The American Military Channel has published ratings of the most effective weapons that were invented by man in the 20th century. Earlier, the TV channel published a rating of the best small arms of the last century. This time, American and British experts evaluated the tanks.
The assessments were made according to five parameters: "firepower", "quality of armor" ("security"), "mobility" ("mobility"), "ease of production" and the so-called "deterrent factor" (psychological impact on the enemy).
The sum of the points for all parameters gave an overall assessment of the tank. At the same time, it is stipulated that each tank was compared with others and evaluated based on the technical requirements of its time. The greatest number of points was scored by the legend of the Second World War, the T-34 tank. Another Soviet tank took the eighth position.
10. Sherman (USA)
First released: 1942
Maximum speed: 39 km / h
Cruising range: 160 km
Armor thickness: 62 mm
Main Weapon: 75mm Rapid Cannon
The model scored few points in the "firepower" and "armor" categories. But its Ford V8 is efficient and reliable, so the tank benefits from mobility. However, the M-4 Sherman earned a place in the ranking due to its ease of production. For three years, 48 thousand of these machines were produced.
9. Merkava (Israel)
First released: 1977
Maximum speed: 55 km / h
Cruising range: 500 km
Armor thickness: classified
Main weapon: 120mm cannon
Merkava's armor is impenetrable, and this is the highest score in the corresponding category (it was considered as such before the war with Hezbollah, on which Soviet and Russian MANPADS could easily penetrate its armor - approx. NEWSru.com). But a large amount of armor interferes with speed and disrupts the "weight-power" ratio, which makes the Israeli gun very inferior in "mobility". The device of this model is complex, it is expensive, which is also the reason for the low rating in the category. However, the tank is very effective in battle, and its strong firepower and high deterrent factor guarantee it the 9th place in the ranking.
8. T-54/55 (USSR)
First released: 1948
Maximum speed: 50 km / h
Cruising range: 400 km
Armor thickness: 203 mm
Main weapon: D10T 100mm cannon
T-54/55 is gaining an average score in "firepower", "mobility" and "armor". A total of 95 thousand units were produced, - because of this, the model receives the highest marks in "ease of production". However, the "deterrent factor" is below average. It was worth fearing them only because there were so many of them, experts say.
7. "Challenger" (England)
First released: 1982
Maximum speed: 60 km / h
Cruising range: 550 km
Armor thickness: classified
Main weapon: 120mm rifled cannon
The Challenger scores high points for its top-notch armor and maximum points for its "firepower". In terms of the degree of destruction, the rifled cannon is the record holder. This car has a low "deterrent factor" - it's an impressive model, but there are already enough of them in the world.
6. "Panzer" Mk IV (Germany)
First released: 1937
Maximum speed: 40 km / h
Cruising range: 208 km
Armor thickness: 50 mm
Main weapon: 75 mm cannon
The Mk IV gets average scores for "mobility" and high scores for "defense" and "firepower". But this model is disappointing in terms of ease of production. The Mk IV is a complex, high-tech machine, and like all German models, it had difficulties with mass production. However, the "deterrent factor" is extremely high: in the early days of World War II, it was impossible to resist it.
5. "Centurion" (England)
First released: 1945
Maximum speed: 35 km / h
Cruising range: 200 km
Armor thickness: 17-152 mm
Main weapon: 105 mm cannon
The "Centurion" scores are average in "mobility", but the highest in "firepower". Its armor has proven its reliability, so in this category the tank is also close to the highest score. In addition, it was awarded points in "ease of manufacture" for its simple design and affordability: it was produced in large quantities.
4. WWI (England)
First released in 1917
Maximum speed: 6.5 km / h
Cruising range: 35 km
Armor thickness: 6-12 mm
Main weapon: two six-foot cannons
In fact, WWI's armor is thin, but at that time it was the only armor-protected means in battle, so the tank became the leader due to this category, and not due to mobility or firepower. It was difficult to manufacture the weapon, since at that time it was a product of the highest technology. But the "deterrent factor" is significant - nothing like this has been seen in the war before, which is why it is an honorable fourth place in the rating.
3. "Tiger" (Germany)
First released in 1942.
Maximum speed: 37 km / h
Cruising range: 200 km
Armor thickness: 100 mm
Main weapon: 88 mm cannon
"Tiger" gets the highest points in the "firepower" category: 88 millimeters for the time of the Second World War seemed monstrous. In terms of the degree of security, it approaches the highest mark. This tank was unusually heavy, but its speed was sufficient to get an average speed score. However, the result close to zero points, "Tiger" gets for "production". But he has a high number of points in the "deterrent factor" - the mere mention of this weapon had a depressing effect on the enemy.
2. M-1 Abrams (USA)
First released in 1983.
Maximum speed: 70 km / h
Progress in store: 475 km.
Armor thickness: classified
Main weapon: M256 120mm cannon
M-1 received the highest points for "firepower" and "protection" - in these parameters it surpasses all modern tanks. However, in the "production" rating, it received low scores - this is an extremely complex and expensive design. It is also possible that, according to the Military Channel, this is the deadliest tank to date, it received the highest score on the "deterrent factor".
1. T-34 (Soviet Union)
First released in 1940.
Maximum speed: about 55 km / h
Cruising range: 430 km
Armor thickness: 65 mm
Main gun: 76, 2 mm cannon
The T-34 received almost top marks for firepower, mobility and protection. In addition, this model is the easiest to manufacture, which is why it received the maximum number of points in the "ease of manufacture" category. However, the "deterrent factor" also turned out to be practically unattainable - a tank of one kind sowed terror and panic among the enemies.
