The T-62was originally conceived as a companion weapon to the T-55,being essentiallyaT-55up-gunnedwith the 2A20 115mm cannon. Both the T-55 and the T-62usedthe same wheels, track, engine, transmission, hatches and other fittings. The primary differences between the two vehicles were the T-62’s lengthened hull and new turret design. The new UT-5cannoncould fire its BR-5 APFSDS steel round through approximately 300mm of armor at a range of 1000metres. This was adequate to deal with the then perceived threat of such NATO tanks as the AmericanM48and later models of the British Centurion. The T-62 was meant to add long range firing capability to Soviet tank regiments being placed alongside T-55s, but in the later years of its deployment it fulfilled much the same role as the T-55. Despite being introduced in 1960, the improved performance of its successor, the T-72, the T-62 still sees service today in many of the world’s armies, the Arab nations being the largest consumers outside the Warsaw Pact. Egypt,Iraq, and Syria have been notable users of the T-62.Israel has acquired a quantity of T-62s in clashes with its neighbors and has rebuilt them to IDF standards.
You might also like
