Main battle tanks are key military weapons in the armory of every’s country army. Today, these types of vehicles operate against very effective threats like anti-tank missiles, minefields, and various explosive devices.

In modern warfare, only the top-class battle tanks survive long enough to make a difference on the battlefield. To successfully rank the ten best of the class, we emphasize protection, firepower, accuracy, and mobility. Let’s see the results.

10/10 T-90M

The list couldn’t be completed without the most commercially successful tank on the market. T-90M is also the only tank that Russia produces in great numbers as of today. The reason behind its success across the world is its relatively cheap price tag. This feature makes it an ideal choice for countries like Turkmenistan, Venezuela, Azerbaijan, and more.

Its advantages are its combat size, a feature that makes that tank a hard target for the enemy, its economical price, and the fact that it can launch anti-tank missiles like ordinary ammunition. The most important disadvantage is that ammunition is stored in the main compartment, so the whole tank explodes if a missile gets through its armor. Besides that, T-90M isn’t very effective against long-range targets.

9/10 Oplot-M

Oplot-M is essentially the Ukrainian version of the T-80UD main battle tank, which the country produced after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Due to a limited budget, Ukraine chose not to introduce the tank into its army. The only country that operates Oplot-M is Thailand.

On the advantages, Oplot-M is equipped with next-generation reactive armor, and thermal vision and can launch anti-tank missiles like ordinary ammunition. But from the other side, the Ukrainian tank stores its ammunition in the main compartment and isn’t effective at long-range shots, just like the previous T-90M.

8/10 AMX-56 Leclerc

Leclerc is one of the greatest military products developed and produced in France. The main battle tank started serving in 1992 and since then, it has operated many times on the battlefield. Today, almost 400 AMX-56 Leclercs serve in the French army and 390 serve in the United Arabic Emirates.

Leclerc has an impressive percentage of accurate hits, it has sophisticated armor, a great battlefield management system, and it’s agile. In the future, the tank will be equipped with the data link system SCORPION. Although the French tank has great armor, it’s still inferior to the US M1A2 Abram and the British Challenger 2 in terms of protection.

7/10 Type 90

The Japanese battle tank was produced by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ incorporation with German companies. Because of that, Type 90 has some external similarities with the German-made Leopard 2. When Type 90 started serving for the Japanese army in 1992 it was the most expensive and one of the most advanced battle tanks ever created.

Type 90 has an automatic reloading system, independent fire control system, and very practical hydropneumatic suspension. The Japanese weapon may be extremely good but it’s also extremely costly.

6/10 Merkava Mk.4

The specific main battle tank is the newest tank of the Israeli army (and of course the newest of the Merkava series of main battle tanks) and the successor of Merkava Mk.3. The upgraded Merkava Mk.4 Meil Ruach is equipped with the proven active protection system Trophy, a system that is capable of destroying incoming anti-tank missiles. 300 battle tanks have been produced in Israel and even more, have been ordered. Even though the Israel government decided not to export the weapon, in 2014 it changed its mind for an unknown customer

Merkava Mk.4 has its engine placed in the front part and as a result, it works as extra protection for the crew. In other important features, there is an advanced missile defense system and a powerful fire control system with efficiency against low-flying helicopters. The tank performs great, but it has mediocre mobility due to its heavyweight.

5/10 Armata

Armata is the new generation battle tank of the Russian armed forces. In 2018, Moscow ordered the first weapons in a quantity of around 60 units (although that’s unconfirmed). Armata is planned to replace the oldest T-72, T-80, and T-90. Its revolutionary design has caused various concerns in the West, mainly because of its deadly characteristics.

The advantage, Armata features a new basic steel armor and a system that decreases the chances of being hit by an anti-tank missile. Armata is also the first Russian tank that has a turret that can work without an operator. Last but not least, the weapon can launch anti-tank missiles just like ordinary ammunition and also features an automatic reloading system. The only negative thing we know for sure is that Armata is brand new and has not proved itself on the battlefield yet.

4/10 Challenger 2

This United Kingdom main battle tank is extremely capable and effective. Challenger 2 is for sure one of the best-protected tanks on the planet. The UK has roughly 390 of them, while Oman has obtained almost 30.

Challenger 2 comes with the new Chobham armor that is impressively effective against direct fire weapons. The tank has the record for the longest range for a tank kill in history. Besides that, Challenger 2 is also known for its mechanical reliability.

3/10 M1A2 SEP

The M1A2 Abram’s successor, the M1A2 SEP is one of the most feared battle tanks in the world. Even if the weapon has participated in many conflicts, only a few have been reported lost. At least 900 units serve for the US Army, while there are plans for operation until 2050.

The M1A2 SEP has excellent armor against every known anti-tank weapon (it has layers of depleted uranium) and it can be equipped with the Tank Urban Survival Kit for urban warfare. On the other side, the tank requires a lot of maintenance and logistics support. Plus, it consumes a ton of fuel.

2/10 K2 Black Panther

The South Korean tank has no competition in China and North Korea. Today, K2 Black Panther is the most expensive main battle tank ever produced.

The advantages, K2 Black Panther features reactive armor, an active protection system and count measurements, and a sophisticated fire control system that can fire in automatic mode against targets like low-flying helicopters. K2 Black Panther also uses powerful ammunition and it has a capable engine that provides it with fast speeds and mobility. Its off-road capabilities are enhanced by a modern hydropneumatic suspension. On the other side, its ridiculously expensive price makes it almost impossible to succeed in the worldwide market.

1/10 Leopard 2A7

This is the newest version of the powerful Leopard 2 design. Leopard 2A7 is the deadliest main battle tank that exists. In multi-national training, the weapon performs better than the US M1A2 SEP, the British Challenger 2, and the French Leclerc. Germany has already upgraded 20 Leopard in the 2A7 version and plans to upgrade 50 or 150 more. Qatar has ordered 62 units, while Saudi Araby wants more than 200.

The greatest features of the tank are its powerful weapons, its high-tech fire control system, and its mobility. The vehicle is so agile mainly because of its improved suspension compartments. Besides that, Leopard 2A7 comes with the most modern electronics on the planet. With so many things, the Leopard 2A7 couldn’t be considered something less than a “really heavy main battle tank.”