The top ten main battle tanks in the world NO.1 M1A2 SEP Abrams Manufacturer: The United States M1A2 SEP tank is the most advanced digital tank in active service in the US military. The SEP system involves sighting and fire control , weapons, power, communications, protection and vehicle management and other aspects. The M1A2 is a giant among tanks. The manufacturing cost and usage cost of a single vehicle are high, making it the exclusive killer of the United States. In addition to its first-class performance and highly informatized hard power, the M1A2 is the modern main battle tank with the most practical combat experience. Its soft power in combat concepts and other aspects makes it a benchmark for the development of modern main battle tanks. Firepower: Using the latest L55RH-120mm smoothbore gun from Germany's Rheinmetall, the gun has excellent performance. The M1A2's particularly sophisticated fire control system earned it high marks. Protection: The world-famous depleted uranium armor gives it excellent frontal protection. The unique magazine separation and pressure relief plate, three-proof device, and fire and explosion suppression device are very well designed. Mobility: SEP adopted the "European Power Package" to obtain strong power and good reliability, thus getting rid of the "oil tiger" hat in the Gulf War. Its tactical and strategic mobility capabilities are excellent, but because the vehicle-mounted equipment is too delicate, the logistics support and maintenance work are complicated and expensive, and most countries cannot afford to use it even if they can afford it, which brings a lot of deductions to its comprehensive mobility capabilities. . Informatization: Comparatively speaking, the biggest advantage of M1A2 SEP is its far leading informatization level. The tank is equipped with the latest battlefield management system (BMS), which can automatically provide troop locations, logistics information, target data and orders for both sides. A large number of electronic equipment are used to automatically detect fault conditions; the electronic sensing system improves the target recognition ability and the ability to transmit information to neighboring tanks; the new command, control, and communication system improves the tank's combat effectiveness. The M1A2 is equipped with an autonomous navigation system, which can quickly and accurately calibrate its position through the GPS satellite positioning system. This makes its audio-visual tentacles extend in all directions, sensitive and fast, as if equipped with "clairvoyance and ears for the wind". This is due to the United States’ unique networked battlefield information sharing capabilities. NO.2 Leopard IIA6 Country of production: Germany
With its strong power, ferocious firepower, and tight protection, it is no exaggeration to call it a Leopard. The Leopard II has become the benchmark for NATO tanks since the day it was born. The Germans easily found a golden balance point in the three major performances of the tank, achieving the ultimate balance of the tank. Leopard II is not only a weapon system, but also a work of art. The Germans use the technology of high-end sports cars to create high-quality first-class tanks. Firepower: The latest 55-caliber Rh120-L55 120mm smoothbore gun from the famous Rheinmetall Company has a muzzle velocity of 1750m/s. It uses tungsten alloy bullets with a penetration depth of 900mm at normal temperature, and its accuracy is quite high. With a range of 5000m, it is currently the longest-range tank gun. Command ceremony fire control system, response time is 6 seconds. As a benchmark for NATO combat vehicles, the firepower standard of the Leopard IIA6 is so high that few can surpass it. Protection: Judging from the tank shooting comparison test data conducted within NATO, the armor protection level of the Leopard IIA6 is almost the same as that of the M1A2, especially the mine protection capability has reached the world's leading level. This is extremely difficult for Leopard II. The talent of German designers is impressive. Mobility: The MB873Ka-501 4-stroke 12-cylinder V-type 90° water-cooled pre-combustion chamber supercharged and intercooled diesel engine developed by MTU Company is currently one of the best diesel engines in the world. The engine power is 1100 kilowatts (1500 horsepower) and the transmission system is excellent. When the firepower and protective performance are almost perfect, many people may no longer have strict requirements on the mobility of tanks. But Leopard II did it better than anyone else. This is a miracle. Although the Leopard IIA6 is wide and heavy, considering the open terrain of the European plains, it has little impact on its strategic maneuverability. Informatization: On the Leopard II, the three traditional performance of the tank have been achieved to the extreme. The improvement of its informatization level is a key point, and the A6 has also achieved it! NO.3 AMX Leclerc Country of production: France
Leclerc is the first modern Western tank to use an automatic loader, and is ahead of other Western countries in terms of automation. French tanks have always attached great importance to mobility and firepower. The emergence of Leclerc symbolizes that French tanks have returned to the path of balanced development of the three major performances. Compared with other European and American main station tanks, the Leclerc is much more refined and compact, but its performance has not shrunk at all. Firepower: Leclerc is equipped with a 52-caliber CNI20-type 120mm smoothbore gun. The gun has a unique appearance and the gun body smoker device is cancelled. The fire control system design is even more ingenious, and the rate of fire and first hit rate are very high. Protection: Each generation of French tanks has a new design concept. The haze of being defeated by the German lightning tactics in World War II prompted the French to prioritize tank firepower and mobility. However, their approach of deliberately sacrificing protection to gain mobility is no longer suitable today when infantry anti-tank capabilities have improved dramatically. . Therefore, the French Ground Arms Industry Group (GIAT) clearly prioritized improving tank survivability from the beginning of the design, and adopted the most advanced modular design technology and composite armor technology for the design of the body and turret, forming a Leclerc's unique style.
Mobility: French designers have always focused on the mobility of tanks. The unique transmission system, supported by the strong power of the German heart, allows Leclerc to obtain extremely excellent mobility. It is worth mentioning the high-pressure technology used in this tank. Leclerc's acceleration and shifting performance is extraordinary, taking only 4 to 6 seconds from 0 to 32 km/h. Due to its lightness and flexibility, its road and bridge passability and maximum range are superior to other European and American main station tanks, making its strategic maneuverability outstanding. Informationization: Leclerc weighs about 55 tons, of which on-board electronic equipment accounts for 75% of the weight. No wonder Leclerc is nicknamed the "Computer Tank". Report Respondent's Supplement 2009-08-05 21:02 NO.4 ZTZ-99G Country of Manufacture: China
In today's world, no country dares to challenge the People's Liberation Army Army. As an army power, China has always attached great importance to main station tanks. Through long-term manufacturing and use of Soviet tanks, a lot of valuable experience has been accumulated. In recent years, it has finally jumped out of the Soviet tank thinking mode and achieved positive results. The latest ZTZ-99G main station tank comprehensively surpasses the most advanced Soviet T-90 and Japanese Type 90 in the three traditional performances of firepower, protection and mobility, and is close to the world's leading level of active main station tanks.
Firepower: Although China has taken the road of imitation and self-made artillery, it has also outperformed its opponents in the process. The ZTZ-99G uses a domestic 52 times caliber 125mm high-bore smoothbore gun. Its power is second to none among the main tanks in active service in various countries, and it can easily penetrate the front armor of all current main tanks. In addition, the 99G also retains a major advantage of the Soviet tank artillery. It can launch laser-guided missiles with a range of 5,000m, which is of great significance for preemptively striking ground or air targets. The latest ZTZ-99G adopts a domestically produced large closed-loop fire control system that integrates aiming and guidance, reaching the world's advanced level.
Protection: 99G has an excellent bulletproof appearance. The front of the turret adopts a wedge-shaped design similar to the German Leopard IIA5/A6. The thickness of the turret front armor is 500-600mm, and there is a double-layer active reaction protection layer on the outside. , so that the actual protective layer thickness is 1000-1200mm. The penetration power of the main gun of the US military M1A2 tank is 810mm. The most unique and shocking feature of the 99G is the overhead laser dazzling suppression jamming device, which can interfere with and destroy the enemy's expensive viewing equipment. This gives the 99G a unique killer move, making it the only main battle tank with defensive and offensive capabilities. It also brings a very high score to 99G. Mobility: It adopts the domestic 150HB type 1103 kilowatt (1500 horsepower) turbocharged intercooled high-power diesel engine and a new high-efficiency transmission system, allowing the 99G to have a maximum highway speed of 80km/h, a maximum off-road speed of 60km/h, and a range of 0 to 32km /h acceleration time is 12 seconds, and the maximum range is 600km. However, compared with China's roads and bridges and the southern water network rice fields and other areas, the 99G's 55t weight is somewhat excessive, and the tank operability and engine reliability also need to be improved, making the 99G's strategic maneuverability score low. Informatization: Like the Soviet tanks, the biggest shortcoming of the 99G is its low degree of informatization. Improving the informatization level of tanks should be the focus of improvement after 99G. NO.5 Challenger II Country of production: United Kingdom
The British often have unexpected innovations, but they are also the most conservative. It is highlighted by its "Heavy Knight" Challenger system main station tank. The British are the inventors of tanks and the originators of tank composite armor. But it is also possible to make the tank bulky for the sake of its protective performance. Today, when rifled guns have withdrawn from the stage of history and smoothbore guns dominate the world, the British still stubbornly insist on rifled guns. Regardless of how well the rifled cannons have been played by the British, as one of the important countries in NATO, when jointly performing missions with NATO countries, the logistical support troubles caused by this will probably only knock their teeth out. Riton. Firepower: Naturally, the British stubbornly insisted on rifled guns for a certain reason, and that was the unique advantages of rifled guns. In terms of artillery performance, Challenger 2's rifled cannon is far superior to other smoothbore cannons in terms of range and shooting accuracy. But unfortunately, the shortcomings and advantages of rifled guns are equally prominent. Not only is it easy to wear, its lifespan is poor, and its power is also limited. Moreover, due to the commonality of the artillery itself and its components, logistics is extremely difficult. Its accuracy is also hindered by its poor fire control system. Protection: The British are the inventors of composite armor, and their tanks are famous for their armor performance. The British are particularly pursuing protection capabilities. The armor performance of Challenger 2 is outstanding and very domineering. The armor protection of the entire vehicle is almost watertight. The British believe that although mobility is sacrificed, the first thing to ensure on the battlefield is survivability. In this way, they can attack gracefully like knights without having to dodge left and right, which is ungentlemanly. Mobility: Looking at the Challenger itself, perhaps the British don't think its mobility is that bad, but compared with other advanced tanks, the Challenger's 65t body immediately appears to be extremely bulky, even with the "European Power Pack" It is also difficult to fundamentally resolve the contradiction. Coupled with the artillery issues mentioned earlier, the Challenger 2's tactical and strategic mobility capabilities are very average. Informatization: Like other Western main station tanks, Challenger 2 has a high degree of informatization.
NO.6 MK-IV Merkava 4 Manufacturer: Israel
The Israelis have considerable experience in the use of tanks in previous Middle East wars, and are one of the few countries with rich practical experience in modern main station tanks. one. The Merkava series of main station tanks vividly reflects the Hebrews' understanding of tanks. Climbing out of the bloody pool of World War II and establishing the country under the watchful eyes of powerful enemies, the Israelis may have the highest awareness and emphasis on the role of tanks in the world. This also gave birth to the Israeli tank concept: all designs are based on crew survivability, all firepower , protection and mobility all serve it. Firepower: Like the Japanese Type 90, the MK4 tank uses the 44-caliber 120mm smoothbore gun technology introduced from the German Rheinmetall Company. After localization, the Israelis further improved its performance. It can fire a variety of shells and rockets, and has The ability to shoot down helicopters. The MK4's fire control system was also developed in Israel and has excellent performance. The top of the turret is equipped with a 60mm mortar. This gives MK4 good firepower performance. Protection: The unique front design of the power cabin provides a strong guarantee for the safety of the crew inside the tank. In addition, the body is cast as a whole, and the front upper armor is welded with an armor plate with good bulletproof shape, a hanging chain behind the turret, and the body The rear door, the extremely strong anti-mine capability of the vehicle bottom, and the unique design of the turret all reflect the Israeli tank wisdom. The conventional protective performance is astounding. However, with the rapid development of individual anti-tank firepower today, even MK is not immune. The recent reports of MK being disembowelled frequently on the battlefield have cast doubt on the myth of MK’s immortality, which has especially angered the hard-working Israelis and caused them to lose face. At the same time, it also poses a challenge to future anti-anti-tank operations in various countries. Of course, we cannot deny the Merkava's excellent performance based on this. The M1A2's "record" in this regard is much "better" than the MK. We also do not deny the M1A2. Mobility: The Merkava 4 main battle tank is powered by a Diesel internal combustion engine, with the power increased from the 1,300 horsepower of the Merkava 3 to 1,500 horsepower. But overall, the MK4's tactical maneuverability is poor. Since its design and use environment is mainly for the desert plains of the Middle East, its strategic maneuverability is limited. Informatization: Based on the Merkava 3, the Merkava 4 main battle tank has made major improvements and adjustments to the armor protection and station management systems to realize the digitization of the modern battlefield. NO.7 T-90C/S Country of production: Russia
The Russian tank design philosophy is "simplicity is beautiful", and the tank usage philosophy is "more, faster, better, and more economical". Its pragmatism is unabashed and clear. This is in stark contrast to Western tank philosophy. Compared with the beautifully made Western tanks and even Chinese tanks, the appearance of Russian tanks seems rough, simple and shabby. The biggest advantage of the T-90 is that it is simple, cheap, consumes very little resources and labor, and can be produced like crazy during wartime. It is a very cost-effective swarm assault weapon. For all enemies, facing the endless T-90s jumping all over the ground is a nightmare they don't want to mention. Firepower: Russians typically focus on offense rather than defense. The 125mm large-caliber artillery can fire various artillery shells and 125mm-caliber artillery-launched missiles. It is famous for its fierce firepower. All performances of the artillery are very good. The Russians do not seek excellence but practicality in the fire control system. They adopt the T-80U's IA45 integrated fire control system, which is equipped with a day and night aiming system with a stabilizing device and a thermal imaging aiming system, which improves the performance at night or in adverse weather conditions. combat capabilities, simple and economical. However, its firepower has not decreased but increased, making it reliable and durable. Protection: The armor protection of the T-90S is not outstanding. The advertised active defense armor and interference device (Stora-1 photoelectric jamming system) are not as good as people think, but this does not mean that the T-90S The protective performance of the 90S is not very good. When faced with the main tanks currently in service in Western countries, the T-90S is not inferior. Mobility: Although it is the same as the Chinese ZTZ-99G and is developed on the basis of the T-72, the 99G has no trace of the T-72 at all. The T-90 still uses the T-72B chassis and 1,200-horsepower power system, but because of its excellent performance, it fully complies with Russian requirements, and the tank has a low overall weight and a maximum road speed of 60km/h, so it has excellent maneuverability. And like other Russian weapons, it is simple and practical, safe and reliable, has convenient logistics support, has a maximum range of 650km, and has excellent strategic maneuverability. Therefore, the T-90S's maneuverability scores quite high. Informatization: A common problem of Dongfang’s main battle tanks is that the degree of informatization and digitalization needs to be improved. Supplement from the reporter 2009-08-05 21:03 NO.8 Type 90 Producing Country: Japan
Since its advent in the 1990s, the Type 90 has relied on its stylish and advanced hunter-killer fire control system. As well as its lively and good mobility, it once topped the tank rankings. The Type 90 is almost the Asian version of the German Leopard IIA4, and the Japanese's hard style is clearly reflected in their tanks. Unfortunately, the Japanese are so self-admired that they have stayed put on tank improvements for the past 20 years without making any progress. In contrast, China's tank development has advanced by leaps and bounds, quickly surpassing Japan, and finally losing the advantage of the Type 90, and passively started the so-called "super tank" plan.
Firepower: The Type 90 still uses the 44-caliber 120MM smoothbore gun of the German Rheinmetall Company. Although it has excellent performance, it is no longer outstanding in today's rapid development of artillery technology. The once-leading advanced fire control system is also facing the embarrassing situation of falling behind others. Protection: Insufficient armor protection has always been a shortcoming of the Type 90. In terms of turret design, the Japanese have fully accepted the advantages and disadvantages of their German teachers. The nearly 200mm bullet-housing zone between the turret and the body has always been criticized. Mobility: The Japanese are short in stature, and the corresponding Type 90 is much lighter than the Leopard IIA4. The Type 90 has a strong heart of 1,500 horsepower. It is especially praised for its excellent suspension and transmission system, so it has amazing tactical maneuverability. . But its fatal flaw is that Japan has a strong civilian industry, but its military industry foundation is relatively weak and imperfect, and its research and development capabilities are limited. The Type 90 uses Mitsubishi Heavy Industries' 2-stroke engine. Although the power is high, the fuel consumption and reliability are very unsatisfactory. In addition, it lives in an island country and is surrounded by the sea. The strategic maneuverability of the Type 90 cannot be complimented. It seriously affected the overall maneuverability rating of the Type 90. Informatization: To this day, although the level of informatization of Type 90 is not outstanding, it is still among the best in Asia. However, the Japanese know better than anyone how long this advantage will last. NO.9 T-84-120 Country of production: Ukraine
Ukraine is the heavy industry base of the former Soviet Union. Its R&D and manufacturing capabilities of main battle tanks cannot be underestimated. The Ukrainian T-84 series and the Russian T90 series parted ways after the T-72, and each embarked on their own main battle tank development path. But after all, it has the same genetic genes, so he has all the traditional advantages of Russian tanks. To put it figuratively, the T-84-120 has a Russian body and a Western head. It is a typical "East-West combination". Although there is a suspicion of "cobbling things together", the true skill of Ukrainian tank designers is that they can "piece together" well and "cobble together" well. Firepower: The T-84-120 is developed on the chassis of the T-84 main battle tank. The main gun uses the NATO standard 50 times caliber 120mm smoothbore gun. This is inconsistent with the 44- or 55-fold caliber or even the 52-fold caliber adopted by the mainstream in the West. A more credible analysis is that this smoothbore gun was indeed designed by Ukraine itself, but it clearly adopted Western technology and moved closer to the West in terms of barrel design and chamber chamber size in order to facilitate the firing of NATO 120mm shells. . The gun can fire artillery-launched missiles. Protection: Equipped with an advanced optoelectronic self-protection system, including an automatically launched aerosol smoke grenade to prevent laser detection, and a dual infrared jamming device that automatically activates to deal with infrared tracking second-generation anti-tank missiles. It is estimated that this system is the "Curtain-1" armored combat vehicle protection system installed on the Ukrainian T-84 tank. Mobility: It adopts the 6TD-2 6-cylinder, water-cooled, two-stroke, multi-fuel engine designed and manufactured in Ukraine. Maximum power is 1200 horsepower (2600 rpm). The maximum road speed is 70km/h, the off-road speed is 45km/h, and the maximum speed in reverse gear is 34km/h. Informatization: It is equipped with basic communication equipment and positioning systems, but in view of the chaos caused by the combination of T-84-120 and East-West, its informatization level score is very average. NO.10 Ram II Country of production: Italy When it comes to Italian tanks, many people may think of the famous "Centaur" armored vehicle. In fact, Italy not only has world-class armored vehicles, but its main battle tanks are not well-known but have equally advanced performance. The Ram II is able to beat South Korea's K1A1, Pakistan's MBT2000 Ahlid, South Africa's Horn and other main battle tanks to enter the TOP10. This is not because it is much more advanced than them. The main reason is that the users of these three tanks have low technical content in their own countries. The industrial capabilities of tanks are obviously insufficient, resulting in congenital deficiencies in the use efficiency and potential development of tanks. Compared with the Russian T-80U and the Chinese 96G, the Ram II has a slight advantage in tank quality. Firepower: 120mm smoothbore gun of 44x caliber, produced by Otto Melara. This artillery is an improvement on the RH120 120mm smoothbore gun of the German Leopard II. It has "hunting--killing" attack capabilities, making it reach a level similar to the M1A2 fire control system. Protection: The car body and turret are welded steel armor structures, and composite armor is used in major parts. The vehicle is equipped with three-proof devices and fire-extinguishing and explosion-suppressing devices. Overall, the "Ram" main battle tank has good firepower and mobility, but its protection is slightly behind the most advanced main battle tanks. Mobility: The power unit is a water-cooled, turbocharged diesel engine with a maximum power of 1100kw. The transmission device is a hydromechanical gearbox manufactured by German ZF Company. The suspension device is hydropneumatic. The tank's maximum speed is 65km/h. The acceleration time from 0-32km/h is 6-7 seconds. This shows that its maneuverability is similar to that of the Leopard II tank. Informatization: Although the informatization level of Ram II is slightly average compared to other top European and American main battle tanks, the gap is not very obvious. In addition, within the NATO mechanism, joint military operations have resulted in little disparity in the ability of armored forces of various countries to obtain information.