Deciding on the very best battle tanks to grace the planet is no easy task. To do so, a range of factors must be considered. Protection, firepower and overall mobility are all essential to a modern-day tank. While none of the following tanks have come up against each other, what we do know is that all of the tanks in this list are incredibly powerful and the very best around.
10. Oplot-M (Ukraine)
Following the Soviet Union’s collapse, the Ukraine continued to develop their main battle tank; the T-80UD. The result is the Oplot-M which is fitted with a new generation of explosive reactive armour. Its automatic ammunition loading system was inherited from its predecessor, however the main compartment is where ammunition is stored, rather than a separate compartment. While its accuracy against long-range targets is debatable, the Oplot-M does have the ability to fire anti-tank guided missiles as it would with normal munitions. Having completed trials with the Ukrainian Army, it will soon enter service.
In fact, it is also in service in Thailand. The Oplot-M is similar in some respects to Russia’s T-90 but the Russian tank is produced in a much greater number.
9. T-90 (Russia)
Russia is a big builder of tanks but the T-90 is the only tank to be produced by Russia in great quantity. While it may not be as sophisticated as Western counterparts, its proven technology and affordability certainly count in its favour. Despite being one of the cheapest of the modern main battle tanks it is the most successful in a commercial sense. The T-90 has a relatively small profile that does make it a harder target to hit. The original version’s power to weight ratio was relatively poor and more recent models have been equipped with more powerful engines to counter this.
Such is its popularity that the T-90 is in service in a variety of countries. Russia has some 700 of the tank while India has 600 and Algeria 300.
