1.
Solar T62
–
The Solar T62 Titan is an American gas-turbine engine used mainly as a helicopter auxiliary power unit, ground power generator or helicopter power-plant. A free power turbine version was developed as the Solar T66, T62 Titan The direct drive main production version. T62T-280 hp @56,700 turbine rpm for Boeing-Vertol CH-47A Chinook helicopters, t62T-2A95 hp @56,700 turbine rpm for Boeing-Vertol CH-47B / C Chinook helicopters. T62T-1180 hp @56,700 turbine rpm for Boeing-Vertol CH-46A Sea Knight helicopters, t62T-16A195 hp for Sikorsky CH-3, Sikorsky SH-3 and Sikorsky CH-54A Skycrane helicopters @56,700 turbine rpm, with 8,000 and 8,100 rpm outputs. T62T-27150 hp @61,250 turbine rpm, with 1x 8,000, t62T-2995 hp for Lockheed Jetstar and Pan American Falcon business Jets @56,700 turbine rpm, with 1x 8,000 and 1x 8,100 rpm outputs. T66 A free power turbine version for the US military.41 in Diameter,21
Solar T62
–
Solar T62
2.
Russian Ground Forces
–
The Ground Forces of the Russian Federation are the land forces of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, formed from parts of the collapsing Soviet Army in 1992. The formation of these forces posed economic challenges after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the primary responsibilities of the Ground Forces are the protection of the state borders, combat on land, the security of occupied territories, and the defeat of enemy troops. The Ground Forces must be able to achieve goals both in nuclear war and non-nuclear war, especially without the use of weapons of mass destruction. Furthermore, they must be capable of protecting the interests of Russia within the framework of its international obligations. The Main Command of the Ground Forces is officially tasked with the objectives, The training of troops for combat. The improvement of troops structure and composition, and the optimization of their numbers, the development of military theory and practice. The development and introduction of training manuals, tactics. The improvement of operational and combat training of the Ground Forces, the newly re-emergent Russia retained most of the ranks of the Soviet Army, with some minor changes. The principal difference from the usual Western style is some variation in generals rank titles—in at least one case, Colonel General, the gallery below shows a selection of insignia, common to the Ground Forces – LF. As the Soviet Union dissolved, efforts were made to keep the Soviet Armed Forces as a military structure for the new Commonwealth of Independent States. The last Minister of Defence of the Soviet Union, Marshal Yevgeny Shaposhnikov, was appointed commander of the CIS Armed Forces in December 1991. Among the numerous treaties signed by the republics, in order to direct the transition period, was a temporary agreement on general purpose forces. Thirty-seven divisions had to be withdrawn from the four groups of forces and the Baltic States, some idea of the scale of the withdrawal can be gained from the division list. For the dissolving Soviet Ground Forces, the withdrawal from the former Warsaw Pact states and the Baltic states was a demanding, expensive. However, the facilities in those districts were inadequate to house the flood of personnel and equipment returning from abroad, the need for destruction and transfer of large amounts of weaponry under the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe also necessitated great adjustments. The Ministry of Defence newspaper Krasnaya Zvezda published a plan on 21 July 1992. Later one commentator said it was put together by the General Staff to satisfy the public demand for radical changes. The General Staff, from that point, became a bastion of conservatism, the reform plan advocated a change from an Army-Division-Regiment structure to a Corps-Brigade arrangement
Russian Ground Forces
–
Tactical exercises of Radiological, Chemical and Biological Protection Troops units at Shikhani training ground (410-25)
Russian Ground Forces
–
Emblem of the Russian Ground Forces
Russian Ground Forces
–
BMP Kurganets-25
Russian Ground Forces
3.
Medium Tank
–
Many of the medium tanks lines became what are called main battle tank in most countries. The first tanks to carry the name Medium appeared in the First World War with the British Medium Mark A Whippet and it was smaller and lighter than the British heavy tanks and only carried machine guns. The medium tank doctrine came into use in the interwar period and its existence outlasted the super-heavy tank and heavy tank and gradually transitioned into the main battle tank. Medium tanks of the period included the British Vickers Medium Mark II. There were medium tanks that focused on capabilities, and medium tanks which were more focused on the anti-tank role. The French cavalry tanks focused on speed in addition to power and they were similar to what other countries called medium tanks. The result was the T-34 medium tank, whose superb capabilities shocked the German Wehrmacht when it invaded the Soviet Union. The lessons of Blitzkrieg, first employed by the Germans and eventually adopted by other nations, found their best expression in formations of mutually-supporting medium tanks, the traditional view of infantry and cavalry tank roles was rendered obsolete. During and after World War II, the roles of tanks were gradually taken over by less-expensive armoured cars. Heavy tanks, having shown their limitations in combat, experienced a limited post-war arms race of progressively more heavily armed and armoured designs, with the rise of more sophisticated anti-tank missile weapons, to which heavy tanks had demonstrated high vulnerability, these too were eventually phased out. Simpler and more economical self-propelled guns, and later anti-tank guided missiles, came to fulfil some fire-support and anti-tank roles, the role of medium tanks started with a prioritisation of speed. Medium tanks could travel faster, but needed help to cross trenches, in British use, this evolved into the Cruiser tank class, while other tank doctrines formed around the medium tank making the main advance. In this later use, medium tanks represent the intent of producing a successful balance of firepower, mobility. Medium tanks aim to be suitable to the widest variety of roles, with less reliance on other types of tank during normal operations Light tank Heavy tank Super-heavy tank Main battle tank
Medium Tank
–
M48A1 Patton American medium tank
Medium Tank
–
Sherman medium tank from World War II, the workhorse of U.S. armoured forces
Medium Tank
–
Panzer IV German medium tank
4.
Soviet Union
–
The Soviet Union, officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was a socialist state in Eurasia that existed from 1922 to 1991. It was nominally a union of national republics, but its government. The Soviet Union had its roots in the October Revolution of 1917 and this established the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic and started the Russian Civil War between the revolutionary Reds and the counter-revolutionary Whites. In 1922, the communists were victorious, forming the Soviet Union with the unification of the Russian, Transcaucasian, Ukrainian, following Lenins death in 1924, a collective leadership and a brief power struggle, Joseph Stalin came to power in the mid-1920s. Stalin suppressed all opposition to his rule, committed the state ideology to Marxism–Leninism. As a result, the country underwent a period of rapid industrialization and collectivization which laid the foundation for its victory in World War II and postwar dominance of Eastern Europe. Shortly before World War II, Stalin signed the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact agreeing to non-aggression with Nazi Germany, in June 1941, the Germans invaded the Soviet Union, opening the largest and bloodiest theater of war in history. Soviet war casualties accounted for the highest proportion of the conflict in the effort of acquiring the upper hand over Axis forces at battles such as Stalingrad. Soviet forces eventually captured Berlin in 1945, the territory overtaken by the Red Army became satellite states of the Eastern Bloc. The Cold War emerged by 1947 as the Soviet bloc confronted the Western states that united in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in 1949. Following Stalins death in 1953, a period of political and economic liberalization, known as de-Stalinization and Khrushchevs Thaw, the country developed rapidly, as millions of peasants were moved into industrialized cities. The USSR took a lead in the Space Race with Sputnik 1, the first ever satellite, and Vostok 1. In the 1970s, there was a brief détente of relations with the United States, the war drained economic resources and was matched by an escalation of American military aid to Mujahideen fighters. In the mid-1980s, the last Soviet leader, Mikhail Gorbachev, sought to reform and liberalize the economy through his policies of glasnost. The goal was to preserve the Communist Party while reversing the economic stagnation, the Cold War ended during his tenure, and in 1989 Soviet satellite countries in Eastern Europe overthrew their respective communist regimes. This led to the rise of strong nationalist and separatist movements inside the USSR as well, in August 1991, a coup détat was attempted by Communist Party hardliners. It failed, with Russian President Boris Yeltsin playing a role in facing down the coup. On 25 December 1991, Gorbachev resigned and the twelve constituent republics emerged from the dissolution of the Soviet Union as independent post-Soviet states
Soviet Union
–
Vladimir Lenin addressing a crowd with Trotsky, 1920
Soviet Union
–
Flag
Soviet Union
–
Stalin and
Nikolai Yezhov, head of the
NKVD. After Yezhov was executed, he was
edited out of the image.
Soviet Union
5.
Uralvagonzavod
–
Uralvagonzavod is a Russian machine building company located in Nizhny Tagil, Russia. It is one of the largest scientific and industrial complexes in Russia, the full name of the company is Open Joint Stock Company “Research and Production Corporation “Uralvagonzavod”. It is a limited company. The name Уралвагонзавод means Ural Railroad Car Factory, the plant was built during 1931-1936, launched on October 11,1936, and named after Felix Dzerzhinsky. After the German invasion of 1941, Stalin ordered hundreds of factories in Ukraine, the KhPZ Factory No.183 in Kharkiv was moved to Nizhny Tagil by rail, and merged with the Dzerzhinsky Works, to form the Stalin Ural Tank Factory No.183. During the second world war it became the largest producer of tanks in the world, after the war, tank production was scaled down, and part of the Vagonkas manufacturing and design assets were transferred back to Kharkivs Diesel Factory No.75 during 1945–51. It also manufactures Russias newest Main Battle Tank, the T-14 Armata and its gradual privatization was planned, beginning in 2006. As of December 27,2016, UVZ has been transferred to Rostec, the companys main products include railway cars, tanks, road-building vehicles, agricultural vehicles, metallurgical products, tools and consumer goods. Production of T-90 main battle tanks accounts for 18–20% of the overall production. In 2008, Uralvagozavod produced about 175 tanks,62 T-90A for the Russian Ministry of Defence,60 T-90S for India and this represents the highest level of tank production at Uralvagonzavod and in Russia as a whole since 1993. Railway cars and other civilian production amounted to 2/3 of the overall output in 2008. In 2011, the revenue was $3 billion, and net profit was $0.33 billion
Uralvagonzavod
–
UralVagonZavod headquarters in
Nizhny Tagil,
SVE
Uralvagonzavod
–
Uralvagonzavod tram at
Innoprom industrial exhibit
Uralvagonzavod
–
Indian Army T-90
6.
USSR
–
The Soviet Union, officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was a socialist state in Eurasia that existed from 1922 to 1991. It was nominally a union of national republics, but its government. The Soviet Union had its roots in the October Revolution of 1917 and this established the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic and started the Russian Civil War between the revolutionary Reds and the counter-revolutionary Whites. In 1922, the communists were victorious, forming the Soviet Union with the unification of the Russian, Transcaucasian, Ukrainian, following Lenins death in 1924, a collective leadership and a brief power struggle, Joseph Stalin came to power in the mid-1920s. Stalin suppressed all opposition to his rule, committed the state ideology to Marxism–Leninism. As a result, the country underwent a period of rapid industrialization and collectivization which laid the foundation for its victory in World War II and postwar dominance of Eastern Europe. Shortly before World War II, Stalin signed the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact agreeing to non-aggression with Nazi Germany, in June 1941, the Germans invaded the Soviet Union, opening the largest and bloodiest theater of war in history. Soviet war casualties accounted for the highest proportion of the conflict in the effort of acquiring the upper hand over Axis forces at battles such as Stalingrad. Soviet forces eventually captured Berlin in 1945, the territory overtaken by the Red Army became satellite states of the Eastern Bloc. The Cold War emerged by 1947 as the Soviet bloc confronted the Western states that united in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in 1949. Following Stalins death in 1953, a period of political and economic liberalization, known as de-Stalinization and Khrushchevs Thaw, the country developed rapidly, as millions of peasants were moved into industrialized cities. The USSR took a lead in the Space Race with Sputnik 1, the first ever satellite, and Vostok 1. In the 1970s, there was a brief détente of relations with the United States, the war drained economic resources and was matched by an escalation of American military aid to Mujahideen fighters. In the mid-1980s, the last Soviet leader, Mikhail Gorbachev, sought to reform and liberalize the economy through his policies of glasnost. The goal was to preserve the Communist Party while reversing the economic stagnation, the Cold War ended during his tenure, and in 1989 Soviet satellite countries in Eastern Europe overthrew their respective communist regimes. This led to the rise of strong nationalist and separatist movements inside the USSR as well, in August 1991, a coup détat was attempted by Communist Party hardliners. It failed, with Russian President Boris Yeltsin playing a role in facing down the coup. On 25 December 1991, Gorbachev resigned and the twelve constituent republics emerged from the dissolution of the Soviet Union as independent post-Soviet states
USSR
–
Vladimir Lenin addressing a crowd with Trotsky, 1920
USSR
–
Flag
USSR
–
Stalin and
Nikolai Yezhov, head of the
NKVD. After Yezhov was executed, he was
edited out of the image.
USSR
7.
Czechoslovakia
–
From 1939 to 1945, following its forced division and partial incorporation into Nazi Germany, the state did not de facto exist but its government-in-exile continued to operate. From 1948 to 1990, Czechoslovakia was part of the Soviet bloc with a command economy and its economic status was formalized in membership of Comecon from 1949, and its defense status in the Warsaw Pact of May 1955. A period of liberalization in 1968, known as the Prague Spring, was forcibly ended when the Soviet Union, assisted by several other Warsaw Pact countries. In 1993, Czechoslovakia split into the two states of the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Form of state 1918–1938, A democratic republic, 1938–1939, After annexation of Sudetenland by Nazi Germany in 1938, the region gradually turned into a state with loosened connections among the Czech, Slovak, and Ruthenian parts. A large strip of southern Slovakia and Carpatho-Ukraine was annexed by Hungary, 1939–1945, The region was split into the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia and the Slovak Republic. A government-in-exile continued to exist in London, supported by the United Kingdom, United States and its Allies, after the German invasion of Russia, Czechoslovakia adhered to the Declaration by United Nations and was a founding member of the United Nations. 1946–1948, The country was governed by a government with communist ministers, including the prime minister. Carpathian Ruthenia was ceded to the Soviet Union, 1948–1989, The country became a socialist state under Soviet domination with a centrally planned economy. In 1960, the country became a socialist republic, the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic. It was a state of the Soviet Union. 1989–1990, The federal republic consisted of the Czech Socialist Republic, 1990–1992, Following the Velvet Revolution, the state was renamed the Czech and Slovak Federal Republic, consisting of the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic. Neighbours Austria 1918–1938, 1945–1992 Germany Hungary Poland Romania 1918–1938 Soviet Union 1945–1991 Ukraine 1991–1992 Topography The country was of irregular terrain. The western area was part of the north-central European uplands, the eastern region was composed of the northern reaches of the Carpathian Mountains and lands of the Danube River basin. Climate The weather is mild winters and mild summers, influenced by the Atlantic Ocean from the west, Baltic Sea from the north, and Mediterranean Sea from the south. The area was long a part of the Austro Hungarian Empire until the Empire collapsed at the end of World War I, the new state was founded by Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk, who served as its first president from 14 November 1918 to 14 December 1935. He was succeeded by his ally, Edvard Beneš. The roots of Czech nationalism go back to the 19th century, nationalism became a mass movement in the last half of the 19th century
Czechoslovakia
–
Czechoslovak troops in Vladivostok (1918)
Czechoslovakia
–
Flag since 1920
Czechoslovakia
–
The car in which Reinhard Heydrich was killed
Czechoslovakia
–
Spartakiad in 1960
8.
North Korea
–
North Korea, officially the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, is a country in East Asia, constituting the northern part of the Korean Peninsula. Pyongyang is both the capital as well as its largest city. To the north and northwest the country is bordered by China and by Russia along the Amnok, the country is bordered to the south by South Korea, with the heavily fortified Korean Demilitarized Zone separating the two. Negotiations on reunification failed, and in 1948 two separate governments were formed, the communist Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea in the north, an invasion initiated by North Korea led to the Korean War. The Korean Armistice Agreement brought about a ceasefire, and no peace treaty was ever signed. North Korea officially describes itself as a self-reliant socialist state and formally holds elections, critics regard it as a totalitarian dictatorship. Various outlets have called it Stalinist, particularly noting the elaborate cult of personality around Kim Il-sung, International organizations have assessed human rights violations in North Korea as belonging to a category of their own, with no parallel in the contemporary world. Over time, North Korea has gradually distanced itself from the world communist movement, Juche, an ideology of national self-reliance, was introduced into the constitution as a creative application of Marxism–Leninism in 1972. The means of production are owned by the state through state-run enterprises, most services such as healthcare, education, housing and food production are subsidized or state-funded. From 1994 to 1998, North Korea suffered from a famine that resulted in the deaths of between 0.24 and 3.5 million people, and the continues to struggle with food production. North Korea follows Songun, or military-first policy and it is the country with the highest number of military and paramilitary personnel, with a total of 9,495,000 active, reserve, and paramilitary personnel. Its active duty army of 1.21 million is the fourth largest in the world, after China, North Korea is an atheist state with no official religion and where public religion is discouraged. The name Korea derives from the name Goryeo, the name Goryeo itself was first used by the ancient kingdom of Goguryeo in the 5th century as a shortened form of its name. The 10th-century kingdom of Goryeo succeeded Goguryeo, and thus inherited its name, the modern spelling of Korea first appeared in the late 17th century in the travel writings of the Dutch East India Companys Hendrick Hamel. After the division of the country into North and South Korea, the two sides used different terms to refer to Korea, Chosun or Joseon in North Korea, in 1948, North Korea adopted Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea as its new legal name. After the First Sino-Japanese War and the Russo-Japanese War, Korea was occupied by Japan, Japan tried to suppress Korean traditions and culture and ran the economy primarily for its own benefit. Korean resistance groups known as Dongnipgun operated along the Sino-Korean border, some of them took part in allied action in China and parts of South East Asia. One of the leaders was the communist Kim Il-sung, who later became the leader of North Korea
North Korea
–
Jikji, the first known book printed with movable metal type in 1377. Bibliothèque Nationale de Paris
North Korea
–
Flag
North Korea
–
Gyeongbok Palace is the largest of the
Five Grand Palaces built during the
Joseon Dynasty.
North Korea
–
Three Koreans shot for pulling up rails as a protest against seizure of land without payment by the Japanese
9.
Vehicle armour
–
Military vehicles are commonly armoured to withstand the impact of shrapnel, bullets, missiles or shells, protecting the personnel inside from enemy fire. Such vehicles include armoured fighting vehicles like tanks, aircraft and ships, civilian vehicles may also be armoured. These vehicles include cars used by reporters, officials and others in conflict zones or where violent crime is common, armoured cars are also routinely used by security firms to carry money or valuables to reduce the risk of highway robbery or the hijacking of the cargo. Armour may also be used in vehicles to protect from other than a deliberate attack. Some spacecraft are equipped with specialised armour to protect them against impacts from micrometeoroids or fragments of space junk, the design and purpose of the vehicle determines the amount of armour plating carried, as the plating is often very heavy and excessive amounts of armour restrict mobility. In order to decrease this problem, some new materials and material compositions are being researched which include buckypaper, rolled homogeneous armour is strong, hard, and tough. Steel with these characteristics is produced by processing cast steel billets of appropriate size, rolling and forging irons out the grain structure in the steel, removing imperfections which would reduce the strength of the steel. Aluminium is used when weight is a necessity. It is most commonly used on APCs and armoured cars, wrought iron was used on ironclad warships. Early European iron armour consisted of 10 to 13 cm of wrought iron backed by up to one meter of solid wood, titanium is roughly the weight of aluminium, but as strong as iron. So despite being rather expensive, it finds an application in areas where weight is a concern, such as personal armour, because of its high density, depleted uranium can also be used in tank armour, sandwiched between sheets of steel armour plate. Plastic metal was a type of vehicle armour originally developed for merchant ships by the British Admiralty in 1940, the original composition was described as 50% clean granite of half-inch size, 43% of limestone mineral, and 7% of bitumen. It was typically applied in a two inches thick and backed by half an inch of steel. Plastic armour could be applied by pouring it into a cavity formed by the backing plate. Bulletproof glass is a term for glass that is particularly resistant to being penetrated when struck by bullets. The industry generally refers to it as bullet-resistant glass or transparent armour, bullet-resistant glass is usually constructed using a strong but transparent material such as polycarbonate thermoplastic or by using layers of laminated glass. The desired result is a material with the appearance and light-transmitting behaviour of standard glass, the polycarbonate layer, usually consisting of products such as Armormax, Makroclear, Cyrolon, Lexan or Tuffak, is often sandwiched between layers of regular glass. The use of plastic in the laminate provides impact-resistance, such as physical assault with a hammer, the plastic provides little in the way of bullet-resistance
Vehicle armour
–
The British
Fox CVR(W) was built largely of aluminum.
Vehicle armour
–
Ballistic test of a bullet-resistant glass panel
Vehicle armour
–
Plasan Sand Cat light (5t) military vehicle featuring integrated composite armoured body
Vehicle armour
–
T-34 with appliqué armour welded on.
10.
U-5TS
–
The U-5TS tank gun is a 115mm-calibre weapon that was fitted exclusively to the Soviet Unions T-62 main battle tank. It was the first smoothbore weapon designed for tanks and heralded the change in main armament from rifled cannons, the Soviets set about designing a new heavy vehicle which was required to complement the tanks in an overwatch capacity and to provide greater anti-armour capability. The new weapon, designated as U-5T, could penetrate 300mm of vertical RHA at a 1000 metres and this was proven by examination of Iranian Chieftain and M60s knocked out by Iraqi T-62s during the Iran-Iraq War. These examinations led to the development of add-on armour packages such as Stillbrew to try to counter the U-5TS, another first with this gun was the use of armour-piercing fin-stabilized discarding-sabot ammunition, with the initial 3VBM-1 rounds featuring steel penetrators. The subsequent development of type of ammunition for this gun led to an array of penetrator designs and different materials with the final model. In accordance with later Soviet and current Russian practice an anti-tank guided missile, there is also HE-FRAG and HEAT ammunition available for this weapon. Experienced loaders were capable of reloading the gun in 6 seconds
U-5TS
–
U-5TS tank gun on display at the Motovilikha Plant Museum in Perm. Russia.
U-5TS
–
T-62 Tank with U-5TS Gun at the US NTC
11.
PKT machine gun
–
The PK, is a 7.62 mm general-purpose machine gun designed in the Soviet Union and currently in production in Russia. The original PK machine gun was introduced in 1961 and then the improved PKM in 1969 to replace the SGM and it remains in use as a front-line infantry and vehicle-mounted weapon with Russias armed forces. The PK has been exported extensively and produced in other countries under license. The Main Artillery Directorate of the Soviet Union adopted specification requirements for a 7.62 mm general-purpose company- and battalion-level machine gun, in 1958 a machine gun prototype, developed by G. I. Nikitin and Yuri M. Sokolov, successfully passed field tests, when the Nikitin-Sokolov machine gun was almost completed, a team of Izhevsk Mechanical Plant designers, headed by M. T. Kalashnikov, and further consisting of M. T, pushchin, A. D. Kryakushin, as well as Startsev, Kamzolov, Koryakovtsev, Yuferev, joined the competition. Their machine gun prototype was based on the well-proven gas-operated rotary-bolt design of the Kalashnikov-pattern arms, the Main Missiles and Artillery Directorate and the Ministry of the Defence Industry preferred the Kalashnikov design. The Kalashnikov design was found to be reliable and cheaper to manufacture than the design of Grigory Nikitin. The PK/PKS was put into production at the Kovrov Mechanical Plant and used the tripod mount, nikitins and Sokolovs machine gun design was later used in the 12.7 mm NSV heavy machine gun that was put into production in 1971. The original PK was a development of Kalashnikovs AKM assault rifle, the PK uses the 7. 62×54mmR Eastern Bloc standard cartridge that produces significantly more bolt thrust when compared to the Eastern Bloc 7. 62×39mm and 5. 45×39mm intermediate cartridges. The bolt and carrier design are similar to the AK-47 and other modernized Kalashnikov-pattern weapons, the bolt and bolt carrier are however oriented upside down compared to the AKM, with the piston and gas system being underneath the barrel. The rimmed 7. 62×54mmR cartridges are set in an ammunition belt. The belt is mounted from the side into the feedway of the PK machine gun. The PK uses a charging handle on the right side of the receiver to charge the gun. The breech is locked by a bolt, with two locking lugs engaging locking recesses in the receiver. The gas piston is hinged lo the bolt assembly. The protruding rear part of the carrier assembly features spiral shaped cuts. The mainspring is accommodated in the carrier assembly slide channel
PKT machine gun
–
PKM general-purpose machine gun with modern black polymer furniture and a 100-round ammunition box
PKT machine gun
–
Front to back: PKM prototype, model of Shpitalniy tank machine gun prototype, TKB-264
PKT machine gun
–
Rear iron sight element on a PKM receiver
PKT machine gun
–
Mongolian soldier with a PKM with a side-rail bracket mounted passive night sight (Polish 2.3× PCS-5)
12.
Coaxial
–
In geometry, coaxial means that two or more three-dimensional linear forms share a common axis. Thus, it is concentric in three-dimensional, linear forms, a coaxial cable, as a common example, is a three-dimensional linear structure. It has a conductor in the centre, a circumferential outer conductor. The outer conductor is usually sheathed in a protective PVC outer jacket, all these have a common axis. The dimension and material of the conductors and insulation determine the characteristic impedance. In loudspeaker design, coaxial speakers are a system in which the individual driver units radiate sound from the same point or axis
Coaxial
–
coaxial cable
13.
DShK
–
The DShK1938 is a Soviet heavy machine gun firing the 12. 7×108mm cartridge. The weapon was used as a heavy infantry machine gun, in which case it was frequently deployed with a two-wheeled mounting. It took its name from the weapons designers Vasily Degtyaryov, who designed the weapon, and Georgi Shpagin. It is sometimes nicknamed Dashka in Russian-speaking countries, from the abbreviation, the requirement for a heavy machine gun appeared in 1929. The first such gun, the Degtyaryov, Krupnokalibernyi, was built in 1930, the gun was fed from a drum magazine of only thirty rounds, and had a poor rate of fire. Shpagin developed a belt feed mechanism to fit to the DK giving rise, in 1938 and this became the standard Soviet heavy machine gun in World War II. Like its U. S. equivalent, the M2 Browning, as an anti-aircraft weapon it was mounted on pintle and tripod mounts, and on a triple mount on the GAZ-AA truck. Late in the war, it was mounted on the cupolas of IS-2 tanks, as an infantry heavy support weapon it used a two-wheeled trolley which unfolded into a tripod for anti-aircraft use, similar to the mount developed by Vladimirov for the 1910 Maxim gun. It was also mounted in turrets, for example, in the T-40 light amphibious tank. In 1946, the DShK 1938/46 or DShKM version was introduced, in addition to the Soviet Union and Russia, the DShK has been manufactured under license by a number of countries, including the Peoples Republic of China, Pakistan and Romania. Today, it has mostly replaced in favour of the more modern NSV. Nevertheless, the DShK is still one of the most widely used heavy machine guns, dShKs were also used in 2004, against British troops in Al-Amarah, Iraq. In the 2012 Syrian civil war, the Syrian government said rebels used the gun mounted on cars and it claimed to have destroyed, on the same day,40 such cars on a highway in Aleppo and six in Dael. FN BRG-15 Kord machine gun KPV heavy machine gun List of Russian weaponry M2 Browning machine gun NSV machine gun Leszek Erenfeicht, Soviet Cannon, A Comprehensive Study of Soviet Arms and Ammunition in Calibres 12. 7mm to 57mm
DShK
–
DShKM
DShK
–
Jamiat-e Islami Mujahideen of Afghanistan in 1987 with a DShK
DShK
–
Albanian DShKM probably of
Chinese origin - Close Air Defence version.
DShK
–
DShKM TR-85M1
14.
Torsion bar
–
A torsion bar suspension, also known as a torsion spring suspension, is a general term for any vehicle suspension that uses a torsion bar as its main weight bearing spring. Vertical motion of the causes the bar to twist around its axis and is resisted by the bars torsion resistance. The effective spring rate of the bar is determined by its length, cross section, shape, material, manufacturers change the torsion bar or key to adjust the ride height, usually to compensate for heavier or lighter engines. Over-rotating the torsion bars can cause the suspension to hit the bump-stop prematurely. Aftermarket forged-metal torsion key kits use relocked adjuster keys to prevent over-rotation, the main advantages of a torsion bar suspension are durability, easy adjustability of ride height, and small profile along the width of the vehicle. It takes up less of the interior volume than coil springs. Torsion bars reached the height of their popularity on mass-production road cars in the middle of the 20th century at the time that unitary construction was being adopted. Using MacPherson struts to achieve independent front suspension with coil springs meant providing strong turrets in the structure of the car. A disadvantage is that torsion bars, unlike coil springs, usually provide a progressive spring rate. In most torsion bar systems, ride height may be changed by simply adjusting bolts that connect the torsion bars to the steering knuckles, in most cars with this type of suspension, swapping torsion bars for a different spring rate is usually an easy task. Some vehicles use torsion bars to provide automatic levelling, using a motor to pre-stress the bars to provide resistance to load and, in some cases. Height adjustable suspension has been used to implement a wheel-change mode where the vehicle is raised on three wheels so that the wheel is lifted off the ground without the aid of a jack. Before World War II, the front wheel drive Citroen Traction Avant had independent front torsion bar suspension, the flexibility of the axle beam provided wheel location features like a twist beam axle. The Czechoslovakian Tatra cars designed by Professor Hans Ledwinka in the mid-1930s used all round independent torsion bar suspension, also in the 1930s, prototypes of the first Volkswagen Beetle incorporated torsion bars—especially its transverse mounting style. The system first saw use in the Swedish Stridsvagn L-60 tank of 1934. It was used extensively in European cars Renault, Citroën and Volkswagen, the Packard used torsion bars at both front and rear, and interconnected the front and rear systems to improve ride quality. Morris Minor and Oxford from the late 1940s onwards used a front torsion bar system very similar to the Citroen, the single torsion bar was mounted through the frame sides behind the rear axle and then attached by arms and links to the front side of the spring U-bolt plates. Axle Flex was discontinued for the 1936 model year, the designer of these cars, Alec Issigonis was inspired by the Traction Avants suspension although the Morris cars were rear-wheel drive and used conventional leaf springs for their rear axles
Torsion bar
–
A torsion bar with no load applied.
Torsion bar
–
A torsion bar with a load applied.
Torsion bar
–
A front
VW Beetle suspension cross-section
15.
Tanks in the Cold War
–
During the Cold War, the two opposing forces in Europe were the Warsaw Pact countries on the one side, and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization countries on the other side. The Warsaw Pact was seen by the West as having an aggressive force outnumbering the NATO forces, Soviet domination of the Warsaw Pact led to effective standardization on a few tank designs. In comparison, NATO adopted a defensive posture, the major contributing nations, France, Germany, the USA, and the UK developed their own tank designs, with little in common, while the smaller nations of NATO purchased or adapted these designs. After World War II, tank development continued largely as it had been because of the Cold War, Tanks would not only continue to be produced in huge numbers, but the technology advanced dramatically as well. Tanks became larger and their armour became thicker and much more effective, aspects of gun technology changed significantly as well, with big advances in shell design and terminal effectiveness. However, nowadays most tanks in service still have manually breech-loaded guns, many of the changes in tank design have been refinements to targeting and ranging, gun stabilisation, communications and crew comfort. Armour has evolved to keep pace with improvements in weaponry, but there have been no fundamental changes. The design and budgeting of tanks has known severe ups and downs, right after the war, tank design budgets were cut and engineering staff was often scattered. The Korean War proved that tanks were useful on the battlefield. Medium tanks gradually evolved into the new concept of the battle tank. This transition happened gradually in the 1950s, as it was realized that medium tanks could carry guns that could penetrate any practical level of armor at long range. The World War II concept of heavy tanks, armed with the most powerful guns and heaviest armor, likewise, World War II had shown that lightly armed, lightly armored tanks were of little value in most roles. Even reconnaissance vehicles shown a trend towards heavier weight and greater firepower during World War II, speed was not a substitute for armor, an increasing variety of anti-tank weapons and the perceived threat of a nuclear war prioritized the need for additional armor. The additional armor prompted the design of more powerful cannons. The main battle tank thus took on the role the British had once called the Universal tank, typical main battle tanks were as well armed as any other vehicle on the battlefield, highly mobile, and well armored. Yet they were enough to be built in large numbers. The classic main battle tanks of the 1950s were the British Centurion, the Soviet T-55 series, and these three basic vehicles were upgraded significantly over time. For example, the Centurion began life with the highly effective 17-pounder gun, the Russian T-55 started with a 100 mm gun, but has been upgraded with both 115 mm and 125 mm guns, much improved fire control systems, new engines, track, etc
Tanks in the Cold War
–
A US Army M60A3 main battle tank moves along a street in Germany during Exercise REFORGER '85
Tanks in the Cold War
–
The M26 Pershing, one of the US tanks designed near the end of
World War II and used during the
Cold War.
Tanks in the Cold War
–
British Centurion Mk 3
main battle tank at
Eastbourne Redoubt
Tanks in the Cold War
–
M48 Patton
16.
List of modern armoured fighting vehicles
–
Hunnicutt, R. P. Firepower, A History of the American Heavy Tank
List of modern armoured fighting vehicles
–
Leclerc main battle tank
List of modern armoured fighting vehicles
–
Panhard M3 VTT
List of modern armoured fighting vehicles
–
BDX used by the
Belgian Gendarmerie.
List of modern armoured fighting vehicles
–
CV9030
17.
Main battle tank
–
A main battle tank, also known as a battle tank or universal tank, is a tank that fills the armor-protected direct fire and maneuver role of many modern armies. Through the 1960s, the MBT replaced almost all other tanks, today, main battle tanks are considered a key component of modern armies. Modern MBTs seldom operate alone, as they are organized into armoured units which involve the support of infantry and they are also often supported by surveillance or ground-attack aircraft. In World War I, tanks were classed into light, medium, and heavy based on weight, as tank combat evolved, tank design suffered from a number of limitations due largely to engine power and transmission capability. A designer could produce a tank with high maneuverability, armour, or a large gun, the first prioritised maneuverability, and thus had a limit on weight. These were known variously as cavalry tanks, light tanks, medium tanks and these tanks had different uses depending on the countrys tank doctrine but were generally used to exploit holes in the enemy lines and run far into the rear areas in self-supporting armoured groups. This would disrupt enemy logistics and command-and-control, as well as delay the movement of reserves to the front and it was believed operations of this sort would undermine or completely destroy the ability for the front-line troops to continue the battle. The second class prioritised armour and thus weighed more, limiting maneuverability and these were known as infantry tanks, heavy tanks, or assault tanks. They were generally designed to assault enemy lines, working in concert with front-line infantry, as these were expected to move forward at the same speed as the men, higher speeds were not required and the engine power could instead be used to carry a much greater load. Infantry tanks featured much larger amounts of armour, heavier guns, as the nature of tank warfare evolved, tanks designed for other specialised roles also saw development. This included dedicated tank destroyers, and engineer tanks such as Hobarts Funnies, Tank destroyers had varied successes and often ended up engaging enemy infantry instead of their intended targets. German assault gun armoured vehicles like the Sturmgeschütz III were found effective in an anti-tank role, in spite of a great amount of theory and pre-war testing, the plans for armoured combat quickly proved themselves outdated. The battlefield did not bog down like it did in World War I and this was especially evident in the great sweeping battles in North Africa and the Soviet Union, where armoured forces executed drives of hundreds of miles. In these cases the problems with having two became especially evident, the tanks able to go toe-to-toe with the enemy were generally found miles to the rear. Those able to maintain the drive were lightly armoured and proved easy prey for enemy anti-tank guns, as these evolved, the tanks own weapons had to grow larger in order to deal with enemy tanks with the same level of armour. This evolution led to the development of a more general-purpose medium tank, medium tanks formed the bulk of the tank combat forces. Generally, these designs massed about 25-30 tonnes, were armed with cannons around 75 mm, notable examples include the Soviet T-34, the German Panzer IV, and the US M4 Sherman. The widespread production of designs led to most others being pushed out of service or into niche roles
Main battle tank
–
German Army Leopard 2 A5 main battle tanks in August 2010
Main battle tank
–
Centurion Mk 3
Main battle tank
–
Soviet T-64 undergoing decontamination
Main battle tank
–
A very early model M60 "Patton" with M48 turret and 105mm cannon
18.
AMX-30
–
The AMX-30 is a main battle tank designed by GIAT and first delivered to the French Army in 1966. The first five tanks were issued to the 501st Régiment de Chars de Combat in August of that year, the production version of the AMX-30 weighed 36 metric tons, and sacrificed protection for increased mobility. The French believed that it would have required too much armour to protect against the latest anti-tank threats, protection, instead, was provided by the speed and the compact dimensions of the vehicle, including a height of 2.28 metres. It had a 105 mm gun, firing a then advanced high explosive anti-tank warhead known as the Obus G. The Obus G used a shell, separated from the main charge by ball bearings. Mobility was provided by the 720 horsepower HS-110 diesel engine, although the troublesome transmission adversely affected the tanks performance and it was preceded by two post-war French medium tank designs. The first, the ARL44, was an interim tank and its replacement, the AMX50, was cancelled in the mid-1950s in favor of adopting the M47 Patton tank. In 1956, the French government entered a development program with Germany. As a result, both decided to adopt tanks based on their own prototypes. The German tank became known as the Leopard 1, while the French prototype became the AMX-30, as early as 1969, the AMX-30 and variants were ordered by Greece, soon followed by Spain. In the coming years, the AMX-30 would be exported to Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, Qatar, by the end of production,3,571 units of AMX-30s and its variants had been manufactured. Both Spain and Venezuela later began extensive modernization programs to extend the life of their vehicles, in the 1991 Gulf War, AMX-30s were deployed by both the French and Qatari armies. Qatari AMX-30s saw action against Iraqi forces at the Battle of Khafji, France and most other nations replaced their AMX-30s with more up-to-date equipment by the end of the 20th century. The tank was powered by a Maybach HL-230575 horsepower engine, although the 48-metric-ton vehicle was comparable to contemporary battle tanks in firepower and engine power, it suffered from distinct disadvantages, including an antiquated track design. While 600 were planned, only 60 were ultimately produced by 1950 and that year, these were issued to the French Armys 503rd Tank Regiment. Given that the ARL44 had been considered only a vehicle for the French Armys armoured forces since inception. The new vehicle was based on the new requirement for a single battle tank. The new vehicle was designated the AMX50 and its hull and suspension were similar to that of the German Panther tank, which had been used by the French Army in the immediate post-war
AMX-30
–
Prototype of AMX-30C2 sporting a 105 rifled tank gun
AMX-30
–
AMX 50 at the tank museum in
Saumur.
AMX-30
–
The 1955
Char Batignolles-Châtillon.
AMX-30
–
One of the two 1965 pre-production vehicles.
19.
AMX-40
–
The AMX-40 was a French prototype main battle tank. As the AMX-32 had failed to any potential sales, GIAT decided to produce yet another upgrade. The development of the AMX-40 began in 1980 as a clean sheet design, in 1983, the first prototype was finished and presented at the Satory Exhibition that year. Two further prototypes were produced in 1984, the fourth and last one was fabricated in 1985, the design was not intended for service in France, but as a successor to the AMX-32, the improved export version of the AMX-30. However, the efforts to obtain foreign orders failed, the most serious potential customer to have considered the design being Spain and it ceased being offered for export in 1990. The tank was of standard configuration, with the driver at the front, the turret in the center, housing a gunner, commander and loader. Its armament consisted of a 120 millimetre calibre smoothbore gun, with an optional coaxial 20 millimetre calibre F2 autocannon, the fire control system was the COTAC also used for the AMX-30 B2. As its dimensions were small,6.8 metres long,3.36 m wide and 2.38 m high at the turret roof. The tank was powered by a 1,100 horsepower Poyaud V12X diesel engine coupled to an automatic ZF transmission, the number of road wheels per side was increased from the five used on the AMX-32 to six. The weight was limited to 43 metric tonnes, the front armour utilised laminated and perforated steel and protected against 100 millimetres HEAT and APDS ammunition. Such 400 to 450 mm RHA equivalency would have been considered quite formidable in 1980, in the eighties, it had become substandard due to missile. Archived from the original on 2009-06-15, military Today - AMX-40 Forty, George. The Illustrated Guide to Tanks of the World
AMX-40
–
AMX-40 prototype at the
Musée des Blindés at Saumur
20.
Centurion (tank)
–
The Centurion, introduced in 1945, was the primary British main battle tank of the post-Second World War period. It is widely considered to be one of the most successful tank designs, remaining in production into the 1960s. The chassis was adapted for several other roles, and these have remained in service to this day. Development of the began in 1943 and manufacture of the Centurion began in January 1945. It first entered combat with the British Army in the Korean War in 1950, the Centurion later served in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, where it fought against US-supplied M47 and M48 Patton tanks and it served with the Royal Australian Armoured Corps in Vietnam. Israel used Centurions in the 1967 Six Day War,1973 Yom Kippur War, Centurions modified as armoured personnel carriers were used in Gaza, the West Bank and on the Lebanese border. The Royal Jordanian Land Force used Centurions, first in 1970 to fend off a Syrian incursion within its borders during the Black September events, South Africa deployed its Centurions in Angola during the South African Border War. It became one of the most widely used designs, equipping armies around the world. As recently as the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict the Israel Defense Forces employed heavily modified Centurions as armoured personnel carriers, the South African National Defence Force still employs over 200 Centurions, which were modernised in the 1980s and 2000s as the Olifant. Between 1946 and 1962,4,423 Centurions were produced, consisting of 13 basic marks, in British Army use it was replaced by the Chieftain. In 1943, the Directorate of Tank Design, under Sir Claude Gibb, F. R. S. was asked to produce a new design for a heavy cruiser tank under the General Staff designation A41. Initially in September 1943 the A41 tank was to no more than 40 tons, the limit for existing Mark I and Mark II transport trailers. The British railway loading gauge required that the width should not exceed 10 ft 8 in, a high top speed was not important, while agility was to be equal to that of the Comet. A high reverse speed was specified, as during the fighting in southern Italy, the modified production gearbox had a two-speed reverse, with the higher reverse speed similar to second gear. The Horstmann design did not offer the same quality as the Christie system. In case of damage by mines, individual suspension and wheel units could be replaced relatively easily, with a Rover-built Rolls-Royce Meteor engine, as used on the Comet and Cromwell, the new design would have excellent performance. The new version carried armour equal to the heaviest infantry tanks, while improved suspension, the War Office decided it would be wiser to build new trailers, rather than hamper what appeared to be a superb design. Historian David Fletcher states, But was Centurion, after all, the answer has to be a qualified negative
Centurion (tank)
–
Centurion Mk3
Centurion (tank)
–
Centurion Mk 3 at
Eastbourne Redoubt
Centurion (tank)
–
Troops of the 1st Armoured Regiment during a briefing at Vung Tau
Centurion (tank)
–
Israeli Sho't variant
21.
Challenger 1
–
The FV4030/4 Challenger 1 is a British main battle tank used by the British Army from 1983 to the mid-1990s, when it was superseded by the Challenger 2. It is also used by the Royal Jordanian Army as its main battle tank after heavy modifications. The variants for the Jordanian military are to be upgraded using the unmanned Falcon turret and these were the Chieftain Mk5- FV4030/1, FV4030/2 Shir 1 and 4030/3 Shir 2. With the fall of the Shah of Iran and the collapse of the UK MBT90 project, the British Army became the customer, for a short time the tank was named Cheviot before becoming Challenger, a name reused from the Cruiser Mk VIII Challenger tank of World War II. This armour was adopted by other designs, including the American M1 Abrams. Additionally, the hydropneumatic suspension provided outstanding cross-country performance through the suspension arm travel and controlled bump. The Challenger was built by the Royal Ordnance Factories, Challenger 1 entered service with the British Army in 1983 and production ceased in 1990 at a cost of around £2 million each. In 1986, ROF Leeds was acquired by Vickers Defence Systems, Jordan initially purchased 274 Challenger 1 tanks. Under an agreement signed in March 1999, another 288 surplus Challenger 1s were supplied to Jordan over a three-year period, which enabled the Jordanian Centurion fleet to be replaced. The Ministry of Defence was keen to show off the capabilities of the Challenger 1 in the Canadian Army Trophy Competition, held at Grafenwöhr, West Germany, in June 1987. The Royal Hussars had a squadron fitted with TOGS, however, they had training at BATUS in Canada with Chieftains, instead of training with Challenger. Twenty-two new Challengers with TOGS were specially diverted from the line for the competition. At the competition itself, the Hussars managed some creditable scores but overall, following poor results in 1985 with Chieftain, and in 1987 with Challenger, the British Army decided in December 1987 to withdraw indefinitely from the competition. A requirement for a new MBT was later issued, proposals put forward for the new specification included an improved Challenger from Vickers, the American M1 Abrams, the French Leclerc, and the German Leopard 2. The Vickers Defence Systems design, designated Challenger 2, was eventually selected, withdrawals of British Army Challenger 1 began in 1998 and it had been completely replaced by Challenger 2 by 2001. There was also a Challenger Marksman SPAAG version, equipped with the Marksman turret,221 Challenger tanks were deployed to Saudi Arabia for Operation Granby, the UK operation in the Persian Gulf War. They were modified for operations by a REME team and civilian contractors at the quayside in Al Jubayl. This fit included additional Chobham Armour along the sides and explosive reactive armour on the nose
Challenger 1
–
Challenger 1 at Tankfest 2009 at the
The Tank Museum
Challenger 1
–
Challenger 1 of the
Royal Scots Dragoon Guards near
Kuwait City during the Gulf War.
Challenger 1
–
Challenger 1 of the
1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards with
IFOR markings.
Challenger 1
–
Challenger 1 of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards during the Gulf War
22.
Chieftain (tank)
–
The FV4201 Chieftain was the main battle tank of the United Kingdom during the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. It was the most formidable main battle tank in the world at the time of its introduction in 1966 with the most powerful main gun and this was further improved while in service with Chobham armour upgrades. A development of the Centurion, the Chieftain introduced the supine position to British design enabling a heavily sloped hull with reduced height. A new powerpack and improved transmission gave it higher speed than the Centurion despite being due to major upgrades to armour protection. It remained in service until replaced by the Challenger 1 which shared a number of the Chieftains features. The Chieftain was a development of the successful cruiser line of tanks that had emerged at the end of the Second World War. Its predecessor the Centurion main battle tank is considered to be one of the most successful of post-war MBT designs. However, the introduction of the Soviet IS-3 heavy tank along with Soviet T-54/T-55 forced the introduction of their own Conqueror heavy tank armed with a 120 mm gun. A single design combining the firepower of the Conquerors 120 mm gun with the mobility, Leyland, who had been involved in the Centurion tank had built their own prototypes of a new tank design in 1956 and these led to a War Office specification for a new tank. The General Staff specification drew on the experience of Centurion tanks in the Korean War as well as that of the Conqueror tank, the tank was expected to be able to engage the enemy at long range, from defensive positions, and be proof against medium artillery. To this end the gun was to have an angle of depression than the 8 degrees of Conqueror. The tank was expected to achieve a rate of 10 rounds per minute in the first minute. The first few prototypes were provided for troop trials from 1959 which identified a number of changes, improvements to address engine vibration and cooling resulted in redesign of the rear hull. This increased the weight to nearly 50 tons and accordingly the suspension was strengthened. Track pads had to be fitted to protect roads from damage, the design was accepted in the early 1960s. Britain and Israel had collaborated on the development in its latter stages with a view to Israel purchasing, two prototypes were delivered as part of a four-year trial. However, it was decided not to sell the marque to the Israelis. In 1957, NATO had specified that its forces should use multi-fuel engines, the early BL Engine delivered around 450 bhp to the sprocket, which meant a top road speed of around 25 mph and cross country performance was limited
Chieftain (tank)
–
Chieftain Mark 11
Chieftain (tank)
–
Chieftain display at the
Bovington tank museum, 2006
Chieftain (tank)
–
Detail of the
120 mm L11A5 rifled gun
Chieftain (tank)
–
Chieftain tanks of
14th/20th King's Hussars on parade with urban camouflage,
Straße des 17. Juni,
West Berlin, 18 June 1989.
23.
Chonma-ho
–
The Chŏnma-ho or spelled as Chonma-ho is one of North Koreas secretive indigenous main battle tank designs. The tank is known by the name of 천리마 전차. The original Chŏnma-ho is based on the Soviet T-62, there are at least five different operational versions of the Chŏnma-ho. Since its inception, the Chŏnma-ho has apparently undergone several extensive upgrades, after the Armistice Agreement of the Korean War in 1953, North Korea found itself in need of much more modern equipment. Prior to the start of hostilities, North Korea had acquired 379 T-34s from the Soviet Union. According to a report to the United States Congress in 2000 and this means that between the years 1954 and 2000 the North Koreans were able to stockpile over 2,000 tanks, including Soviet T-55s and T-62s and Chinese Type 59s and Type 62s. A North Korean general who defected to South Korea also said that due to a lack of military exercises are limited. It is also possible that many of the vehicles used by the North Korean Peoples Army are not well maintained and have suffered from years of disuse. This still remains true even assuming good maintenance, and the North Korean army would not be the only military experiencing this, although not much is known about the North Korean military after the Korean War, it is known that they have many different types of tanks. These include the Type 59 and Type 62, as well as the T-54, T-62, the T-54 was probably sold to North Korea between 1960 and 1970, while the T-62 was reportedly sold in the mid 1980s. Unconfirmed reports indicate a few T-72s may have provided to North Korea in the early 1990s. It is known that the North Koreans still make limited use of vintage World War II T-34s as well as the Soviet-era PT-76/85 amphibious tanks. Up to 5,400 tanks are coupled with at least 12,000 self-propelled artillery pieces and thousands of other towed artillery pieces of unknown type, the North Koreans also have at least nine different types of armoured personnel carriers, including the BMP-1. The Chŏnma-ho has been issued to North Koreas premier armored formations, other armour is relegated to a secondary role in this corps or to North Koreas four mechanized corps. However, this forms the second echelon of North Koreas deployment to the DMZ, with the first echelon composed of four corps. The Chŏnma-ho is a product of North Koreas approach of Juche, or self-reliance, the idea of juche comes from a North Korean sentiment of abandonment by their allies, China and Soviet Union/Russia. This all manifests itself within the triangle of North Korean military development – armour, artillery, in that sense, North Korean military strategy is very mobile, and the large amounts of tanks underscores this. The Chŏnma-ho is an attempt to address the technology gap between its current dated tank forces and South Korean K1A1 and the US M1 Abrams tank
Chonma-ho
–
Ch'ŏnma-ho V (Ma) during the
Workers' Party of Korea 60th Anniversary Military Parade
Chonma-ho
–
Soviet
T-62. The Ch'ŏnma-ho is a direct copy of the T-62 with several upgrades.
24.
K1 88-Tank
–
The K1 is a South Korean main battle tank in use with the Republic of Korea Armed Forces, developed by Hyundai Precision. The K1A1 entered service in 1999, upgraded with a 120mm smoothbore gun, and outfitted with modern electronics, ballistic computers. Hyundai Rotem produced 1,511 K1 and K1A1 tanks between 1985 and 2010, in the 1970s, the Republic of Korea was desperately in need of additional main battle tanks. Meanwhile, North Koreans had both numerical and technological advantages over the South Korean armor with their T-62 main battle tanks, at first, attempts were made to obtain the United States M60A1 Pattons, but they ended in failure. In light of this, the Park Chung-hee administration announced plans to domestically produce main battle tanks that were comparable to the generation of main battle tanks. However, having no experience in the design, development and manufacture of main battle tanks to speak of. Upon realization of this, foreign designs were considered and evaluated, the winning design was based on the XM1, the prototype of M1 Abrams, by Chrysler Defense, the company which was later sold to General Dynamics and renamed General Dynamics Land Systems. Soon afterwards, South Korean officials were dispatched to General Dynamics Land Systems for supervision of the design, with its design being based on XM1, the XK1 shared various similarities with it. However, upon inspection, numerous differences can be found. The differences included the weight, height, engine, transmission, the development of the vehicle was completed in 1983, with a prototype being delivered to the South Korean government in the same year. Hyundai Precision, now known as Hyundai Rotem, took responsibility for manufacturing the tanks, the vehicle was not, however, unveiled until 1987 for security purposes. Foreign journalists were invited to the ceremony, and a massive training exercise using the new tanks took place during the event for publicity. After the production of approximately 450 K1s, the Gunners Primary Sights designed by Hughes was replaced by the Gunners Primary Tank Thermal Sights by Texas Instruments. While the exact composition of the armor has not been released. The vehicle is equipped with an automatic fire extinguishing system. The engine compartment detector is thermocouple wire, and the crew compartment detector is an optical sensor, the extinguishant used is Halon1301, commonly used by western main battle tanks. Production remained at approximately 100 units per year at its peak, on August 6,2010, during a live firing exercise at Paju, a round exploded in the barrel of a K1s 105mm gun, destroying the gun, but leaving crew uninjured. This was reported to be the latest in a series of such accidents since the K1 entered service
K1 88-Tank
–
K1
25.
Leopard 1
–
The Leopard is a main battle tank designed and produced in West Germany that first entered service in 1965. In total,6,485 Leopard tanks have been built, of which 4,744 were battle tanks and 1,741 were utility and anti-aircraft variants, not including 80 prototypes and pre-series vehicles. The Leopard quickly became a standard of European forces, and eventually served as the battle tank in over a dozen countries worldwide. Since 1990, the Leopard 1 has gradually been relegated to roles in most armies. In the German Army, the Leopard 1 MBTs were phased out in 2003, the Leopard 2 MBTs have taken over the MBT role. Leopard hulls have been re-used in a variety of roles. In addition, the armament had to consist of a 105 mm caliber weapon. Mobility had priority, while firepower came second, armour was seen as less essential, France was very interested in the design as its own AMX50 project had just failed. In June 1957, West Germany and the French Fourth Republic signed an agreement to develop a common tank, three German and one French design team would be included in a competition, with each team producing two prototypes. In September 1958, Italy joined the development program, several prototypes were entered for testing in 1960. Among the prototypes were Porsches Model 734 from team A, sporting a cast turret, Team C from Borgward, designing a very futuristic tank, failed to have a prototype ready in time. Even before these first prototypes were finished, it had decided that a second phase with improved designs would be started, Team A had to build 26 phase II Prototypes for testing. Only two tanks of the six would actually be constructed by team B. In 1963, France and Germany had both decided to build their own tanks, with Germany continuing to work on the Leopard while France designed and built the similar AMX-30. Production was set up at Krauss-Maffei of Munich from early 1964 onward, the Leopard was soon being purchased from Germany by a number of NATO members and other allies, including Belgium, the Netherlands, Norway, Italy, Denmark, Australia, Canada, Turkey and Greece. It is also key to note that Germany has a strict export-policy for their military equipment, Greece, Spain and Chile, while still under dictatorships, purchased the French AMX-30 instead. The 1A1 also added the now-famous skirts along the sides to protect the tracks. A less important change was to use rectangular rubber blocks fastened to the treads with a single pin instead of the earlier two-pin shaped versions, the rubber blocks could be easily replaced with metal X-shaped crampons for movement on ice and snow in the winter
Leopard 1
–
Leopard 1A3 (Canadian Leopard C1) at the
Base Borden Military Museum
Leopard 1
–
Leopard 1 prototype
Leopard 1
–
Leopard 1 Prototype II
Leopard 1
–
German Army Leopard 1A1
26.
Leopard 2
–
The Leopard 2 is a main battle tank developed by Krauss-Maffei in the 1970s for the West German Army. The tank first entered service in 1979 and succeeded the earlier Leopard 1 as the battle tank of the German Army. Various versions have served in the forces of Germany and 12 other European countries. All models feature digital fire control systems with laser rangefinders, a stabilized main gun and coaxial machine gun. The tank has the ability to engage moving targets while moving over rough terrain, even as the Leopard 1 was just entering service, the German military was interested in producing an improved tank in the next decade. This resulted in the start of the MBT-70 development in cooperation with the United States beginning in 1963, however already in 1967 it became questionable whether the MBT-70 would enter service at any time in the foreseeable future. Therefore, the German government issued the order to research future upgrade options of the Leopard 1 to the German company Porsche in 1967 and this study was named vergoldeter Leopard and focused on incorporating advanced technology into the Leopard design. The projected upgrades added an autoloader, a coaxial autocannon and an independent commanders periscope, the anti-air machine gun could be operated from inside the vehicle and a TV surveillance camera was mounted on an expendable mast. The shape of the turret and hull was optimized using cast steel armour, while the suspension, transmission and the engine exhaust vents were improved. Two prototypes with differing components were built with the aim to improve the conception of the Leopard 1 in such a way that it would match the requirements of the MBT-70. The resulting vehicles were nicknamed Keiler, two prototypes of the Keiler were built in 1969 and 1970, both of them being powered by the MB872 engine. The MBT-70 was a design, but after large cost overruns and technological problems. The Eber used a modified MBT-70 turret and hull, with the driver being seated in the hull, only a wooden mock-up was made. One year later, a choice was made to continue the development based on the earlier Keiler project of the late 1960s, in 1971, the name of the design was determined as Leopard 2 with the original Leopard retroactively becoming the Leopard 1. Originally two versions were projected, the gun-armed Leopard 2K and the Leopard 2FK, which would be armed with the XM150 gun/launcher weapon of the MBT-70 and that year 17 prototypes were ordered, but only 16 hulls were built as the production of hull PT12 was cancelled. Ten were ordered initially before another seven were ordered, the 17 turrets were designated T1 to T17, and the hulls were designated PT1 to PT11 and PT13 to PT17. To test a number of components and concepts, each prototype was fitted with components not found on the other prototypes. Ten of the turrets were equipped with 105 mm smoothbore guns, hulls PT11 and PT17 were fitted with a hydropneumatic suspension based on the MBT-70 design
Leopard 2
–
Leopard 2A5 of the
German Army (Heer)
Leopard 2
–
Leopard 2 prototype (pre-series) PT 19, 1978
Leopard 2
–
Ammunition storage in a Leopard 2A4
Leopard 2
–
View through the panoramic PERI R17 sight
27.
M1 Abrams
–
The M1 Abrams is an American third-generation main battle tank. It is named after General Creighton Abrams, former Army chief of staff, highly mobile, designed for modern armored ground warfare, the M1 is well armed and heavily armored. Notable features include the use of a powerful multifuel turbine engine, the adoption of sophisticated composite armor, weighing nearly 68 short tons, it is one of the heaviest main battle tanks in service. The M1 Abrams entered U. S. service in 1980, the M1 remains the principal main battle tank of the United States Army and Marine Corps, and the armies of Egypt, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Australia and Iraq. Three main versions of the M1 Abrams have been deployed, the M1, M1A1, and M1A2, incorporating improved armament, protection and these improvements and other upgrades to in-service tanks have allowed this long-serving vehicle to remain in front-line service. In addition, development for the improved M1A3 version was reported in 2009, the M1 Abrams was developed during the Cold War as a successor to the canceled MBT-70. The M1 Abrams contract went to Chrysler Defense and was the first vehicle to adopt Chobham armor, adaptations before the Persian Gulf War gave the vehicle better firepower and NBC protection. Being vastly superior to Iraqi tanks, very few M1 tanks were hit by enemy fire, Upgrades after the war improved the tanks weapons sights and fire control unit. The Abrams participated in the 2003 invasion of Iraq, exposing vulnerabilities in urban combat that were addressed with the TUSK modification, the Marine Corps sent a company of M1A1 Abrams tanks to Afghanistan in 2010. The first attempt to replace the aging M60 tank was the MBT-70, the MBT-70 had advanced features such as a height-adjustable air suspension and a very low-profile chassis with the driver located in the turret. The MBT-70 ultimately proved to be too heavy, complex, as a result of the imminent failure of this project, the U. S. Army introduced the XM803, using some technologies from the MBT-70 but removing some of the more troublesome features. This succeeded only in producing a system with capabilities similar to the M60. Congress canceled the MBT-70 in November and XM803 December 1971, and redistributed the funds to the new XM815, prototypes were delivered in 1976 by Chrysler Defense and General Motors armed with the license-built version of the 105 mm Royal Ordnance L7 gun along with a Leopard 2 for comparison. The turbine-powered Chrysler Defense design was selected for development as the M1, in February 1982, General Dynamics Land Systems Division purchased Chrysler Defense, after Chrysler built over 1,000 M1s. A total of 3,273 M1 Abrams tanks were produced 1979–85, Production at the government-owned, GDLS-operated Lima Army Tank Plant in Lima, Ohio, was joined by vehicles built at the Detroit Arsenal Tank Plant in Warren, Michigan from 1982 to 1996. The M1 was armed with the version of the 105 mm Royal Ordnance L7 gun. An improved model called the M1IP was produced briefly in 1984, the M1IP models were used in the Canadian Army Trophy NATO tank gunnery competition in 1985 and 1987. Production of M1 and M1A1 tanks totaled some 9,000 tanks at a cost of approximately $4.3 million per unit, by 1999, costs for the tank were upwards of US$5 million a vehicle
M1 Abrams
–
An XM1 Abrams, during a demonstration at Fort Knox, Kentucky in 1979
M1 Abrams
–
Abrams move out on a mission during Desert Storm in 1991. A
Bradley IFV and logistics convoy can be seen in the background.
M1 Abrams
–
A destroyed M1A1, lost to friendly fire.
M1 Abrams
–
Abrams crossing the
Euphrates River at Objective Peach on ribbon assault float bridge deployed by the 299th Engineer Company in 2003.
28.
M60 Patton
–
The M60 Patton is a main battle tank introduced in December 1960. With the United States Armys deactivation of their last heavy tank battalion in 1963, although developed from the M48 Patton, the M60 series was never officially classified as a Patton tank, but as a product-improved descendant of the Patton series. In March 1959, the tank was officially standardized as the 105 mm Gun Full Tracked Combat Tank M60, the M60 underwent many updates over its service life. The interior layout, based on the design of the M48, provided room for updates and improvements. Egypt is currently the largest operator with 1,716 upgraded M60A3s, Turkey is second with 866 upgraded units in service, during the Hungarian Revolution of 1956, a Soviet T-54A medium tank was driven onto the grounds of the British embassy in Budapest by the Hungarians. After a brief examination of this armor and 100 mm gun. There were also rumors of an even larger 115 mm gun in the works, hence there was a need to adopt a 105 mm gun, which emerged as the famed Royal Ordnance L7. This information made its way to the United States, where the Army had been experimenting with a series of upgrades to their M48 Patton tanks. These experiments were concerned with improving the armor and the introduction of a variety of systems, such as that used in the 105 mm gun tank T54. The T95 program, launched after the Questionmark III conference in June 1954, was the replacement to the M48. It featured a host of innovative and experimental components such as its 90 mm smoothbore T208 cannon rigidly affixed to its turret, the burden of developing them however slowed the overall program to a crawl. General Taylor approved of a new development program in August 1957. The MBT was to combine the firepower and protection sufficient for the role with the mobility to perform as a medium tank. A tank of the T95 series, armed with a smoothbore cannon, the course of this tank program was the source of widespread debate. The Bureau of Budget believed that the Army was not progressing with sufficient speed in its modernization program. The alternative was to introduce a tank from the T95 series, an influential group of senior officers, by May 1958, concluded that the T95 had only marginal advantages over the M48A2. They proposed that the most important improvements, better firepower and fuel economy, could be achieved by mounting a compression ignition engine, the main gun was chosen after a comparative firing test on the Aberdeen Proving Grounds. Participating in the test were six guns, the 90 mm M41, the 90 mm T208E9, the 105 mm X15E8, the 105 mm T254, the 120 mm T123E6, and the 120 mm M58
M60 Patton
–
An M60A3 Patton on display in
Lake Charles, Louisiana, in April 2005.
M60 Patton
–
M60A1 tank of the U.S. Army maneuvers through a narrow German village street while participating in the multi-national military training exercise,
REFORGER '82.
M60 Patton
–
M60A2 tank is driven off
LARC 60 amphibious landing craft during the Army exposition PROLOG '85.
M60 Patton
–
M60A3 main battle tank of the 3rd Armored Division, 3-32nd Armored Regt, moves along a street in Germany during Exercise REFORGER '85.
29.
M-84
–
The M-84 is a Yugoslav third generation main battle tank, a variant of the Soviet T-72. The M-84 is still in service in Serbia, Kuwait, Croatia, and Slovenia, the M-84 is based on the Soviet T-72 but with several modifications, including a domestic fire-control system, improved composite armor, and a 1000-hp engine. The M-84 entered service with the Yugoslav Peoples Army in 1984, the improved M-84A version entered service a few years later. There were about 240 Yugoslav factories which directly participated in the production of the M-84, the main factories were, The latest Serbian version of the M-84 is the M-84AS, unveiled in 2004. It features a new control system, Kontakt-5 ERA armor, AT-11 Sniper anti-tank missiles, Agava-2 thermal sight. It is very similar to the Russian T-90S, both in appearance and in capability, about 150 M-84 tanks were exported to Kuwait. The disintegration of Yugoslavia in the 1990s prevented further exports of the M-84, the M-84A is armed with a 125 mm smooth bore cannon. The M-84 uses an automatic loader, which enables it to sustain a rate of 8 rounds per minute. The cannons ammunition is stowed underneath the turret within the hull of the tank and this concept was inherited from the original Soviet design for T-72 and is both a strength and weakness of the tank. This weakness was exploited by Croatian soldiers in the Croatian War of Independence to the detriment of the Yugoslav Peoples Armys tank crews, in later stages of the conflict, losses were reduced by adjusting and improving tactics. Along with its armament, the M-84 is also armed with one 7. 62mm coaxial machine gun. All versions of the M-84 have a crew of three, the commander sits on the right side of the turret, the gunner on the left, and the driver sits centrally at the front end of the vehicle. Like most Soviet derived vehicles, the M-84 series of tanks do not have a manual loader, the glacis uses laminate armor, glass in plastic resin between two steel plates, in the A version a 16mm steel plate was welded on the glacis. Total armor protection ranges between 550mm-650mm for the glacis and 560mm-700mm for the turret, during the wars in Yugoslavia the M-84s frontal armor proved very effective against any type of AT threat. Side or rear hits often result in a catastrophic ammo explosion, twelve smoke grenades are positioned in front of the turret in banks of five and seven grenades. Night vision and gunners sight are positioned on the side of the turret. The M-84 has a search light used in combat situations. The M-84 tank has nuclear, biological and chemical protection capabilities, the base M-84 engine is a 12-cylinder water-cooled V46-6 diesel engine, rated at 574 kW
M-84
–
Croatian Army M-84A4 tank column in
Zagreb victory parade
M-84
–
A
Kuwaiti M-84 during
Operation Desert Shield, demonstrates its ability to lay a smoke screen.
M-84
–
A
Croatian Army M-84A4
M-84
–
Kuwaiti M-84AB
30.
Magach
–
Magach designation refers to a series of tanks in Israeli service. The tanks are based on the American M48 and M60 Patton tanks, Magach 1,2,3 and 5 are based on M48 tanks, Magach 6 and 7 are based on M60 tanks. The tanks were sold to the Israel Defense Forces by West Germany during the 1960s and 1970s, several dozen Jordanian M48 tanks, captured intact during the 1967 Six Day War, were also commissioned, adding to the 150 already in service at that time. During the war, the Israeli tanks served in their original configuration, following the 1967 war, several modifications were made to improve the tank to M48A3 level, resulting in the Magach 3. When the Yom Kippur War broke out, Israel had 540 M48A3, during the war, the tanks suffered heavy losses. The location of flammable hydraulic fluid at the front of the turret was discovered to be a severe vulnerability, War losses were replaced with new M48A5 and M60 during the 1970s. Prior to the 1982 invasion of Lebanon, Magach 6 tanks were fitted with reactive armor. Since the 1980s and 1990s, the Magachs have been replaced by Merkava tanks as Israels front-line main battle tank. However, a majority of the IDFs armored corps continued to consist of Magach variants until the 1990s. By 2006, all Magachs in regular units had replaced by Merkavas. In July 2015, Israel officially unveiled the existence of the Pereh missile carrier, the Pereh is a guided missile carrier disguised as a tank. A Magach is converted into a Pereh tank destroyer by replacing the main gun with an anti-tank guided missile launch station. The original turret is enlarged to install a launcher under armor for 12 Tamuz Spike NLOS missiles, pictures of the Pereh were first released during Operation Protective Edge in July 2014. Contrary to a belief, Magach is not an abbreviation. However, as the word is rarely used and is not known to many Hebrew speakers, several popular explanations of the name exist. One version states that the source of the name is the designation M48A3. Like the above, but g stands for Germany, a supplier of the first M48 tanks to Israel, yet another version says that M48A3 can be read as MAgAch. Other variants include Meshupa Gahon and even Mechonat Giluach Hashmalit, the modifications included British 105 mm L7 cannon, low profile commanders cupola, upgraded communication suite, a 750 hp diesel engine Continental AVDS-1790-2A with Allison CD-850-6 transmission
Magach
–
Magach 6B in the
Yad La-Shiryon Armored Corps Memorial and Museum,
Latrun.
Magach
–
Magach 7C in Yad la-Shiryon museum, Latrun.
31.
MBT-70
–
The MBT-70 was a 1960s German-U. S. Joint project to develop a new battle tank, which was to be equipped with a number of advanced features. It utilized a newly developed hydropneumatic kneeling suspension and housed the crew in the large turret. The MBT-70 was armed with a 152mm XM150 gun/launcher, which could use conventional ammunition, by 1969 the project was well over budget and Germany withdrew from the effort. They developed a new battle tank on their own, the Leopard 2. In the US, MBT-70 development continued for a short time and they began development of a less expensive design, which became the M1 Abrams. Although the MBT-70 failed to enter service, the Leopard 2, in the early 1960s the German Leopard 1 and the US M60 were the newest main battle tanks in their respective countrys service. An upgrade project for the Leopard was planned, but it appeared this model would not be enough of an advance to be worthwhile, despite these measures, conflicts between the differing engineering practices of each country plagued the MBT-70 project throughout its development. Arguments arose over almost every part of the design, the gun, the engine, many features of the MBT-70 were ahead of their time. The vehicle used an advanced suspension system that allowed for fast cross-country speeds even though it was to weigh 45 tonnes. The suspension could be raised or lowered on command by the driver, down to put the bottom of the tank just over 4 inches from the ground, the MBT-70 was designed with a low silhouette, unlike the M60, one of the tallest tanks ever built. The MBT-70 ended up very low, just over 6 feet from the floor to the turret-roof and this left no room in the hull for the driver, who had to be moved into the turret. He was located in a cupola which was geared to rotate so that he was looking in the same direction even if the turret turned. He could also spin the cupola around, so the tank could be driven backwards at full speed, the US version was to mount the newly developed Continental AVCR air-cooled V-12 diesel of 1,470 horsepower. German versions originally used a similar Daimler-Benz model, but later moved to an MTU design of 1,500 horsepower, the MTU unit could be easily swapped out of the tank, along with the drive train, in 15 minutes. Both versions could reach 43 miles per hour on their engines, the MBT-70s main armament was a stabilized XM150152 mm gun/launcher, a longer-barreled and improved variant of the XM-81 gun/launcher used in the light M551 Sheridan and the M60A2 Starship. In the 1960s the effective range of the 105 mm L7 tank gun was considered to be about 1,800 metres. The XM578 APFSDS round was made of a newly developed tungsten alloy and this new alloy had a density of 18.5 g·cm³, which was a big improvement compared to the older tungsten-carbide APDS and APFSDS rounds
MBT-70
–
A model of the United States MBT-70 design
MBT-70
–
Interior arrangement.
Gunner's station in foreground,
commander's station to the left,
driver's rotating capsule partially obscured to the right
MBT-70
–
Turret weapon layout, autocannon in stowed position, barrel pointing backwards
MBT-70
–
MBT-70 prototype test firing an MGM-51 missile
32.
Merkava
–
The Merkava is a main battle tank used by the Israel Defense Forces. The tank began development in 1973 and entered service in 1978. Four main variants of the tank have been deployed and it was first used extensively in the 1982 Lebanon War. The name Merkava was derived from the IDFs initial development program name, design criteria include rapid repair of battle damage, survivability, cost-effectiveness and off-road performance. Following the model of contemporary self-propelled howitzers, the assembly is located closer to the rear than in most main battle tanks. With the engine in front, this layout is intended to grant additional protection against an attack, especially for the personnel in the main hull. It also creates more space in the rear of the tank that increased storage capacity. This allows the tank to be used as a platform for medical disembarkation, a command and control station. The rear entrances clamshell-style doors provide overhead protection when off- and on-loading cargo and it was reportedly decided shortly before the beginning of the 2006 Lebanon War that the Merkava line would be discontinued within four years. On August 16,2013, Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon announced the decision to resume production of the Merkava main battle tank for the IDF Armored Corps, in 1965, Israels military establishment began research and development on a domestically produced tank, the Sabra. Initially, Britain and Israel collaborated to adapt the United Kingdoms Chieftain tank that had entered British Army service in 1966, however, in 1969, Britain decided not to sell the tank to Israel for political reasons. By 1974, initial designs were completed and prototypes were built, after a brief set of trials, work began to retool the Tel HaShomer ordnance depot for full-time development and construction. After the new facilities were completed, the Merkava was announced to the public in the International Defense Review periodical, the first official images of the tank were then released to the American periodical Armed Forces Journal on May 4,1977. The IDF officially adopted the tank in December 1978, the first Merkava Mk.1 tanks were supplied to the IDF in April 1979, nearly nine years after the decision to produce the Merkava Mk.1 tank was taken. The lead organization for system integration of the Merkavas main components is Israel Military Industries, the Israeli Ordnance Corps are responsible for final Merkava assembly. More than 90% of the Merkava 4 tanks components are produced locally in Israel by Israeli defense industries, bental Industries, a TAT Technologies subsidiary, produced the brushless motors used in the Mark IVs turret and gun control system. The Merkava Mark I and II were armed with a 105 mm M68 gun. The Mark III, Mark III Dor Dalet BAZ kassag, each model of the Merkava has two roof mounted 7.62 mm machine guns for use by the commander and loader and another mounted co-axially with the main gun
Merkava
–
Merkava Mk 4m Windbreaker, fitted with
Trophy Active Protection System, during
Operation Protective Edge 2014.
Merkava
–
Merkava Mark I at
Yad La-Shiryon.
Merkava
–
The Merkava Mark III
33.
Panzer 68
–
The Panzer 68 was a Swiss main battle tank developed by the Eidgenoessische Konstruktionswerkstaette in Thun in the late 1960s. The Panzer 68 was based on the Panzer 61, which initial development dates back to 1951, the development started immediately after the successful introduction of the Panzer 61. Improvements consisted of tracks, stabilized gun, and the introduction of a second machine gun instead of the coaxial 20mm gun of early Panzer 61 models. In 1968 the Swiss parliament decided to buy 170 vehicles, deliveries of the Panzer 68 started in 1971. In 1977 a second batch was manufactured, in the years between 1978 and 1983, a third and fourth batch followed. The last two lots were called either AA3 and AA4 or Panzer 68/75, the most important change was the introduction of a bigger turret. The Austrian army showed some interest in the Panzer 68 in the late 1970s, despite the improvements in the Panzer 68/88, the model was relegated to secondary tasks after the arrival of the Panzer 87. All Panzer 68 models were retired in the years of the new millennium. The responsible authorities tried to sell some 200 to the army of Thailand, but the deal never went through and therefore, some Panzer 68s can still be seen in military museums around the world. In this article, the chief of armoured forces of the Swiss army came to the conclusion that the Panzer 68 was not fit for combat. A group of experts that was commissioned to produce a report on the matter listed dozens of technical problems. Among others, the nuclear, biological and chemical protection was found to be insufficient, forcing the crews to wear protective masks inside their tanks, thus greatly reducing the crews performance. The experts also found that the gearbox did not allow for shifting into reverse while the vehicle was moving, forcing the crew to stop the tank before reversing. To make things worse, the radios used in the tank tended to interfere with the turret control system. A year before the Weltwoche article, another very dangerous fault was found, switching on the heating system could lead to the main gun firing the round in the gun. This problem was caused by the fact that some shared the same electrical circuits. This problem never led to any accidents, in a sarcastic headline, Swiss tabloid Blick commented, The Panzer 68 is much more dangerous than it seems. Most of the problems were resolved with the upgrade to the 68/88 model, rejected in favor of the Panzer 87 Leo due to high developing costs
Panzer 68
–
Panzer 68/88
Panzer 68
Panzer 68
Panzer 68
–
Repair and combat tank versions side by side
34.
Stridsvagn 103
–
The Stridsvagn 103, also known as the S-Tank, was a Swedish post-war main battle tank. It was known for its design, it was turretless with a fixed gun traversed by engaging the tracks. It is the tank of any kind since World War II to dispense with a turret. The Strv 103 was designed and manufactured in Sweden and it was developed in the 1950s and was the first main battle tank to use a turbine engine. The result was a very low-profile design with an emphasis on survivability, Strv 103s formed a major portion of the Swedish armoured forces from the 1960s to part of the 1990s, when, along with the Centurions, it was replaced with the Stridsvagn 121 and the Stridsvagn 122. In the mid-1950s, the Kungliga Arméförvaltningens Tygavdelning put out a tender for next generation tank design to replace their Centurions. However, this was deemed too expensive in comparison to the alternatives, A, alternative T was a 30-ton tank with low protection and good mobility. Then, in 1956, Sven Berge of the Swedish Arms Administration proposed Alternativ S, Berge therefore concluded that any new design should be as low as possible. The radical solution was to eliminate the turret, which would also dispose of a target area. In terms of height, the final design did not give the Strv 103 any significant advantage. Its most likely opponent, the T-64, was only 2.20 m in height with its turret versus the 2.14 m of the Strv 103, however, the T-64 paid for its low profile with an extremely cramped interior and lack of gun depression. Tanks often deploy themselves into hull-down firing positions, either behind dug entrenchments or using the crest of a hill, in order to reduce the exposure of the vehicle to enemy fire. Since the Strv 103 orients the entire tank to depress and elevate the barrel, in a hull down position it has little apparent height. It could also lower the hull a further 13 cm by adjusting the suspension, berges design solved the aiming problem through the use of a fully automated transmission and suspension system, which precisely turned and tilted the tank under the gunners control. The gun itself would be fixed to the hull and this made it impossible to use a stabilized gun. Other features of the tank were also quite radical, while the last issue could have been solved by adding staff to the ammunition crews, it was decided that a third crew-member was needed. To enhance combat effectiveness, the man was to be assigned as rear driver/radio operator, facing the rear of the tank. This allowed the tank to be driven backwards at the speed as forwards, keeping its frontal armour pointed at the enemy
Stridsvagn 103
–
Stridsvagn 103C
Stridsvagn 103
–
Strv 103C at the
Swedish Army Museum, Stockholm, with anti-
HEAT slat armor on the front.
35.
T-64
–
The T-64 is a Soviet second-generation main battle tank introduced in the early 1960s. It was a more advanced counterpart to the T-62, the T-64 served tank divisions, in spite of being armed and armored like a heavy tank, the T-64 weighed only 38 tonnes. These features made the T-64 expensive to build, significantly higher than previous generations of Soviet tanks and this was especially true of the power pack. Several proposals were made to improve the T-64 with new engines and this led to the T-72 being designed as an emergency design, only to be produced in the case of a war, but its 40% lower price led to it entering production in spite of Morozovs objections. Although the T-62 and the famous T-72 would see much use and generally more development, it was the T-64 that formed the basis of subsequent modern Soviet tank designs. The T-64 was conceived in Kharkiv, Ukraine, as the main battle tank by Alexander A. Morozov. The T-64 design was developed by LKZ as the gas turbine-powered T-80 main battle tank. The turret of the T-64B would be used in the improved T-80U and T-80UD, the T-64 would only be used by the Soviet Army and never exported, unlike the T-54/55. By 1981, the improved T-64B began to be deployed in East Germany, while it was believed that the T-64 was only reserved for elite units, it was also used by much lower non-ready formations, for example, the Odessa Military Districts 14th Army. With the break-up of the Soviet Union in 1991, T-64 tanks remained in the arsenals of Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Uzbekistan. Mid 2014, slightly fewer than 2,000 of the former Soviet inventory of T-64 tanks are in service with the military of Ukraine and about 4,000 are out-of-service, for the first time in the world. It has autoloader with a choice of shells, Armor received composite additives, previously all tanks had only metal. More than 1100 T-64 tanks were produced between 1964 and 1968, it was Object 432, the combat rate of fire reached 10 rounds per minute. In the first years of development the tank was invulnerable, opponents of the tank can be destroyed by shooting at the forehead from a distance of 1. 5-2km. Turret almost all closed reactive protection, the case is closed on the sides of the forehead, in the early 70s, heat ammunition can not penetrate reactive protection in most cases. Studies for the design of a new battle tank started as early as 1951, a project named obyekt 430 gave birth to three prototypes, which were tested in Kubinka in 1958. Those vehicles showed characteristics that were going to change the design of battle tanks on this side of the Iron Curtain. For the first time, an extremely compact opposed-piston engine was used, the transmission system comprised two lateral gears on each side of the engine
T-64
–
A T-64 tank on display in April 2008
T-64
–
Object 430 prototype on display at the
Kubinka Tank Museum in September 2008.
T-64
–
Obyekt 447 at the
Museum of the Great Patriotic War, Kiev, Ukraine
T-64
–
The T-64 has a characteristic exhaust vent in the rear
36.
T-72
–
The T-72 is a Soviet second-generation main battle tank that entered production in 1971. About 20,000 T-72 tanks were built, making it one of the most widely produced post–World War II tanks, the T-72 was widely exported and saw service in 40 countries and in numerous conflicts. The development of the T-72 was a result of the introduction of the T-64 tank. The T-64 was an ambitious project to build a competitive tank with a weight of not more than 36 tons under the direction of Alexander Morozov in Kharkov. To achieve that goal, the crew was reduced to three soldiers, saving the loader by introducing an automated loading system and this and other steps allowed a reduced weight, but caused problems when looking for a reliable engine to fit in the smaller hull. The production of the T-64 with a 115-mm gun began in 1964, problems with the first batch of T-64 tanks were centred on the 5TDF700 hp engine and the auto loading mechanism. The engine was unreliable, was difficult to repair and had a life span of only a World War 2-era tank engine. A strong lobby around designer Morozov advocated for the T-64 in Moscow, preventing rival developments, the 5TDF was too complex and its production twice as costly as the V-45 engine. In 1967, the Uralvagonzavod formed Section 520, which was to prepare the serial production of the T-64 for 1970. The team soon found out that the more powerful V-45 engine put a lot of stress on the fragile T-64 hull, a more stable solution had to be found. Under influence from Kharkov, the idea had been turned down by Moscow, but this construction, with its big, rubbercoated roadwheels now formed the basis for the mobilisation model of the T-64. Additional changes were made to the loading system, which also was taken from an earlier project. Ammunition, consisting of a projectile and a propellant charge was now stored horizontally on two levels, not vertically on one level like in the T-64. It was said to be more reliable than the T-64 autoloader, in 1964, two 125-mm guns of the D-81 type had been used to test their installation in the T-62, so the Ural plant was ready to adopt the 125-mm calibre for the T-64A as well. Uralvagonzavod produced the first prototype with a 125-mm gun and V-45K engine in 1968 as Object 172, after intensive comparative testing with the T-64A, Object 172 was re-engineered in 1970 to deal with some minor problems. However, being only a model, a serial production of Object 172 was not possible in peacetime. In an unclear political process decree number 326-113 was issued, which allowed the production of Object 172 in the Soviet Union from 1, January 1972 and freed Uralvagonzavod from the T-64A production. At least some technical documentation on the T-72 is known to have passed to the CIA by the Polish Colonel Ryszard Kuklinski between 1971 and 1982
T-72
–
T-72B3
T-72
–
Object 172 at the
Kubinka Tank Museum
T-72
–
T-72 on a wheeled tank transporter. The engine exhaust port is visible on the left side. This tank has additional fuel drums on rear brackets.
T-72
–
T-72 monument in its production place,
Nizhny Tagil.
37.
T-80
–
The T-80 is a third-generation main battle tank designed and manufactured in the Soviet Union. When it entered service in 1976, it was the first MBT in the world to feature a powerful multifuel turbine engine as its main propulsion engine. The T-80U was last produced in a factory in Omsk, Russia, while the T-80UD, the T-80 and its variants are in service in Belarus, Cyprus, Egypt, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Russia, South Korea, and Ukraine. The chief designer of the T-80 was the Russian engineer Nikolay Popov, the project to build the first Soviet turbine powered tank began in 1949. Its designer was A. Ch. Starostienko, who worked at the Leningrad Kirov Plant, the tank was never built because available turbine engines were of very poor quality. In 1955 two prototype 1,000 hp turbine engines were built at the plant under the guidance of G. A. Ogloblin. Two years later a team led by the heavy tank designer Josef Kotin constructed two prototypes of the Obyekt 278 tank. Both were hybrids of the IS-7 and the T-10 heavy tanks, powered by the GTD-1 turbine engine, weighing 53.5 tonnes and armed with the M65130 mm tank gun. The turbine engine allowed the tank to reach a speed of 57.3 km/h but with only 1950 liters of fuel on board. The two tanks were considered experimental vehicles and work on them eventually ceased, in 1963, the Morozov Design Bureau designed the T-64 and T-64T tanks. They used a GTD-3TL turbine engine which generated 700 hp, the tank was tested until 1965. At the same time at Uralvagonzavod a design team under the guidance of L. N. Kartsev created the Obyekt 167T tank and it used the GTD-3T turbine engine which supplied 801 hp. In 1966 the experimental Obyekt 288 rocket tank, powered by two aerial GTD-350 turbine engines with a power of 691 hp, was first built. Trials indicated that propulsion was no better than the turbine engine which had been in development since 1968 at KB-3 of the Kirov Plant. The tank from LKZ equipped with this engine was designed by Nikolay Popov. It was constructed in 1969 and designated Obyekt 219 SP1 and it was renamed the T-64T, and was powered by a GTD-1000T multi-fuel gas turbine engine producing up to 1,000 hp. During the trials it became clear that the weight and dynamic characteristics required a complete redesign of the vehicles caterpillar track system. The second prototype, designated Obyekt 219 SP2, received bigger drive sprockets, the number of wheels was increased from five to six
T-80
–
T-80BV at the Victory Day Parade 2005
T-80
–
This T-80BV (a monument in St Petersburg) has reactive armour adapted to its turret and hull. The later T-80U has a large applique of
explosive reactive armour installed — providing higher crew and tank survivability than prior models.
T-80
–
T-80U on exhibition at the
Kubinka Tank Museum
T-80
–
T-80U
38.
Tanque Argentino Mediano
–
The Tanque Argentino Mediano is the main battle tank in service with the Argentine Army. Lacking the experience and resources to design a tank, the Argentine Ministry of Defense contracted German company Thyssen-Henschel, the vehicle was developed by a German and Argentine team of engineers, and was based on the German Marder infantry fighting vehicle. The TAM met the Argentine Armys requirement for a modern, lightweight and fast tank with a low silhouette, development began in 1974 and resulted in the construction of three prototypes by early 1977 and full-scale production by 1979. Assembly took place at the local 9, 600-square-meter TAMSE plant, economic difficulties halted production in 1983, but manufacturing began anew in 1994 until the armys order of 200 tanks was fulfilled. The TAM series includes seven different variants, such as a 155 mm self-propelled howitzer, in total, over 280 such vehicles were built, including armored personnel carriers, artillery and mortar pieces. The TAM and VCTP were manufactured for the Peruvian Army, only to be integrated into the Argentine Army when Peru canceled the contract, the TAM also competed for other export orders, but the TAM was ultimately not exported. The TAM has never seen combat, although 17 VCTP were deployed to Croatia for the United Nations UNPROFOR peacekeeping mission. During the 1960s Argentina sought to replace its fleet of tanks. In their attempts to procure equipment from the United States, Argentina could only secure 50 M41 Walker Bulldogs and 250 M113 armored personnel carriers. When the United States turned down requests for equipment, the Argentine government turned to the other side of the Atlantic. It was hoped that European technology could stimulate Argentine industry so the country could produce its own armaments in the future. Argentina procured 80 AMX-13 light tanks, as well as 180 AMX-VCIs and 24 AMX-155 F3s, from the French government, the French AMX-30 and German Leopard 1 were also examined as possible replacements for the Argentine Sherman fleet. In 1973 the Argentine Ministry of Defense drew up a series of requirements for a tank to service in the 1980s. The armored vehicle would weigh no more than 30 tonnes, move at a speed of 70 km/h. It would be armed with a modern 105 mm main gun, the tank designers also had to take into account Argentinas existing infrastructure, including railroad capacity, bridges and road capacity, as well as the countrys varied terrain. In late 1973 the Proyecto de Tanque Argentino Mediano was founded with the goal of designing and developing a tank for the Argentine Army. Lacking the experience and the technology, the Argentine government sought collaboration with a foreign company. The hull of the German Marder armored personnel carrier was used, two prototypes were manufactured in late 1976 and early 1977, which were put through extensive testing for two years and over a road range of 10,000 km
Tanque Argentino Mediano
–
Argentine Army TAM
Tanque Argentino Mediano
–
Argentine TAM VCA 155 Palmaria
Tanque Argentino Mediano
–
A TAM VCTP, May 2008
Tanque Argentino Mediano
–
TAM with its snorkel installed during an Argentine Army exposition
39.
TR-85
–
The TR-85 is a main battle tank designed for the armed forces of Romania. Based on the TR-77-580, the TR-85 tank was developed from 1978 to 1985, a modernization program was initiated in March 1994 in order to upgrade the TR-85 tanks to NATO standards. The result was the TR-85M1 main battle tank, currently the most modern tank in service with the Romanian Land Forces, after the Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia, Communist Romania adopted a new national defense doctrine. However, this new doctrine required a local defense industry. In April 1968 a preliminary report regarding the production of tanks in Romania was proposed to the National Defense Council of Romania, the report was ratified by the Defense Council on 13 October 1972. The development of a Romanian medium tank effectively started on 13 May 1974, the Romanian Defense Council wrote the specifications for the medium tank. The new vehicle would have a weight of approximately 40 tons, a 100 mm main gun, the next step taken was the production of 400 derivatives of the T-55 tank, as the local arms industry lacked the experience required to design and produce a medium tank from scratch. The Communist government did not buy the license for the T-55 tank. The initial batch, officially known as the TR-77 tank, was intended to use the Leopard 1 engine and, as a result, the TR-77 tank was developed between 1974 and 1980 and was produced between 1979 and 1985. While the TR-77 was developed, from 1974 the Romanian engineers continued work on a reverse engineered version of the 800-horsepower MTU Leopard 1 engine, the work came to a halt, as the engineers lacked the experience to reverse engineer such complex designs. By 1976 however, Institutul Naţional de Motoare Termice stated that it could design an engine based on the Leopard 1 diesel engine model using available technology, the engine and transmission were designed between 1974 and 1982, using foreign technology. The new tank was known as the TR-85-800 and was designed between 1978 and 1986. The engine had an output of 830 horse power. The suspension was redesigned and the turret, while bearing a resemblance to the T-55 series, was actually different. The main tank factory was established by decree nr.514 in December 1978 at FMGS division of the 23 August plant in Bucharest, the construction of this tank factory was finalized in 1980. The factory was a zone and was top secret, requiring a special permit to enter. By 1983, the FMGS tank factory could produce 210 tanks per year, the TR-85 tank was produced between 1986 and 1990 at rate of approximately 100 tanks per year. The TR-85 tank was found to be mechanically unreliable
TR-85
–
Romanian main battle tank TR-85M1
TR-85
–
TR-85 tank in Bucharest during the Romanian Revolution of 1989.
TR-85
–
TR-85 tank without side skirts.
TR-85
–
TR-85M1A (early version of the TR-85M1) on display at the
National Military Museum in
Bucharest.
40.
Type 74 Nana-yon
–
The Type 74 is a main battle tank of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force. It was built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries as a replacement for the earlier Type 61 and it was based on the best features of a number of contemporary designs, placing it in the same class as the US M60 or German Leopard 1. Like these designs, it mounts a rifled 105mm gun, the design did not enter widespread use until 1980, by which point other Western forces had introduced more capable designs. The JGSDF began studies on new designs with Mitsubishi in 1962. Features from several designs were incorporated, including the suspension of the US-German MBT-70 project, the hull of the Leopard 1. The design included a cupola for the commander, and a new autoloader for the main gun. During the development stage, engineers opted for a license on the NATO standard Royal Ordnance L7 105mm cannon, Japan only produced the barrel under licence, developing an indigenous mantlet, breech and recoil system. The full length of the cannon was 5,592 mm, initially the main gun only used APDS and HEP as its primary ammunition. Later it was modified to fire APFSDS and HEAT-MP shells as well, the secondary armament consisted of a 12. 7mm anti-aircraft machine gun and a 7.62 co-axial machine gun. The Type 74 tank is powered by the Mitsubishi 10ZF Model 21 10-cylinder two-stroke cycle diesel engine providing 750 hp, at 19 hp/tonne, its power-to-weight ratio is similar to the French AMX-30. The maximum quoted speed of the Type 74 is 53 km/h, however. Instead of composite armor, the Type 74 adopted welded steel plates for construction, with sloped armor extensively used to defeat armor-piercing shells. It has frontal hull armor of 80 mm with an armor thickness of up to 189 mm for the upper glacis and 139 mm for lower glacis. Side armor is 35 mm, while rear armor is 25 mm thick, the cast steel turret has an estimated 195 mm of armor. When compared to second generation MBTs, the Type 74 has more armor than a Leopard 1. The first prototype, designated STB-1, was delivered in late 1968, the autoloader proved too complex and expensive, and was removed, as was the remote controlled anti-aircraft machine gun. The overall design of the turret was changed, becoming longer. These changes resulted in the STB-3, which was delivered in 1971, the final prototype, designated STB-6, was delivered in 1973
Type 74 Nana-yon
–
Type 74
Type 74 Nana-yon
–
Rear view.
Type 74 Nana-yon
–
Front view.
Type 74 Nana-yon
–
Subsidiaries
41.
Vijayanta
–
The Vijayanta was a main battle tank built in India based on a licensed design of the Vickers Mk.1. The Vijayanta was the first indigenous tank of the Indian Army, the prototype was completed in 1963 and the tank entered service in 1965. The first 90 vehicles were built by Vickers in the UK, production continued at the Heavy Vehicles Factory in Avadi until 1983 with 2,200 being built. A number of the hulls were converted to other uses such as self-propelled guns after being withdrawn from service. The Vijayanta has been supplemented by the T-72M1 in Indian service,70 Vijayanta Mark 1 tanks were later fitted with Marconis SFCS600 fire control system, an option for 70 additional systems was not exercised. Under the Bison project there have been attempts to upgrade the Vijayanta fleet with additional armour, a new engine, a new fire control system. It was planned to upgrade some 1,100 tanks but it appears that only a small number was upgraded. Known versions include the Vijayanta Mark 1A with the Bharat Electronics Tank Fire-Control System AL4420 with improved sight mounts, the Vijayanta Mark 1B was fitted with the AL4421 system which incorporates a British Barr & Stroud Tank Laser Sight and a computer to increase first round hit probability. The Vijayanta Mark 1C and Vijayanta Mark 2 were the latest upgrades, the Vijayanta was to be phased out by the Indian Army by 2008. In 1997 the plan to repower the Vijayanta was shelved, the overhauling of the fleet was discontinued from the year 1999–2000 as the withdrawal from service of the Vijayanta had already been approved. Bulk production of Vijayanta spares ended in 1989, a Russian M-46 field gun was mounted on a lengthened Vijayanta hull in an open-topped armoured box superstructure. Kartik AVLB – Armoured vehicle-launched bridge, the same elongated hull used for the Catapult was also used to create the Kartik bridge launching vehicle. The Kartik uses a scissors style bridge of Eastern European design, Vijayanta ARV – Armoured recovery vehicle based on the Vijayanta hull. The design was optimised to keep the weight within 40 tons to achieve a capacity of 10 tons. Around 200 numbers them have been purchased by Indian army to replace the obsolete Sherman, CEASE - The Canal Embankment ASsault Equipment is a special type of bridging system developed by the Research & Development Establishment, Pune. It is suitable for high bank canals up to 4. 5m. as encountered in Indias western borders, the project was sanction in April 1989 and cost of Rs 12.20 crores was incurred on it. Six tracked vehicles of CEASE were developed as variants of Vijayanta, as of 1998 user assisted technical evaluation of the system was completed successfully. However Since the tanks on which the system had been developed became obsolescent and this combination was not, however, adopted for service by the Indian Army
Vijayanta
–
Vijayanta MBT outside the Indian National War Memorial (Maharashtra).
Vijayanta
–
Vijayanta on static display in Port Blair
42.
Vickers MBT
–
The Vickers MBT is a series of main battle tanks developed as a private venture by Vickers-Armstrongs for export. The design makes use of components such as the L7 gun of the Centurion. A large number of tanks were built by India under licence as the Vijayanta. The Vickers MBT followed on from a 24-tonne 20-pdr gunned tank design intended for export and this would be as well equipped as Centurion but substantially cheaper and with Vickers Vigilant missiles as effective. With armour twice that of the tank design, it would still be 12 tonnes lighter than Centurion. The design would use the new engine and transmission of the Chieftain tank then being developed, the development coincided with an agreement with India in 1961 to produce a tank design and help set up a factory there to produce it. The Vickers MBT Mk 1 was designed to be a simple, low-cost, the first prototype was completed in 1963. In 1964 one of the prototypes was sent to India, the Vickers was made of welded rolled homogeneous armour plates. It weighed 38,600 kg, carried a 105mm gun with 44 rounds and had a top speed of 48 km/h,70 tanks were sold to Kuwait and a large number of a modified version were made in India where the tank was called Vijayanta. The prototype of the Vickers MBT Mk 3 was completed in 1975, production started in 1978 and a number of tanks were sold to Kenya and Nigeria. The tank is armed with the same 105mm main gun L7A1 with 50 APFSDS, APDS, HEAT, HESH, HE, Smoke, sub-variants were the Vickers MBT Mk 3 with newly developed power train and suspension system, and the Vickers MBT Mk 3. The latter one was developed for Malaysia and had a number of improvements, for example ERA, the Vickers Armoured Repair and Recovery Vehicle is based on the Mk 3 and is equipped with a main winch, pulleys, cables and towbars. Some vehicles have a capable of lifting 4,000 kg.41 m. A Vickers MBT Mk 2 version was planned, to be equipped with four Swingfire anti-tank missiles in addition to the main gun, other changes included a new turret design and tracks that could sustain running at 56 kilometres per hour. The Vickers MBT Mk 4 Valiant was designed in 1977, the fire control system was Marconis Centaur. The hull was made of aluminium which proved to be too weak for the turret, the Vickers MBT Mk 7, developed in the 1980s, was a further development of the Mk 4 and was offered to the British Army and to a number of potential export costumers. In the end, only one prototype was built, the Mk 7 had the same Universal Turret but the hull and chassis came from the Leopard 2. The tank was fitted with Chobham armour and had a control system with a Marconi digital computer, a SFIM day sight
Vickers MBT
–
Vijayanta MBT, a variant of the Vickers MBT.
43.
WZ-122 Main Battle Tank
–
The WZ-122 was a main battle tank developed by the Peoples Republic of China. Its development started in March 1970, after several prototypes were built, the plan was set aside in 1974. After the Zhenbao Island incident in 1969, the PRC decided on the necessity to develop new tank models and these new tanks included WZ-132, WZ-121 and WZ-122, which commenced development in March 1970. The first prototype designated WZ-122A was finished on 25 September 1970, the tanks cast turret and wheels were of similar design style to Soviet tanks, but also differed to the USSRs tanks in some components such as the suspension. However, this tank was too complex for use in China at that time. So, this tank was set aside. In January 1971, another prototype was finished and this prototype used many mature parts, however many issues had been found during the test, which led to its eventual abandonment
WZ-122 Main Battle Tank
–
Main battle tanks
44.
Light tank
–
Early light tanks were generally armed and armored similar to an armored car, but used tracks in order to provide better cross-country mobility. The fast light tank was a feature of the pre-World War II buildup. Numerous small tank designs and tankettes were developed during this period and known under a variety of names, modified IFVs are assuming these roles in many militaries due to their immediate availability, and as a cheaper alternative to developing and fielding a pure light tank. In World War I industrial initiative also led to swift advances and it would be Renaults small tank design the FT, incorporating a proper climbing face for the tracks, that was the first tank to incorporate a top-mounted turret with a full rotation. Previous models had been box tanks, with a crowded space combining the role of engine room, fighting compartment, ammunition stock. The FT would have the largest production run of any tank of the war - with over 3,700 built it was more numerous than all British, the Carden Loyd tankette and its derivatives were adopted by several nations as small tracked vehicles carrying a machine gun for armament. In 1928, the British firm of Vickers-Armstrong started promoting another design by John Carden and Vivien Loyd as the six-ton tank, although rejected by the British Army, it was bought by a large number of nations in small numbers. It formed the basis of the Soviet T-26 and the Polish 7TP tank, as the only tank fit for immediate manufacture, it was a key element in the expansion of the British Army in the period leading up to the outbreak of war. In general, French tanks of the 1930s were well-armored, innovative vehicles that owed little to foreign designs, the lack of radios with the light tanks was not seen as a major drawback, since French doctrine called for slow-paced, deliberate maneuvers in close conformance to plans. The role of small unit leaders was to execute plans, not to take the initiative in combat, in 1939, a belated effort was made to improve flexibility and increase the number of radios. Throughout the interwar period the US produced only a few hundred tanks, from the end of World War I to 1935, only 15 tanks were produced. Most were derivatives or foreign designs or very poor quality private designs, the Christie designs were among the few better examples, but the US Army acquired only three Christies and did not pursue the idea any further. Budget limitations and the low priority given to the army meant that there were few resources for building tanks, the US Army instead developed and tested tank components such as suspensions, tracks, and transmissions. This paid off when production had to be initiated on the outbreak of war, the Soviet BT tanks were the most advanced in the 1930s, extremely fast and mounting high velocity 45 mm cannons. Their only drawback were their petrol engines which caught fire often, the Japanese Type 95 Ha-Go light tank was equipped with a diesel engine, and although mounting a 37 mm cannon, it was a low velocity gun with a maximum effective range of about 700 meters. However, this conflict would be instrumental in developing the famous T-34 medium tank, germanys armored Panzer force was not especially impressive at the start of the war. In the invasions of Poland and France, the German forces were made up of the Panzer I. The Panzer I was little more than a vehicle armed only with machine guns
Light tank
–
British light tank Mk V
Light tank
–
The M8 armored gun system with 105 mm gun
Light tank
–
Type 95 Ha-Go tanks in
New Britain following the Japanese surrender
Light tank
–
South Vietnamese M41 Walker Bulldog tanks during a training operation
45.
AMX-13
–
The AMX-13 is a French light tank produced from 1953 to 1985. It served with the French Army, as the Char 13t-75 Modèle 51, including prototypes and export versions, there are over a hundred variants including self-propelled guns, anti-aircraft systems, APCs, and ATGM versions. The tank was designed at the Atelier de Construction dIssy-les-Moulineaux in 1946 to meet a requirement for a vehicle to support paratroopers. The first prototype ran from 1948, the compact chassis had torsion bar suspension with five road-wheels and two return rollers, the engine runs the length of the tank on the right side, with the driver on the left. It features an uncommon two-part oscillating turret, where the gun is fixed to the turret, the turret is set to the rear of the vehicle and holds the commander and gunner. The original 75 mm gun was loaded by a loading system fed by two six-round magazines located in on either side of the automatic loader in the turrets bustle. Production began at ARE in 1952, with the first tanks delivered the following year, in 1964, production was transferred to Creusot-Loire at Chalon-sur-Saône, as ARE switched to the production of the AMX30 MBT, and the numbers produced declined significantly. After 1966, AMX-13s in French service were up-gunned with a 90mm F3 medium pressure gun firing more effective high-explosive anti-tank munitions, this variant was designated AMX-13/90. The F3 was similar to the DEFA D921/F1 low pressure gun developed for the Panhard AML-90, by the late 1960s, an export model of the AMX-13 was also available with an even larger 105mm gun. Production halted with the AMX-13 Model 1987, after sales support and upgrades are still offered through GIAT Industries. The AMX-13 tank was phased out of service with the French Army in the 1980s, current French armoured vehicles with a similar role are the ERC90 Sagaie and the AMX10 RC. Ground clearance,370 mm Fording,600 mm Vertical obstacle 650 mm Trench,1, the AMX-13s also saw limited action in the Algerian War. AMX 13s saw service both the loyalists and the rebels during the Dominican Civil War of 1965. Two AMX 13s used by the forces were destroyed by M50 Ontos of the United States Marine Corps during the subsequent American intervention in the Dominican Republic. The AMX13 was Israel’s first modern tank and was purchased at a time when France was the country willing to openly sell arms to Israel. By 1956, Israel had received 180 AMX-13 light tanks as part of an agreement to reinforce Israels military, due to the shortage of tanks, the IDF used them as main battle tanks and employed them to form a tank battalion in the 7th Armored Brigade. IDF reconnaissance units did not use AMX 13s, by 1967, Israel had acquired about 400 AMX-13s and formed three AMX-13 battalions, all of which fought actively on all fronts during the Six Day War. The first moved south in the West Bank area through Taluzi and Tubas, the second captured the strongpoints protecting the Gaza Strip and the coastal road in the north of the Sinai Peninsula
AMX-13
–
AMX-13 on display
AMX-13
–
SS.11 anti-tank missile-launcher version of the AMX-13
AMX-13
–
AMX-13 DCA AA version
AMX-13
–
AA version of the AMX-13
46.
M41 Walker Bulldog
–
The M41 Walker Bulldog was an American light tank developed to replace the M24 Chaffee. It was named for General Walton Walker who died in a accident in Korea. While the M24 Chaffee was a design, its main gun was not effective enough against well armored opponents. Although the primary mission of a tank was scouting, the U. S. Army wanted one with more powerful armament. The development of the new tank, T37, began in 1947, the vehicle was designed to be air-transportable, and the desired anti-tank capabilities were provided by installing a long 76 mm gun with an advanced rangefinder. In 1949, with the adoption of a less ambitious rangefinder, Production started in 1951 at Cadillacs Cleveland Tank Plant, and by 1953 the new tank completely replaced the M24 in the United States Army. Initially it was nicknamed Little Bulldog, then renamed Walker Bulldog after General Walton Walker, the M41 was an agile and well armed vehicle. However, it was noisy, fuel-hungry and heavy enough to cause problems with air transport. In 1952 work began on lighter designs, but those came to naught and were eventually abandoned. At the time, it was designated as the T41, and was rushed to the battlefield even before its first test run and this was due to the fact that the North Koreans were supplied with Soviet T-34 tanks, which were superior to the M24. By 1961,150 were delivered to the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force to supplement their Type 61 medium tanks, the first M41A3s arrived in January 1965, equipping five ARVN squadrons by the end of the year. This, combined with the mechanical reliability, simplicity. Friendly units lost 5 M41s and 25 APCs, after this battle the South Vietnamese began their withdrawal and lost all tanks. By 1973, over 200 M41 light tanks remained in service with the ARVN, US units in Europe and CONUS equipped with the M41 Walker Bulldog eventually transitioned to the M48 Patton medium tank. During 1975 offensive all 210 ARVN M41s were destroyed or captured, the M41 was exported to Brazil, Spain Chile, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, New Zealand, The Philippines Somalia, Taiwan, Thailand, Tunisia, Lebanon and other countries. Many of these tanks were upgraded to prolong their life, in 1969 the US Army began replacing the M41 with the advanced, but troublesome, aluminum hulled M551 Sheridan Armored Airborne Reconnaissance Assault Vehicle. The Sheridans main gun could fire conventional 152 mm tank shells and gun-launched missiles, in addition, the M551 could swim and be air dropped. The chassis of the M41 was used for the M42 Duster, also many of the drive train components, the engine the transmission and the auxiliary engine were used in the M44 155mm self propelled howitzer and M52105 mm howitzer
M41 Walker Bulldog
–
M41 Light Tank
M41 Walker Bulldog
–
South Vietnamese M41 tanks during a training operation.
M41 Walker Bulldog
–
M41 at
Fort George G. Meade Museum, Maryland.
M41 Walker Bulldog
–
M41A3 on display at
Israel's Yad La-Shiryon, armored corps museum.
47.
M551 Sheridan
–
The M551 Sheridan AR/AAV was a light tank developed by the United States and named after Civil War General Philip Sheridan. It was designed to be landed by parachute and to swim across rivers and it was armed with the technically advanced but troublesome M81/M81 Modified/M81E1 152mm gun/launcher, which fired conventional ammunition and the MGM-51 Shillelagh guided anti-tank missile. The M551 Sheridan entered service with the United States Army in 1967, at the urging of General Creighton Abrams, the U. S. Commander of Military Forces in Vietnam at the time, the M551 was rushed into service in Vietnam in January 1969. In April and August 1969, M551s were deployed to units in Europe and Korea, now retired from service, it saw extensive combat in Vietnam, and limited service in Operation Just Cause, and the Gulf War. The Australian Army also trialled two Sheridans during 1967 and 1968, but judged that the type did not meet its requirements. At the time of the M551s acceptance into service production in 1966, the United States Army no longer used the heavy, medium, and light tank classifications. The U. S. Army still retained the M41 Walker Bulldog light tank in the Army National Guard, but other than the units undergoing the transitional process, the regular army consisted of MBTs. Partly because of policy, the new M551 could not be classified as a light tank. The Sheridan was retired without replacement officially in 1996, a large bulk of Sheridans were retained into service at the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, California and as AOB officer training at Fort Knox Armor Training Center, Kentucky. They worked as simulated Soviet armored opposition force to train U. S. military units on simulated tank on tank armored combat to test on combat effectiveness in a desert environment and they were finally retired from the NTC in 2003. In the immediate post-World War II era, the US Army introduced the M41 Walker Bulldog into service to fill the role of a light tank. The lifespan of the M41 was fairly short, at 25 tons it was considered too heavy to be a light tank. Plans were started to build a lighter replacement mounting the same gun, resulting in the T71. Two prototypes of the 19 ton T92 were later ordered, however, as the prototypes were entering testing, information about the new Soviet PT-76 tank became available. The PT-76 was a light tank, and soon there were demands that any U. S. light tank should be able to swim as well. The T92 was already in the stage and could not be easily refitted for this role. The vehicle designed to mount the gun had a steel turret, like the M113 armored personnel carrier, it was also vulnerable to mines
M551 Sheridan
–
XM551 "Sheridan" Pilot #12
M551 Sheridan
–
An M551 Sheridan and crew of the 3rd Squadron, 4th Cavalry in Vietnam (Note the add-on belly armor)
M551 Sheridan
–
A Sheridan visually modified to represent a
T-80 during an exercise in 1993
M551 Sheridan
–
MGM-51 Shillelagh fired from a Sheridan
48.
PT-76
–
The PT-76 is a Soviet amphibious light tank that was introduced in the early 1950s and soon became the standard reconnaissance tank of the Soviet Army and the other Warsaw Pact armed forces. It was widely exported to other states, like India, Iraq, Syria, North Korea. Overall, some 25 countries used the PT-76, the tanks full name is Swimming Tank–76. 76 stands for the caliber of the armament, the 76.2 mm D-56T series rifled tank gun. The PT-76 is used in the reconnaissance and fire-support roles, after World War II, the concept of light tanks was resurrected in the USSR. They were to be used in units and therefore an amphibious ability was essential. The requirements stated that the vehicle should be able to cross water obstacles with little preparation, many prototypes of such light tanks were built in the late 1940s. The most successful was obyekt 740 designed by the engineer N. Shashmurin working at the VNII-100 institute in Leningrad in 1949-1950, the vehicle was successful because it had a simple design, good navigational traits and a good cross country capability. At the time, its design was innovative. A prototype was built at Kirov Plant in 1950 and the tank was adopted on 6 August 1951 with the designation PT-76. Production started at the Stalingrad Tractor Factory, in 1957, a gun D-56T was replaced with D-56TM with double-baffle muzzle brake and fume extractor, the hull was raised by 13 cm, and the tank was equipped with new vision and communications devices. First series tanks were modified, receiving D-56TM gun and new equipment. In 1959, a variant, the PT-76B, was adopted and remained in production until 1967. The PT-76 has a typical layout, the steering compartment at the front, the combat compartment in the center. The tank has a crew, with the commander also acting as the radio operator. This reduces his effectiveness as an observer, the commander and loader stations are located inside the turret, the commander sits on the left side of the main gun and the loader sits on the right. They have an oval shaped double hatch, which opens forwards on top of the turret. Under the drivers seat, there is a hatch that can be used by all crew members
PT-76
–
PT-76
PT-76
–
An Ex-Egyptian PT-76 in Yad la-Shiryon Museum, Israel. The water-jet outlets at the rear of the vehicle, both of which are closed, can be clearly seen.
PT-76
–
A PT-76 in Batey ha-Osef museum, Tel Aviv, Israel. In this view one water-jet outlet is open and the other is closed.
PT-76
–
A Polish PT-76 amphibious light tank coming out of the water during an amphibious exercise. Note the two flat additional external fuel tanks at the rear corners of the hull.
49.
FV101 Scorpion
–
The FV101 Scorpion is a British armoured reconnaissance vehicle. It was the vehicle and the fire support type in the Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance, CVR. Manufactured by Alvis, it was introduced into service with the British Army in 1973, more than 3,000 were produced and used as a reconnaissance vehicle or a light tank. It holds the Guinness world record for the fastest production tank, recorded doing 82.23 km/h at the QinetiQ vehicle test track, Chertsey, Surrey, the Alvis Scorpion was developed to meet a British Army requirement for the Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance or CVR. In 1967, Alvis was awarded the contract to produce 30 CVR prototypes, vehicles P1–P17 being the Scorpion prototypes were delivered on time and within the budget. The first production vehicles were completed in 1972 and the first British regiment to be equipped with the Scorpion was the Blues, in November 1981, the RAF Regiment took delivery of its first Scorpions. Alvis built more than 3,000 Scorpion vehicles for the British Army, Royal Air Force Regiment, all of the CVR vehicles were to be air-portable, and two Scorpions could be carried in a C130 Hercules. Another requirement of the CVR project was the low ground pressure - similar to that of a soldier on foot - this would serve it well in the conditions of the Falklands War. The Scorpion was armed with the low velocity 76 mm L23A1 gun, stowage was provided for 40 or 42 rounds. A7.62 mm coaxial machine gun was also fitted, the main armament has an elevation of 35 degrees and a depression of 10 degrees, the turret has a full 360-degree traverse. The original engine was the Jaguar J604. 2-litre petrol engine, the maximum speed was about 50 miles per hour and it could accelerate from nought to 30 miles per hour in 16 seconds. The maximum speed on water was 3.6 mph, — The FV101 was a very light armoured vehicle, weighing in at a mere 8 tonnes. This meant some compromises had to be made on protection, however, its light protection was a liability against anything heavier, for example, even standard M9937. 62x51mm AP rounds can penetrate 18mm of RHA steel at 100m. The vehicle was fitted with a nuclear, biological, chemical protection system, image intensification sights for gunner and driver, a commode was located under the commanders seat, an internal water tank and a boiling vessel for cooking and heating water were also provided. While Canada never operated the Scorpion, its turret was married with the MOWAG Piranha I chassis to create the AVGP Cougar fire support vehicle. The Scorpion on occasion deployed to main UK airports as a measure against possible terrorist threats, similar operations in 2003 used the then-current Scimitar. Two troops from B Squadron, Blues and Royals served in the Falklands War, one troop was equipped with four Scorpions, the other with four FV107 Scimitars. These were the armoured vehicles used in action by the British Army during the conflict
FV101 Scorpion
–
Irish Army Scorpion CVR(T)
FV101 Scorpion
–
Scorpion advancing across the desert during the first
Gulf War.
FV101 Scorpion
–
Scorpion at Aldershot military museum
50.
Stridsvagn 74
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Stridsvagn 74 was a Swedish tank in use with the Swedish Army from 1958 to 1984. It was a modification of the older Stridsvagn m/42 which was phased out of service in the early 1950s, instead of scrapping the vehicles altogether, the chassis were used to build a new tank which could be used as a supplement to the newly bought stridsvagn 81. The Stridsvagn 74s development path stretches through the Stridsvagn m/40 and m/42 to the original 16,257 kg/16-ton Lago tank, manufactured by the Swedish firm Landsverk for the Hungarian Army. The 74 was therefore in essence a version of the World War II M/42 tank which was itself an attempt to bring Swedish-produced tanks up to the standard of the rest of war-torn Europe. It was most successful in this role. Produced in 1958, weighing 22,500 kilograms and powered by a Scania-Vabis 239 kW/320.5 hp diesel engine, the Stridsvagn 74 had a top speed of 45 kilometers per hour, with a crew of four, it mounted a 75mm/2. Stridsvagn 74 was used in the Swedish Army armoured brigades as a replacement for the purchase of AMX-13 until it was replaced by stridsvagn 102 and 103. It was then used in independent corps tank companies, and even later degraded to the support role in assault gun companies before being phased out of service in 1981 and 1984. The turrets were retained and later used as static gun pillboxes and its high silhouette and thin body along with the recoil of the gun made it rock when firing the gun at 3 and 9 o´clock and it was sometimes referred as Sanslös by its crew. Strv 74 was available in two almost identical versions, strv 74 H and strv 74 V, the difference being the transmissions which lead to slightly different layout of the interiors. The H version was based on the strv m/42 TH, svenska arméns pansar, den svenska stridsvagnsmaterielens historia. The Illustrated Guide to Tanks of the World, online Pansarfordon at the Wayback Machine Persson, Mats. Strv 74 at the Wayback Machine pansarmuseet. se
Stridsvagn 74
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Strv 74 at the military history museum in Boden.
Stridsvagn 74
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Strv 74 at the American Armored Foundation Museum in Danville, Virginia. This is the only Strv 74 in the Western Hemisphere. [
citation needed]
Stridsvagn 74
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Rear view of Strv 74 at the AAF Museum.
51.
Medium tank
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Many of the medium tanks lines became what are called main battle tank in most countries. The first tanks to carry the name Medium appeared in the First World War with the British Medium Mark A Whippet and it was smaller and lighter than the British heavy tanks and only carried machine guns. The medium tank doctrine came into use in the interwar period and its existence outlasted the super-heavy tank and heavy tank and gradually transitioned into the main battle tank. Medium tanks of the period included the British Vickers Medium Mark II. There were medium tanks that focused on capabilities, and medium tanks which were more focused on the anti-tank role. The French cavalry tanks focused on speed in addition to power and they were similar to what other countries called medium tanks. The result was the T-34 medium tank, whose superb capabilities shocked the German Wehrmacht when it invaded the Soviet Union. The lessons of Blitzkrieg, first employed by the Germans and eventually adopted by other nations, found their best expression in formations of mutually-supporting medium tanks, the traditional view of infantry and cavalry tank roles was rendered obsolete. During and after World War II, the roles of tanks were gradually taken over by less-expensive armoured cars. Heavy tanks, having shown their limitations in combat, experienced a limited post-war arms race of progressively more heavily armed and armoured designs, with the rise of more sophisticated anti-tank missile weapons, to which heavy tanks had demonstrated high vulnerability, these too were eventually phased out. Simpler and more economical self-propelled guns, and later anti-tank guided missiles, came to fulfil some fire-support and anti-tank roles, the role of medium tanks started with a prioritisation of speed. Medium tanks could travel faster, but needed help to cross trenches, in British use, this evolved into the Cruiser tank class, while other tank doctrines formed around the medium tank making the main advance. In this later use, medium tanks represent the intent of producing a successful balance of firepower, mobility. Medium tanks aim to be suitable to the widest variety of roles, with less reliance on other types of tank during normal operations Light tank Heavy tank Super-heavy tank Main battle tank
Medium tank
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M48A1 Patton American medium tank
Medium tank
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Sherman medium tank from World War II, the workhorse of U.S. armoured forces
Medium tank
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Panzer IV German medium tank
Afghanistan – 100 were ordered in 1973 from the Soviet Union and delivered between 1975 and 1976. 155 were ordered in 1979 from the Soviet Union and delivered between 1979 and 1991 (the vehicles were probably previously in Soviet service).[25] in service with the Afghan army were T-62, T-62M and T-62M1.[20]
Angola – 175 were ordered in 1980 from the Soviet Union and delivered between 1981 and 1985 (the vehicles were previously in Soviet service). 35 were ordered in 1987 from the Soviet Union and delivered in 1987. 100 were ordered in 1987 from the Soviet Union and delivered between 1987 and 1988 (the vehicles were previously in Soviet service). 24 were ordered in 1993 from Bulgaria and delivered in 1993 (the vehicles were previously in Bulgarian service). 30 were ordered in 1993 from Russia and delivered between 1993 and 1994 (the vehicles were previously in Soviet and then Russian service; some could be T-55s).[25] 18 are currently in service.[38]
Cuba – 200 were ordered in 1976 from the Soviet Union and delivered between 1976 and 1983 (the vehicles were previously in Soviet service). 200 were ordered in 1984 from the Soviet Union and delivered between 1984 and 1988.[25] 380 are currently in service.[1][2] They are modernized to the T-62M standard.[35]
Egypt – 750 were ordered in 1971 from the Soviet Union and delivered between 1972 and 1975.[25] Approximately 600 (500 of which are modernized and 100 stored) are currently in service.[1][2] 1,300 T-62s were in service in the 1980s. Currently 500 are in service.[39]
Eritrea – Received a number from Ethiopia.[40]
Ethiopia – 20 were ordered in 1977 from the Soviet Union and delivered in 1977 (the vehicles were possibly either produced in Czechoslovakia or previously in Soviet service). 50 were ordered in 1980 from the Soviet Union and delivered in 1980 (the vehicles were previously in Soviet service).[25] Approximately 100 are currently in service.[1][2]
Iran – 65 were ordered in 1981 from Libya and received in 1981 as aid (the vehicles were previously in Libyan service). 100 were ordered in 1982 from Syria and delivered in 1982 (the vehicles were previously in Syrian service). Iran ordered 150 Ch'ŏnma-hos in 1981 from North Korea and they were delivered between 1982 and 1985,[25] they had 100 T-62s and Ch'ŏnma-hos in service in 1990, 150 in 1995, 75 in 2000, 2002, 2005, and 2008.[41] Currently 50 are in service.[42]
Iraqi Kurdistan – 100–120 with PUK peshmerga forces, and 50 with KDP peshmerga forces.[43]
Kazakhstan – 280 in service in 1995, 75 in 2000, 2002, and 2005.[44]
Libya – 150 were ordered in 1973 from the Soviet Union and delivered in 1974. 400 were ordered in 1976 from the Soviet Union and delivered between 1976 and 1978. 250 were ordered in 1978 from the Soviet Union and delivered in 1978.[25] At the peak there were approximately 900 T-62s in service.[1][2] Currently 100 are in service and 70 are stored.[45]
Mongolia – 100 were ordered in 1973 from the Soviet Union and delivered between 1973 and 1975. 250 are in service in 2011.[25]
North Korea – 350 were ordered in 1970 from the Soviet Union and delivered between 1971 and 1975. 150 ordered in 1974 from the Soviet Union were delivered between 1976 and 1978 (the vehicles were probably produced in Czechoslovakia).[25] North Korea also produced more than 1,200 Ch'ŏnma-hos.[1][2] There were 1,200 Ch'ŏnma-hos in service in 1985, 1,500 in 1990, 1,800 in 1995, 800 in 2000 and 2000 in 2011.[46]
Syria – 500 were ordered in 1973 from the Soviet Union and delivered between 1973 and 1974. 200 ordered in 1978 from Libya were delivered in 1979 as aid. 300 were ordered in 1982 from the Soviet Union and delivered between 1982 and 1984 (the vehicles were previously in Soviet service).[25] This country had 1,000 T-62Ms and T-62Ks in service in 1990, 1995, 2000, 2001 and 2003 and around 1,000 in 2005.[47]
Free Syrian Army – Limited use of captured government tanks [48]
Tajikistan – 10 were in service in 2000, 7 in service as of 2013.[49]
Uzbekistan – 179 were in service in 1995, 190 in 2000 and 170 in 2005.[50]
Vietnam – 200 North Korean Ch'ŏnma-hos (the vehicles were probably produced in Czechoslovakia) were ordered in 1978 from North Korea and delivered between 1978 and 1979. 220 were in service in 2009.
Yemen – 150[40]
Belarus – 170 were in service in 1995, none in 2000.[51]
Bulgaria – 250 were ordered in 1969 from the Soviet Union and delivered between 1970 and 1974.[25] A number were received from the Soviet Union after the Soviet War in Afghanistan, modernized, withdrawn from service, and then converted into TV-62Ms.[20] Withdrawn from service around 2000, only recovery vehicles remain in use.
Iraq – 100 were ordered in 1973 from the Soviet Union and delivered between 1974 and 1975. 600 ordered in 1976 from the Soviet Union were delivered between 1977 and 1979 (the vehicles were probably produced in Czechoslovakia). 2,150 were ordered in 1982 from the Soviet Union and delivered between 1982 and 1989 (the vehicles were probably previously in Soviet service). 1,500 were in service in 1990, 500 in 1995, 2000 and 2002.[52] More than 1,000 were in service before the First Persian Gulf War.
Israel – 120 Tiran-6 (non-combat service).[1][2][53]
Russia – At least 2,000 were inherited from the Soviet Union. 761 were in active service in 1995. 191 were in active service and 1,929 in storage as of 2000. During 2013 all the tanks of the model and its modifications were scrapped[54] - except that Russia keeps supplying T-62s to Syria as of now (2017).
Soviet Union – More than 20,000 were produced between July 1961 and 1975. There were 12,900 in 1985 and 11,300 in 1990, the tanks were passed on to successor states.[55]
Turkmenistan – 7
Ukraine – At least 300[56] were inherited from the former Soviet Union. 85 in service in 1995, none in 2000.[57]
United States – The US Army used a number of T-62 main battle tanks for OpFor training.[20]
Lebanese Forces – the Christian Lebanese Forces militia received 64 T-55 and T-62 tanks from Iraq via Jordan in 1988–89.
North Yemen – 16 ordered in 1979 from the Soviet Union were delivered in 1980 (the vehicles were probably either produced in Czechoslovakia or previously in Soviet service).[25]
South Yemen – 50 were ordered from the Soviet Union in 1979 and received in 1979 as aid. Another 100 were ordered in 1980 from the Soviet Union and delivered between 1981 and 1982. 120 more ordered in 1986 from the Soviet Union were delivered in 1986. All the vehicles of the last batch were previously in Soviet service.[25]
People's Republic of China – A Soviet T-62 was captured by the PLA during the 1969 Sino-Soviet border clash along the Ussuri river.[58] It was used for study only.
Czechoslovakia – Evaluated the tank, but did not accept it.
Poland – Evaluated the tank, but did not accept it.
