Refleks said:

"That's right, but on the video you post the main point isn't that the vehicle is tracked, it's that the vehicle is amphibious."

I dunno, VBL is amphibious and I just don't see it doing that. LAV-25 is amphibious and I don't see it doing that either.

Concur.

YouTube

"62 mph" Stryker truck going 0 MPH in the Mud

How "fast" is a LAV-III/Stryker truck stuck in the mud?62 mph?No, Strykers are restricted to less than 45 mph lest they turn-over. Now this has been reduced ...

Refleks said:

in general I don't think it's controversial to suggest tracks can simply go more places...

I totally agree.  IMO, the pairing of a tracked MBT with a wheeled IFV seems illogical. 

Perhaps the French think that the VBCI can keep pace with the Leclerc in any terrain?

YouTube

[MissionLYNX] VBCI et chars Leclerc en exercice de franchissement - Estonie

En Estonie, les militaires de la mission Lynx s'entraînent pour renforcer leur expérience à l'Est de l'Europe et leur interopérabilité.

RovingPedant said:

As a divisional move through hostile territory?

Good point.

However, the comment:

"though its speed pushed troops and equipment to the limit, according to The New York Times, stretching supply lines dangerously thin" does not seems to highlight that the problem was "divisional move through hostile territory", but just "moving fast".

The only other reference point I have is the French "500-km-in-a-day" dash to support the capture of Tessalit airfield.

stancrist said:

The BTR80 is also amphibious, but it is difficult to imagine one going through such mud as did the MTLB.

That's right, my comment was more "it's not because you see the MTLB going thru such mud that you should conclude that a T-72, or any other tracked vehicle, will be able to follow the MTLB".

Refleks said:

I dunno, VBL is amphibious and I just don't see it doing that. LAV-25 is amphibious and I don't see it doing that either.  Mud is far more viscous than water and short of something like a Sherp, I don't see wheels being doable there.

I don't want to imply that an amphibious wheeled vehicle is as capable as an amphibious tracked vehicle, just that it's not because you have one occurrence of a tracked vehicle moving thru real deep mud that in this case, any other tracked vehicle will be able to follow.

Refleks said:

But in general I don't think it's controversial to suggest tracks can simply go more places (amphibious helps I'm sure)

I agree also, but as you shown not all tracked vehicle perform the same ways, just like not all wheeled vehicle perform the same way.

The low ground pressure (0.5 kg/m²) of tracked vehicle is generally pushed forward to explain the better cross-country performance vs. wheeled vehicles, but you can now find some specific tires that can run with a pressure of only 0.3 kg/m², producing much less ground pressure than the common infantryman, so maybe the whole picture is more complicated than just "wheeled versus tracks".

stancrist said:

Perhaps the French think that the VBCI can keep pace with the Leclerc in any terrain?

One of the requirement of the VBCI was to be able to follow the Leclerc, maybe not in absolutely "any" terrain, but at least in more than 90%.

There is at least one terrain the Leclerc can overrun and not the VBCI:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjF8iCkdv4g

I just came across this for heavy industrial vehicles:

https://www.skidsteers.com/over-the-tire-metal-tracks/

And same concept but rubber:

Has this ever been pursued for military vehicles? ie have a wheeled force, and then if the terrain looks like it needs tracks, chuck some tracks on the wheels?

Similar to say putting snow chains on a car.

EmericD said:

my comment was more "it's not because you see the MTLB going thru such mud that you should conclude that a T-72, or any other tracked vehicle, will be able to follow the MTLB".

Ah, okay.  I agree.  But I think it's due mainly to vehicle weight and ground pressure than amphibious capability, although having a more boat-like hull shape seems like it would help.

It was tried, long time ago and without much success: https://38niii.ru/istoriya/88-srednij-broneavtomobil-ba-10-foto-bronya-ttkh.html . 

EmericD said:

There is at least one terrain the Leclerc can overrun and not the VBCI: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjF8iCkdv4g

LOL.  That was a pretty dramatic demonstration.  But are you sure that the VBCI cannot run over a car?

YouTube

Armored Warfare - Tank Crushes Car at Igromir Video Game Exibition

We are excited to show you this video of an Armored Vehicle driving over a car at the Igromir Video Game Exhibition in Moscow, Russia! Play Armored Warfare f...

P.S.  It seems there is at least one terrain in which the VBCI can outrun the Leclerc:

YouTube

Course entre un char Leclerc et un VBCI de l'armée française ! (C'est impressionnant)

Un char Leclerc pèse environ 65 tonnes pour 1500 ch et un VBCI (Véhicule blindé de l'infanterie) environ 35 tonnes pour 700 chBonne vidéo et désolé pour la q...

.

Meh, I see yours, and add mine - already a crazy military one with both systems. Swedish prototype, the Landsverk L-30