A tank is an armoured fighting vehicle designed for front-line combat. Tanks have heavy firepower, strong armour, good battlefield manoeuvrability provided by tracks and a powerful engine, they are a mainstay of modern 20th and 21st century ground forces and a key part of combined arms combat. Modern tanks are versatile mobile land weapon system platforms that have a mounted large-calibre cannon called tank gun in a rotating gun turret supplemented by mounted machine guns or other weapons such as anti-tank guided missiles or rockets, they have heavy vehicle armour which provides protection for the crew, the vehicle's weapons and propulsion systems. The use of tracks rather than wheels provides operational mobility which allows the tank to move over rugged terrain and counter adverse conditions such as mud; these features enable the tank to perform well in a variety of intense combat situations both offensively and defensively. Integrating tanks into modern military forces spawned a new era of combat: armoured warfare.

There are classes of tanks: some being larger and heavily armoured and with high calibre guns, while others are smaller armoured, equipped with a smaller calibre and lighter gun. These smaller tanks move over terrain with speed and agility and can perform a reconnaissance role in addition to engaging enemy targets; the smaller faster tank would not engage in battle with a larger armoured tank, except during a surprise flanking manoeuvre. The modern tank is the result of a century of development from the first primitive armoured vehicles, due to improvements in technology such as the internal combustion engine, which allowed the rapid movement of heavy armoured vehicles; as a result of these advances, tanks underwent tremendous shifts in capability in the years since their first appearance. Tanks in World War I were developed separately and by Great Britain and France as a means to break the deadlock of trench warfare on the Western Front; the first British prototype, nicknamed Little Willie, was constructed at William Foster & Co. in Lincoln, England in 1915, with leading roles played by Major Walter Gordon Wilson who designed the gearbox and hull, by William Tritton of William Foster and Co. who designed the track plates.

This was a prototype of a new design that would become the British Army's Mark I tank, the first tank used in combat in September 1916 during the Battle of the Somme. The name "tank" was adopted by the British during the early stages of their development, as a security measure to conceal their purpose. While the British and French built thousands of tanks in World War I, Germany was unconvinced of the tank's potential, did not have enough resources, thus it built only twenty. Tanks of the interwar period evolved into the much larger and more powerful designs of World War II. Important new concepts of armoured warfare were developed. Less than two weeks Germany began their large-scale armoured campaigns that would become known as blitzkrieg – massed concentrations of tanks combined with motorised and mechanised infantry and air power designed to break through the enemy front and collapse enemy resistance; the widespread introduction of high-explosive anti-tank warheads during the second half of World War II led to lightweight infantry-carried anti-tank weapons such as the Panzerfaust, which could destroy some types of tanks.

Tanks in the Cold War were designed with these weapons in mind, led to improved armour types during the 1960s composite armour. Improved engines and suspensions allowed tanks of this period to grow larger. Aspects of gun technology changed as well, with advances in shell design and aiming technology. During the Cold War, the main battle tank concept became a key component of modern armies. In the 21st century, with the increasing role of asymmetrical warfare and the end of the Cold War, that contributed to the increase of cost-effective anti-tank rocket propelled grenades worldwide and its successors, the ability of tanks to operate independently has declined. Modern tanks are more organized into combined arms units which involve the support of infantry, who may accompany the tanks in infantry fighting vehicles, supported by reconnaissance or ground-attack aircraft; the tank is the 20th century realization of an ancient concept: that of providing troops with mobile protection and firepower. The internal combustion engine, armour plate, continuous track were key innovations leading to the invention of the modern tank.

Many sources imply that Leonardo da Vinci and H. G. Wells in some way "invented" the tank. Leonardo's late 15th century drawings of what some describe as a "tank" show a man-powered, wheeled vehicle with cannons all around it; however the human crew would not have enough power to move it over larger distance, usage of animals was problematic in a space so confined. In the 15th century, Jan Žižka built armoured wagons containing cannons and used them in several battles; the continuous "caterpillar" track arose from attempts to improve the mobility of wheeled vehicles by spreading their weight, reducing ground pressure, increasing their traction. Experiments c

Wild Kentucky Skies is the second album released by country music artist Marty Brown. The album was released by MCA Records on March 16, 1993; this album produced his only charting single, "It Must Be the Rain", which only reached #74 in the U. S. and #62 in Canada. The album was praised by Allmusic critic Brian Mansfield for "possessing qualities that people both hate and love about country music." He compares several songs to those of the Everly Brothers and calls the album "Pure country without being a purist." All tracks written by Marty Brown. "It Must Be the Rain" - 3:46 "Let's Begin Again" - 3:10 "God Knows" - 4:17 "No Honky Tonkin' Tonight" - 2:55 "I'd Rather Fish Than Fight" - 2:35 "Honey I Ain't No Fool" - 4:20 "I Don't Want to See You Again" - 4:09 "Freight Train" - 4:55 "She's Gone" - 4:59 "Wild Kentucky Skies" - 4:28 Performed live Arranged by Glen D. Hardin As listed in liner notes. Sam Bacco - tambourine, prepared piano Richard Bennett - guitar Marty Brown - lead vocals, harmony vocals Terry Crisp - steel guitar Dan Dugmore - steel guitar, dobro Glen Duncan - fiddle Stuart Duncan - fiddle Buddy Emmons - steel guitar Dave Hoffner - keyboards, piano David Hungate - bass guitar John Barlow Jarvis - piano Larrie Londin - drums Larry Marrs - harmony vocals Bill Miller - courting flute, rain stick Rocky Schnaars and Ken Hutton - vocal effects and hoses Harry Stinson - harmony vocals Marty Stuart - mandolin Billy Thomas - drums Joy Lynn White - harmony vocals CMT AOL Music

The 149th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 6 to April 23, 1926, during the fourth year of Al Smith's second tenure as Governor of New York, in Albany. Under the provisions of the New York Constitution of 1894, re-apportioned in 1917, 51 Senators and 150 assemblymen were elected in single-seat districts; the senatorial districts consisted either of one or more entire counties. The counties which were divided into more than one senatorial district were New York, Bronx, Monroe and Westchester; the Assembly districts were made up of all within the same county. At this time there were two major political parties: the Democratic Party; the New York state election, 1925, was held on November 3. No statewide elective offices were up for election. Assemblywoman Rhoda Fox Graves, of Gouverneur, a former school teacher who after her marriage became active in women's organisations and politics, was re-elected, remained the only woman legislator.

The Legislature met for the regular session at the State Capitol in Albany on January 6, 1926. Joseph A. McGinnies was re-elected Speaker; the asterisk denotes members of the previous Legislature who continued in office as members of this Legislature. Note: For brevity, the chairmanships omit the words "...the Committee on..." Clerk: Ernest A. Fay Sergeant-at-Arms: Charles R. Hotaling Note: For brevity, the chairmanships omit the words "...the Committee on..." Clerk: Fred W. Hammond Members of the New York Senate at Political Graveyard Members of the New York Assembly at Political Graveyard 1926 COMMITTEE MEMBERS NAMED in The Cornell Daily Sun on January 12, 1926