Last updated on February 19th, 2019 at 09:21 pm
The T-62 main battle tank was based on the T-54/T-55 series.
Design of the T-62 began in the late 1950s. Production began in the Soviet Union in 1961.
T-62s have also been built in the former Czechoslovakia and in North Korea.
While the T-62 main battle tank looks very similar to the T-54, the T-62 has a longer, wider hull, a different turret and a different main gun – a 4.53 inch (115mm) U-5TS smoothbore gun. This was the first smoothbore gun to be used on a tank.
When the T-62 first entered service, its secondary armament consisted of a 0.3 inch (7.62mm) coaxial PKT machine gun.
A later variant, the T-62A, had an additional 0.5 inch (12.7mm) DShK anti-aircraft gun, which then became standard.
Diesel fuel can be injected into the exhaust of the T-62 in order to lay a smoke screen.
The T-62 main battle tank weighs 30 tons (30,480kg).
It has a torsion-bar type suspension. There are five road wheels on each side of the tankThe idler is in the front and the driver is in the rear. There are no return rollers.
While the T-54 has a noticeable gap between the first and second road wheels, the road wheels on the T-62 main battle tank are more evenly spaced.
The T-62’s engine and transmission are in the rear of the hull.
The tank has a four man crew: driver, commander, gunner and loader. The driver sits in the front on the left side. There is some ammunition stored on his right. The commander and gunner sit in the left side of the turret, and the loader sits in the right side of the turret. The loader is responsible for manning the anti-aircraft gun.
Maximum speed of the T-62 main battle tank is 31 miles per hour (50 kph). The maximum range is 280 miles (450km). Fuel tanks can be attached to the rear of the hull in order to increase the range to 404 miles (650km).
A snorkel, which is broken up into sections, is carried at the back of the hull. The snorkel can be put together and erected on the loader’s hatch, allowing the T-62 to ford a body of water up to 18 feet (5.5 meters) deep.
The T-62 main battle tank has infrared driving lights and infrared searchlights, as well as NBC protection.
Variants of the T-62 main battle tank include a commander’s vehicle and a flamethrower. Some variants can fire a laser guided projectile.
Model T-62M has passive armor, and Model T-62MV has explosive reactive armor.
The T-62 main battle tank is in service in many countries around the world, including Russia, North Korea, Libya, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Syria, Afghanistan, Yemen, Cuba and Vietnam.
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T-62 Main Battle Tank |
|---|---|
| Active: | 1961 |
| Crew: | 4 |
| Weight: | 30 tons (30,480kg) |
| Length: | 26ft 3in (6.6m) |
| Height: | 7ft 10in (2.4m) |
| Width: | 10ft 9in (3.3m) |
| Weapons: | Main – 4.53in (115mm) U-5TS smoothbore gun, Secondary – 1 x 0.3in (7.62mm) coaxial machine gun, 1 x.0.5in (12.7mm) DShK anti-aircraft gun (version T-62A and later versions) |
| Armor | Maximum – 9.53in (242mm) |
| Engine: | V-55-5 V-12 water-cooled diesel, 580hp |
| Speed: | 31 mph (50kph) |
| Range: | 280 miles (450 km), can be increased to 404 miles (650 km) with auxiliary fuel |