T64, Soviets worst tank?

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MikkoLn RE:Soviets worst tank? 2/4/2004 3:25:11 AM

I agree that T62 has been the least successfull of soviet mass production MBT's after WWII (I don't really prefer to use a word failure with any major vehicle, as real failures very seldom have reached the actual mass production phase). It actually offered very limited improvement over T55, which also had been by the T62's days further developed. T62 incorporated slight, but meaningless as far as that day's threats and requirements are considered, improvements in gun power and protection, but also brought up several more major and minor problems not found with extremely sturdy T55 (it's actually the tank I pay the most respect for among all MBT's). Going with T55-production instead of some T62 building too wouldn't have damaged much the strike power of soviet armoured formations. Especially so, as the powerfull T64 was entering service late in the 60's. But T62 proved soviets some valuable experience about building new generation tanks though, which were later used with fairly good effect on T72 (itself something an interinm between "T62-II" and tank with T64 requirements and performance). T72 wasn't as such a great dissappointment, in my point of view, as it compares pretty well with much more expensive western MBT's of the time, not falling much behind in any respect (except optics maybe). The problem is that while T64 was clearly a tank produced for decade before western 3rd gen tanks, T72 fall somewhat in between while still being less capable than T64's of the time. This have resulted in situation where even relatively new T72's have been constantly faced with enemy equipment they couldn't have been able to cope with. Whereas T64 was always one step ahead of western equivalents, T72 was always one step behind, all the improvements done with successive models after the real damage was already done, and ready by the time enemy had again something better to put against it.

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