Cold War tank formations

NATO and the Warsaw Pact

During the Cold War, NATO and the Warsaw Pact both had large tank formations present in Europe.

The following gives the number of armoured formations and tank strength as of 1981/1982 for Warsaw Pact and NATO member countries. These include formations and vehicles deployed outside Europe, such as in North America or the Asiatic USSR.

NATO

Grand Total: 30,711+ Tanks

West Germany

Leopard 1 during REFORGER- Exercise 1983
Leopard 2A4
M48 A2C
German Army Formations
Number of tanks[1]
MBTs In reserve On order Other
1,200 M48 A2C/A2GA2
2,437 Leopard 1 A2/A3/A4
150 Leopard 2
770 Kanonenjagdpanzer
350 Raketenjagdpanzer
- - -

Total: 3,787 tanks [2]

(Total: 4,907 including Jagdpanzer)

USA

A M60A3 in Langgöns, Germany
M1A1
Formations
Number of tanks

Total: 12,320 tanks (min. 330 for training only)[3]

France

AMX-30
Formations
Number of tanks[4]
MBTs In reserve On order Other
1,259 AMX 30 - 145 AMX 30 340 AMX 13 light tanks

Total: 1,868 tanks[5]

United Kingdom

FV4201 Chieftain
Formations
Number of tanks[6]
Tanks In reserve On order Other
900 FV4201 Chieftain MBT
(60 in Reserve)
300 Centurion MBT stored 240 FV4030/4 Challenger MBT 271 tracked armoured reconnaissance vehicles

(FV101 Scorpion and Scimitar)

Total: 1,901 tanks and armored cars[7]

Before the 1980s

Earlier units included the Conqueror tank (1955–1966) and FV4101 Charioteer (TA 1950s). Initially containing 3 armoured divisions, the BAOR was reformed by 1960 into 3 mixed divisions and additional brigade groups. Then in the 1970s, as 4 smaller armoured divisions before reorganization as 3 armoured divisions in 1981–83.

Turkey

As of 1981/83:

Formations
Number of tanks[8]
MBT In reserve On order Other
3,000 M48 Patton
500 M47 Patton
- 70 Leopard 1A3 MBT -

Total: 3,570 Tanks[9]

Italy

Leopard 1
M-47 Patton I

As of 1981/82:

Formations
Number of tanks

Total: 1,620 tanks[10]

Netherlands

As of 1981/82:

Formations
Number of Tanks

Total: 924 tanks

Denmark

As of 1981/82:

Formations
Number of Tanks

Jutland

Zealand

Bornholm

Total: 388 tanks

Belgium

As of 1981/82:

Formations
Number of tanks

Total: 766+ tanks

Canada

As of 1981/82:

Formations
Number of tanks

Total: 114 tanks

Norway

As of 1981/82:

Formations
Number of tanks

Total: 186 tanks

Portugal

As of 1981/82:

Formations
Number of tanks

Total: 64+ tanks

Greece

As of 1981/82:

Formations
Number of tanks[11]
MBT In reserve On order Other
170 AMX 30
800 M48 Patton
150 M47 Patton
190 M24 Chaffee
- -

Total: 1,310 tanks

Spain

An M48 Patton tank of the Spanish Army on display at the El Goloso Museum of Armored Vehicles

Members of NATO from 30 May 1982:

Formations
Number of tanks

Total: 830 tanks

Warsaw Pact

Grand Total: 71,700+ Tanks

USSR

T-64A
T-72
Formations

As of 1981/82 the Soviet Ground Forces had:

Tank strength

Total: 57,670 tanks[12]

East Germany

As of 1981/82:

Formations
Number of tanks

Total: 1,620+ tanks[13]

Poland

Polish T-55
PT-76 amphibious tank

As of 1981/82:

Formations
Number of Tanks

Total: 4,010 tanks[14]

Czechoslovakia

As of 1980

Formations
Number of Tanks as of year 1980

Total in 1980: 4,223 tanks[15]

Bulgaria

As of 1981/82

Formations
Number of Tanks

Total: 2,400 tanks

Hungary

As of 1981/82

Formations
Number of Tanks

Total: 1,100 tanks

Romania

As of 1981/82

Formations
Number of Tanks

Total: 1,500 tanks

Footnotes

  1. Armed Forces 1981/82 Page 73
  2. Armed Forces 1981/82 Page 73
  3. Armed Forces 1981/82. Page 20
  4. Armed Forces 1981/82 Page 76
  5. Armed Forces 1981/82 Page 76
  6. Armed Forces 1981/82 Page 84
  7. Armed Forces 1981/82 Page 84
  8. Armed Forces 1981/82 Page 102
  9. Armed Forces 1981/82. Page 102
  10. Armed Forces 1981/82 Page 90
  11. Armed Forces 1981/82 Page 102
  12. Armed Forces 1981/82
  13. Armed Forces 1981/82 Page 54
  14. Armed Forces 1981/82 Page 57
  15. Francev, Vladimir."Ceskoslovenske tankove sily 1945-1992". page 135. Grada Publishing, 2012. ISBN 978-80-247-4029-4

References

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