List of main battle tanks by generation: Difference between revisions

This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these messages) No issues specified. Please specify issues, or remove this template. (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Main battle tanks are often classified as belonging to a particular generation, although the actual definition and membership in these generations is not clearly defined. Soviet and Russian military planners organize tanks into a generation of tanks up to 1945, and four generations of main battle tanks,^[1] while Canadian strategists organize main battle tanks into three generations.^[2] The military of the People's Republic of China also recognizes three generations of its own tanks.

In 1983 Rolf Hilmes saw three tank generations and three "intermediate generations", which consisted mainly of upgraded vehicles.^[3] The first generation of main battle tanks were based on or influenced by designs of World War II, most notably the T-34 and the Panther tank.^[4] The second generation was equipped with NBC protection (only sometimes), IR night vision devices, a stabilized main gun and at least a mechanical fire control system.^[4] The third generation is determined by the usage of thermal imagers, digital fire control systems and special (composite) armour.^[4]

The first generation consists of the medium tanks designed and produced directly after World War II that were later redefined as main battle tanks.

Name	Entered service in	Origin	Notes
Centurion[3][5]	1945	United Kingdom	Culmination of the WWII cruiser tanks
T-54[3][5]	1947	Soviet Union
M48 Patton	1953	United States
T-55[3][5]	1958	Soviet Union	Improved T-54
Type 59[3]	1959	China	Licensed copy of the T-54A
Type 61[3]	1961	Japan

The second generation had enhanced night-fighting capabilities and in most cases NBC protection. Most western tanks of this generation were armed with the 105 mm Royal Ordnance L7 tank gun.

Name	Entered service in	Origin	Notes
T-62[3][5]	1961	Soviet Union	Based on the T-55, featured world's first smooth bore tank cannon
M60 Patton	1961	United States
Leopard 1[3][5]	1965	West Germany
Panzer 61[3]	1965	Switzerland
T-64[3]	1966	Soviet Union	World's first composite armored tank
AMX 30[3][5]	1966	France
FV 4201 Chieftain[3][5]	1966	United Kingdom	Armed with the British 120 mm Royal Ordnance L11A5 gun
Vickers MBT[3]	1967	United Kingdom	British private venture design, license built as the Vijayanta for India
Stridsvagn 103[3][5]	1968	Sweden	Turretless design developed and employed solely by Sweden. Double engine feature; both diesel and gas turbine.[6]
T-72[citation needed]	1973	Soviet Union	Hilmes puts the T-72 in the first intermediate generation.[3]
Olifant[citation needed]	1974	South Africa	Improved on the centurion tank.
Type 74[citation needed]	1975	Japan
Merkava Mark I/II[citation needed]	1978	Israel
OF-40	1981	Italy
Tanque Argentino Mediano[citation needed]	1983	Argentina
Type 69/79	1983	China	Based on the Type 59
M-84	1984	Yugoslavia	Based on the T-72
Ch'onma-ho	1980s	Soviet Union /  North Korea	Licensed copy of the T-62; later versions include upgrades.
Type 88	1980s	China	Variants include the Type 80 and Type 85

The third generation of main battle tanks is characterized by composite armour and computerized stabilized fire control systems, which allow firing on the move as well as very high first hit probability on targets up to 2000m.

Name	In service from	Origin	Notes
T-80[3][7]	1976	Soviet Union	World's first turbine engine equipped tank, which is arguable, since the Swedish MBT 103 already in its prototype version of 1959 it was a twin-engine solution.[8]
Leopard 2[3][7]	1979	West Germany
M1 Abrams[3][7]	1980	United States
FV4030/4 Challenger 1[3][7]	1983	United Kingdom
EE-T1 Osório	1985	Brazil	Prototype, never acquired by the Brazilian Army.
K1	1987	South Korea
Merkava III[7]	1989	Israel
Type 90 Kyū-maru[7]	1990	Japan
Zulfiqar MBT	1993	Iran	Iranian tank derived from T-72 and M60 Patton. Zulfiqar 3 is the most advanced variant
AMX Leclerc[7]	1993	France
PT-91 Twardy	1995	Poland
C1 Ariete[7]	1995	Italy
T-90[7]	1996	Russia
Type 96	1997	China
FV4034 Challenger 2[7]	1998	United Kingdom	A future life upgrade is the planning phase
T-84	1999	Ukraine	Upgraded Ukrainian version of the T-80 tank
Type 98/99	2001	China
Al-Khalid MBT/MBT 2000	2001	Pakistan /  China	Joint development between China and Pakistan
Arjun MBT	2004	India
Merkava IV[7]	2004	Israel
K2 Black Panther	2014	South Korea
Altay MBT	2015	Turkey	Designed and developed by Otokar of Turkey for the Turkish Army and export markets.

Fourth generation are still under development or at early generation. These main battle tanks use the latest technology and designs to over take a third generation and compete with other fourth generation main battle tanks.

Name	In service from	Origin	Notes
Type 10[9][10][11]	2012	Japan	Early Fourth Generation

In-between generation of third and fourth. These main battle tanks are basically third generation design and development with fourth generation technology. It is a cheaper than creating a new main battle tanks frame and where no threat of a fourth generation main battle tank seen in the near future. Some of these main battle tanks are seen as upgraded variants. These main battle tanks may later on be known as fourth generation after their development stage.

• Leopard 2A7+ - planned modular upgrade for existing Leopard 2
• Leopard 2NG- ASELSAN of Turkey upgrade for existing Leopard 2^{[12] [13]}
• T-90MS: Merged upgrade of T-90M and T-90S
• M-84AS: Serbian-upgraded M-84 tank
• M1A3 Abrams: Upgrade of the M1A2 model
• M-95 Degman: Under development
• MBT Arjun Mk-II:^[14] - Prototype in testing
• Type 99A2: Upgrade of the Type 99A1, considered to be an "enhanced" third-generation main battle tank

Tanks that are currently under development and not yet in service.

• / Al-Khalid-II: Introduction planned for 2012^[15]
• CSU-152:^[16] - Prototypes in testing
• Type 99KM^{[citation needed]}
• Main Battle Tank 3000: Introduction slated for 2014
• K2 Black Panther: Introduction slated for 2014^[17]
• T-99 Armata: Introduction planned for 2015
• Altay: Four testbeds produced, serial production planned for 2015^[18][19]

• Armoured fighting vehicle
• List of main battle tanks by country

• Note to the Pancerni website source - Translation of most important parts of 1st, 2nd, 2.5 and 3rd generation MBTs characteristics: "The first generation MBTs are tanks made immediately after WWII. The second generation MBTs have better sights in comparison to the first generation MBTs. Also second generation MBTs were the first ones to use laser sights and APFSDS rounds. The third generation consists of tanks armed with high caliber and velocity guns like M1A1 Abrams. Third generation tanks also use composite armour as well as armour made out of highly resistant sintered ceramic materials. Third generation tanks also have full stabilization system for the main gun. There tanks between second and third generations, like Soviet T-72 which has powerful gun which would classify it as a third generation MBT but at the same time the stabilization system is much too primitive for it to a third generation MBT. It also lacks engine power to be a third generation MBT and has ammunition with less quality."

• Lamontagne, J.G. Pierre (2003). "Are the Days of the Main Battle Tank Over?" (PDF). Toronto, Ontario, Canadian Forces College. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
• Sewell, Stephen ‘Cookie’ (1998). "Why Three tanks? in Armor vol 108, no 4, p 21" (PDF). Fort Knox, KY US Army Armor Center. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
• Hunnicutt, R. P. Patton: A History of the American Main Battle Tank. ISBN 0-89141-230-1.
• Hilmes, Rolf (1983). Kampfpanzer der Die Entwickelungen der Nachkriegszeit (in German). ISBN 3-524-89001-6.