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Main Battle Tank

Category: Term of the day

Originally, the battle tanks were divided into three groups – heavy, medium, and light. However, in the post-war period, with the medium tanks having almost reached the capabilities of heavy tanks while remaining in the same weight class, the medium and heavy tanks were united into one group – main battle tanks (MBT).

The best MBTs of the world nowadays include (left to right on the geographic map according to the location of the manufacturer) M1A2 Abrams SEP (USA), Challenger-2E (UK), Leclerc (France), Ariete (Italy), Leopard-2A6 (Germany), T-84 (Ukraine), Merkava Mk4 (Israel), T-90S (Russia), Type 98 (China), Type 90 (Japan).

Information about how many MBTs of different types are in service with various countries can be seen on-line at this site or at the World Defence Almanac published by the Monch Publishing Group (Germany).

Recommended reading: Tanks of the World by Bernard & Graefe Verlag, Bonn, Germany.

Sergyi Way
21.07.2006

www.army-guide.com

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Type 90 (Main battle tank)

Leclerc (Main battle tank)

C1 Ariete (Main battle tank)

M1A2 Abrams (Main battle tank)

Type 90 (Infantry fighting vehicle)

Type 90 (Main battle tank)

Challenger 2E (Main battle tank)

Leclerc (Repair and recovery vehicle)

Leopard 2A6 (Main battle tank)

Type 98 (Main battle tank)

M1A2 Abrams (Modernization of the vehicle)

M1A2 SEP Abrams (Modernization of the vehicle)

Type 90 (Multiple rocket launcher)

Leclerc EPG (Engineer vehicle)

Leclerc AZUR (Modernization of the vehicle)

Type 90 (Repair and recovery vehicle)

Leclerc PTG (Engineer vehicle)

M1A2 TUSK Abrams (Modernization of the vehicle)

Type 90 (Anti-aircraft system)

Leclerc DCL (Repair and recovery vehicle)

Leclerc Renove/R/XLR (Modernization of the vehicle)

C1 Ariete AMV (Modernization of the vehicle)

Discuss

Records 1 to 14 of 14

 
Post
RPG
22:36 21.07.2006

As large tank - as large target;) One shut four dead...

Ayed
15:19 26.07.2006

You didn't mentioned here Pakistani Al-Khalid tank and Polish T-91 tank.

Huda
13:07 01.08.2006

Al-Khalid is not a genuine Pakistani tank. It is a modified chinese T-90II tank with ukrainian engine (some peopel say british engine).

Ayed
18:00 01.08.2006

Other tanks also used imported products. Even American Abrams uses German 120mm gun.

Azam
10:33 02.08.2006

Pakistan is self-sufficiet in tank production. It has a large tank plant with modern equipment, including CNC.

Ayed
09:35 03.08.2006

The Indians have been developing their Arjun MBT for twenty years without success, but Pakistan, although it took much effort, succeeded in developing its Al-Khalid MBT and putting it in volume production.

Ayed
09:35 03.08.2006

That makes Pakistan a great tank nation.

Alfred
14:26 03.08.2006

Only those nations can be considered to be great tank nations which have been engaged in large-scale tank fighting in their history. These are Germany, France, USA and Russia. These four countries set pace in the world's tank development, and other countries just follow suit.

Misima
14:19 04.08.2006

As far as I know Pakistan has Ukrainian T-80UD as its main battle tank. Also Al-Khalid? Two main battle tanks at the same time is really an aspiration to be a great tank nation.

Azam
16:11 07.08.2006

Al-Khalid is more advanced than T-80UD. The T-80UD does not measure up to Al-Khalid.

Misima
13:44 09.08.2006

This can only be checked in battlefield.

Muda
15:03 10.08.2006

If these muddle-headed Pakistani ever attack India, they will suffer an ignominious defeat, including in tank-versus-tank engagements. They will meet their Waterloo there.

ben
02:19 13.02.2008

If the Al-Khalid was designed, from the ground up, and produced primarily in Pakistan, then yes, I guess you can add Pakistan to that list. As far as I know, however, this is not the case. >The comparison with the US M-1 using a Rheinmetall gun is not valid, as the L-44 & L-55 guns are used by the UK's Challenger, Korea's K1/K2, Israel's Merkava 3/4 and Japan's Type 90. >This is not to say Pakistan does not have an effective tank force, but merely that it is not one of the great tank-producing nations.

sep007
01:08 20.07.2011

I know its been along time since anyone posted on this but I had to correct some bits.

1. Challenger 2E is the export version the UK uses Challenger 2.

2. Alfred you missed out the UK, as in the first user of the Tank

, the 1st country to put a large number into battle, ended WW2 with the best Tank(Centurion), leading in Tank armour the Challenger is the best armoured Tank in the world.

3. Ben Challanger2 has not been upgrade to a smoothbore and still uses the L30 Charm Rifle, the Abrams uses a german canon, British armour and Canadian fire control.


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