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The 'T-62' is the world's first second generation Main Battle Tank.
The T-62 was produced between 1961 and 1975. It became a standard tank in the Soviet arsenal, partly replacing the T-55, although that tank continued to be manufactured in the Soviet Union and elsewhere after T-62 production was halted. The T-54/55 and T-62 were later replaced in front-line service by the T-64 and T-72.
| Contents |
| Description |
| Production History |
| Combat History |
| Variants |
| Operators |
| Former operators |
| See also |
| Notes |
| References |
| External links |
Description
Even though the tank shares many features with T-54/T-55 both of these tanks have been developed separately with T-62 being an alternative to T-54/T-55. The first major difference is the gun. 115mm U-5TS (2A20) tank gun was the first smoothbore tank gun in use. And because of this gun's tremendous power T-62 was for few years considered the best tank in the world. The other major difference is the turret. Because the 115mm gun was bigger than the 100mm tank gun which was originally planned for T-62, the turret had to be bigger as well. Other differences between T-62 and T-54/T-55 include the hull which is few centimeters longer and wider, running wheels are also different than the ones in T-54/T-55, the gaps between third, fourth and fifth pairs of wheels are bigger than in T-54/T-55.
T-62 has 5% better front armour of the hull (102mm) and 15% better front armour of the turret than the T-54/T-55.[1]
Production History
In 1952, the new D-54-T 100mm smoothbore tank gun started development. The Kartsev Design Bureau at the Uralvagonzavod factory (UVZ) in Nizhny Tagil mounted the gun on a prototype tank based on the T-54 in October 1954—this was called the ''Obyekt 139'', or sometimes T-54M (not to be confused with the T-54M tank refurbishment program of the mid-1960s). The tank incorporated a new Raduga gun stabilizer, a 50-round ammunition capacity, 14.5-mm antiaircraft machine gun, V-54-6 engine, and new wheel design. Further prototypes followed: ''Obyekt 140'' with Molniya stabilizer and D-54TS gun in September 1955, and ''Obyekt 165'' and ''Obyekt 166'' based on the improved T-55.[2]
In January 1961, an Iranian officer defected with his new U.S. M60A1 tank, across the border into the Soviet Union. The M60's armour layout and British 105mm gun enraged the Soviet Chief of Armoured Forces, who ordered the new gun's calibre increased to 115 mm. The larger gun had to be mounted in a bigger turret ring, which in turn required a longer tank hull. Based on the new hull, the T-62 was approved in July 1961, and started production on July 1, 1962.[3]
Uralvagonzavod and the Malyshev Factory in Kharkiv, Ukraine, both replaced part of their T-55 production with the T-62. Production at UVZ ended in favour of the T-72 in 1971, and was replaced at Malyshev by the T-64 in 1967 (meanwhile, the T-55 continued production in Omsk until 1977).[4]
Along with the T-55, the T-62 is one of the most common tanks in Russian inventory—the two types together once comprised approximately 85% of the Russian army's tanks. The T-62 and T-55 are now mostly used by Russian reserve units for a possible secondary mobilisation; the active-duty and primary mobilisation units mainly use the T-80 and T-72, with a smaller number of T-90 tanks in service in active units.
The T-62 was built in the Soviet Union and North Korea (including the upgraded Ch'onma-ho).
In some countires T-62 is also getting upgrades to make it fulfill modern standards (look on the photograph to the right).
Most recent Ukrainian upgrade of T-62
Combat History
A primary recognition feature of the T-62 is the progressively larger gap between sets of road wheels. The very similar T-54/55 has one wide gap between the first and second wheel.
The T-62 had the world's first smoothbore tank gun, giving considerably greater velocity and power than the Western 90 mm and 105 mm tank guns of the day. The 115 mm gun introduced the first successful APFSDS ammunition, albeit with a steel penetrator (often still fielded as well). A smoothbore gun also allowed for significantly better performance of HEAT ammunition, which was considered the main ammunition type to fight enemy armour at medium and long ranges. Empty cartridges are automatically ejected outside the vehicle through a small hatch in the rear of the turret.
During the Yom Kippur war the T-62 was an effective adversary to Israeli Patton and Centurion tanks with their 105mm guns. The T-62 also had an advantage in its better night-fighting capability, but Syrian and Egyptian losses were heavy.
The Israelis captured several hundred of these tanks from the Syrians and Egyptians in 1973 and put some into service as the Tiran-6 medium tank. These had a laser range-finder and a thermal imaging sight for the gunner, "Blazer" reactive armour tiles fitted to the front of the hull and the front and sides of the turret, and the Soviet engines replaced by General Motors diesel engines. The Tiran-6 is used by reserve units. The Israelis have sold the rest to assorted countries, many in Latin America .
In 1982, when Libya invaded Chad, armoured units of Muammar Qaddafi's Pan-African Legion were resoundingly defeated by the army of Chad. Scores of T-62 tanks were destroyed by militiamen who had made technicals from Toyota pickup trucks, (most of them still in their civilian paint). The technicals were essentially makeshift tank destroyers, as the militiamen had mounted MILAN ATGM firing posts and welded tripod mounts for assorted recoilless rifles onto the beds of the trucks. The Libyans retreated in disarray, leaving scores of wrecked and burning T-62 tanks behind. Granted, this is a likely scenario even for any ''modern'' MBT confronted by a force fielding well-armed technicals in a similar situation, or when the engaged force is unable to deal with an unexpected form of asymmetrical warfare.
During the Soviet war in Afghanistan, the T-62 was the main tank used by the Soviet army. The Soviets used tanks pretty much in the same way as the US Army did in Vietnam, with many tanks in fire support bases. The BDD armour package appeared on many tanks towards the end of the war. This was an applique armour package specially designed to defeat shaped charges, ie RPG's, and consists of an applique plate on the glacis and two horse-shoe shaped blocks fitted to the front of the turret.
The Russian army has also used the T-62 in combat in Chechnya, both T-62 and T-62M vehicles.
Variants
★ 'T-62 (1961), Objekt 166':Original model with 2A20 gun with two plane "Meteor" stabiliser and +16/-6 deg elevation/depression, 2245mm turret ring. TKN-3 TC day/night sight, TSh2B-41 gunner day sight with 3.5/7x magnification, TPN1-41-11 night sight. 40 rounds ammunition load. PKT coaxial machine gun with 2500 rounds. V-55V engine with 580hp. 102mm@60deg glacis, 242mm max frontal turret. In 1969, a DShKM AAMG was installed on the loader's hatch and in 1975 a KTD-1 laser range finder was installed. None of those versions got any separate designation.
★ 'T-62A (1962), Objekt 165': This is NOT a designation applied to a AAMG equipped T-62, but a totally different vehicle, armed with 100mm D-54TS gun, with "Kometa" two plane stabiliser.
★ 'T-62' reequipped with new Royal Ordnance barrels. Only in Egyptian service.
The T-62 originally came in two command tank versions, mainly used by company and battalion commanders.
★ 'T-62K (1964), Objekt 166K': Additional R-112 radio, AB-1 APU. 36 x 115mm rounds, 1750 rounds for a coaxial PKT.
★ 'T-62K (1964), Objekt 166KN': Fitted with additional TNA-2 navigation aids.
★ 'T-62D (1983), Objekt 166D': 1030M "Drozd" Active Protection System (APS) installed.
★ 'T-62D-1 (1983), Objekt 166D-1': Fitted with a new V-46-5M engine.
★ 'T-62M (1983) Objekt 166M': Extensive modernisation of the T-62 with improvements in protection, fire control and mobility. Fitted with BDD applique armour package on glacis and turret front, additional belly plate for anti-mine protection, 10mm reinforced rubber side skirts and 10mm anti-neutron-liner. Also fitted with RhKM tracks from T-72 and two additional shock absorbers on the first roadwheels. The fire control system was improved by fitting the KTD-2 laser range finder, TShSM-41U gunner's sight, "Meteor M1" stabiliser, BV-62 ballistic computer and 9K116-1 "Sheksna" guided missile unit. A gun thermal sleeve, new radios, R-173 radio instead of R-123M, and a new 620hp V-55U engine were also fitted. 42 rounds of 115mm ammunition are carried.
There are a number of sub-variants of the T-62M, depending on how much of the modernisation package the vehicle has.
★ 'T-62M-1, Objekt 166M-1': A T-62M still fitted with V-46-5M engine.
★ 'T-62M1, Objekt 166M1': A T-62M without missile capability.
★ 'T-62M1-1, Objekt 166M1-1': A T-62M still fitted with V-46-5M engine and without missile capability.
★ 'T-62M1-2, Objekt 166M1-2': A T-62M without missile capability and BDD armour package.
★ 'T-62M1-2-1, Objekt 166M1-2-1': A T-62M1-2 still fitted with V-46-5M engine.
★ 'T-62MD (1983) Objekt 166MD': T-62M version with "Drozd" APS instead of additional turret armor.
★ 'T-62MD-1,Objekt 166MD-1': T-62MD still fitted with V-46-5M engine.
★ 'T-62MK, Objekt 166MK': Command version, no missile guidance but with TNA-2 navigation aids, additional R-112 radio and AB-1 auxilliary engine to power additional radios. Less main gun and coaxial machine-gun ammunition is carried.
★ 'T-62MK-1, Objekt 166MK-1': T-62 MK still fitted with V-46-5M engine.
★ 'T-62MV (1985), Objekt 166MV': K-1 explosive reactive armour (ERA) instead of additional armor, the V in the designation stands for ''vzryvnoi'', explosive.
★ 'T-62MV-1, Objekt 166MV-1': T-62 MV still fitted with V-46-5M engine.
★ 'T-62M1V, Objekt 166M1V': T-62 MV without missile capability.
★ 'T-62M1V-1, Objekt 166M1V-1': T-62 MV without missile capability and still fitted with V-46-5M engine.
Operators
★ - 170 [1]
★ - 105
★ - 300 [1]
★ - 150
★ - 300 [1]
★ - 600 [1]
★ - 100 [1]
★ - 160
★ - 75 since 2000 (100 in 1990 and 150 in 1995) [10]
★ - 120 (70 or less in service) [1]
★ - 75 [12]
★ - 900 [1]
★ - 250
★ - 1,200 [1]
★ - 10,000 [1]
★ - 1,000 [1]
★ - 170 [17]
★ - 200 [1]
★ - 30 [1]
Former operators
★ - 170, not used since 2000. [20]
★ - 1,500+ produced between 1975 and 1978, for export only.
★ - 100, passed on to successor states. [1]
★ - 1,500 in 1990, 500 in 2002 and 19 in 2003 (All destroyed or scrapped). [22]
★ - 20,000+ produced between 1961 and 1975. Passed on to successor states.
★ - 3, not used since 2000.[23]
★ - 85, retired
★ / - 100, taken from GDR's army. All scrapped. [1]
See also
★ List of tanks
★ List of Soviet tanks
Notes
1. http://www.softland.com.pl/aerojac/aaa/t62/t62.htm
2. Zaloga 2004, pp 11, 13.
3. Zaloga 2004, p 13.
4. Zaloga 2004, pp 13–14.
5. http://www.softland.com.pl/aerojac/aaa/t62/t62.htm
6. http://www.softland.com.pl/aerojac/aaa/t62/t62.htm
7. http://www.softland.com.pl/aerojac/aaa/t62/t62.htm
8. http://www.softland.com.pl/aerojac/aaa/t62/t62.htm
9. http://www.softland.com.pl/aerojac/aaa/t62/t62.htm
10. http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/iran/ground-equipment.htm
11. http://www.softland.com.pl/aerojac/aaa/t62/t62.htm
12. http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/centralasia/kazak-ground-equipment.htm
13. http://www.softland.com.pl/aerojac/aaa/t62/t62.htm
14. http://www.softland.com.pl/aerojac/aaa/t62/t62.htm
15. http://www.softland.com.pl/aerojac/aaa/t62/t62.htm
16. http://www.softland.com.pl/aerojac/aaa/t62/t62.htm
17. http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/centralasia/uzbek-army-equipment.htm
18. http://www.softland.com.pl/aerojac/aaa/t62/t62.htm
19. http://www.softland.com.pl/aerojac/aaa/t62/t62.htm
20. http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/belarus/army-equipment.htm
21. http://www.softland.com.pl/aerojac/aaa/t62/t62.htm
22. http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/iraq/ground-equipment.htm
23. http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/centralasia/tajik-army-equipment.htm
24. http://www.softland.com.pl/aerojac/aaa/t62/t62.htm
References
★ Foss, Christopher F. (1987). ''Jane's AFV Recognition Handbook'', pp 70–71. London: Jane's. ISBN 0-7106-0432-7.
★ Zaloga, Steven J. and Hugh Johnson (2004). ''T-54 and T-55 Main Battle Tanks 1944–2004''. Oxford: Osprey. ISBN 1-84176-792-1.
External links
★ T-62 at Federation of American Scientists web site
★ T-62 at Globalsecurity.org
★ Cuban T-62
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