In order to evaluate the combat effectiveness of armored vehicles and understand what the phrase “the most powerful tank in the world” means, first you need to determine the evaluation criteria. A single classification still does not exist.
Tank classification
In the British Army, for example, there is a division into cruising tanks and infantry support vehicles. In other countries, there are classes of light, medium and heavy tanks, but the division is very arbitrary, since it does not take into account the degree of armament, the caliber of a turret gun and engine power. In the US Army, the classification is the simplest and involves the division into light (up to 20 tons), medium (21-40 tons) and heavy (all having a larger mass than medium). In the applied sense, such a classification is the most rational, since any commander can determine from a map which bridge can withstand equipment in a real theater of war. But does this mean that the most powerful tank in the world should be the heaviest? Or should he have an engine of incomparable power?
"Joseph Stalin" - in the 1940s the most powerful tank in the world
The most powerful tanks of World War II were Soviet. All world tank building of the following decades chose them as a model. The main features of a modern tank are four criteria:
- anti-shell inclined reservation;
- long-barreled turret gun of large caliber;
- diesel power plant located aft;
- rear drive rollers.
In the postwar years, the most powerful tank in the world, the IS-3, became the embodiment of Soviet defense technology. He did not have a chance to fight (unlike his predecessor IS-2), but his design took into account all the experience accumulated before 1945 using armored vehicles. None of this has been created in any country for a good decade after that.
Is the heaviest tank always the most powerful?
The mass of the tank does not always objectively characterize its combat capabilities. To determine the combat effectiveness of equipment, its weight should be taken into account in conjunction with the power of the power plant. An indicator of a tank’s ability to develop high speed, overcome obstacles on the go and perform complex maneuvers is the specific power, which is equal to the ratio of engine power to the mass of the tank. The more kilowatts (or horsepower) per ton of combat vehicle, the more efficient it can be used.
There are two ways to increase specific power: installing a stronger engine and reducing weight. Both methods are applicable to a limited extent. A powerful engine weighs more, requires the appropriate volume and additional armor cover. And it consumes a lot of fuel, which means that fuel tanks need large, and they also need to be protected. And the armor needs strong, and therefore thick.
It is believed that the German “Royal Tiger” T-VI, built at the end of the war, is the most powerful tank in the world at that time. This opinion is argued by the fact that two 650-horsepower Maybach engines were installed on it, and therefore there is nothing more to talk about. However, due to the outdated layout scheme, the specific power of this supertank is only 9.2 liters. s / t, while the IS-2, mass-produced in the USSR since 1943, this figure was 11.8.
What else determines the power of the tank
However, in addition to running characteristics, the power of armored vehicles is determined by other indicators. Artillery weapons must effectively hit armored targets, and requirements for caliber and types of shells are constantly increasing as the technological improvement of armor.
In recent decades, the information richness of on-board electronic equipment has become of great importance, which reduces the time it takes to make team decisions and improve the crew’s topographic orientation.
Currently, the T-90 is the most powerful tank in Russia from mass-produced equipment in the entire history of domestic defense production. Its driving characteristics and firepower suggest that this machine is fully consistent with the world level, and in many ways surpasses it.