What Is a Reserve Tank?

The second-generation main battle tank was a more advanced tank after World War II than the first-generation main battle tank. Its armor, artillery power, and fire control system have all reached a level.

Second Generation Main Battle Tank

The second-generation main battle tank is more than the first-generation main battle after World War II.

In order to improve the level of the Army's main battle equipment and develop a new generation of main battle tanks with independent intellectual property rights in China, starting in 1978, a large northern tank manufacturing plant began to develop new domestically produced main battle tanks. This move was strongly supported by the national weapons industry authority and the military attaches great importance. The development plan for the new generation of main battle tanks was also officially included in the national plan in 1981 with the product code WZl22. The tank manufacturing plant made full use of the rich experience and mature technology accumulated during the development of the 59, 69, 79 and other tanks, and successfully completed the development of the domestic second-generation main battle tank in a relatively short period of time.

On February 4, 1988, the State Council and the Central Military Commission's Conventional Military Product Steering Committee formally approved the design and finalization of the tank, and named it ZTZ80 main battle tank. Compared with the Type 69 tank, the new tank has improved its overall performance, firepower, fire control and mobility, and its protection and maintenance performance have also improved. The main tactical and technical performance has approached or caught up with the 1970s. The advanced world level in the late 1980s. It was successfully developed,

It marks the development of domestic tanks has entered a new stage and has become a milestone in the history of China's tank development.

The development process of the second generation main battle tank

The M60A3 is a late-developed main battle tank in the US military M60 series. It is one of the main battle tanks currently equipped by the US Army and belongs to the second generation tank. In May 1979, it began to equip the first armored division in Europe. At present, the U.S. military is equipped with more than 5,400 vehicles, of which 1686 are newly produced and 3714 are converted from M60A1, mainly used to fight enemy tanks. Destroy each other's fortifications, weapons, and destroy living forces. Taiwan purchased it from the United States in the early 1990s, and used it with the M48H. It was the main battle tank of the Taiwan Army.

Performance characteristics of the second generation main battle tank

A more advanced perturbed laser ranging fire control system is installed, which greatly improves the shooting performance. Its ballistic computer increased the initial hit rate of the tank gun against stationary targets at a distance of 2,000 meters from 30% to 90% of the M60A1. Thermal imaging sights allow the tank to identify and target targets at greater distances, penetrate smoke screens and camouflage the ground, and have a day and night combat capability.

Reactive armor was installed on the front of the turret and the hull, and various protective measures were adopted, which has strong protective ability.

Installed improved engine and passive sighting device, the reliability of the tank is better.

The artillery is more powerful. The 105mm rifled gun barrel is equipped with a thermal jacket to prevent thermal deformation, and is equipped with shelled armor-piercing, armor-piercing, armor-breaking, and yellow phosphorus smoke bombs. The muzzle velocity when firing hull shells is 1478 m / s, and the muzzle velocity when firing wing-stabilized hull armor-piercing shells is 1600 m / s. The maximum effective range is 2500 meters, the direct range is 1600 meters, and the rate of fire is 6-9 rounds per minute. At a distance of 1000 meters, using armor-piercing projectiles can penetrate 100 to 150 mm of steel armor, and armor-piercing projectiles have a thickness of 300 mm.

Compared with the modern US main battle tank, the maneuvering speed is quite different.

basic data:

Crew 4 people

Combat weight 52617 kg

Length 9.436 meters

Body length 6.946 meters

Car width 3.631 meters

Vehicle height 3.270 meters (to the turret)

Maximum road speed / travel 48.28 km / 480 km

Wading 1.2 m (2.4 m, prepared)

Climbing 30 degrees

0.91 meters through vertical barrier

Crossing 2.59 meters

105 mm rifled main weapon

Auxiliary weapon 7.62mm juxtaposition, 12.7mm height

63 rounds of 105mm rounds; 5,950 rounds of 7.62mm rounds; 900 rounds of 12.7mm rounds

Armor thickness 110mm / 25 degrees on the front

110 mm / 35 degrees forward

Body side 80 mm / 90 degrees

110 mm turret front

Turret side 64 mm

Artillery shield 178 mm

Operational use of the second generation main battle tank

The M60 series main battle tank is the world's first main battle tank equipped with troops, and it is also the most equipped main battle tank in the West. M60A1, A2, and A3 are also the most advanced main battle tanks in the world. Compared with A1 and A2, although there are some improvements, the performance is qualitatively breakthrough.

In the third Middle East War, the M60A1 tank was superior to Soviet-made T-54 and T-55 due to its good artillery performance and was superior in tank battles.

During the Fourth Middle East War, due to tactical use and technical defects of the Israeli M60 tanks, the 190 armored brigade in the confrontation with the Egyptian Army's 2nd Division annihilated 120 tanks. At that time, the Egyptian army used a large number of AT-3 "Sagar" anti-tank missiles and rocket launchers, and used a number of anti-tank weapons to deal with an M60. In just 20 minutes, the 190 armored brigade was wiped out. After the analysis of the M60 tank after the war, it was found that this series of tanks had two fatal flaws: First, the turret operated by a hydraulic system. The armor protection of some parts of this system was insufficient, and the impact of the projectile was easy to leak the hydraulic pipe. Coupled with the low ignition point, it is very easy to ignite and explode. Second, the distance between the tank oil and the bomb storage area is small, and hits and hits can easily cause chain reactions, resulting in car crashes and deaths.

In the Gulf War, the M60A3 tank equipped by the US Navy entered the battle. Due to the difficulty of the Iraqi army to organize an effective anti-tank operation in the ground combat stage, its true level cannot be verified. In addition, compared with the M1 series tanks, in terms of quantity and function They are secondary, so the performance of the M60A3 in the Gulf War is not enough to represent its true combat effectiveness.

Identification characteristics:

Compared with the Soviet tank, the traditional shape turret is not an arc with the same angle on both sides, but is recessed at a certain angle. The bulletproof appearance is better.

A 105mm rifled gun is used, and the suction cylinder is located at one third of the barrel and has a regular cylindrical shape.

The size of the 6 pairs of road wheels is small, and there are supporting wheels. The distance from the upper edge of the track is large, and the gap is obvious. No skirt protection.

The overhead gun has a small turret, and the shooter is safer.