While 100 mm high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) ammunition could have done the job, they were much less accurate than APDS shells, and the relatively low flight velocity resulted in poorer accuracy if used on moving targets. Design features of the T-62 became standardized in subsequent Soviet and Russian mass-produced tanks.ĭevelopment history The initial requirements īy the late 1950s, Soviet commanders realised that the T-55's 100 mm gun could not penetrate the frontal armour of newer Western tanks, such as the Centurion and M48 Patton, with standard armour-piercing shells. While the T-62 became the standard tank in the Soviet arsenal, it did not fully replace the T-55 in export markets due to its higher manufacturing costs and maintenance requirements compared to its predecessor.Īlthough it was followed by later models in successor states of the Soviet Union, the T-62 remained in reserve in the former USSR and in frontline use by other countries. prototype T95 medium tank was the first tank ever built with a smoothbore gun). In contrast with previous tanks, which were armed with rifled tank guns, the T-62 was the first production tank armed with a smoothbore tank gun that could fire APFSDS rounds at higher velocities (the U.S. As a further development of the T-55 series, the T-62 retained many similar design elements of its predecessor including low profile and thick turret armour. The T-62 is a Soviet medium tank that was first introduced in 1961.

T-62 at the Russian Museum of Military History

Destroyed tank modern german tank