They also help the infantry to mount and dismount the tank while performing a tank desant.

The idea of using infantry tank desant was, however, retained in the 1942 Field Instructions for the infantry (battalion)

However, this is not supported by historical analysis, and there is evidence that tank desant was used as early as 1937 during the Spanish Civil War.

Today, tank desant is considered a wasteful and human-costly improvisation, which, in the opinion of some writers, was adopted by the Red Army because they failed to appreciate the problem of tank-infantry co-operation.

The use of tank desant was only prescribed within the first kilometer of the forward edge of the combat area for only the simplest of tactical mission objectives, since the circumstances would be difficult for the troops engaged.

Tank desant would be used in such a way as to ensure surprise, approaching during a snow storm or mist or employing either smoke grenades or a smoke screen prepared by sappers or laid down by artillery.

The uses of explosive reactive armor, which creates a danger zone around an armoured vehicle by detonating an explosive charge when the tank suffers a serious hit, and gas turbine engines, with extremely hot exhaust, makes tank desant a dangerous and undesirable alternative.