A controversial British Army tactic involving infantry and a Challenger 2 main battle tank

For many years, tanks have been used to protect the advance of infantry formations on the battlefield.

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Yesterday, the British Army's Royal Armoured Corps released a video of an exercise showing a Challenger 2 tank advancing in an urban area with soldiers using it as cover. The post, which aims to recruit new soldiers to crew tanks like this one, notes: "Armour and infantry working together in the urban environment - a powerful combination against an opposing force."

#tanktuesday Armour and infantry working together in the urban environment - a powerful combination against an opposing force.

To become part of a tank crew please visit: https://t.co/WiGaEELeXn #armoured #FindandDestroy #britisharmy #tanks pic.twitter.com/MKPCR7zFHG

— Royal Armoured Corps (@RoyalArmdCorps) April 7, 2026

This combined arms method has been used in many armed conflicts. In this tactic, tanks provide firepower and protection, shielding the soldiers marching behind them, acting as a mobile barrier, and destroying fortifications and other enemy threats that could hinder the advance of infantry.

At the same time, this tactic allows tanks to rely on infantry to detect certain threats, such as anti-tank weapons, which are not easily detectable from armored vehicles due to their limited visibility. These tactics are especially common in urban environments.

To facilitate these types of movements, for many years various tank models have been equipped with telephones on their rear, in order to communicate with the infantry advancing under cover behind the vehicle, a device known in English by the acronym TIP (Tank-Infantry Telephone) and popularly known by soldiers as the "grunt phone". These TIPs were first introduced on some tanks as early as the World War I and were widely used in the World War II.

Although it's a tactic still widely used today, that British Army video has received hundreds of critical messages on Twitter. Many users have agreed on the reason for their rejection of this method of advance: they point out that it's a suicidal tactic in modern warfare, as demonstrated by the experience of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, where two or three FPV drones would be enough to destroy that tank and the infantry soldiers advancing behind it.

Two months ago, details emerged about what happened during Exercise Hedgehog 2025, organized in May of last year by the Estonian Defence Forces and involving soldiers from twelve allied countries. During these maneuvers, NATO formations attempting an offensive maneuver were quickly identified and neutralized by small Ukrainian opposing teams operating drones.

Ukrainian soldiers used their Delta battlefield management system, which enabled a group of just 10 Ukrainian soldiers to destroy 17 armored vehicles, simulating the annihilation of two NATO battalions. Aivar Hanniotti, unmanned aerial systems coordinator for the Estonian Defense League, who participated on the opposing side in the exercise alongside Estonian and Ukrainian soldiers, told the Wall Street Journal that the results were "terrible" for NATO forces. Allied countries definitely have much to learn from the Ukrainian Armed Forces.