Hello everyone, welcome back to the military update channel.
Tanks have changed a lot since WW2. Modern main battle tank designs are led by Western countries,
as well as Russia, China, South Korea, and Japan. While Turkey is building a fourth-generation tank,
it is basically South Korea's K2 under license.
Additionally, India and Pakistan have both produced their own tanks, but they
also do not make this list as they are generally considered inferior to the other Western tanks.
Modern tanks are entering their fourth generation, but most Western tanks are still third-generation.
These tanks are all upgraded to fourth-generation standards,
being constantly retrofitted with updated technology to keep them in
service and relevant on the modern battlefield of today's militaries.
These are the 10 most powerful tanks in use today.
1. T-90MS - Russia
T-90 is a third-generation Russian main battle tank that first entered production
in 1993 — making it technically a post-Cold War tank. It is basically
a modernized version of the T-72 — a mainstay of Soviet tank production.
Russia has always placed a huge emphasis on tank production.
The Soviet Union had more tanks than any other country before WW2,
produced more tanks than any other combatant during the war, and produced more tanks than
America during the Cold War. The T-90's main armament is the 2A46M 125mm smoothbore tank gun,
and it also features an NSV 12.7 mm remotely controlled anti-aircraft heavy machine gun.
In conclusion, there are a number of main battle tanks in service today,
and they all need to be modernized constantly to keep them up-to-date.
2. Type 99A - China
The Type 99 main battle tank was developed by China and built to replace the older Type 88.
It has been in production since 2001 with the Type 99A being produced since 2011.
Over 4,000 Type 99 tanks have been produced, making it one of the most numerous tanks on
this list — but still significantly behind the Abrams with more than 10,000 produced. The main
armament is a 2-plane stabilized ZPT-98 125 mm smoothbore gun with a carousel-style autoloader,
and it also features a QJC-88 12.7 mm machine gun and a coaxial 7.62 mm MG.
3. Type 10 - Japan
The Type 10 is Japan's fourth-generation main
battle tank designed to replace its aging Type 74 and Type 90 models.
Having been in production since 2012, only around 104 tanks have been produced,
making it one of the rarest tanks on this list. The Type 10 has a completely new gun developed by
Japan Steel Works. It fires an improved round that's designed specifically for this tank,
the Type 10 APFSDS round composed of amorphous metals containing heavy metal particles.
4. K2 Black Panther - South Korea
With a price tag of over $8.5 million per tank, they are some of the most expensive
main battle tanks in service anywhere in the world today. Additionally, having only gone
into production in 2013, it is one of the most recent of all new tank designs today.
The K2 Black Panther is manufactured by Hyundai Rotem and will replace South Korea's aging Cold
War-era American M48 Patton Tanks. The K2 Black Panther has a top speed of 43 miles per hour and
a weight of around 55 tonnes. The Black Panther is armed with a CN08 120 mm 55 caliber smoothbore gun
that also features an autoloader system, making it capable of firing up to 10 rounds per minute.
Secondary weapons include a 12.7 mm K6 Machine Gun and a 7.62 mm coaxial machine gun.
5. Challenger 2 CLEP - United Kingdom
The British have also produced their own third-generation tank
now upgraded to a fourth-generation standard with their Challenger 2 CLEP.
One rather odd characteristic of the Challenger 2 is its main cannon.
The Challenger 2 uses an L30A1 120 mm rifled gun. Most main battle tanks today use smoothbore guns,
but the British have seen it fit to stick with their rifled gun. The Challenger 2 is also armed
with a L94A1 EX-34 7.62 mm chain gun, and a 7.62 mm L37A2 machine gun. It carries 4,200 rounds of
7.62 mm ammunition. A Leonardo "Enforcer" remote control weapons system, a 12.7mm
heavy machine gun, or a 40mm automatic grenade launcher can also be mounted to the Challenger.
6. Leclerc XLR - France
Like Russia's new T-14 Armata tank, France's Leclerc also features a three-man crew.
The Leclerc has been in production since 1991
and retains the advantage of being comparatively light - being around 55 tonnes.
Lightweight increases mobility and the bridges able to be crossed in addition to lessening the
risk of becoming stuck in the mud. The Leclerc is armed with a 120 mm modèle F1 smoothbore gun,
12.7 mm coaxial M2 heavy machine gun, and a roof-mounted 7.62 mm machine gun. The Leclerc XLR
is France's most up-to-date variant, ensuring the tank remains relevant on the modern battlefield.
7. Merkava IVm Windbreaker - Israel
The Israelis are world leaders in tank design and have produced some very unique main battle tanks.
Unusually the Merkava main battle tank can also double up as an armor personnel carrier.
The Merkava IVm Windbreaker is the most advanced variant of these tanks
and is fitted with Israel's advanced Trophy active protection system — a
system that even America has bought from the Israelis and incorporated onto its tanks.
8. Leopard 2A7+ - Germany
Back in the Cold War, the Leopard and Abrams started out as the same
joint West German and American project. But eventually,
the countries decided to go their separate ways and develop their main battle tanks independently.
Today the Leopard 2 is one of the most exported Western tanks
and the most produced Western tank after America's Abrams. The Leopard 2A7+ represents
Germany's most advanced and modern variant and can fire programmable HE munitions.
9. M1A2C Abrams (SEPv3) - United States
All the Western tanks on this list are third-generation,
but they have all been upgraded to fourth-generation standards. The Abrams is no
exception. The Abrams has been in production since 1979 and the earlier models are now all obsolete.
When discussing the power of the Abrams tanks we should only consider the most current variants
like the M1A2C Abrams (SEPv3) that feature advanced features like the Israeli-made
Trophy active protection system. The main armament is the M256A1 120 mm smoothbore gun,
which fires a variety of rounds, the primary being the depleted uranium M829 round.
10. T-14 Armata - Russia
The all-new T-14 Armata is a next-generation (fourth-generation) main battle tank and could
potentially be the very best tank in the world at the moment. Weighing around 55 tons, it has great
mobility, and it also features a new upgraded main cannon. The main armament of the T-14 is the
2A82-1M 125 mm smoothbore cannon, the secondary armament consists of a 12.7×108mm Kord machine
gun with 300 rounds and a 7.62×54mmR Pecheneg PKP or a PKTM machine gun with 1,000 rounds.
The Armata also comes with an active protection system
and a reduced crew of three. The turret is also very small, making it a very small target. The
T-14 is powered by a 1,500 hp diesel engine with a minimum service life of 2000 hours.
The T-14 seems to have the rest of the world playing catch up.