In the advanced countries of the West, numerous studies have been published in which attempts are made to determine the rating of the best main battle tanks in the world today.
Having analyzed in great detail the previously created most famous Western tank ratings, it was possible to reveal that they all have a common characteristic error that makes their results not legitimate - they were compiled by a subjective assessment method without reference to the calculated modeling of tank battles, which would be based on close use in calculations of real the tactical, technical and combat capabilities of a particular tank model under consideration in comparison with other tank samples.
Having become well acquainted with the key mistakes of Western experts when drawing up tank ratings, the first domestic tank rating is built on the key parameter of any weapon - combat effectiveness, that is, effectiveness.
The combat effectiveness was initially based on two main key parameters of the tank. The first parameter is security and the second firepower.
For modeling, the most modern main battle tanks of all major tank-building powers in the world were taken: Pakistani Al-Khalid Mk.1, Indian Arjun Mk.1, Ukrainian T-84 BM Oplot, British Challenger-2, South Korean K2 Black Panther, French AMX-56 Leclerk, German Leopard-2A7, American Abrams M1A2 SEP version 2, Israeli Merkava Mk.4, Polish PT-91M Twardy, Japanese Type-10, Chinese ZTZ-99A2, Russian T-90MS Tagil.
The tank as a combat unit by itself is ineffective on the battlefield. The modeling was carried out taking into account that each main battle tank was considered in the application system at the tank battalion level.
The tank battalion was based on a battalion of 41 tanks. In complex computational modeling, the battle is based on an oncoming tank battle.
The maximum initial distance of a combat clash between tank battalions was set at 2 kilometers. During the simulation, the firepower was calculated taking into account the individual advancement of the FCS and the use of ammunition typical for each type of main battle tanks.
The level of training of the crew of the tested tanks was set equally to everyone at the level of 0.75.
The calculations individually took into account the real level of protection and armor characteristic of each analyzed tank. The firing capabilities of the Pakistani Al-khalid Mk.1 were set by the ZBM-44U "Mango" armor-piercing feathered sub-caliber projectile and the ZBM-48 "Lead" with the equivalent armor penetration of 650 mm of homogeneous steel armor; the Indian Arjun Mk.1 was equipped with an Israeli BOPS with an equivalent armor penetration of 800 mm under the simulation condition; the Ukrainian T-84 BM Oplot was equipped with the new Ukrainian BOPS ZBM-48 "Gonchar" with 800 mm armor penetration; American Abrams M1A2 SEP Version 2; British Challenger-2; South Korean K2 Black Panther; the Japanese Type-10 was equipped with the American M829A3 BOPS with 800 mm armor penetration; the French AMX-56 Leclerk with a French armor-piercing projectile with an equivalent armor penetration of 800 mm, the German Leopard-2A7 was equipped with a German DM-43 projectile with 800 mm armor penetration, the Polish PT-91M Twardy with a ZBM-44 "Mango" projectile with 650 mm armor penetration; the Chinese ZTZ-99A2 with the Chinese analogue of the Russian ZBM-48 "Lead" projectile with 650 mm penetration and the Russian T-90MS Tagil tank, according to the simulation conditions, was equipped with the most modern Russian ZBM-60 "Lead-2" projectile with an equivalent armor penetration of 720 mm of homogeneous steel armor.
In the conditions of simulating an oncoming tank battle, battalion against battalion, the winner of the tank rating was determined by the complete destruction of the enemy tank battalion. The higher place in the tank rating between the tanks that won the same number of victories was determined by comparing the number of survivors (who retained their combat capability) in the battle of tanks in the victorious battalions, thereby assessing the level of combat effectiveness of a specific sample of the main battle tank on the battlefield over its competitors. rating.
The first place in the rating - the main battle tank T-84 BM Oplot (Ukraine)
After simulating the oncoming battle between tank battalion and battalion, it was possible, based on the results obtained, to reveal that only one tank takes the first place in the rating - the Ukrainian T-84 BM Oplot, which managed to win all 12 victories in all twelve simulated battles conducted with all tested tanks.
Modeling confirmed that the Ukrainian main battle tank BM Oplot in terms of firepower and protection, at this time has no equal analogues among modern and promising tanks in the world.
The survival rate of the Ukrainian BM Oplot tank after each battle was no less than one combat-ready company, which also turned out to be the highest survival rate among other samples of main battle tanks of other tank-building powers in the world.
The performed computational modeling practically showed that the BM Oplot tank at this point in time among all representatives of the tank world has the most modern armor protection, which, in combination with the built-in dynamic protection of the new generation "Duplet", gives the tank incredible security by today's standards.
The Ukrainian main battle tank T-84 BM Oplot was developed at the Kharkiv Morozov Machine Building Design Bureau.
The best main battle tank in the world in 2012, the Ukrainian T-84 BM Oplot, is produced at the State Enterprise Malyshev Plant in the city of Kharkov.
The KMDB, in conjunction with the Malyshev plant, has been the leading forge of the world tank building since the times of the Soviet Union. The assembly shops of the Malyshev tank plant produced such legendary masterpieces of world tank building as tanks: BT-5 / BT-7, T-34, T-44, T-54, T-64, T-80UD Bereza.
The second place in the rating - Leopard 2A7 (Germany) and M1A2 SEP Version 2 Abrams (USA)
The second place in the world tank rating of modern main battle tanks is shared by the German Leopard 2A7 tank and the American M1A2 SEP V2 Abrams.
Tanks Leopard 2A7 and M1A2 SEP V2 Abrams won 10 victories in 12 simulated oncoming tank battles, one draw (among themselves) and allowed only one defeat, losing only to one tank that took first place - the Ukrainian T-84 BM Oplot.
Between themselves, the oncoming tank battle of the Leopard 2A7 and M1A2 SEP V2 Abrams tanks brought them to a draw, knocking out one second battalion to one surviving combat-ready tank. Thus, showing that the Leopard 2A7 and M1A2 SEP V2 Abrams are tanks of the same tier with comparable firepower and protection from a slight advantage towards the German Leopard 2A7.
The second place taken by the American M1A2 SEP V2 Abrams and the German Leopard 2A7 indicates that American and German tank building is developing in step with the times and occupies a leading position among other leading tank-building powers in the West.
Third place in the rating - Type-10 (Japan) and Merkava Mk.4 (Israel)
The third place is shared by the newly minted Japanese Type-10 tank, which was adopted by the Japanese armed forces in January 2012, and the Israeli most advanced tank, the Merkava Mk.4.
In an oncoming tank battle, these two types of tanks won 8 victories in 12 battles, one battle was drawn and lost three battles, the first three tanks in the rating - the Ukrainian T-84 BM Oplot, the German Leopard 2A7 and the American M1A2 SEP V2 Abrams.
The fourth place in the rating - T-90MS Tagil (Russia)
The fourth place in the rating is taken by the experienced Russian T-90MS Tagil tank, demonstrated to the general public in the fall of 2011 at the international arms exhibition REA-2011 held in Nizhny Tagil, Russia.
The demonstrator tank (concept tank) T-90MS Tagil is another improved modernization of the most modern obsolete serial Russian main battle tank T-90A of the 2006 model. After the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation refused to purchase a very expensive tank for the needs of the Russian army T-90A, which is not responsible for the key parameter "price-quality", Research and Production Association "Uralvagonzavod", in order not to lose the state defense order for tanks in an emergency, on its own initiative, developed an improved version of the modernization of the T-90A tank under the new name T- 90MS Tagil.
The new version of the modernization of the T-90A tank in the T-90MS Tagil version did not give the tank phenomenal fire and running capabilities, only once again increasing the prices for new tanks even more, thereby making the new tank even less attractive in the domestic and foreign arms market.
The Russian demonstrator tank T-90MS Tagil, during a simulation of 12 battles, won 7 oncoming tank battles against such tanks: Pakistani Al-Khalid Mk.1, Indian Arjun Mk.1, British Challenger-2, French AMX-56 Leclerk, Polish PT -91M Twardy and Chinese ZTZ-99A2 (Type-99A2).
At the same time, the experienced Russian demonstrator tank T-90MS Tagil is inferior to such modern main battle tanks of the world: the Ukrainian T-84 BM Oplot, the German Leopard 2A7, the American M1A2 SEP V2 Abrams, the Israeli Merkava Mk.4 and the Japanese Type-10. And also the Russian T-90MS Tagil slightly outperforms the new South Korean K-2 Black Panther tank.
As a result of the simulation of the oncoming tank battle between the tank battalions of the Russian and South Korean tanks, it turned out that the T-90MS Tagil tanks defeated the South Korean K-2 tanks. The South Korean K2 tanks were completely knocked out, and of the entire Russian tank battalion (41 tanks), only one T-90MS Tagil tank remained combat-ready, this is the Pyrrhic victory.
Fifth place in the rating - main battle tank K-2 Black Panther (Republic of Korea)
The fifth place in the tank rating is shared by the new South Korean tank of the third generation K-2 Black Panther. The South Korean tank won 6 victories and lost 6 battles to the top four of the tank rating.
Sixth place in the rating - Arjun Mk.1 (India) and Challenger-2 (Great Britain)
Simulations have shown that these two types of tanks have equal combat potential. As a result of the simulation, the British and Indian tanks won 4 tank battles equally, lost 7 and brought one to a draw.
The draw between these tanks indicates that India in 2012 in the development of its tank building has reached the technological level of British tank building.
The Indian Arjun Mk.1 tank was developed on the basis of the currently obsolete German Leopard 2A4 tank, in fact, being its improved copy.
Seventh place in the rating - AMX-56 Leclerk (France)
The seventh place in the tank rating is taken by the French AMX-56 Leclerk, which won only three tank battles out of twelve in the Polish PT-91M Twardy, the Chinese ZTZ-99A2 and the Pakistani Al-Khalid Mk.1.
The French Leclerk tank at the time of its appearance in 1994 was the most advanced, high-tech and expensive combat vehicle in the world. But to this day, the French AMX-56 Leclerk tank has significantly lost its initial advanced potential, since the French, firstly, completely closed the assembly line, and secondly, they have not carried out a single major modernization to enhance the security of previously produced tanks.
The protection of the French AMX-56 Leclerk tanks remained the same, equal to only 650-700 mm in the equivalent of homogeneous steel armor. At a time when other western tank builders timely improved the fire and armor characteristics of the M1 Abrams, Leopard 2 and Challenger-2 tanks, making a significant leap forward.
Eighth place in the rating - ZTZ-99A2 (Type-99A2) (China)
The eighth place in the world tank ranking is occupied by the most advanced representative of the Chinese tank industry, the ZTZ-99A2 tank.
Computational modeling showed that the Chinese representative, the ZTZ-99A2 tank, was able to win only two victories over the Pakistani Al-Khalid Mk.1 and the Polish PT-91M Twardy. At the same time, he lost 10 of the twelve battles conducted to tanks higher in the rating.
The ZTZ-99A2 tank occupied the eighth position only once again confirmed the well-known fact that the Chinese armored vehicles are distinguished by extremely poor reliability, low build quality and poor tactical and technical characteristics.
Ninth place in the rating - PT-91M Twardy (Poland)
The ninth place in the rating was taken by the Polish PT-91M Twardy tank, which was developed in the early 90s on the basis of the obsolete Soviet export T-72M1 tank supplied by the Soviet Union to Poland in the 80s of the XX century.
According to the simulation results of the oncoming tank battle, the Polish PT-91M tank managed to win only one victory over the Pakistani Al-Khalid Mk.1. At the same time, after the battle of Pakistani tanks, less than one company of combat-ready Polish tanks, only 7 units, remained in the ranks. Which clearly testifies to the unconvincing victory of the Polish tanks.
The remaining 11 battles, the Polish tank lost outright.
Ranking tenth - Al-Khalid Mk.1 (Pakistan)
The last tenth place in the ranking is occupied by the Pakistani tank Al-Khalid Mk.1, which set an absolute anti-record, losing all 12 of the 12 simulated oncoming tank battles to all the representatives of the tank ranking above.
conclusions
When compiling the tank ranking of the best main battle tanks of 2012, 13 main battle tanks of the leading tank-building powers of the world were analyzed for the first half of 2012. The battle was based on an oncoming tank battle of a tank battalion against a tank battalion at a distance of at least 2 kilometers. The simulation was based on real, two most key characteristics of any tank - firepower and security.
Modeling an oncoming tank battle at a distance of 2 kilometers showed that today the most powerful tank in the modern armored world is the Ukrainian main battle tank T-84 BM Oplot, which surpasses all modern and promising tanks in the world in all respects.
The second place in the tank rating was shared by the German Leopard 2A7 and the American Abrams M1A2 SEP Version 2.
Comprehensive computational modeling revealed that the first three tanks of the rating have a huge combat potential unattainable today for the rest of the dozen of modern main battle tanks in the world.
Sharing the third place among themselves, the Japanese Type-10 and the Israeli Merkava Mk.4 round out the top five in the tank rating. These tanks are among the top five most advanced, powerful and highly protected tanks in the world in 2012.
The middlings in the tank world are the Russian demonstrator tank (concept tank) T-90MS Tagil, the promising experienced South Korean K-2 Black Panther, the Indian Arjun Mk. 1 and British Challenger-2, which have relatively high combat capabilities.
Tanks below the average level showed up - the French AMX-56 Leclerk, the Chinese ZTZ-99A2 (Type-99A2) and the Polish PT-91M Twardy.
The simulation revealed that the Pakistani Al-Khalid Mk.1 tank in mid-2012 is the weakest tank in the modern armored world.
P. S.
The best tank of the second half of the twentieth century
