What was the first designated main battle tank?
The first designated main battle tank was the British Chieftain, which was re-designed during its development in the 1950s to fulfill a role previously split between heavy and light tanks.
Common questions about Main battle tank
Short answers, pulled from the story.
When did the Quebec conference identify the main battle tank as the route for development?
The Quebec conference in 1957 between the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada identified the main battle tank as the route for development rather than separate medium and heavy tanks.
Which Soviet tank was the first to introduce composite armor?
The first Soviet main battle tank was the T-64, which introduced composite armor consisting of a steel-glass-reinforced textolite-steel sandwich in heavily sloped glacis plates.
How many M1 Abrams tanks did the United States Army use in the Iraq War?
In the Iraq War, the United States Army used 1,100 M1 Abrams tanks, which proved to have an unexpectedly high vulnerability to improvised explosive devices.
When did the Type 100 Chinese main battle tank enter service?
The Type 100, a Chinese fourth-generation main battle tank that entered service in 2025, uses a 105mm gun and features a hybrid-electric drive.
What year was the Main Ground Combat System project formally launched?
The Main Ground Combat System, a Franco-German project formally launched in 2017, aims to field a new system-of-systems to replace the Leopard 2 and Leclerc tanks by 2040.