It’s not easy to decide which tank is the best. Each producer claims that the tank made in his country is the most effective one. And most of the data from the battlefield is confidential.
A solution has been born, using different variables to decide how effective each tank is. These variables are:
- Production cost
- Max speed
- Max distance at the full tanker
- Soldiers capacity
- Shields
- Lethality
Why is each one of these variables important for tanks?
Nowadays, the best tank is not just the one that kills the most or has a strong cannon. During wartime, the production capacity and the tank’s different capacities decide if the tank is the best.
Production Cost
Production cost is important, as, during war periods, the economy will not be as functional as it is during peacetime, and keeping the front line fed with tanks and change parts is a must.
Max Speed
A tank’s top speed shows an example of how strong the engine is and to what degree the tank can maneuver, ambush the enemies, or save the crew by running away.
Max Distance
How long the tank can go before the tanker runs out of gasoline is an important factor, as it’s not easy to refill a tank on the front line or during an ambush.
Crew Capacity
How many members are needed to operate the tank properly?
The Tank shield
The shield is one of the most important parts; it should be protective; otherwise, the tank will be vulnerable to personnel carriers rockets, mines, and anti-tank missiles.
Tank Lethality
The damage each tank is capable of reflecting on its enemies is, in the end, that’s what tanks are made for.
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The Top Tanks in the world
According to the United States Department of Defense, the best main battle tanks in the world are:
- Leopard 2A7V (Germany)
- M1A2 SEPv4 Abrams (United States)
- K2 Black Panther (South Korea)
- Challenger 3 (United Kingdom)
- T-14 Armata (Russia)
These tanks are all considered highly capable and well-protected, representing the pinnacle of tank technology.
The United States Defense Ministry praised the Leopard 2A7V for its mobility, firepower, and protection. The M1A2 SEPv4 Abrams was praised for its reliability, maintainability, and lethality. The K2 Black Panther was praised for its advanced technology and composite armor. The Challenger 3 was praised for its armor and firepower.
The United States Defense Ministry also noted that the T-14 Armata, a new Russian main battle tank, has the potential to be one of the best tanks in the world. However, the T-14 Armata is still under development, and it is not yet clear when it will enter service.
Overall, the United States Defense Ministry believes that the Leopard 2A7V, M1A2 SEPv4 Abrams, K2 Black Panther, and Challenger 3 are the best main battle tanks in the world. These tanks are all highly capable and well-protected, and they represent the pinnacle of tank technology.
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Leopard 2A7V
Leopard 2A7V production cost
The production cost of a Leopard 2A7V varies depending on the configuration and the number of tanks being produced. However, it is estimated that the cost of a single Leopard 2A7V is over €15 million, including training and upkeep.
Leopard 2A7V max speed
The Leopard 2A7V tank has a top speed of 72 km/h on paved roads and 48 km/h off-road.
Leopard 2A7V max distance at full tanker
The Leopard 2A7V has a maximum range of 550 km on a single fuel tank.
Leopard 2A7V soldier capacity
The Leopard 2A7V can carry a crew of four: a commander, a gunner, a loader, and a driver.
Leopard 2A7V shield
The Leopard 2A7V is protected by a composite armor system that consists of layers of steel, ceramics, and other materials. This armor system is very effective at protecting the tank from various threats, including kinetic penetrators and anti-tank missiles.
In addition to its composite armor, the Leopard 2A7V tank is also equipped with many other defensive features, such as an active protection system that can intercept incoming projectiles.
Overall, the Leopard 2A7V tank is one of the most heavily armored and well-protected main battle tanks in the world. It is a valuable asset to any military, and it is likely to remain in service for many years to come.
Leopard 2A7V Lethality
Firepower
The Leopard 2A7V is armed with a 120mm L55A1 smoothbore cannon, which is the same main gun that is used on the Challenger 3 and K2 Black Panther. It is capable of firing a variety of ammunition, including KEP rounds, HEAT rounds, and programmable airburst munitions.
The Leopard 2A7V also has a coaxial 7.62mm machine gun and a 12.7mm roof-mounted machine gun. These machine guns can engage infantry and other lightly armored targets.
Fire control system
The Leopard 2A7V has a state-of-the-art fire control system similar to the ones used on the Challenger 3 and K2 Black Panther. It can track and engage multiple targets simultaneously, giving the crew excellent visibility, even in low-light conditions.
Other features
The Leopard 2A7V also has several other features that make it more lethal, such as:
- A digital battlefield management system
- A hunter-killer capability, which allows the tank to engage targets without the need for human intervention
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M1A2 SEPv4 Abrams
Abrams production cost:
The production cost of an Abrams tank varies depending on the configuration and the number of tanks being produced. However, it is estimated that the cost of a single Abrams tank is over $10 million, including training and upkeep.
Abrams max speed
The Abrams tank has a top speed of 72 km/h on paved roads and 48 km/h off-road.
Abrams max distance at full tanker
The Abrams tank has a maximum range of 465 km on a single fuel tank.
Abrams soldier’s capacity
The Abrams tank can carry a crew of four: a commander, a gunner, a loader, and a driver.
Abrams shield
The tank armor system consists of layers of steel, ceramics, and other materials. This armor system protects the tank from various threats, including kinetic penetrators and anti-tank missiles.
The Abrams tank is one of the most advanced and capable main battle tanks. It is heavily armed and armored, and it has a high level of mobility. The Abrams tank is also very reliable and easy to maintain.
Overall, the Abrams tank is a powerful and effective weapon. It is a valuable asset to any military, and it is likely to remain in service for many years.
Abrams Lethality
Firepower
The M1A2 SEPv4 Abrams is armed with a 120mm M256A1 smoothbore cannon, which is one of the most powerful main guns in the world. It is capable of firing a variety of ammunition, including kinetic energy penetrator (KEP) rounds, high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) rounds, and programmable airburst munitions.
The M1A2 SEPv4 Abrams also has a coaxial 7.62mm machine gun and a 12.7mm roof-mounted machine gun. These machine guns can engage infantry and other lightly armored targets.
Fire control system
The M1A2 SEPv4 Abrams has a state-of-the-art fire control system that can track and engage multiple targets simultaneously. It also has a high-resolution camera system that gives the crew excellent visibility, even in low-light conditions.
Other features
The M1A2 SEPv4 Abrams also has several other features that make it more lethal, such as:
- An active protection system that can intercept incoming projectiles
- A digital battlefield management system
- A hunter-killer capability, which allows the tank to engage targets without the need for human intervention
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K2 Black Panther
K2 Black Panther production cost
The production cost of a K2 Black Panther tank is estimated to be around KRW 9 billion (approximately USD 7 million).
K2 Black Panther max speed
The K2 Black Panther tank has a top speed of 70 km/h on paved roads and 45 km/h off-road.
K2 Black Panther max distance at full tanker
The K2 Black Panther tank has a maximum range of 460 km on a single fuel tank.
K2 Black Panther soldier capacity
The K2 Black Panther tank can carry a crew of four: a commander, a gunner, a loader, and a driver.
K2 Black Panther shield
The K2 Black Panther tank is protected by a composite armor system that consists of layers of steel, ceramics, and other materials. This armor system is very effective at protecting the tank from various threats, including kinetic penetrators and anti-tank missiles.
The K2 Black Panther tank is also equipped with an active protection system that can intercept incoming projectiles.
Overall, the K2 Black Panther tank is one of the most heavily armored and well-protected main battle tanks in the world. It is a valuable asset to any military, and it is likely to remain in service for many years to come.
K2 Black Panther Lethality
Firepower
The K2 Black Panther is armed with a 120mm L55A1 smoothbore cannon, which is the same main gun that is used on the Challenger 3. It is capable of firing a variety of ammunition, including KEP rounds, HEAT rounds, and programmable airburst munitions.
The K2 Black Panther also has a coaxial 7.62mm machine gun and a 12.7mm roof-mounted machine gun. These machine guns can engage infantry and other lightly armored targets.
Fire control system
The K2 Black Panther has a state-of-the-art fire control system that is similar to the one used on the Challenger 3. It can track and engage multiple targets simultaneously and gives the crew excellent visibility, even in low-light conditions.
Other features
The K2 Black Panther also has some other features that make it more lethal, such as:
- An active protection system that can intercept incoming projectiles
- A digital battlefield management system
- A hunter-killer capability, which allows the tank to engage targets without the need for human intervention
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Challenger 3
Challenger 3 production cost
The production cost of a Challenger 3 tank is estimated to be around GBP 6.8 million (approximately USD 8.2 million).
Challenger 3 max speed
The Challenger 3 tank has a top speed of 60 km/h on paved roads and 40 km/h off-road.
Challenger 3 max distance at full tanker
The Challenger 3 tank has a maximum range of 500 km on a single tank of fuel.
Challenger 3 soldiers’ capacity
The Challenger 3 tank can carry a crew of four: a commander, a gunner, a loader, and a driver.
Challenger 3 shield
The Challenger 3 tank is protected by a composite armor system that consists of layers of steel, ceramics, and other materials. This armor system is very effective at protecting the tank from various threats, including kinetic penetrators and anti-tank missiles.
The Challenger 3 tank is also equipped with an explosion-reactive armor (ERA) system, which can detonate incoming projectiles to reduce their effect.
Overall, the Challenger 3 tank is one of the most heavily armored and well-protected main battle tanks in the world. It is a valuable asset to the British Army, and it is likely to remain in service for many years to come.
Challenger 3 Lethality
Firepower
The Challenger 3 is armed with a 120mm L55A1 smoothbore cannon, which is one of the most powerful main guns in the world. It is capable of firing a variety of ammunition, including kinetic energy penetrator (KEP) rounds, high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) rounds, and programmable airburst munitions.
The Challenger 3 also has a coaxial 7.62mm machine gun and a 12.7mm roof-mounted machine gun. These machine guns can engage infantry and other lightly armored targets.
Fire control system
The Challenger 3 has a state-of-the-art fire control system that can track and engage multiple targets simultaneously. It also has a high-resolution camera system that gives the crew excellent visibility, even in low-light conditions.
Other features
The Challenger 3 also has several other features that make it more lethal, such as:
- An automatic target detection and tracking system
- A laser rangefinder
- A thermal imaging system
- A smoke grenade launcher
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T-14 Armata
T-14 Armata production cost
The production cost of a T-14 Armata tank is estimated to be between US$3.5 million and US$5 million, depending on the configuration.
T-14 Armata max speed
The T-14 Armata tank has a top speed of 80 km/h on paved roads and 50 km/h off-road.
T-14 Armata max distance at full tanker
The T-14 Armata tank has a maximum range of 500 km on a single fuel tank.
T-14 Armata soldier’s capacity
The T-14 Armata tank can carry a crew of three: a commander, a gunner, and a loader.
T-14 Armata shield
The T-14 Armata tank is protected by a composite armor system that consists of layers of steel, ceramics, and other materials. This armor system is very effective at protecting the tank from various threats, including kinetic penetrators and anti-tank missiles.
The T-14 Armata tank is also equipped with an active protection system that can intercept incoming projectiles.
Overall, the T-14 Armata tank is one of the most heavily armored and well-protected main battle tanks in the world. It is also one of the most advanced tanks in the world, with several features that are not found on other tanks, such as an unmanned turret and a high level of automation.
It is important to note that the T-14 Armata tank is still under development, and it is not yet clear when it will enter service with the Russian Army.
T-14 Armata Lethality
The T-14 Armata tank is one of the most lethal tanks in the world. It is armed with a 125mm 2A82-1M smoothbore cannon, which is capable of firing a variety of ammunition, including high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) rounds, kinetic energy penetrator (KEP) rounds, and anti-personnel rounds. The 2A82-1M cannon is also more powerful than the cannons used on most other tanks, giving the T-14 Armata a significant advantage in firepower.
In addition to its powerful main gun, the T-14 Armata is also equipped with a coaxial 7.62mm machine gun and a 12.7mm roof-mounted machine gun. These machine guns can engage infantry and other lightly armored targets.
The T-14 Armata also has several features that make it more lethal than other tanks. For example, it has a very advanced fire control system that can track and engage multiple targets simultaneously. It also has a high-resolution camera system that gives the crew excellent visibility, even in low-light conditions.
Tanks Comparisons
Production Cost
The T-14 Armata won the price competition with a big difference, while the German monster Leopard is the most expansive.
Max Speed
T-14 Armata is the fastest, while Challenger 3 is very slow. This data is for speed on asphalt and not offroad.
The Crew size required to operate the tank
Again, surprisingly, the T-14 Armata requires a smaller crew than the Leopard, Abrams, and Black Panther; the Challenger 3 made it here as well.
Max distance at a full tanker
The Leopard finally made it here and beat the other tanks. This distance is in neutral weather, speed, and terrain.
Tanks Shield
All the tanks are using the same shield. Only the T-14 Armata stands out with an unmanned turret and a high level of automation, which gives the Armata an advantage.
Also during the Ukraine-Russia war, the Ukrainian army was seen replacing the Leopard shield with an old Soviet reactive shield, which led to many military analysts questioning the Leopard armor’s effectiveness
Tanks Lethality
It seems that all the tanks except the Armata share the same features, such as firepower, shields, and technological specifics. Addressing the elephant in the room, it comes to how the buyer will trust the manufacturer for the tank quality overall, and that’s why the Leopard gets the fame; it’s all related to the German’s excellent engineering reputation (taking out the crew experience and ability to operate the tank).
Only the T-14 Armata is unique with its main 125 mm big gun and the automated machine gun that gives it slightly stronger firepower than other tanks.
Overall Ranking
The best Tank in the world
So far, from the data we have, it’s the T-14 Armata.
The T-14 Armata shield proved to be effective; the main gun is deadly and bigger than the other tanks; the unmanned automated machine gun; and the crazy max speed.
Also, it’s so cheap to produce the Armata compared to the Leopard; you can produce up to three T-14 Armata for each Leopard tank produced.
Don’t forget to leave your opinions in the comments below.
