The confrontation between the two military-political blocs formed as a result of the Second World War, each of which was headed by a superpower (the USSR and the USA), was called the Cold War. The military parity that developed after the successful tests of Soviet nuclear weapons led to the fact that the confrontation between the parties that did not have a clear advantage in the armed forces took place mainly indirectly, in the form of an ideological struggle and an arms race.
In the Cold War for its almost half-century history (from the mid-40s to the end of the 80s) in one way or another, almost all the states of the planet were involved. And if the vast majority of the samples of military equipment of the Eastern Bloc were either created in the USSR, or developed on the basis of Soviet samples, the situation was different on the other side of the Iron Curtain. In particular, several tank-building schools competed with each other here at once.
The photo review presents fifteen samples of armored vehicles of the countries of the “capitalist camp” that entered service at the height of the Cold War — from the mid-50s to the end of the 70s. It is these vehicles that could become opponents of the Soviet T-54, T-62, T-64, and T-72 if the Cold War turned into a real, “Hot” one. Fortunately, this did not happen, and about half of the types of tanks presented in the review did not have a chance to smell gunpowder in combat conditions at all.
If the background of the photos interferes with reading the reference information of the photos, you can hover your mouse over the text — this will darken the background of the caption
Heavy tank FV 214 Conqueror, Great Britain (in the photo-a modification of the Mk II). In operation since 1955. 185 vehicles were built Weight 64 tons, engine 810 hp, a crew of 4 people. Armament – 120 mm cannon (35 shells), 2×7.62 mm machine gun
Heavy tank M-103, USA. In serial production since 1957. 300 vehicles were produced. Weight 59 tons, engine 810/750 hp (modifications M103A1/M103A2), crew of 5 people. Armament – 120 mm cannon (34 shells), 2×7.62 mm machine gun (5250 rounds), 1×12.7 mm machine gun (1000 rounds)
Main battle tank M60A1, USA. M60 tanks were produced since 1959, more than 15,000 vehicles were built in various modifications. Weight (M60A1) 47.6 tons, engine 750 hp, crew of 4 people. Armament – 105-mm cannon (63 shells), 1×7.62-mm machine gun (6000 rounds), 1×12.7-mm machine gun (900 rounds)
The main battle tank Type 61, Japan. In operation since 1961, 560 vehicles were built. Weight 35 tons, engine 570 hp, crew of 4 people. Armament – 90-mm cannon (50 shells), 12.7-mm machine gun (525 rounds), 7.62-mm machine gun (4000 rounds) tetsublo.militaryblog.jp
Main battle tank Leopard 1, West Germany. It was produced since 1964, 4744 vehicles were built. Weight 42.5 tons, engine 830 hp, crew of 4 people. Armament: 105-mm cannon (60, in later versions – 55 shells), 2×7.62-mm machine gun (5000 rounds)
Main battle tank Panzer 61, Switzerland. In operation since1964 . 150 vehicles were built. Weight 39 tons, engine 630 hp, crew of 4 people. Armament – 105-mm cannon (56 shells), 2×7.5-mm machine gun (3200 rounds)
Chieftain main battle tank (FV4201), Great Britain. In operation since 1966. About 2000 vehicles were built. The mass of the tank of the most popular modification of the Chieftain Mk. 5-56 tons, engine 750 hp, crew of 4 people. Armament – 120 mm cannon (64 shells), 2×7.62 mm machine gun (6000 rounds), 1×12.7 mm machine gun (300 rounds)
Main battle tank AMX-30, France. In operation since 1966. About 3500 vehicles were built. Weight 36 tons, engine 680-750 hp, crew of 4 people. Armament: 105-mm cannon (47 shells), 20-mm cannon (480 shells), 7.62-mm machine gun (2070 rounds)
Stridsvagn 103 main battle tank, Sweden. In operation since 1967 . 290 vehicles were built. Weight 39.7/42.5 tons (modifications 103B/103C), engines 240+300 (103A) or 240+490 (103B) or 290+490 (103C) hp, crew of 3 people. Armament – 105-mm cannon (50 shells), 3×7.62-mm machine gun
Main battle tank Panzer 68, Switzerland. In operation since 1971. 390 vehicles were built, including 195 upgraded to the Panzer 68/88 version (in the photo). Weight 39.6 tons, engine 660 hp, crew of 4 people. Armament – 105-mm cannon (52 shells), 2×7.5-mm machine gun (4000 rounds)
Main battle tank M60A2 Starship, USA. In operation since 1974, about 500 vehicles were built. Modification of the M60 tank with the main armament in the form of a short-barreled 152-mm gun-launcher MGM-51 Shillelagh ATGM. Ammunition-33 shells, 13 missiles. The weight is 51.8 tons. Due to the problems with the reliability of weapons, they had been decommissioned by 1981
Main battle tank Type 74, Japan. In operation since 1975. 893 vehicles were built. Weight 38 tons, engine 750 hp, crew of 4 people. Armament: 105-mm cannon (55 shells), 12.7-mm machine gun (660 rounds), 7.62-mm machine gun (4500 rounds)
Merkava Mark I main battle tank, Israel. In operation since 1978. About 250 vehicles were built. Weight 63 tons, engine 900 hp, crew of 4 people. Armament – 105-mm cannon (62 shells, if necessary-can be increased to 86 shells), 2×7.62-mm machine gun (10,000 rounds), 60-mm mortar (30 high-explosive, lighting and smoke mines)
The main battle tank Leopard 2, Germany (in the photo-the Austrian Leopard2A4). In operation since 1979. More than 3000 vehicles were built. In the 2A4 modification, which was produced since 1985, the weight of the tank is 55.2 tons. The engine is 1500 hp, the crew is 4 people. Armament: 120 mm cannon (42 shells), 2×7.62 mm machine gun (4750 rounds)
M1 Abrams main battle tank, USA, at the Reforger-82 exercise in West Germany. In 1979 – 1985, 3,273 tanks were built in the basic modification. Weight 54 tons, engine 1500 hp, crew of 4 people. Armament: 105-mm cannon (50 shells), 1×12.7-mm machine gun (900 rounds), 2×7.62-mm machine gun (10400 rounds)
The confrontation between the two military-political blocs formed as a result of the Second World War, each of which was headed by a superpower (the USSR and the USA), was called the Cold War. The military parity that developed after the successful tests of Soviet nuclear weapons led to the fact that the confrontation between the parties that did not have a clear advantage in the armed forces took place mainly indirectly, in the form of an ideological struggle and an arms race.
In the Cold War for its almost half-century history (from the mid-40s to the end of the 80s) in one way or another, almost all the states of the planet were involved. And if the vast majority of the samples of military equipment of the Eastern Bloc were either created in the USSR, or developed on the basis of Soviet samples, the situation was different on the other side of the Iron Curtain. In particular, several tank-building schools competed with each other here at once.
The photo review presents fifteen samples of armored vehicles of the countries of the “capitalist camp” that entered service at the height of the Cold War — from the mid-50s to the end of the 70s. It is these vehicles that could become opponents of the Soviet T-54, T-62, T-64, and T-72 if the Cold War turned into a real, “Hot” one. Fortunately, this did not happen, and about half of the types of tanks presented in the review did not have a chance to smell gunpowder in combat conditions at all.
If the background of the photos interferes with reading the reference information of the photos, you can hover your mouse over the text — this will darken the background of the caption
Heavy tank FV 214 Conqueror, Great Britain (in the photo-a modification of the Mk II). In operation since 1955. 185 vehicles were built Weight 64 tons, engine 810 hp, a crew of 4 people. Armament – 120 mm cannon (35 shells), 2×7.62 mm machine gun
Heavy tank M-103, USA. In serial production since 1957. 300 vehicles were produced. Weight 59 tons, engine 810/750 hp (modifications M103A1/M103A2), crew of 5 people. Armament – 120 mm cannon (34 shells), 2×7.62 mm machine gun (5250 rounds), 1×12.7 mm machine gun (1000 rounds)
Main battle tank M60A1, USA. M60 tanks were produced since 1959, more than 15,000 vehicles were built in various modifications. Weight (M60A1) 47.6 tons, engine 750 hp, crew of 4 people. Armament – 105-mm cannon (63 shells), 1×7.62-mm machine gun (6000 rounds), 1×12.7-mm machine gun (900 rounds)
The main battle tank Type 61, Japan. In operation since 1961, 560 vehicles were built. Weight 35 tons, engine 570 hp, crew of 4 people. Armament – 90-mm cannon (50 shells), 12.7-mm machine gun (525 rounds), 7.62-mm machine gun (4000 rounds) tetsublo.militaryblog.jp
Main battle tank Leopard 1, West Germany. It was produced since 1964, 4744 vehicles were built. Weight 42.5 tons, engine 830 hp, crew of 4 people. Armament: 105-mm cannon (60, in later versions – 55 shells), 2×7.62-mm machine gun (5000 rounds)
Main battle tank Panzer 61, Switzerland. In operation since1964 . 150 vehicles were built. Weight 39 tons, engine 630 hp, crew of 4 people. Armament – 105-mm cannon (56 shells), 2×7.5-mm machine gun (3200 rounds)
Chieftain main battle tank (FV4201), Great Britain. In operation since 1966. About 2000 vehicles were built. The mass of the tank of the most popular modification of the Chieftain Mk. 5-56 tons, engine 750 hp, crew of 4 people. Armament – 120 mm cannon (64 shells), 2×7.62 mm machine gun (6000 rounds), 1×12.7 mm machine gun (300 rounds)
Main battle tank AMX-30, France. In operation since 1966. About 3500 vehicles were built. Weight 36 tons, engine 680-750 hp, crew of 4 people. Armament: 105-mm cannon (47 shells), 20-mm cannon (480 shells), 7.62-mm machine gun (2070 rounds)
Stridsvagn 103 main battle tank, Sweden. In operation since 1967 . 290 vehicles were built. Weight 39.7/42.5 tons (modifications 103B/103C), engines 240+300 (103A) or 240+490 (103B) or 290+490 (103C) hp, crew of 3 people. Armament – 105-mm cannon (50 shells), 3×7.62-mm machine gun
Main battle tank Panzer 68, Switzerland. In operation since 1971. 390 vehicles were built, including 195 upgraded to the Panzer 68/88 version (in the photo). Weight 39.6 tons, engine 660 hp, crew of 4 people. Armament – 105-mm cannon (52 shells), 2×7.5-mm machine gun (4000 rounds)
Main battle tank M60A2 Starship, USA. In operation since 1974, about 500 vehicles were built. Modification of the M60 tank with the main armament in the form of a short-barreled 152-mm gun-launcher MGM-51 Shillelagh ATGM. Ammunition-33 shells, 13 missiles. The weight is 51.8 tons. Due to the problems with the reliability of weapons, they had been decommissioned by 1981
Main battle tank Type 74, Japan. In operation since 1975. 893 vehicles were built. Weight 38 tons, engine 750 hp, crew of 4 people. Armament: 105-mm cannon (55 shells), 12.7-mm machine gun (660 rounds), 7.62-mm machine gun (4500 rounds)
Merkava Mark I main battle tank, Israel. In operation since 1978. About 250 vehicles were built. Weight 63 tons, engine 900 hp, crew of 4 people. Armament – 105-mm cannon (62 shells, if necessary-can be increased to 86 shells), 2×7.62-mm machine gun (10,000 rounds), 60-mm mortar (30 high-explosive, lighting and smoke mines)
The main battle tank Leopard 2, Germany (in the photo-the Austrian Leopard2A4). In operation since 1979. More than 3000 vehicles were built. In the 2A4 modification, which was produced since 1985, the weight of the tank is 55.2 tons. The engine is 1500 hp, the crew is 4 people. Armament: 120 mm cannon (42 shells), 2×7.62 mm machine gun (4750 rounds)
M1 Abrams main battle tank, USA, at the Reforger-82 exercise in West Germany. In 1979 – 1985, 3,273 tanks were built in the basic modification. Weight 54 tons, engine 1500 hp, crew of 4 people. Armament: 105-mm cannon (50 shells), 1×12.7-mm machine gun (900 rounds), 2×7.62-mm machine gun (10400 rounds)
