The reverse speed for a tank can be just as important as its maximum forward speed. After firing, the crew sometimes needs to leave the firing position as quickly as possible, without turning the hull and exposing the side or rear to the enemy.
"Perviy Tekhnicheskiy" has compiled a top 5 main battle tanks with different reverse movement capabilities – from the T-90M, which reverses at walking speed, to the T-14 with a full-fledged reversible transmission.
5. T-72B3 / T-90M — 4–5 km/h
The T-72B3 and T-90M use an evolution of the classic Soviet transmission scheme with one reverse gear. The T-90M is equipped with an automated mechanical gearbox, but the scheme itself has retained the main drawback of its predecessors.
As a result, modern tanks of the T-72/T-90 family can only reverse at approximately 4–5 km/h. A vehicle weighing about 46–50 tons effectively reverses at the speed of a fast-walking person.
If it's necessary to quickly leave a position, the crew has to turn the tank around. This increases the time to get out of fire and forces them to expose less protected projections.
4. T-80BVM — about 11 km/h
The T-80BVM received a gas turbine power plant, which provides high dynamics and smooth movement. The GTD-1250 engine develops up to 1250 hp.
However, the tank's transmission did not receive a full-fledged fast reverse. Therefore, the reverse speed is about 11 km/h.
This is more than twice the figure of the T-90M, but still noticeably inferior to modern Western MBTs. At the same time, the gas turbine unit provides the T-80BVM with high power-to-weight ratio and good dynamics when moving forward.
3. Leopard 2 — up to 31 km/h
The German Leopard 2 received a Renk HSWL 354 transmission, designed for high mobility of a heavy vehicle. Depending on the modification, the tank can reverse at a speed of about 31 km/h.
The maximum forward speed reaches approximately 68–70 km/h. It turns out that when retreating, the Leopard 2 retains a significant part of its maximum speed.
For a vehicle weighing over 60 tons, this is a serious advantage: after firing, the tank can quickly roll back behind cover without turning the hull.
2. M1 Abrams — up to 32 km/h
The American M1 Abrams received an AGT-1500 gas turbine engine with about 1500 hp and an Allison automatic transmission.
The reverse speed reaches approximately 32 km/h, while the Abrams can accelerate forward to about 67 km/h.
A heavy tank weighing over 60 tons can quickly retreat after fire contact, maintaining the most protected frontal projection towards the enemy.
1. T-14 "Armata" — up to 40–50 km/h
The Russian T-14 was an attempt to completely solve the problem of slow reverse speed. A robotic reversible transmission with 8 forward and 8 reverse gears was developed for the vehicle.
The declared forward speed of the T-14 reaches 70–80 km/h. Thanks to the equal number of gears in both directions, the tank can reverse at record speeds for heavy armored vehicles – up to 40–50 km/h.
The tank received a 12N360 diesel engine with up to 1500 hp. With a mass of about 55 tons, the power-to-weight ratio reaches approximately 27 hp per ton.
The main reason for the difference is not engine power, but the transmission design. It is the ability to quickly change direction of movement without turning the hull that allows the tank to leave its position faster after firing.