Cold War tank formations

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

NATO and the Warsaw Pact

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
  • 6 Tank Divisions (Panzerdivisionen)
  • 4 Armored Infantry Divisions (Panzergrenadierdivisionen)
  • 1 Mountain Division (Gebirgsdivision)
  • 6 Home Defense Tank Brigades (Heimatschutz – Panzerbrigaden)
  • 6 Home Defense Armored Infantry Brigades (Heimatschutz – Panzergrenadierbrigaden (not complete)
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)

United States
A M60A3 in Langgöns, Germany
M1A1
Formations
  • 4 Tank Divisions
  • 6 Mechanized Divisions
  • 4 Infantry Divisions
  • 1 Airborne Division (incl. 1 Tank Battalion)
  • 1 independent Tank Brigade
  • 4 independent Infantry Brigades
  • 3 Cavalry Regiments (Reconnaissance)
  • 3 Tank Battalions Marines
  • ? Tank Battalions National Guard (Reserve)
Number of tanks
  • 1,825 M48A5 MBT
  • 1,555 M60 MBT
  • 5,775 M60A1 MBT
  • 540 M60A2 MBT (But Reserve on 1976)
  • 1,500+ M60A3 MBT
  • 150 M1 Abrams MBT
  • 400 M551 Sheridan AR/AAV (330 for training purposes)
  • 575 M60A1 ERA MBT with the Marines

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

France

In 1984 :

AMX-30
Formations
  • 6 Tank divisions (divisions blindées – the 2nd, 7th, 10th in France, the 1st, 3rd and 5th in West Germany)
  • 4 Light Armoured Divisions – the 6th, 9th, 12th, 14th
  • 2 Mechanised Infantry Divisions – the 8th and 15th
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 On order Other
900 FV4201 Chieftain MBT
(60 in Reserve)		 420 FV4030/4 Challenger MBT 271 tracked armoured reconnaissance vehicles

(FV101 Scorpion)

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

Before the 1980s, equipment included the Conqueror tank (1955–1966) and FV4101 Charioteer (TA 1950s). Initially containing three armoured divisions, BAOR was reformed by 1960 into three mixed divisions and additional brigade groups. Then in the 1970s, as four smaller armoured divisions before reorganization as 3 armoured divisions in 1981–83.

Turkey

As of 1981/83:

Formations
  • 1 Tank Division
  • 2 Mechanised Infantry Divisions
  • 14 Infantry Divisions (some with tank battalions attached)
Number of tanks[8]
MBT In reserve On order Other
3,000 M48 Patton
500 M47 Patton		 - 70 Leopard 1A3 MBT -

Total: 3,500 Tanks[9]

Italy
Leopard 1
M-47 Patton I

As of 1981/82:

Formations
  • 5 Armored Brigades[10] (two tank battalion each, 49 tanks each battalion))
  • 9 Mechanized Brigades[11] (one 49 tanks battalion each)
  • 4 Motorized Brigades[12] (one armored battalion each, with 33 tanks)
  • 2 Armored Carabinieri (gendarmerie) battalions[13]
  • 2 Armored independent battalions[14]
  • 4 Recce independent battalions[15] (31 tanks each)
  • Armored Troops School with the 31st Tank battalion
  • Armored Training Camp with the 1st Armored Regiment
Number of tanks

Total: 1,620 tanks[16]

Netherlands

As of 1981/82:

Formations
  • 1 armoured division
  • 2 mechanised divisions (1 of which reserve)
Number of Tanks

Total: 918 tanks

Denmark

As of 1983:

Formations
  • 1 Mechanised Division (Jutland)
  • 1 Light Battlegroup (Jutland)
  • 2 Independent Mechanised Brigades (Zealand)
  • 4 Light Battlegroups (Zealand)
  • 1 Battlegroup (Bornholm)
Number of Tanks

Jutland

  • 120 MBT Leopard 1A3 (40 in each Brigade x3)
  • 18 light tank M41 Walker Bulldog (Recon Battalion)
  • 70 Centurion tank Mk.V with 84 mm gun (6x Anti-tank Squadrons in reserve (in four regions and one Light-Battlegroupe))

Zealand

  • 106 MBT Centurion tank MK.V2 with 105 mm L7A1 gun (40 in each Brigade x2)
  • 40 Centurion tank MK.V with 84 mm gun (4x Anti-tank Squadrons in Light-Battlegroups)
  • 18 light tank M41 Walker Bulldog (Recon Battalion)

Bornholm

Total: 388 tanks

Belgium

As of 1981/82:

Formations
  • 1 Armoured Brigade (17 Ps Bde – Spich-Altenrath)
  • 3 Mechanised Brigades (1 PsInf Bde – Leopoldsburg, 4 PsInf Bde – Soest, 7 PsInf Bde – Marche-En-Famenne)
  • 1 Reserve Mechanised Brigade
Number of tanks

Total: 766 tanks

Canada

As of 1981/82:

Formations

The Leopards and Cougars came into service in the late 1970s and replaced 274 Centurion Tanks used by Royal Canadian Armoured Corps units (The Canadian Centurion tanks served in Germany for 25 years, from January 1952 to January 1977).

Total: 114 MBT (+195 FSV) = 309 tanks

Norway

As of 1981/82:

Formations
  • Independent Armoured Squadrons
Number of tanks

Total: 186 tanks

Portugal

As of 1981/82:

Formations
  • 1 Tank Regiment
  • 2 Cavalry Regiments
Number of tanks

Total: ~80 tanks

Greece

As of 1981/82:

Formations
  • 1 Armoured Division
  • 2 Independent Armoured Brigades
Number of tanks[17]
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
  • 1 Armoured Division
  • 1 Mechanised Division
  • 3 Armoured Cavalry Brigades
  • 1 Light Cavalry Regiment
Number of tanks

Total: 830 tanks

Warsaw Pact

Grand Total: 71,700+ Tanks

USSR
T-62
T-64B
T-72
T-80B
Formations

As of 1981/82 the Soviet Ground Forces had:

  • 46 Tank Divisions, including six Tank Armies with four tank divisions each.
  • 119 Mechanised Infantry Divisions
  • 6 Airborne Divisions
  • 1 Naval Infantry Division
  • 3 Naval Infantry Brigades
Tank strength
  • 45,000 MBT JS-2 and JS-3 (Reserve) T-10 / T-10M / T-54 / T-55 / T-62
  • 10,000 MBT T-64 / T-72 / T-80
  • 870 amphibious Reconnaissance Tanks PT-76 (Plavayushchiy Tank)
  • 1,800 med. tank T-34 (At the Chinese border – most used for driver training; withdrawn in 1979)

Total: 57,670 tanks[18]

East Germany

As of 1981/82:

Formations
  • 2 Tank Division
  • 4 Mechanised Infantry Divisions
Number of tanks
  • 1,500 MBT T-54 / T-55 / T-72 (further 1600 tanks stored)
  • 120 Reconnaissance tanks PT-76

Total: 1,620+ tanks[19]

Poland
Polish T-55
PT-76 amphibious tank

As of 1981/82:

Formations
  • 5 Tank Divisions
  • 8 Mechanised Infantry Divisions
  • 1 Amphibious Assault Division
  • 1 Airborne Division
Number of Tanks

Total: 4,010 tanks[20]

Czechoslovakia

As of 1980

Formations
  • 7 Tank Divisions (2 on full numbers, 3 on reduced numbers, 2 created by mobilization)
  • 8 Motor-Rifle Divisions (3 on full numbers, 2 on reduced numbers, 3 created by mobilization)
Number of Tanks as of year 1980

Total in 1980: 4,223 tanks[21]

Bulgaria

As of 1981/82

Formations
  • 5 Tank Brigades (in Sofia, Kazanlak, Karlovo, Sliven and Aytos)
  • 8 Motor Rifle Divisions[22]
Number of Tanks

Total: 2,400 tanks

Hungary

As of 1981/82

Formations
  • 1 Tank Division (in Tata)
  • 5 Motor Rifle Divisions (in Gyöngyös, Kiskunfélegyháza, Zalaegerszeg, Kaposvár and Nyíregyháza)
Number of Tanks

Total: 1,100 tanks

Romania

As of 1981/82

Formations
  • 2 Tank Divisions (in Targu-Mures and Bucuresti)
  • 8 Mechanised Infantry Divisions (in Iasi, Braila, Constanta, Bucuresti, Craiova, Timișoara, Oradea and Dej)
Number of Tanks

Total: 1,845 tanks

Other

Sweden

As of ca 1980

Formations
  • 4 Armoured Brigades, type PB 63
  • 1 Armoured Brigade, type Gotland[23]
  • 1 Mechanized Brigade, type MekB 10 (under development)
  • 1 Independent Armoured Battalion, I 19/P 5[24]
Number of tanks
  • 240 MBT Stridsvagn 103 (72 per brigade, plus an independent battalion with 24)
  • 192 MBT Centurion tank (72 per brigade, plus a future mechanized brigade with 48)[25]

The Swedish army was in the process of forming a mechanized brigade, type MekB 10, which became active in 1983/84.[26] This brigade was only equipped with 48 MBT's (Centurions) compared to the 72 MBT's of the regular armoured brigades, but instead received 24 Infanterikanonvagn 91 infantry support vehicles.[27]

Total: 432 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. Curtatone, Manin, Mameli, Vittorio Veneto, Pozzuolo del Friuli
  11. Goito, Legnano, Garibaldi, Brescia, Trieste, Gorizia, Granatieri di Sardegna, Isonzo, Pinerolo
  12. Cremona, Friuli, Aosta, Acqui
  13. 7th "Petrucelli" and 13th "Gallo"
  14. 3rd "Savoia Cavalleria" and 8th "Lancieri di Montebello"
  15. 7th "Lancieri di Milano" 12th "Cavalleggeri di Saluzzo", 15th "Cavalleggeri di Lodi", 19th "Cavalleggeri Guide"
  16. Armed Forces 1981/82 Page 90
  17. Armed Forces 1981/82 Page 102
  18. Armed Forces 1981/82
  19. Armed Forces 1981/82 Page 54
  20. Armed Forces 1981/82 Page 57
  21. Francev, Vladimir."Ceskoslovenske tankove sily 1945–1992". page 135. Grada Publishing, 2012. ISBN 978-80-247-4029-4
  22. http://www.ww2.dk/new/wp/Bulgaria/bularmy.htm
  23. Hugemark, Bo."Den Stora Invasionen". page 248. Medströms Bokförlag, 2017. ISBN 978-91-7329-138-5
  24. Kjellander, Bo."Pansartrupperna 1942–1992". page 405-411. Arméns pansarcentrum, 1992. ISBN 91-630-1253-7
  25. Hugemark, Bo."Den Stora Invasionen". page 247. Medströms Bokförlag, 2017. ISBN 978-91-7329-138-5
  26. https://web.archive.org/web/19991009205255/http://www.mekb10.mil.se/hist.html
  27. Hugemark, Bo."Den Stora Invasionen". page 247. Medströms Bokförlag, 2017. ISBN 978-91-7329-138-5
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References
  • Armed Forces 1981/82 In: The Military Balance of the International Institute for Strategic Studies London (Bernard & Graefe Verlag, Munich 1982.)
  • Ferdinand von Senger und Etterlin (1983). Tanks of the World. London: Arms and Armour Press.
  • John Weeks (1981). Armies of the World. London: Jane's Publishing Company Ltd.
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