"More useful as a bunker": TNI analyst criticized the Soviet T-62 tank

Military expert Suchiu: Russia is only considered a tank power on paper

For the past 3 years, Russia has been sending the oldest equipment to the troops, including Soviet T-62 tanks. This opinion was expressed by military expert Peter Suchiu in an article for The National Interest.

Soviet T-62 tank
Soviet T-62 tank

Suchiu claims that photos of another batch of T-62s have appeared online.

The T-62s were likely among those tanks that were modernized in the 1980s, but even by those standards, most of the fighting vehicles are older than the crews that operated them.
Peter Suchiu, military expert

The expert noted that the T-62 entered service when the US Army received the M14 rifle, and the AR-15/M16 was still under development. In addition, the modernized Soviet tanks are older than the American MBT M1 Abrams, which entered service in 1980.

The West believes that the T-62 is no longer suitable for modern tank battles. Its gun is inferior to the 125-mm smoothbore gun of the T-72, and its armor is less than that of newer vehicles.

The T-62 is a useless tank. At the same time, on paper, Russia is considered a tank power.
Peter Suchiu, military expert

Suchiu stated that "T-62s may be more useful as bunkers than vehicles."

Characteristics of the T-62:

  • Hull length — 6630 mm
  • Width — 3300 mm
  • Height — 2395 mm
  • Clearance — 430 mm
  • Armor type — rolled steel and cast homogeneous
  • Engine — В-55В
  • Engine power — 580 hp
  • Road speed — 50 km/h

Read more on the topic:

"Too large and slow targets": Army Recognition explained why the idea of converting the T-55 and T-62 into BTR-Ts is bad

Half-century-old T-55 and T-62 tanks will become heavy APCs? Solving the problem of transporting soldiers

Cheap and cheerful: half-century-old T-62 tanks were converted into "Terminators" with the "Berezhok" module

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