T110's Zen-like Inner Core.

The_Chieftain:     Loose, you're misinterpreting my opposition to electronic observation systems. I would rather have them than not. Where I draw the comfort line is the exclusive reliance upon such equipment at the cost of the possibility of using a human head to do it. The Merkava video does not show any inherent disadvantage to a heads-out option. Close-in spaces are traditionally a blind spot, and I am left to wonder what happens to that tank's wingman. I would be more concerned by things like being able to spot missile threats, such as the Israelis suffered in 2006, where back-scratching by the wingman is not a possibility. It would not hamper the tank's combat capability to both have the electronics and be able to stick a head out.   I am confounded by your statement that T14's TC can be in combat with his hatch open. The point is to be able to react quickly to contact. How is that TC supposed to respond to a target to his right? In almost every other tank dating back to Sherman, I can grab the TC's override and immediately swing onto the right azimuth without taking my eyes off the target, Unless T14's TC is willing to decapitate himself, he cannot do that. Even if he just ducked down, he still can't even traverse right without closing the hatch. My fist contact was tracer fire heading for me from my 3 o clock. I didn't waste time closing the hatch, just ducked down and yelled ''scan right.'  I'm sorry, I do not think that T14 could reliably react as quickly.   I suspect the Syrian experience is a reflection of equipment limitation. Soviet tanks do not seem to have cared much for the option of an open protected position for some reason, There was a hot sniper spot in Mosul, Yarmouk Traffic Circle. They decided to park us in the middle of the place to keep an eye on things. We were no so daft as to keep our heads out as we sat stationary. We did, however, go open protected, where we still had 350 degree vision by the simple expediency of turning our heads, Fortunately, because the circle was a fairly open area, with a bit of space between the multi-story buildings and the road, the relative inability to look up wasn't a problem. Unless I've missed something, Syrian tankers are not given that option, they have all-or-nothing protection.   Again, I cannot stress enough that I am not condemning T14's layout. I am merely observing that the layout loses some situational awareness in trade for whatever benefits you get.