"The T-62 Main Battle Tank was a further development of the successful T-54/T-55-series but failed to outright replace the former designs."
Power & Performance Those special qualities that separate one land system design from another. Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the T-62 Medium Tank / Main Battle Tank (MBT).
1 x Model V-55-5 V-12 water-cooled, diesel-fueled engine developing 580 horsepower at 2,000rpm driving conventional track-and-wheel arrangement. Installed Power
28 mph 45 kph Road Speed
280 miles 450 km Range
Structure The physical qualities of the T-62 Medium Tank / Main Battle Tank (MBT).
4 (MANNED) Crew
21.8 ft 6.63 meters O/A Length
11.5 ft 3.52 meters O/A Width
7.9 ft 2.4 meters O/A Height
91,492 lb 41,500 kg | 45.7 tons Weight
Armament & Ammunition Available supported armament, ammunition, and special-mission equipment featured in the design of the T-62 Medium Tank / Main Battle Tank (MBT).
1 x 115mm smoothbore main gun in front turret face.
1 x 12.7mm DShKM Anti-Aircraft (AA) Heavy Machine Gun (HMG) on turret roof.
1 x 7.62mm PKT co-axial machine gun in front turret face.
AMMUNITION: 40 x 115mm projectiles.
300 x 12.7mm ammunition.
2,500 x 7.62mm ammunition.
Variants Notable series variants as part of the T-62 family line.
T-62A - Modified T-55 MBT; lengthened hull; revised suspension system; new turret ring; two-axis gun stabilizer; 100mm main gun; limited production.
T-62 - Initial Production Model; 115mm main gun; two-axis gun stabilizer; commander's cupola; day/night fighting capabilities; fitted with V-55V diesel engine of 581 horsepower; later support for firing AT-3 "Sagger" ATGM missile from 115mm main gun; later models featuring ZET-1 protection package.
T-62K - Command Vehicle of the T-62 production model; additional communications equipment; 36 rounds for main gun.
T-62KN - Command Vehicle with additional navigation equipment
T-62 (1967) - Revised engine deck
T-62 (1972) - 12.7mm DShK anti-aircraft machine gun fitted to loader's hatch.
T-62 (1975) - Fitting KTD-1 or KTD-2 series laser rangefinders over main gun.
T-62D - T-62D production model fitting V-46-5M diesel engine
T-62M - Modernized T-62 of 1983; improved fire control system; applique armor; improved mine protection on hull floor; side skirt armor; "Bastion" ATGM support from 115mm main gun; thermal sleeve on barrel; upgraded communications equipment; V-55U diesel engine of 620 horsepower; smoke grenade launchers along turret side (some models).
T-62E - Initial US designation of T-62M production models
T-62M-1 - Fitted with V-46-5M series diesel engine
T-62M1 - Different frontal armor protection
T-62M1-1 - Fitted with V-46-5M diesel engine
T-62M1-2 - T-62M1 production model sans hull floor armor protection and applique armor kit.
T-62M1-2-1 - T-62M1-2 production model fitted with V-46-5M diesel engine.
T-62MD - Completed with Drozd active vehicle protection system
T-62MD-1 - T-62MD production mark fitted with V-46-5M diesel engine
T-62MK - Command Vehicle of the T-62M production mark
T-62MK-1 - Command Vehicle fitted with V-46-5M diesel engine
T-62MV - Delivered with Kontakt-1 series Explosive Reactive Armor (ERA) block armor package.
T-62MV-1 - T-62MV production model fitted with V-46-5M series engine.
T-62M1V - T-62MV production model sans ATGM capability of the 115mm main gun.
T-62M1V-1 - T-62M1V production model fitted with V-46-5M diesel engine.
T-62M Obr.2022 - Upgraded model variant of 2022 for use in the Russo-Ukrainian War; KDT-2/1 laser rangefinder; 1PN96MT-02 thermal sighting device.
T-62/122 CEV - Combat Engineering Vehicle mounting 122mm main gun
T-62/160 CEV - Combat Engineering Vehicle mounting 160mm mortar
T-67 - Developmental model sporting 125mm main gun and powerpack to be featured on upcoming T-72 development.
TO-62 - Flame projecting tank; fitted alongside 115mm main gun
IT-1 - Tank Destroyer Variant; stabilized anti-tank missile launching system; sans main gun armament.
IT-1T - Armored Recovery Vehicle based on the IT-1 production model
BTS-4V - Armored Recovery Vehicle based on the IT-1 production model
BTS-4V1 - Armored Recovery Vehicle based on the T-62 combat tank
BTS-4V2 - Armored Recovery Vehicle based on damaged T-62 combat tanks
Impuls-2M - Fire Fighting Vehicle; conversion of outgoing T-62 combat tanks.
TV-62 - Bulgarian designation of T-62-based armored recovery vehicles
TV-62M - Bulgarian designation of T-62M production models converted to armored recovery vehicles.
TP-62 - Bulgarian designation of T-62 Fire Fighting Vehicle
RO-115 Mk 1 - Egyptian designation of upgraded T-62; British diesel engine of 750 horsepower; laser rangefinder; improved FCS; improved armor protection.
T-62E Mk 2 - Egyptian designation of modernized T-62 combat tanks; American M68 105mm main gun; German MTU diesel engine of 880 horsepower; infrared equipment; anti-tank missile launcher support.
RO-120 Mk 3 - Egyptian designation of modernized T-62; 120mm main gun; German MTU diesel engine of 890 horsepower; improved armor protection; side armor skirts.
Tiran-3 - Israeli captured T-62s
Tiran-6 - Israeli modernized captured T-62s; reactive armor; 105mm main gun; General Motors engines; improvements throughout.
Ch'onma-ho I (Ga) - North Korean designation of locally-produced T-62
Ch'onma-ho II - North Korean designation of imported T-62 tanks
Ch'onma-ho III - North Korean designation of upgraded Ch'onma-ho II tanks; side armor skirts; thermal sleeve on main gun barrel; ERA support.
Ch'onma-ho IV - North Korean designation of upgraded Ch'onma-ho III tanks with improved armor protection; ERA support; smoke grenade launchers.
Ch'onma-ho V - North Korean designation of upgraded Ch'onma-ho IV tanks with improved armor protection; 125mm main gun; autoloader; wider track sections.
T-62AGM - Ukrainian designation for upgraded T-62s
T-62AG - Ukrainian designation of upgraded T-62 tanks; fitted with 5TDF diesel engine of 700 horsepower; 125mm main gun; improved armor protection.
T-62 IFV - Ukrainian infantry fighting vehicle based on the T-62 MBT
T-62 ARV - Ukrainian armored recovery vehicle based on the T-62 MBT
T-62 AVLB - Ukrainian bridgelayer based on the T-62MBT
Obyekt 167 - Developmental model fitting V-26 series engine of 700 horsepower; AT-3 "Sagger" missile support; track return rollers instituted; two prototype examples completed.
Obyekt 167T - Prototype model fitting GTD-3T gasoline-fueled turbine engine.
T-72 - Development based on the T-62
After the end of World War 2, the Soviet military had officially replaced their war-winning T-34 Medium Tank series with the T-54 family. These were then upgraded with NBC protection and a slew of other features to become the T-55 series a short time later, intended to counter the new, interim American developments. Going beyond simply upgrading the T-55, work also began on a new tank design based on the same proven T-54/T-55 system though intended to house a more powerful 115mm main gun. To fit the new armament, the base T-55 had her hull lengthened and given an all-new turret assembly designed specifically for a high-velocity smoothbore 115mm main gun - the U-5TS (2A20 "Rapira"). This weapon was of particular note for it marked the first time a production combat tank had been given a "smoothbore" barrel - to this point, all combat tanks fielded a rifled barrel, the Soviet direction proving a major upgrade to the 105mm rifled main gun being fielded by the new American M60. The new Soviet tank was christened the "T-62" and production of the type resulted in deliveries occurring in July of 1961.
For all intents and purposes, the T-62 was more or less a further upgrade of the T-55 itself with the T-54 still serving as the "true" starting point for the family. As such, the type delivered roughly the same utilitarian appearance of its originator as well as the follow-up modification. The tank sported a low-profile design with a center-fitted turret emplacement. The glacis plate was very shallow and well-sloped for excellent point ballistics protection. The sides were dominated by the track system encompassing five road wheels to a hull side. The drive sprocket was held at the front with the track idler at the rear. Like the T-54 and T-55 before it, the T-62 lacked any track return rollers along the upper track region. The single diesel engine was held in a rear-set compartment and could generate its own smoke screen as needed. The turret was well-curved and squat in its general appearance, housing the 115mm U-5TS main gun armament as well as three of the four crew. The crew consisted of the driver in the front-left hull and the tank commander, gunner and loader in the turret/middle hull region. The turret was protected by up to 242mm of armor thickness along the front facing. A pair of external fuel tanks could be fitted to the rear of the hull for improved ranges and jettisoned when empty. The main gun was fitted with a fume extractor and featured two-axis stabilization for adequate "firing-on-the-move". The main gun was also given case ejector actuated by the recoil action to which spent shell casings were ejected automatically out of the turret rear via a spring-loaded door after firing. The main gun was supplemented by a coaxial 7.62mm PKT series machine gun in the turret for anti-infantry defense. A 12.7mm DShK anti-aircraft heavy machine gun on the turret roof was optional and not generally seen in early production units. Up to 40 x 115mm projectiles were carried aboard, stored within the turret itself and primarily along the hull sides. 2,500 x 7.62mm rounds of machine gun ammunition were also carried for the coaxial machine gun. Power was derived from a V-55 12-cylinder diesel engine outputting at 580 horsepower. This supplied the vehicle with a top speed of 31 miles per hour on ideal surfaces with an operational range of 280 miles not including environmental factors.
The main gun was cleared to fire the requisite High-Explosive (HE) and Armor-Piercing (AP) projectiles of 115mm caliber. The HE breed consisted of the HE-FRAG-FS which stood for High-Explosive, Fragmentation, Fin-Stabilized. The HEAT-FS rounds was the High-Explosive, Anti-Tank, Fin-Stabilized variant. The AP round was the APFSDS - Armor-Piercing, Fin-Stabilized, Discarding Sabot. This projectile could range out at targets up to 1,100 yards away and penetrate up to 330mm of armor plate - a major upgrade from the projectile types fired from the 100mm main guns of the T-54 and T-55 series. The main gun held an elevation limitation of -6 to +16 degrees. One of the key limitations of the T-54/55 models were their lack of true "hull down" firing due to the main gun's depression restriction. The T-62 improved upon this limitation to an extent.
The T-62 was delivered with several notable standardized features including NBC (Nuclear, Biological, Chemical) protection for the crew as well as an automated fire extinguishing system which could also be manually actuated. An integrated snorkel could be erected prior to entering bodies of water and provide the T-62 with limited amphibious capabilities. The engine was used to generate a smoke screen, this essentially accomplished by injecting raw diesel into the engine for the desired result. The commander, gunner and driver positions all included infrared night vision devices for true day/night fighting capability. To keep the tank from becoming bogged over a trench or obstacle, a unique "unditching" beam was fitted under at the rear of the hull.
Despite its improvements and advancements, the T-62 eventually showcased several limitations to her design. The new advanced tank proved more expensive to produce in quantity, derailing foreign interest, they being content in keeping/producing/modernizing their T-54/55 series still. The lack of T-62 large-scale interest ultimately forced T-55-producing factories to continue serial while T-62 was ultimately discontinued. Furthermore, the original Russian engines proved unreliable and crew protection was lacking - as combat would soon show.
In the T-62's first combat actions during the Yom Kipper War of 1973, the tank shown a tendency to catch fire when hit, making the T-62 a threat to its own crews as much as any Israeli tank. As with the T-54 and T-55, hundreds of T-62 tanks were captured by the Israelis from the Syrians and Egyptians, modified and reconstituted to fight against their former owners. Israeli versions sported improved armor protection, American-based powerplants and technological additions such as laser rangefinders and thermal imaging. Such modified T-62 tanks were designated as "Tiran-6" in the Israeli inventory and proved greater in value and quality than the original design. Unmodified captured Israeli T-62s were known under the "Tiran-3" designation. The T-62 fared no better in the 1982 Libyan invasion of Chad, where large numbers were destroyed or rendered inoperable.
Despite the limitations in combat, the T-62 went on to see its fair share across decades of service. The type was showcased from the 1969 Sino-Soviet Border War onwards. This would include the Ethiopian Civil War of 1974-1991, the Angolan Civil War of 1975-2002 as well as the Soviet-Afghan War of 1979-1988. The tank was featured in the bloody Iran-Iraq War of 1980-1988 and in the Lebanese Civil War of 1982-1983. Iraqi T-62s were also thrown into the fray during the 1990-1991 Gulf War which saw Saddam Hussein's forces routed. Russian T-62 use extended to the 1st and 2nd Chechen Wars of the 1990s. Afghan T-62s were in action during the 2001 United States invasion and Iraqi T-62s were once again fodder in the 2003 American invasion. The 2008 War in South Ossetia brought the T-62 into the forefront once again and the type was utilized in combat as recently as the 2011 Libyan Civil War which saw an end to Muammar Gaddafi's tyrannical reign.
Operators went on to include Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Belarus, Bulgaria, Cuba, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Kazakhstan, Lebanon, Mongolia, North Korea, Russia/Soviet Union, South Ossetia, Syria, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, United States (OPFOR training only), Uzbekistan, Vietnam, North Yemen/South Yemen and Yemen. Poland, Czechoslovakia and China all evaluated the T-62 but did not purchase the series.
The T-62 family ultimately consisted of a myriad of production variants and upgraded types. The T-62A designation marked modified T-55 prototypes with their 100mm main guns. T-62 was used to designate proper initial production models and these fielded the 115mm smoothbore main guns. The T-62K was the command tank variant of the T-62 production model. The T-62KN was similar though with expanded equipment. The T-62K introduced the capability to fire the AT-3 "Sagger" anti-tank missile launcher.
In 1967, the T-62 was upgraded with a modified engine deck design. In 1972, the series brought about use of the 12.7mm DShK heavy machine gun at the loader's hatch to counter low-flying aircraft threats. A new drive sprocket design was also introduced. In 1975, the series was given the KTD laser rangefinder over the main gun.
The T-62D was delivered with the "Drozd" active vehicle protection system in 1983. This version also was given a new V-55U series diesel engine as well as applique armor protection. The T-62D-1 was similar though finished with the V-46-5M diesel engine.
A modernization program yielded the T-62M of 1983. The fire control system (FCS) was upgraded and applique armor was now standard. The suspension system was improved and tracks developed for the new T-72 series were instituted for the T-62 line. The hull floor was protected from land mines to an extent. Additional improvements netted new stabilizers, thermal sleeve on the gun barrel, sights, ballistic computer, external smoke grenade launchers and support for the AT-10 "Stabber" anti-tank guided missile. The T-62M appeared in the T-62M-1 form fitting the V-46-5M diesel engine as well as the T-62M1 with revised front facing armor and lack of anti-tank missile firing capability. The T-62M1-1 was finished with the V-46-5M diesel engine while the T-62M1-2 lost its anti-mine protection as well as applique armor. The T-62M1-2-1 was delivered with the V-46-5M diesel engine. The T-62MD utilized the Drozd active vehicle protection system as in earlier designs. The T-62MK was the command tank version. The T-62MK-1 was similar in function though delivered with the V-46-5M diesel engine. The T-62MK was another command tank version with additional equipment. The T-62MK-1 was similar though with the V-46-5M series diesel.
The T-62MV was given "Kontakt-1" series explosive reactive armor (ERA) blocks. The T-62MV-1 was similar though fitted with the V-46-5M diesel engine. The T-62M1V lacked its anti-tank guided missile capability. The T-62M1V-1 was given the V-46-5M diesel engine.
The T-62/122 was a combat engineering vehicle (CEV) variant fitting a 122mm howitzer gun system. The T-62/160 was a combat engineer vehicle fitted with a 160mm mortar for demolition work. The T-67 was a variant fitting the 125mm main gun of the T-72 MBT as well as its engine and transmission system. The TO-62 was a flame projecting tank version which still retained the 115mm main gun. Obyekt 167 was a prototype model fitting a V-26 series engine with a 700 horsepower output. Obyekt 167T fitted a GTD-3T series gasoline-fueled turbine engine.
The T-62 was later modified into a dedicated tank destroyer with an all-new turret design lacking its 115mm main gun. It its place was a 2K8 series anti-tank guided missile launcher. These eventually became armored recovery vehicles in the IT-1T after their useful battlefield lives were expended. This also included the similar BTS-4V/BTS-4U models as well as the BTS-4V1. Damaged T-62s that could be salvaged were also converted into ARVs under the BTS-4V2 designator. A lesser-known T-62 variant was the "Impuls-2M" firefighting vehicle.
Bulgaria designated their T-62s as TV-62. Modified ARV forms took on the designation of TV-62M. Egyptian marks included the RO-115 Mk 1, T-62E Mk 2 and RO-120 Mk 3. North Korea based their Ch'onma-ho line of tanks on the T-62 and covered the I, II, III, IV and V production marks. Ukraine T-62 modernization produced the T-55AGM mark as well as the T-62AG series.
Production of the T-62 spanned from 1961 to 1975 to which over 22,000 examples were ultimately produced, well short of the numbers posted by the preceding T-54 and T-55 series which, collectively, numbered between 85,000 to as high as 100,000. Production was also undertaken at Czechoslovakian factories though these were delivered for export only. North Korea produced a local version under license as well as a lighter version of the T-62 designated as the Ch'onma-ho I (Ga). Czech production spanned from 1975 to 1978.
The T-62 operated alongside the T-55 it was intended to replace. It was formally replaced itself by the newer T-72 series to which the T-55 soldiered on even after the T-62 was dropped from service in the Red Army.
May 2022 - The Russian Army was seen bringing stocks of old T-62 MBTs out of storage for its ongoing war with neighboring Ukraine following the Russian invasion of February 2022.
Operators Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the T-62. Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national land systems listing.
Total Production: 22,750 Units Contractor(s): State Factories - Soviet Union / Czechoslovakia / North Korea
[ Afghanistan; Algeria; Angola; Belarus; Bulgaria; Cuba; Egypt; Eritrea; Ethiopia; Iran; Iraq; Israel; Kazakhstan; Lebanon; Libya; Mongolia; North Korea; North Yemen; Russia; South Ossetia; South Yemen; Yemen; Soviet Union; Syria; Tajikistan; Turkmenistan; Ukraine; United States (OPFOR training); Uzbekistan; Vietnam; Yemen ]
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