Top Ten Tanks

jofizo

- from Discovery Review

How The Tanks Were Ranked

Over the past century, dozens of tanks have been designed and built to blast their way across the battlefield. Based upon expert opinion, audience polls and a technical comparison, the producers constructed a five-point matrix to rank the all-time top 10 tanks. Each tank was assigned a score in the following categories: firepower, armor (protection), mobility, production and fear factor. The tanks' marks in each category were then added together to produce an overall score.


Picture: A "glam shot" of a Sherman released by the War Production Board in 1944. (AP)


10. M-4 Sherman (US)

First produced in 1942. Top speed: 24 mph. Range: 100 miles. The tank's radial nine-cylinder engine gives a power-to-weight ratio of 15.8 horsepower per ton. Armor thickness: 62 millimeters. Primary armament: 75-mm high-velocity gun.

The Sherman scored low on firepower and armor. Its Ford eight-cylinder engine was efficient and reliable, so the tank scored slightly better for mobility. But it is ease of manufacture that won the M-4 its place among the top 10 tanks: a staggering 48,000 of them were produced over just three years. Thus, the Sherman received a top production rating.

[ Last edited by  jofizo at 6-7-2006 06:29 PM ]

jofizo

Picture: A Merkava deploys smoke during a 1999 exercise in the Golan Heights. (AP)


9. Merkava (Israel)

First produced in 1977. Top speed: 34 mph. Range: 310 miles. The Teledyne turbo-charged diesel engine gives a power-to-weight ratio of 14.28 horsepower per ton. Armor thickness: classified. Primary armament: 120-mm gun.

The Merkava's armor cannot be faulted, and it scored the maximum possible in the protection category. But the sheer amount of armor damages its speed and weight-to-power ratio, which gives this Israeli war weapon a below-average score in mobility. The Merkava is complex and expensive, thus it also receives a very low production rating. However, the tank has proved effective in battle, gaining solid firepower and fear factor scores, which ensure it a spot in ninth place.

jofizo

Picture: One of Saddam Hussein's T-55's that fell prey to Coalition gunfire during the First Gulf War. (Peter Turnley/Corbis)


8. T-54/55 (USSR)

First produced in 1948. Top speed 30 mph. Range: 250 miles. The tank's V-12 water-cooled diesel engine gives a power-to-weight ratio of 14.44 horsepower per ton. Armor thickness: 203 millimeters. Primary armament: 100-mm D10T gun.

The T-54/55 scored average marks for firepower, mobility and protection. In all 95,000 T-54/55s were made, so it scored top marks for production. However, it ranked just below average for fear factor

jofizo

Picture: A Challenger tank plows through the desert during a 2001 exercise in Oman. (AP)


7. Challenger (UK)

First produced in 1982. Top speed: 37 mph. Range: 340 miles. The Condor V-12 engine gives Challenger a power-to-weight ratio of 19.2 horsepower per ton. Armor thickness: classified. Primary armament: 120-mm rifled gun.

The Challenger scores very good marks for its world-class armor, and the maximum on firepower

jofizo

Picture: A line of Panzer IV's move through a French city during the German occupation of Vichy France in late 1942. (National Archives/Corbis)


6. Mk IV Panzer (Ger)

First produced in 1937. Top speed: 24.8 mph. Range: 130 miles. The Maybach V-12 gasoline engine gives a power-to-weight ratio of 10.6 horsepower per ton. Armor thickness: 50 millimeters. Primary armament: 75-mm gun.

The Mk IV scores an average ranking for mobility, and gets good points for armor and firepower. But the Mk IV Panzer really disappoints in the ease-of-manufacture category. The Mk IV is a complex, heavily engineered machine, and like all German tanks, it was not easy to mass-produce. Its fear factor score is very high: in the early days of World War II this tank was unstoppable.

jofizo

Picture: Newly minted Centurions roll out of a heavy weapons plant near Leeds, England in 1950. (Hulton-Deutsch Collection/Corbis)


5. Centurion (UK)

First produced in 1945. Top speed: 22 mph. Range: 120 miles. The Meteor V-12 gasoline engine gives a power-to-weight ratio of 12.54 horsepower per ton. Armor thickness: 17-152 millimeters. Primary armament: 105-mm gun.

The Centurion scores average in mobility, but high in firepower. Its armor has proved its value, so the British bulldog scores near to the maximum in this category. It was also awarded high marks for production, as it features a good simple design and has been produced in large numbers.

jofizo

Picture: A familiar sight with the first tanks

jofizo

Picture: This formidable frontal view of a Tiger tank was one of the images included in a photographic portfolio produced by the German High Command in 1942 to tout the latest weapons in their arsenal. (Library of Congress)


3. Tiger (Ger)

First produced in 1942. Top speed: 23 mph. Range: 121 miles. Its Maybach engine gives a weight-to-power ratio of 12.3 horsepower per ton. Armor thickness: 100 millimeters. Primary armament: 88-mm gun.

The Tiger scores top marks for firepower; its 88-mm gun was a real monster for the time. For armor it scores close to the maximum. This was a heavy tank, but speed is still reasonable, so it achieves an acceptable score in this category. But it is the production rating that really lets the Tiger down

jofizo

Picture: An M-1 Abrams breeches a sand dune during a live fire exercise in northern Kuwait four months before Operation Iraqi Freedom. (AP)


2. M-1 Abrams (US)

First produced in 1983. Top speed: 42 mph. Range: 289 miles. The Textron AGT 1500 gas turbine engine gives Abrams a power-to-weight ratio of 26.64 horsepower per ton. Armor thickness: classified. Primary armament: 120-mm M256 gun.

The M-1 scores full marks for firepower and armor

jofizo

Picture: Cuban Army T-34's parade through Havana in January, 1961. Three months later these tanks played a key role in the crushing defeat of the U.S.-backed invasion force at the Bay of Pigs. (AP)


1. T-34 (USSR)

First produced in 1940. Top speed: 34 mph. Range: 268 miles. The four-stroke 12-cylinder diesel engine gives a power-to-weight ratio of 15.87 horsepower per ton. Armor thickness: 65 millimeters Primary armament: 76.2-mm gun.

The T-34 scores near to full points for firepower, mobility and protection. It surpasses any other tank for ease of manufacture

StealthTuah

La..merkava no9? leclerc xde T72pun xde?

manusia biasa

mana leopard 2 ? hari tu aku tgk kat astro, yg ni diaorg kata best .. ayoyo

gancity

i thk abit confusing...last time astroi show T-72 was inside the list...but tis seem dun hv... duno which is correct

mmc

ko refer to the "the greatest" series oleh discovery jugak...yang aku peratikan memang ada perbezaaan esp top ten ni guna matrix utk rating...greatest pulak guna 'expert opinion' poll, so tak heran ad perbezaan tapi ada jugak persamaan..

aziz79

ini top ten tank dlm sejarah..
aku pernah tgk lagi satu pasal tank ni.. tank paling moden.. Leopard.

reinloch

Nolah, the Leclerc is the most modern, in terms of electronics and composite materials.

reinloch

And it looks like the Germans had all but forgotten one of the reasons why they lost WW2. Quality vs quantity. In a war of attrition, the T-series would have the Leopard 2s  for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Luckily, a total war between world powers, one that demands a contest of attrition, is a remote possibility today. And so their expensive wares shine brilliantly in limited wars against downgraded machines commanded by inept cowards.

Debmey

Originally posted by reinloch at 7-7-2006 09:05 PM
Nolah, the Leclerc is the most modern, in terms of electronics and composite materials.

I think the Leclerc never saw much action or do much kills.

salam.. lama tak join


Aku fikir, Leopard 2A6 milik Greece yang paling moden buat masa sekarang. Dari segi elektronik dan camo anti-thermal.

mmc

ok sebagai comparison aku post sini the "greatest ever tanks' dari Discovery channel jugak..

Military / Battlefield Tanks
From the moment it appeared less than a century ago, no piece of battlefield technology has left it's track marks on history like the tank. It has slugged it out in every major confilct of the 20th and 21st century and shows no sign of leaving the ring. But, which tanks are the greatest? To find out we canvassed some of the world's greatest tank expeerts. They include Tom Clancy, world-class novelist, tank fan and military observer, Bruce Dickinson, front man from rock outfie Iron Maiden and amatuer tank driver, and billionaire tank collector Jacque Littlefield, and from the sharp-end of the tank business we have war veterans



M4 Sherman

No 10. M4 Sherman. (sama dengan top tens)

Power 400 HP
Engine 9 cylinder radial
Weight 30.3 t
Top speed 34 km/h
Armament 7.5 cm M3 L/40

In total, nearly 50,000 of these 33 ton Shermans were built. This tank made it's debut in the western desert front campaign of 1942 and soon became the ubiquitous allied tank. The Brits had them, the French had them, the Canadians, Russians and Chinese had them. The engine was a 9-cylinder air-cooled aircraft engine giving the tank a top speed of 22mph. The 75mm main gun was considered superior, reliability and accuracy, but perhaps it's main advantage was it's speed and manoeuvrability.


M551 Sheridan

No. 9. M551 Sheridan (tak masuk list top ten tanks)

Power 255 HP
Engine GM, 6 cylinder
Weight 15.8 t
Top speed 70 km/h
Armament 152 mm cannon

Steve Zaloga a military writer says: "The dream of tank designers, for decades, has been to develop a tank that's lightweight, easy to transport yet has the fire-power of a main battle-tank". The Sheridan could be dropped from an aircraft. The transport aircraft flies over the ground at about 100mph at a height of 10 or 20 feet and the drogue 'chute comes out and pulls the tank from the plane where it falls to the ground.

The Sheridan was also amphibious and it's light-weight came from aluminium armour. It had 4 forward gears and 2 reverse, giving a top speed close to 45mph. The main gun was a 152 calibre unit that fired laser-guided missiles as well as conventional rounds.


Pz-Kw 5 Panther (Panzer)

No. 8. Pz-Kw 5 Panther (Panzer)(tak masuk list top ten tanks)

Power 700 HP
Engine 12 V gasoline
Weight 45.5 t
Top speed 46 km/h
Armament 7.5 cm KwK 42 L/70

The single most important feature of the Panther was it's fire-power, the long 75mm gun the Panther introduced was probably the best all-round tank gun of World War II. It achieved it's power, not by going to a larger calibre, but by going to a longer barrel and a larger powder-charge. This gun could obliterate an enemy tank, broadside, from 2,000 metres.

The Panther stole it's sloping armour design from an earlier Russian tank which had previously out-classed any tank the Germans had. The Panther's debut was marred by frequent breakdowns, the complicated engineering just hadn't been proved.


T72 Tank

No. 7. T72 (tak masuk list top ten tanks)

Power 840 HP
Engine 12 cylinder multifuel
Weight 44.5 t
Top speed 60 km/h
Armament 125 mm

The T72 is a tank that was built by the Soviets to fight World War III. Designed to form the spear-head of a Soviet push into western Europe. The ultimate attack tank! It had thick armour, good mobility, a big gun and a very low profile.

It had a 125mm calibre gun which was fed shells by an automatic loading system. The automatic system meant, apart from better loading speed, it didn't need a crew member for loading thereby reduing the weight of the tank increasing it's speed and manoeuvrability.


Swedish S Tank

No. 6. Swedish "S" Tank (tak masuk list top ten tanks)

Power 791 HP (total)
Engines 1 Detroit diesel (6V-53T), 1 Caterpillar diesel gas turbine
Weight 42.5 t
Top speed 50 km/h
Armament 105mm cannon

In the 1960's the Swedish brought out the S Tank as an instument of peace, the pacifist's choice. When the tank world first saw the S Tank they, collectively, shook their heads in disbelief.

From it's turret-less snout to it's protective fence, twin engines and built-in swimming skirt, the S Tank is, quite simply, unique. It was intended to fight in forested terrain where there would not have been room for a rotating turret.



Centurion

No. 5. Centurion (sama dengan top ten tanks)

Power 650 HP
Engine Rolls-Royce Mk IVB 12 cyl.
Weight 51.8 t
Top speed 34 km/h
Armament 105mm cannon

First seeing action in the closing stages of World War II, the Centurion is the longest serving main battle tank in the world. A favourite of cut-price armies in low-budget wars. It was the best tank in the world for a good 15 years.

Colonel John Gillman, tank tester, British Army, has spent his entire career at the heart of British tank development and the Centurion was his first love. He says: "When I joined my regiment, away back in 1968, my first vehicle was a Mk62 Centurion and we drove it for 3,500 miles which is an awful long way". The key to any tank success is battlefield maintenance and the Centurion can be kept running by it's crew with, literally, two spanners.



MerkavaNo. 4.

Merkava (no 9 top ten tanks)

Power 1,200 HP
Engine AVDS-1790-9ar diesel
Weight 61 t
Top speed 55 km/h
Armament 120 mm cannon

In 1970, finding itself without a friend in the world and surrounded by irate neighbours the Israeli defence force decided to create a tank of it's own. Merkava, the DIY tank! From the mountains of the Golan Heights to the urbanised Gaza Strip, Israel faces a unique set of defensive demands.

The Merkava is a very successful vehicle bacause it can fight both in close urban combat and in traditional open warfare. Brigadier General Amir Nia, the Merkava tank project leader, says: "usually when you design a tank, you have to compromise between fire-power, protection and manoeuvrability. In our case protection and survivability is the most important thing"



T34

No. 3.T34 (no 1 top ten tanks)

Power 500 HP
Engine V 12 diesel Weight 30.9 t
Top speed 55 km/h
Armament 76.2 mm cannon F-34 (L/41.2)

T34 invented sloping armour which in turn affected other parts of the design. A very thick cast turret carrying a 76mm gun much larger than anything else in it's time. The T34's exraordinary qualities were put under pressure when Germany tried to push eastwards in 1941. In the long and bloody confrontation on the Eastern Front the T34 became recognised as the premier tank of it's day.

Powering the T34 is a V-12 diesel, old airship, engine which dates back to the 1st World War. It was light and easy to maintain and was manufactured from the 1920's up to the present day.



M1 Abrams

No. 2. M1 Abrams (sama dengan to ten tanks)

Power 1521 HP Engine Gas turbine
Weight 59.8 t
Top speed 67 km/h
Armament 120 mm cannon

It's big, it's very well protected, it's fast and has a darn big gun! A single Abrams can take on one or more of any other tank on the battlefield and still win. Described as the Rolls Royce of modern tanks which has seen the Americans through several wars.

Rocket-propelled grenades are extremely destructive weapons able to burn through up to30 inches of steel armour, but the Abrams tank is covered with a new generation of laminate armour which is lightweight and more than capable of dealing with an RPG. It's top-secret composition saved the life of Lt. Keith Montgomery when his tank came under fire in Baghdad.


Leopard 2 Tank

Power 2,200 HP
Engine MTU 12-cylinder diesel
Weight 55 t
Top speed 72 km/h
Armament 120 mm cannon



No. 1. Leopard 2 (tak masuk list top ten tanks)

After World War II, Germany had been banned from building tanks. But by the 1970's a new Germany was allowed back into the tank shed and the technological excellence that created the Panther spawned a new generation of big cat. Leopard! The Greatest Ever Tank!

It is a combination of the best fire-power, the best protection and the best mobility in the world today. The Leopard 2 is a statement of European identity!

amacam compare?

[ Last edited by  mmc at 11-7-2006 02:30 PM ]