Following politicians, Western journalists are haunted by the thought that Russia was able to create tanks superior in quality to Western counterparts. So, Forbes magazine in a rather voluminous article made a comparison between the main mass tanks of Russia, Germany, the USA, China and France, respectively, the following samples were critically assessed: T90, Leopard-2, M1A2 SEP V2 Abrams, MBT-2000 and AMX- 56 Leclerc. Let's add to this list the British Challenger 2 tank and compare these six samples in order to determine the true leader. We will reduce the principle of assessment to the simplest one: we will compare the technical characteristics of machines, defense systems and weapons, the cost of their production, the effectiveness of combat use, the demand in the world arms market, based on the totality of these data, we can determine the best vehicle. The Israeli Oshlbd (Merkava) tank is also worth adding to this list.
Of course, one could consider other excellent examples of tank building, such as the Japanese Type-10 main tank or the South Korean K2 Black Panther main tank, but given their relatively small production and the lack of examples of combat use, for now we will refuse to consider these candidates in the ranking for the title of the best tank in the world. There is no point in considering the Russian T14 Armata tank yet, since this model has not yet been adopted for service.
ABRAMS AND T90
Western media almost in unison praise the merits of the American tank M1A2 SEP V2 Abrams, calling it the pinnacle of technical excellence in the world of tank building, well, let these praises remain on their conscience, let's get down to the facts. First of all, it should be noted that this tank is an old development (serial production began on February 28, 1980), which has undergone many modernizations. But in general, the car has proven itself well. It is equipped with a 1500 strong gas turbine engine AVCO Lycoming AGT-1500, with a combat weight of 64 tons, this vehicle can reach a maximum speed along the prepared track up to 67 km per hour, on rough terrain up to 30 km / h with a power reserve of 426 km. Specific power - 23.8 h.p. per ton. The tank is well protected, its frontal armor is 650 mm thick, in addition to its own composite armor, it is protected by additional panels and has active and dynamic protection. The vehicle is equipped with a panoramic sight, a thermal imager, a laser rangefinder, a global positioning, control and communication system, high-resolution liquid crystal color displays (which display all the necessary information in digital and graphic forms) allow the commander to see a picture of the battle. The rangefinder is capable of determining the distance to the target to be hit, up to almost 5 km, the main sight is equipped with a stabilizer.
The tank is armed with a 120 mm M256 smoothbore cannon (licensed version of the Rheinmetall Rh-120 made in Germany), machine guns: one 12.7 mm M2HB and two M240 caliber 7.62 mm. In addition to other ammunition, the tank's 120 mm cannon ammunition includes the M829A3 sub-caliber projectile with a depleted uranium core, its maximum effective range is 4, 4 thousand meters, at a distance of 2 km it penetrates 720 mm armor. The gun is loaded manually, the crew of the tank is four people. This tank was clearly overrated by Western experts. In Iraq, in the current war, jihadists have managed to knock out "Abrams" from RPG-7, and this is already ridiculous. Poorly armed Yemeni guerrillas - the Houthis and they managed to destroy about 20 Abrams tanks.
How can the Russian main tank T90 answer all of the above, consider its modifications T90SM and T90AM. The machine is equipped with a V-92S2F V-92S2F 12-cylinder liquid-cooled diesel tank engine with a capacity of 1130 hp. With a combat weight of 48 tons, the tank is capable of speeds of 65–70 km / h on a prepared route and up to 45–50 km / h on rough terrain. The ratio of the tank weight to the engine power of 24 hp. per ton, i.e. better than M1A2 SEP V2 Abrams. The pressure of the tracks per unit surface of the T90AM is 10% lower than that of the American tank, respectively, the cross-country ability of the Russian vehicle is higher.
The tank is equipped with a panoramic sight, a thermal imager, modern control systems, navigation, internal and external communications, surveillance. At the disposal of the crew commander of the Kalina FCS with an integrated combat information and control system of the tactical level, a high-resolution liquid crystal color display (all the information necessary for the commander is displayed on it) allows you to observe the combat situation. Sighting range of OFZ shells up to 10 km. Guided ammunition allows you to hit targets at a distance of up to 5 km, ATGMs reliably hit the enemy at a distance of up to 3 km.
This combat vehicle is superbly protected. The thickness of the composite armor in the frontal part of the hull is 750 mm, the thickness of the turret is 950 mm. The tank's ammunition is located in a separate module, which significantly increases the survival rate of the crew when a shell hits it and the entire ammunition is detonated. In addition to its own armor, the tank has additional screens, active and dynamic protection systems. The modern modular third-generation ERA "Relikt" is too tough for the much-vaunted American projectile with a uranium core M829A3, so the Yankees are urgently looking for a new solution.
The armament of the T90AM tank is also impressive: a smooth-bore 125 mm 2A46M-5 cannon with automatic loading and a 7.62 mm PKTM machine gun paired with it, as well as a 7.62 mm anti-aircraft gun UDP T05BV-1. The crew of the tank is three people (the loader is not). The T-90 has demonstrated exceptional reliability in the current wars in Iraq and Syria.
AMERICAN VS RUSSIAN
Since these tanks have not yet met on the battlefield, let's try to analytically assess the chances of each victory. Undoubtedly, Abrams tanks have a rich track record and they performed well in 1991 and 2003 in the US wars against Iraq. In both cases, Saddam Hussein's tank troops were also equipped with Soviet combat vehicles of the unmodernized T-55, T-64, T-72. In addition, Iraq at that time did not receive any consumables, spare parts, or ammunition from Russia, and the main factor of unreliability was the Iraqi crews, mainly because of this, it was not difficult for the Americans to fight practically without losses with Saddam Hussein's tanks. That is, this combat experience does not say anything, the Yankees have never met in battle with Russian crews and modern Russian tanks. Moreover, it must be borne in mind that Abrams fought only in a warm climate, on a flat, very weakly rugged flat terrain. Experts believe that in the climatic and relief conditions of Russia, especially in winter, this "miracle machine" most likely will not be able to fight at all. The Germans already had to admire their cars that had stood firmly on frosty days in the battle of Moscow in December 1941 - January 1942. Then, the technical parameters of the T-90AM do not leave the Abrams tank any chance, both in the M1A2 SEP V2 modification and in the M1A2 SEP V3 modification. And the main victorious force in battle is the Russian soldier, Russian tank crews, who confidently demonstrate their high combat skills. On the way is the new Russian T14 Armata tank, which in all its characteristics leaves Abrams far behind. The Pentagon has already sounded the alarm and is harshly raising the question of funding a new tank project before the Senate. Even if they manage to persuade the senators, America will still lag behind in the tank race by at least one corps. The Pentagon lags behind the Russian military department in operational art, it is worth noting that the Americans do not have the historical combat experience of massive tank battles, and neither does the experience of waging "big" wars.
You can also take into account the fact that these days Abrams tanks in Iraq and Yemen are not performing well. But in this case, there are two nuances, firstly, these are old cars, and secondly, they are driven by "armless" Arab crews.
LEOPARD 2
The German masterpiece of modern tank building, the Leopard 2 is a good, solid tank, but it will be very difficult to fight on it because of its heavy weight on the Russian terrain, except along the roads. It seems that, mindful of their overwhelming defeat on the battlefields in World War II in the East, the Germans, even in their dreams, do not consider Russia as a possible theater of war (theater of operations). In the current Syrian war, the Leopard 2 was used by Turkish troops during Operation Euphrates Shield, it must be admitted that it did not behave very well in a combat situation and, in general, received a negative assessment from experts. Again, here it is necessary to make a reservation, in Syria, Turkish crews fought on these tanks, perhaps the Germans in the same conditions could rehabilitate their Leopard 2. In reality, Germany is an unsurpassed leader in mechanical engineering. Even though this project is over 40 years old, the modernized Leopard 2 looks very impressive. The weight of the vehicle in full combat gear reaches almost 70 tons, the armor is multi-component, additional protective screens are used, as well as reactive armor systems. The tank is equipped with an automatic fire-prevention system. It has a MTU MB 873 Ka-501 12-cylinder diesel V-twin turbocharged engine with a capacity of 1, 479 hp. or MTU MT883 with 1,650 hp. The maximum speed of this car on the prepared tracks is 68 km / h, on rough terrain - 30 km / h. The maximum cruising range is 320 km. But in the Russian off-road conditions, this monster can get up tight, especially in the fierce cold of Russian winters.
Armament Leopard 2 - smoothbore 120 mm cannon Rheinmetall L55 (manually loaded) and two 7, 62 mm MG3A1 machine gun. Anti-tank projectile DM-53 with a warhead in the form of a tungsten core is capable of penetrating 750 mm armor at a distance of 2 km, Israeli-made LAHAT ATGM, which is part of the tank's standard ammunition? strikes targets at a distance of up to 6 km. Leopard-2 is equipped with the German EMES 15 fire control system, panoramic sight, laser rangefinder, thermal imager and other equipment, including modern navigation and surveillance communications devices. The crew of the car is 4 people. For the Western European theater of operations, the tank is ideal.
Again, this tank clearly should not meet on the battlefield with the T90AM, the Leopard has little chance of emerging victorious from this battle, and its vaunted defense is powerless against modern Russian anti-tank weapons.
MBT-2000 AND AMX-56 LECLERC
The main Chinese tank MBT-2000 is deservedly considered a satisfactory example in the comparative table of world tank building. Its technical capabilities, perhaps, should be compared with the T-72B, and the T90AM, it is inferior in all respects. Although the MBT-2000 is the most massive tank in the People's Liberation Army of China (PLA), it was originally created to capture the world tank market. This design is licensed to Pakistan under the designation Al-Khalid. The vehicle does not yet have a well-known combat history, just as the Chinese army does not have historical experience in conducting massive tank battles. It is not known how these machines will behave in Siberian frosts. Currently, the PLA is receiving new MBT-3000 (VT-4) tanks, however, this model is also targeted at the international market in the future. According to the declared technical characteristics, it is comparable to the T90AM, but what this vehicle will be able to demonstrate on the battlefield is anyone's guess. It is not entirely certain that the PLA command does not at all consider tanks as an effective force for modern and future wars. Unlike Russian and German tank builders, who produce all the components themselves, the Chinese supply many parts of combat vehicles from abroad, the main components are purchased in France.
The AMX-56 Leclerc tank is another proof of the ambition of the French. They could have done well, like other continental western Europe countries, with the German Leopard 2 monsters or the American Abrams. But no, Paris is going its own way in everything, despite the financial costs. This vehicle has been mass-produced for 15 years since 1992, currently 406 tanks are owned by the French army, and 388 are in service with the UAE military. The weight of the car reaches 54.6 tons. Its 8-cylinder V-shaped diesel engine with a capacity of 1500 hp. allows the tank to accelerate to 71 km / h on a prepared track and up to 40 km / h on rough terrain and provides a cruising range of 550 km. I note right away that this tank was not tested in Russian conditions and, I can assume, it will not show itself here, as well as other foreign models.
The AMX-56 is protected by composite multilayer armor of a modular type, the design of the tank is made in such a way that the sloping frontal armor will meet an AT shell in a direct hit with a thickness of 700 mm. This "Leclerc" has no dynamic protection, the French rely on the design of their armor. The communication, control, observation and aiming system are combined into a single system, the tank is literally crammed with electronics, here its full set, including the central computer, the tank's control system is integrated into the I&C. This vehicle is comfortable for the crew.
The armament of the AMX-56 is the CN-120-26 smoothbore gun, which has two stabilizers, a thermal imager, a rangefinder, a combined gunner's sight and a panoramic commander's sight at the crew's disposal. The gun of the AMX-56 tank is equipped with an automatic loader. The performance characteristics of this gun are comparable to the characteristics of the German Rh 120 smooth-bore tank gun, the ammunition of the Abrams and Leopard tanks is suitable for the French CN-120-26 tank gun. Additional weapons "Leclerc" - machine guns: M2HB-QBC caliber 12, 7 mm and F1 caliber 7, 62 mm. The crew of the AMX-56 Leclerc is three people. The tank is not bad, it has proven itself well in hostilities in Yemen, but again it is hardly suitable for a war in the conditions of the Russian climate and landscape.
"MERKAVA" AND CHALLENGER 2
The Israeli tank "Merkava" ten years ago was considered almost one of the best in the world, now it is estimated much more modestly. Despite the fact that the tank is very heavy, its weight reaches 70 tons, the armor of the "Merkava", whose thickness is equivalent to 750 mm, is not effective; it will not withstand modern armor-piercing subcaliber shells. KAZ Meil Ruach ("Air Cloak") is used as an active defense. In battle, these machines do not show themselves from the best side, the poor training of the Israeli tankers also affects here, but mainly the technical shortcomings of the tanks themselves. It is known that the Russian ATGM "Kornet" terrifies Israeli tankers. "Merkava" is produced according to the principle of the world on a string: 28% of the components are of foreign origin. Modification "Merkava-4" has a 1500-horsepower diesel engine, which allows it to accelerate on a prepared track up to 60 km / h, on slightly rugged terrain up to 30 km / h, cruising range - up to 500 km. The tank is armed with a 120 mm MG253 smoothbore cannon and two 7.62 mm FN MAG machine guns, some models are armed with a 12.7 mm M2HB machine gun and a mortar. The crew of the car is 4 people. The tank's ammunition includes the LAHAT ATGM. The LMS practically copies that of the Abrams tank, the gunner has a sight with a thermal imager and automatic target tracking at the disposal of the gunner, the commander has a panoramic sight with the same functions, in addition, there are backup optical and IR sights.
The British Challenger 2 tank has long and reliably earned itself a bad reputation. But still, according to Western experts, it remains one of the best armored vehicles in the world. The vehicle is heavy, its combat weight is 62, 5 tons. Combined anti-cannon armor, there is dynamic protection. The digital fire control system includes a 32-bit processor and a Mil Std 1553 data bus. The combined stabilized gunner's sight was developed by Barr & Strud in cooperation with the French SAGEM; the NANOQUEST L30 telescopic sight is also used. The commander has a stabilized panoramic periscope sight SFIM thermal imager TOGS-2. The weapon control system is built around the on-board computer of the Canadian company CDC, which is a modernized computer of the M1A1 Abrams tank. The car is equipped with a 12-cylinder V-shaped turbocharged diesel engine with a capacity of 1200 hp, develops a speed of 56 km / h on a prepared track, 25-30 km / h on rough terrain, and a cruising range of 400 km. 120 mm rifled gun L30E4 (L11A5); two 7, 62 mm machine guns. The crew of the tank is 4 people. A total of 400 Challenger 2 tanks were produced. Even during the 1991 Iraqi war, these tanks showed their unreliability in battle.
WORLD TANK MARKET
Many military experts believe that tanks will go out of service in the near future, they will be destroyed by high-precision weapons, modern and promising vehicles, just as machine guns and tanks themselves destroyed the cavalry in their time. However, so far more than one army of the world is not going to write off tanks. On the contrary, the sale of tanks on the world arms market for some countries is profitable.
According to Forbes magazine, the undisputed commercial leader of the first two decades of the 21st century is the Russian T90MS tank, which, by the way, occupies an important niche in the Russian arms export.
Now the manufacturer of these tanks has two new contracts for supply abroad: the first batch of 73 vehicles will be received by Iraq, another 64 units of this type of equipment will be put into service by Vietnam. In the near future, it is planned to sign a contract for the supply of 146 T-90MS tanks to Kuwait, as well as to expand assembly production in Egypt. In total, taking into account the supply of ammunition, consumables, spare parts and other sales will bring Russian tank builders at least $ 400-500 million in revenue. In total, more than 2,100 T-90 tanks of various modifications were produced, of which more than 1,500 were exported. More than 1,000 new tanks will be sold abroad in the coming years under existing contracts. The order book is expected to increase to 1,600 tanks or more.
Now the T-90 is in service with the armies of 38 different countries, this is the best sales result in the world. Not only does this tank have a low cost, and, consequently, the final price (118 million rubles), it outperforms competitors in quality in almost all respects.
The German Leopard 2 tank is considered by many to be the best in the world, as we can see, this statement is far from the truth. This machine was delivered to 21 countries of the world, mainly to Northern and Western Europe, as well as to Turkey. The latter very unsuccessfully used them in Syria during the "Euphrates Shield" operation.
Leopard 2A6 costs 6, 79 million dollars, and Leopard 2 A7 + more than 10 million dollars. In total, more than 3200 Leopard 2 different modifications were produced, of which 300 units are in service with the Bundeswehr, the rest went abroad. The production of this tank has been stopped, and so has its export. In the list of sales, the Chinese main tank MBT-2000 claims the second place in the world ranking. At a cost of $ 4.7 million per unit, the Celestial Empire sold its cars to Morocco (150 units), Myanmar (150 units), Sri Lanka (22 units), Bangladesh (44 units). Pakistan was supplied with 415 tanks and an assembly plant was built there, where the same tank is produced under the name Al-Khalid.
The cost of one M1A2 SEP Abrams also bites a lot: it varies, but mostly amounts to about $ 8.6 million, so buyers are not eager to purchase a new tank with a full technical package. Old samples, simpler in terms of equipment, are exported, which are taken from storage, undergo major repairs, mainly engines, a cannon and an FCS are subject to replacement. For example, Egypt has acquired over 1,200 M1A1 Abrams tanks. This tank is in service with the armies of six countries (except for the United States). In total, the American military industry sold 2,217 M1 tanks abroad, of which about 750 were in the improved M1A2 configuration. This tank has no prospects in the development of the world market. In addition, at present in the United States, only 12 cars of this type are produced per year.
France began mass production of the AMX-56 Leclerc in 1990. Since then, the French army has received 406 tanks, and only 388 vehicles have been exported, the same British Challenger 2 tanks at a cost of $ 8.6 million per unit were sold abroad only 38 units. As for the Leclerc tanks, the United Arab Emirates was the only buyer of the French tank building miracle. The cost of one French tank is considerable - 9, 3 million euros. "Merkava" is estimated by the manufacturer at $ 6 million, but everything is simpler here, because of its technical shortcomings, no one except Singapore wants to buy, the latter signed a contract for only 50 vehicles.
