T-55

The 'T-54' and 'T-55' tank series was the Soviet Union's front-line main battle tank from 1947 until 1962. It remains in service throughout the world to this day, particularly in the armies of former client states of the Soviet Union. Over 95,000 tanks were produced, making it the most-produced tank series in history.

Contents

Description

Production history

Service history

Models

Modernization

Variants

International derivatives

Bosnia

China

Egypt

Great Britain

Iraq

Iran

Israel

Romania

Serbia

Slovenia

Combat history

Operators

Current operators

Former operators

See also

Notes

References

External links

Description

Like many post-World War II tanks, the T-54 and T-55 have a conventional layout with fighting compartment in the front, engine compartment in the rear, and a dome-shaped turret in the centre of the hull. Driver's hatch is on the front-left of the hull roof. The commander's hatch is on the turret left—the gunner sits forward and below him—and the loader's hatch is on the turret right. The tank's suspension has the drive sprocket at the rear, and slack track (not suspended by return rollers). Engine exhaust is on the left fender. There is a prominent gap between the first and second road wheel—a distinguishing feature from the derivative T-62 tank, which has progressively larger spaces between road wheels towards the rear.
The T-54 and T-55 tanks are outwardly very similar and difficult to distinguish visually. Many T-54s were also updated to T-55 standards, so the distinction is often downplayed with the collective name ''T-54/55''. Soviet tanks were factory-overhauled every 7,000 km and often given minor technology updates. Many states have added or modified the tank's equipment; India, for example, affixed fake fume extractors to its T-54s and T-55s so that its gunners wouldn't confuse them with Pakistani Type 59s.Zaloga 2004, p 41.
The older T-54 can be distinguished from the T-55 by a dome-shaped ventilator on the front-right of the turret and a driver-operated SGMT 7.62 mm machine gun mounted to fire through a tiny hole in the centre of the hull's front. Early T-54s lacked a gun fume extractor, had an undercut at the turret's rear, and a distinctive "pig-snout" gun mantlet.

Production history

When first produced, the Soviet T-34 medium tank of 1940 had the best balance of firepower, protection and mobility of any tank in the world. Its development continued throughout the Second World War and it continued to perform well, but the production rates the war demanded prevented its designers from incorporating the latest technologies. In 1943, the Morozov Design Bureau resurrected the pre-war T-34M development project and created the T-44 medium tank. Thanks to a space-efficient torsion-bar suspension, a novel transverse engine mount, and the removal of the hull machine-gunner's crew position, the T-44 performed at least as well as the T-34, but with substantially better armour. However, a larger gun was desired which would fire heavier high-explosive rounds and defeat thicker armour. The T-44's turret, a development of the T-34-85 turret, was still incapable of mounting more powerful armament than its predecessor's 85 mm tank gun, a considerably weaker gun than the 88 mm and long 75 mm guns on newer German tanks, because these guns were very-high velocity weapons and had respectively 71 and 70-caliber length, compared to around 50 of the Soviet gun. This latter was more similar to the 88 L56 of Tiger I, but the normal ammunition used was simpler. In fact, its penetration power[1] (around 100mm at 1000m) was not so different than the 76mm American tank gun (usually rated around 100-120mm RHAe at 900m), and the main difference was the weight of the high-explosive shell, around 9 kg compared to 6 kg of the 75-76.2mm calibers. Only about 1,823 T-44s were ever built, while Morozov proceeded with further development.

A series of experiments on the T-44 hull led to the T-54 tank. It mounted the same 100 mm D-10 tank gun used in the World War II SU-100 tank destroyer (modified for the tank's fighting compartment as the D-10T, but with identical performance). The gun was housed in a new turret with bigger turret ring and very well-protected mantlet, incorporating 200 mm of front-facing armour. Steering was made easier by the new V-54 engine's two-stage reduction gearbox. The T-54 replaced the T-44 in production from 1947 at Uralvagonzavod (UVZ) in Nizhny Tagil, and from 1948 at Kharkov Diesel Factory No. 75 (KhPZ).
Though based on design and prototype work begun in 1943, the T-54 had superior armor protection to many late-war German tanks. Its 100 mm L53 gun produced less effective armor penetration than the 88 mm L71 gun on the Tiger II but was superior to the 88 mm L56 gun on the Tiger I, and comparable to the 75 mm L70 gun of the Panther medium tank[2]. Due to its revolutionary design, this performance was achieved in a tank weighing four-fifths that of the Panther, two-thirds that of the Tiger I, and only just more than half that of the Tiger II. The T-54's light weight, powerful engine, and robust suspension gave it excellent cross-country mobility.
The T-55 was also significantly superior to the IS-2 Heavy Tank in all respects, included the rate of fire of the gun (at least four compared to less than three rounds per minute). Despite somewhat thinner frontal turret armor (200 mm rather than 250 mm), it also compared favorably with the IS-3, thanks to its improved antitank gun and better mobility. Heavy tanks soon fell from favor, with only 350 IS-3s produced and future Soviet heavy tank designs remaining prototypes. The old model of highly mobile medium tanks and heavily armored heavy tanks was replaced with a new paradigm: the "main battle tank". Parallel developments in the West would produce similar results.
During the 1950s, the T-55 remained a significantly smaller and lighter tank than its NATO contemporaries—the U.S. Patton and British Centurion tanks—but with comparatively excellent firepower and protection. Its gun, however, fell behind Western developments, and its kinetic-energy penetrator soon ceased to be competitive. Due to the round's low velocity and the tank's simple fire-control system, however, the T-54 was able to rely on HEAT shaped-charge ammunition to engage tanks well into the 1960s, despite the relatively inaccuracy of this ammunition at long ranges. The Soviets considered this acceptable for a potential European conflict, until the development of Chobham armor began reducing the effectiveness of HEAT warheads.^[1]
Before this point was reached, Morozov had already decided to proceed with a new generation of main battle tanks. Having moved back to Ukraine from the Urals (the design bureau and factory had been evacuated from Kharkov (Kharkiv, Ukraine) to Nizhny Tagil during the German advance in 1942), he began development which would lead to the T-64. The Kartsev design bureau at UVZ took over responsibility for the T-54, starting with the T-54A, which added single-plane gun stabilization and night-driving equipment.

The T-54B started production in 1957, with a new D-10T2S gun and 2-plane stabilizer. Active infrared "night-fighting" equipment for the gunner and driver were installed on new tanks and retrofitted to older ones, starting in 1959. In addition, modern APFSDS ammunition was developed, dramatically enhancing the penetrative performance of the gun to keep it competitive with NATO armor developments.
In 1958, The T-54 was redesigned for the nuclear battlefield as the T-55, with a thicker turret casting, more powerful engine, and very basic NBC protection (protecting against the deadly blast overpressure of a nuclear explosion, but not against radiation or fallout). The roof-top antiaircraft machine gun was dropped, because it was deemed worthless against high-performance jets (it would be reintroduced in the 1970s to deal with helicopters). The T-55 also had the T-54B's improved two-plane gun stabilization and added night-fighting equipment.
T-54 and T-55 tanks continued to be upgraded, refitted, and modernized into the 1990s. Advances in armour-piercing and HEAT ammunition would improve the gun's antitank capabilities in the 1960s and 1980s.
Tens of thousands of T-55 tanks were manufactured in the Soviet Union between 1958 and 1979. The tank was also produced in Poland, Czechoslovakia, and in China (as the Type 59, a copy of the T-54A), and Romania. In China, it was further developed as the Type 69, which is still manufactured for export today, and the Type 79, a version equipped with a 105 mm main gun.
A wide array of upgrades in different price ranges are provided by many manufacturers in different countries, intended to bring the T-54/55 up to the capabilities of newer tanks such as T-72s, at a lower cost. Upgrades include new engines, explosive reactive armour, new main armament such as 120 mm or 125 mm guns, active protection systems, and fire control systems with range-finders or thermal sights. These improvements make it a potent main battle tank (MBT) for the low-end budget, even to this day.
During the 1990s and 2000s, hundreds of refurbished and upgraded T-55s were resold by Belarus, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Israel, Slovakia, Poland, Ukraine ,Angola, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Georgia, Latvia, Macedonia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Uganda, Uruguay, and Yemen.^[2]
The T-54/55 is considered to be the single most widely produced tank in the world, and the most common one in service today.

Service history

The T-54/55 and the T-62 were the two most common tanks in Soviet inventory—in the mid-1970s the two types together comprised approximately 85% of the Soviet Army's tanks. The T-62 and T-55 are now mostly in reserve status; Russian active-duty units mainly use the T-80 and T-72, with a smaller number of T-90 tanks in service (the T-90 in a few units only).

T-54 tanks served in the 1956 invasion of Hungary, and a few were knocked out by Molotov cocktails and Hungarian antitank guns.^[3]
During the Vietnam War, the T-54 was employed by North Vietnam, notably in the 1972 Easter Offensive and the 1975 Ho Chi Minh Offensive. After being driven back by overwhelming American air power in the first campaign the Vietnam People's Army recovered to decisively defeat the ARVN and its armored forces (largely composed of worn-out American M48s and M41s) in part due to improved training in combined arms tactics. ^[4]
During the 1967 Six-Day War, U.S. M48 Patton tanks, Centurion tanks, and even upgunned World War 2 era Sherman tanks, were faced against T-55s. This mix of Israeli tanks, combined with superior planning of operations, proved to be more than capable of dealing with the T-54/T-55 series.^[5]

During the 1971 Indo-Pakistani War, India operated T-55s in the northern sector and eastern sector against Pakistan's Pattons, Chaffees and Chinese T-59s. The individual performance of the T-55 alone is not known, however, as the Indian Army also operated AMX, Chafee, Centurions and PT-76s.
By the 1973 Yom Kippur War, the T-54A and T-55's gun was starting to lose its competitive effectiveness over to the 105 mm Royal Ordnance L7 gun mounted in Israeli Centurion Mk V and M60A1 tanks. Even the newer T-62, a modernised T-55, were out-performed in battle. By the end of the war, anti-tank missiles accounted for most of Israel's tank losses instead of enemy tank fire.^[5]
Israel captured many T-55s from Syria and Egypt in 1967 and 1973, and kept some of them in service. They were upgraded with a 105 mm NATO-standard L7 or M68 main gun replacing the old Soviet 100 mm D-10, and a General Motors diesel replacing the original Soviet diesel engine. The Israelis designated these Tiran-5 medium tanks, and they were used by reserve units until the early 1990s. Most of them were then sold to assorted Third World countries, some of them in Latin America, and the rest were heavily modified, converted into heavy armoured personnel carriers designated the IDF Achzarit.

China sold thousands of Type 69 tanks to both Iran and Iraq during their war in the 1980s. Some saw action in the 1991 Gulf War.
Being the most numerous in former Yugoslavia's military (JNA) inventory, it was the mainstay of armoured combat units during the Yugoslav Wars where it proved vulnerable to infantry equipped with anti-tank rockets, misemployment in urban areas and unfriendly terrain, but was unreplaceable due to its high numbers. During the battle of Vukovar alone, where the JNA grouped most of its tank force, many were destroyed almost exclusively by infantry-carried Anti-Tank weapons.
The T-55 has also been used by Ethiopia in the current conflict with the Islamic Courts in Somalia.
The T-55 tank has been used in many war films made in Yugoslav, Serbia, and Hollywood, including an extended chase sequence in the James Bond film Goldeneye, and a T-55AM2 tank in a 2007 Snickers UK advertising campaign starring Mr. T.^[7]

Models

★ 'T-54-1' or 'T-54 Model 1946' – Produced 1946–1948. With streamlined turret and wide gun mantlet, similar to T-44, new V-54 engine, unstabilized D-10T 100 mm main gun, and two SG-43 machine guns in bins on the fenders. Possibly 1,200 manufactured, and demobilized in the mid-1960s.

★ 'T-54-2' or 'T-54 Model 1949' – Produced 1949–1952. With dome-shaped turret inspired by the IS-3 heavy tank's, similar to later T-54's but with a distinctive overhang at the rear, and hull machine gun replacing the fender bins.

★ 'T-54' (originally known as 'T-54-3', or 'T-54 Model 1951') – Produced 1952–1954, in Poland 1956–1964. Adopted the familiar, fully egg-shaped turret and new TSh-2-22 telescopic gunner's sight.

★ 'T-54A' - Produced 1955–1957, in Poland 1956–1964, in Czechoslovakia 1957–1966, and in China as the Type 59. Added STP-1 ''Gorizont'' vertical-plane gun stabilizer to D-10TG gun. Originally had a small muzzle counter-weight, which was later replaced with a fume extractor. Also introduced OPVT wading snorkel, TSh-2A-22 telescopic sight, TVN-1 infrared driver's periscope and IR headlight, new R-113 radio, multi-stage engine air filter and radiator controls.

★ 'T-54B' - Produced from 1957 to 1958. With improved D-10T2S gun and STP-2 ''Tsyklon'' 2-plane stabilization. From 1959, infrared night-fighting equipment was added: L-2 ''Luna'' infrared searchlight and TPN-1-22-11 IR gunner's sight, OU-3 IR commander's searchlight.


★ '''Obiekt 139''', or 'T-54M', but not to be confused with the T-54M modernization program - Testbed for new D-54T and D-54TS 100 mm smoothbore guns, Raduga and Molniya stabilization systems, which would later be used in the T-62. These were not completely successful, so further T-55 development continued to use the D-10 series guns.

★ T-54 command tanks: 'T-54AK', 'T-54BK', 'T-54MK' were command tanks corresponding to the main production models, with extra communications equipment. K-1 version had a second R-113 radio for company commanders, K-2 version had HTM-10 telescoping antenna mast, for battalion and regimental commanders, and regimental chiefs-of-staff.

★ 'T-55' - Produced 1958–1962, in Poland 1958–1964, in Czechoslovakia from 1958 to 1983. New turret with floor, PAZ nuclear-blast protection and over-pressure NBC system, gamma ray detector, improved V-55 engine and power-assisted clutch, greater fuel and ammunition load, TDA exhaust smoke generator, deleted AA machine gun from loader's hatch. Early units had flush loader's hatch. "Starfish" road wheels replaced earlier "spider" style.

★ 'T-55A' - Produced 1963–1981, in Poland 1964–1979. Improved POV anti-radiation protection (leading to visibly protruding turret hatches) and NBC filtration, dispensed with bow machine gun.

★ T-55 command tanks: 'T-55K', 'T-55AK', 'T-55MK', etc. T-55K1, T-55K2 carried two R-123 or R-123M and an R-124 radio. T-55K3 carried R-130M, R-123M, R-124 radios and 10-metre antenna mast.

★ 'T-62' – Produced from 1962. A major redesign, with longer hull, larger-diameter turret, and 115 mm smoothbore gun.

Modernization

★ 'T-54M' (mid-1960s) – Upgrade program to bring T-54s up to T-55 standard.

★ 'T-54M' (1977) – Additional upgrades, including OPVT snorkel and KTD-1 laser rangefinder.

★ 'T-54AM' (mid-1960s) – Further upgrades, including increased ammunition, new radios, new V-55 engine. Some received new RMSh track and drive sprocket developed for T-72 tank in late 1970s and early 1980s. Similar programs were carried out in other countries (T-54Z, T-54AZ, T-54AMZ for ''Zusatzausrustung'', 'additional equipment' in East Germany, T-54AR ''Rieka'', 'river', with fording snorkel in Czechoslovakia).
T-55 tanks received 12.7 mm DShKM loader's anti-aircraft machine guns starting in (Model 1970, or sometimes T-55AM), and older tanks were retrofitted starting in 1972. Laser rangefinders were added to older tanks starting 1974.

★ 'T-55M'/'T-55AM' - Modernization of T-55 and T-55A with and new ''Volna'' fire control system, improved gun stabilization, V-55U engine, improved suspension and RMSh track, increased armour, anti-mine, anti-napalm and improved anti-radiation protection, and optional ''Bastion'' ATGM launcher. Visual differences include laser range-finder, side skirts, smoke grenade launchers, turret brow armour and glacis appliqué, and rear RPG screens (only used rarely in Afghanistan).

★ 'T-55M-1'/'T-55AM-1' – The "-1" suffix was applied to later modified tanks which were fitted with the T-72's V-46 engine.

★ 'T-55AD'/'T-55AMD'/'T-55AD1'/'T-55AMD1' - "D" refers to tanks with Drozd ('thrush') APS. Soviet Naval Infantry saved money by installing Drozd on a small number of tanks instead of opting for appliqué armour, or acquiring newer T-72s. About 250 were kept in stores for secrecy, but later switched to simpler reactive armour.

★ 'T-55MV'/'T-55AMV'/'T-55MV-1'/'T-55AMV-1' - "V" for ''vzryvnoi'' ('explosive') designated tanks which carried explosive reactive armour (ERA) instead of brow armour. This was adopted by Soviet Naval Infantry first, and by the Russian Army after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

★ 'T-55AM2' - T-55AM with "brow armour" but no new ATGM and fire control.

★ 'T-55AM2PB' - mostly made in USSR for East Germany, reactive armour and ATGM, most sold back to Russia in 1992, other T-55 tanks in Russian army upgraded to T-55AM2PB standards during the period 1992 to 2000.

★ 'T-55M5' - T-55M5 introduce in 1990, This Modernization Kit Add Explosive reactive armour “Kontakt-5", the new style fire control equipment which equips the efficiency improvement V-55U engine and a main gun stabilization system - shooter TVK-3 and TKN-1SM sites - is the tank where the modification kit which equips the same thing is applied Omsk company presents. The main gun the duck is maintaining 100mm D-10T2S guns like that it will pass like that.

★ 'T-55M6' - T-55M6 with the T-55M5 expanded applies the package. added one wheel new chassis and completely new turret and automatic Loader equipment are added 2A46M 125mm Main gun

★ 'T-55AM "Merida"' - Polish modernization. Upgrades the T-55A with Merida fire control system.

Variants

★ 'OT-55' - flame-thrower tank.

★ 'MT-55A' - Bridge-layer tank with scissors bridge (''mostoukladchik tankoviy'').

★ 'MTU' - Bridge-layer tank with 12 m single span bridge.

★
★ 'MTU-20' - Bridge-layer tank with 20 m bridge.

★ 'T-54-T' Armoured recovery vehicle.

★ 'VT-55A' - Armoured recovery vehicle

★ 'ZSU-57-2' - Self-propelled anti-aircraft gun (SPAAG); significant changes from T-54 such as much thinner armour and one less road wheel, with a new turret

International derivatives

Bosnia

★ 'T-54 with M18 Turret' - The Bosniak faction used a late T-54 hull and chassis and mated it with the turret of an American M18 Hellcat.^[8]

★ 'T-55 with Bofors AA Gun' - Bosnian Serb SPAAG modification

China

★ 'Type 59' - copy of T-54A

★ 'Type 69' - redesigned Type 59

★ 'Type 79' - Type 69 with 105 mm gun

Egypt

★ Ramses II is a heavily modified T-55 Tank built by Egypt. The Ramses II has an American-style suspension similar to that of the M-60A3, and uses the same engine, transmission, drive train, and 105 mm gun as the M-60A3. It carries more fuel internally, and has IR vision for the gunner and driver as well as image intensification for the commander and a laser rangefinder with ballistic computer for the gunner. Armor has been added and most of these tanks also carry side skirts. The vehicle has been radiologically shielded, has an NBC overpressure system, and mounts 6 smoke grenade launchers on each side of the turret. The hatch layout has been retained, but the Ramses II is nearly one meter longer than the T-55. Entered production upgrades in 2004-2005.^[9]

Great Britain

★ 'T-55 Marksman' - a SPAAG version equipped with the British Marksman turret. In Finnish service.

Iraq

★ 'T-55 ''Enigma''' - T-55, Type 59, and Type 69 tanks used by Iraqi Brigade commanders had appliqué armour on turrets and hulls composed of several layers of spaced armour (the technique of choice for the Iraqi Engineers) plates enclosed in steel boxes. Intended to, and in many cases successful at, defeating shaped charge warheads (one example is reported to have survived several hits from MILAN missiles before being dispatched by a helicopter).

★ 'T-55QM' - had NATO-standard 105 mm L7 or M68 gun installed replacing the old 100 mm gun, along with a French laser range-finder, upgrades done in mid to late 1980s.

★ 'T-55QM2' - T-55 upgraded by Soviet technicians with a Soviet 125 mm/L52 smoothbore gun and French laser range-finder, 1986-1991.

Iran

★ 'T-72Z Safir-74' - Iranian modernization of Iraqi captured T-54/55 and Type-59 (Chinese copy of the T-54A). Includes new fire control system, laser rangefinder, ERA package, etc...

Israel

★ 'Tiran-4/5' - upgraded Israeli version built on tanks captured in 1967 and 1973, no longer in service in Israel but many were sold off. Sometimes known as the TI-67

★
★ 'Tiran-4' - upgraded T-54.

★
★ 'Tiran-4Sh' - upgraded T-54, fitted with ''Sharir'' 105 mm gun.

★
★ 'Tiran-5' - upgraded T-55.

★
★ 'Tiran-5Sh' - upgraded T-55, fitted with ''Sharir'' 105 mm gun.

★ 'Achzarit' - T-55 tank converted into IFV.

Romania

★ 'TR-580', 'TR-77', or 'M-77' - (1977-1991) unlicensed redesign with lengthened hull and smaller wheels

★ 'TR-85' - heavily modified T-55 copy with new (but similar) turret, new suspension, and German engine, still in production

Serbia

★ 'T-55H' - highly modernized version with new fire control system and explosive reactive armor

★ 'VIU-55 Munja' - T-55 converted into engineering IFV, similar to Israeli IDF Achzarit

Slovenia

★ 'M-55S1' - highly modified version with new FCS and armor

Combat history

★ Hungarian Revolution, 1956 (by the Soviet army)

★ Vietnam War, 1957–75 (by the North Vietnamese Army)

★ Rhodesian Bush War, 1966-1979 (by the Rhodesian Army)

★ Six-Day War, 1967 (by Syria and Egypt)

★ Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia, 1968 (by Warsaw Pact forces)

★ Indo-Pakistani War, 1971 (by India)

★ Yom Kippur War, 1973 (by Syria and Egypt)

★ Angolan Civil War, 1974–2002 (by the Angolan and Cuban Army)

★ Lebanese War 1975-1990 (by the Syrian Army)

★ Ogaden War 1977-1978, First used by Somalian armed forces, later on by Ethopia

★ Soviet war in Afghanistan, 1979–89 (by the Afghan army and Soviet Army)

★ Iran-Iraq War 1980–88 (by both Iran and Iraq))

★ Sri Lankan civil war 1983- (by the Sri Lankan army)

★ Persian Gulf War 1990–91 (by the Iraqi army)

★ Nagorno-Karabakh War 1990–91 (by all sides)

★ Yugoslav wars 1991–1999

★
★ Slovenian War 1991 (by Yugoslav Army)

★
★ Croatian War of Independence 1991-1995 (both sides)

★
★ Bosnian War 1992-1995 (all sides)

★
★ Kosovo War 1996 - 1999 (by Yugoslav Army 1996 - 1998) (small number captured from JNA and some aqquried from Albanian Military)

★ First Chechen War, 1994–96 (by the Russian Army)

★ First Congo War, 1996–97 (by the DR Congo army)

★ Second Congo War, 1998–2002 (by all sides)

★ 2001 Macedonia conflict

★ Ethiopian-Eritrean War (by both sides)

★ Second Chechen War, 1999–2005 (by the Russian Army)

★ War in Afghanistan, 2001 (by the Northern Alliance)

★ Iraq War (2003-present) (by the Iraqi Regular Army until May 1, 2003 and the New Iraqi Army since 2004 ^[10])

★ War in Somalia (2006-present) (by the Ethiopian Army)

Operators

Although it is far from a state-of-the-art tank, T-54/55 remains in service with nations which don't expect to participate in intensive armoured warfare, and as second-line equipment.

★ ^[11]

★ - 600

★ - 300 T-55, 75 T-54, (750 Type 59, 150 Type 69)

★ - 324

★ - 100

★ - 123

★ - 60

★ - 29 ^[12]

★ - 150

★ - 160

★ ^[13]

★ - 4

★ - 60

★ - 202 by 1997, the number decreased to 192 in 2005, now withdrawn while some are considered as a reserve

★ - 1,100

★ - 30

★ - 1,650, of which 650 active (390 T-55 and 290 Ramses II)

★ - 3

★ - 10

★ - 250

★ - 270¹³

★ - 8

★

★ - 597

★ - About 200, being phased out due to age. ^[14]

★ - used VT-55A recovery vehicle

★ - 540 captured from Iraq (100 in 1990, 110 in 1995, 500 in 2000 and about 250 in 2002) ^[15]

★ - 488 (126 in service both Tiran 6 & Tiran 5)^[16]

★ - 30

★ - 3¹³

★ - 205

★ - 460

★ - 1

★ - 35

★

★ - 350

★ - 80

★ - 62, currently being scrapped. One will be preserved for a museum.

★ - 1

★ - 31

★ - 50

★ - 1,600 T-54 in 2000 ^[17]

★ - 375

★ - 1,200 (most in reserve status). ^[18]

★ - 12

★ - 510 T-55 and 1-2 T-55H withdrawn from service. T-55H tanks are up for sale

★ - 55

★ - 206

★ Somaliland - 85

★ South Yemen

★ - 60¹³

★ - 250¹³

★ - 2,150^[19]

★ - 2

★ - 20

★ - 112 ^[20]

★ - 15

★ - 80

★ - 900

★ - 700¹³

★ - 10

★

Current operators

★ - 22 in service with New Iraqi Army since 2004. ^[21] 1,500 T-54 and T-55 in service with Iraqi Regular Army in 1990 and 406 T-54 and T-55 in service with Iraqi Regular Army in 2003. All destroyed or scrapped except for four which are now in service with the New Iraqi Army.

Former operators

★ - Last 247 phased out in early 2000s

★ - 2,700 T-54A produced between 1957 and 1966. 8,300 T-55 produced between 1958 and 1983 (most of them for export). Passed on to successor states.

★ - 70, withdrawn from service

★ - 94 (scrapped)

★ - 3,000 T-54 and T-54A produced between 1956 and 1964. 5,000 T-55 and T-55A produced between 1958 and 1979. Some T-54A upgraded to T-55 standard. Some upgraded to T-55AM "Merida" standard. Last 839 were withdrawn from service in 2002.

★ - 507. Now only TR-85 in service.

★ - 35,000 T-54-1 (T-54 Model 1946), T-54-2 (T-54 Model 1949), T-54 (T-54-3 or T-54 Model 1951), T-54A, T-54B, T-54AK, T-54BK and T-54MK produced between 1946 and 1958. 27,500 T-55, T-55A, T-55K, T-55AK and T-55MK produced between 1958 and 1981. Passed on to successor states.

★ - 1000, passed on to successor states

See also

★ 125mm Smoothbore Rounds

★ List of tanks

★ List of Soviet tanks

Notes

1. Zaloga 2004, p 40.
2. Foss 2005, p 110, Saferworld 2002.
3. Zaloga 2004, p 39.
4. http://www.ktroop.com/useofarmor.htm
5. Zaloga 1996.
6. Zaloga 1996.
7. Mars Inc. (2007). "Mr T Snickers Commercial". YouTube video.
8. ''Tankograd Gazette''
9. Mulcahy.
10. Shapir, Yiftah S., Middle East Military Balance, ''Tel Aviv University'', 6, 7 [3]
11. see Military of Abkhazia article for details
12. http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/belarus/army-equipment.htm
13. Saferworld (2002) lists recent Czech and Polish exports of T-54/55 tanks.
14. http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/india/army-equipment.htm
15. http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/iran/ground-equipment.htm
16. http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/israel/army-equipment.htm
17. http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/dprk/kpa-equipment.htm
18. http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/russia/army-equipment.htm
19. GlobalSecurity.org 2005.
20. http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/ukraine/groundforces-equipment.htm
21. Shapir, Yiftah S., Middle East Military Balance, ''Tel Aviv University'', 6, 7 [4]

References

★ Cockburn, Andrew (1983). ''The Threat: Inside the Soviet Military Machine''. New York: Random House. ISBN 0-394-52402-0.

★ Foss, Christopher F., ed (2005). ''Jane's Armour and Artillery 2005–2006'', 26th edition. ISBN 0-7106-2686-X.

★ GlobalSecurity.org (2005). "Syria - Army Equipment". URL accessed 2007-06-06.

★ Grandolini, Albert (1998). ''Armor of the Vietnam War 2: Asian Forces''. Concord.

★ Green, Michael, and Peter Sarson (1996). ''Armor of the Vietnam War 1: Allied Forces''. Concord.

★ Mulcahy, Paul (ND). "Egyptian Tanks." Self-published. URL accessed 2007-06-06.

★ Saferworld (2002). ''Arms production, exports and decision-making in Central and Eastern Europe''. London. ISBN 0-948546-87-5.

★ Zaloga, Steven J. and Samuel Katz (1996). ''Tank Battles of the Mid-East Wars 1: The Wars of 1948–1973.'' Concord. ISBN 978-962361-612-6.

★ Zaloga, Steven J. and Hugh Johnson (2004). ''T-54 and T-55 Main Battle Tanks 1944–2004''. Oxford: Osprey. ISBN 1-84176-792-1.

★ "The T-54 MBT with M18 Hellcat Turret" in ''The Tankograd Gazette'', no 16, pp 21-22. Tankograd Publishing.

External links

★ Photos: T-54-1, T-54-2, T-55AM, T-55AM2

★ Cuban T-55

★ Technical data sheet and pictures T-55 from ArmyRecognition.com

★ T-55 Variant walk arounds and photos on Prime Portal

★ History of British Centurion Tank from diggerhistory.info