teams.

[marty2006]

Lol id imagine because you cant use them in space nor fit them through a stargate, also the fact its the air force they dont use them and flying tanks dont exsist.

[PrioroftheOri]

^oh but flying tanks do exist, or could exist. i'm sure area 51 has something like that that they are testing out.

[Sealurk]

^oh but flying tanks do exist, or could exist. i'm sure area 51 has something like that that they are testing out.

Well, there was this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonov_A-40

and this might be of interest...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winged_tank

I can't quite see the SGC fielding anything like this, though. Light, fast vehicles are far more likely.

[Ouroboros]

Oh, nice touch!

"Hallowed are the Ori! Death to unbelievers!"
VROOOOOOSH
"Putitoutputitoutputitoutputitoutputitout!!!!".

Ahem, sorry.

Of course, it just takes one stray staff blast to say goodbye to your fuel source...and anybody within twenty or so metres. Probably better as a remote controlled weapon...viewed from a remote distance.

Oh no, you can just build the fuel tanks inside the hull and armour the crap out of it. The only thing exposed on the outside is just a regular looking gun until.

Surprise!

[Bray]

Don't know if anyone has said this before, but I think the Mirage Tank from C&C Red Alert 2 would fit perfectly in the gate

Just imagine the Jaffa's surprise when a forest suddenly starts shooting at them

[Mister Oragahn]

I wonder about that to. How much, relative to actuals how budget, could it really cost to buy an old milsurp humvee? Once you've bought a few of them you'll never need to spend that money again either. Hell you could even by non running ones on the cheap to use just for set pieces and maybe only 1 or 2 that were actually driveable.

S'ry, but makeup takes the ticket.

[Davesg-43]

Imagine a ground vehicle built to travel through the stargate, not unlike the needlethreader, which is armour plated to absorb energy bolts and such.
I realise there is not much call for such a thing now as alot of the fighting happens in space but there has been many times when a tank or two could have helped, especially if it was retrofitted with wraith stun weapons.

Thoughts anyone?

One they don't fit through the stargate. Two then we would just own all of our enemies. Three How would we bring it fuel
those things get horrible MPG.

[titan_hq]

One they don't fit through the stargate. Two then we would just own all of our enemies. Three How would we bring it fuel
those things get horrible MPG.

1) design a new tank that can fit through the gate
2) maybe, tanks still need to be supported by troops, and would take too long to deploy in some cases.
3) Naquadah....