Ranked and Ready: The 10 Best Main Battle Tanks in the World in 2024

The main battle tank (MBT) is a hallmark of modern warfare. Since the final years of World War I, the concept of a land battleship has captivated the minds of ground warfare planners. Armor, speed, mobility and strength were once all key factors that determined which nation had the best tanks.

During World War II, the Germans were known for the technical prowess and innovative power of their engineers. The tanks of the German Wehrmacht were the envy of the world. However, they were expensive and difficult to mass produce. The American tanks, on the other hand, were considered weaker than their German rivals.

Nevertheless, the Americans could easily mass-produce these tanks and virtually overrun the enemy battle formations.

Soviet tanks were also known for their advantages (so much so that they were extremely popular as exportable weapons platforms). Elizabeth Owens writes at Warrior Expert, assesses the latest benchmarks for determining the best main battle tanks in the world, which are currently defined by their “artificial intelligence and remote sensing capabilities.”

But what if these capabilities are not what they promise in a modern combat situation?

Finally, the Russians possess one of the most modern main battle tanks ever, the T-14 Armata, which was effectively retired in the Ukraine war because it is simply too expensive and too complex to sustain in the fire of modern warfare. Against this backdrop, the Russians are forced to fall back on their less modern, older Soviet-era T-72 main battle tank.

The Americans also continue to rely on their decades-old M1 Abrams main battle tank, which was instrumental in America’s lightning victory over Saddam Hussein’s forces in the Battle of Desert Storm.

While the size of a modern main battle tank may be defined by its sophistication, perhaps size and performance should not be determined solely by fancy gimmicks. Factors such as survivability, affordability, reliability, and reproducibility should all be factors that determine the size of a tank. We must also keep in mind what the actual purpose of a tank is.

Let’s go back to the darkest days of World War I, when the first tanks were developed and deployed. Back then, the front lines were static. The offensive war of movement that Germany had started in 1914 had been devalued and replaced by defensive positional warfare. Both sides were tired of the endlessness of the conflict. Both sides had virtually frozen the war along the trenches and were unable to overcome the other side. Both sides were looking for decisive advantages to break through. And the only way to break through those lines was technology.

Hence the introduction of the tank.

From that point on, and in all subsequent wars, the basic task of the tank in the attack was to use fast, heavy tanks and weapons to break through the fortified enemy lines and penetrate deep into the enemy’s rear in order to give one’s own side a tactical opportunity to encircle and break the enemy’s entrenched resistance.

But today, main battle tanks must face a multitude of new threats.

Things like Javelin anti-tank weapons, explosive-laden aerial drones, advanced explosive devices (IEDs), and other unconventional systems have given defenders significant advantages. And it seems that the more modern a tank is (as is the case with the Russian T-14 Armata), the greater the loss to the attacking force.

The 10 best tanks on planet Earth right now

With that in mind, the top 10 best tanks in the world (from worst to best) are:

10. British Challenger 3

The successor to the much-praised Challenger-2 MBT is actually more of an upgrade than a complete replacement. However, the new tanks are expected to have improved capabilities, mainly thanks to their network-enabled computer systems and the new, even more powerful main gun. In this case, the tank will be built with a 120 mm high-pressure gun of the L55A1 type, which, according to Rheinmetall, the manufacturer of the Challenger, will fire the latest kinetic energy anti-tank missiles and programmable multi-purpose ammunition.

The tank is equipped with modern electronic warfare capabilities and features improved armor protection for its crew, as well as high-tech sensors that allow the tank commander to acquire and track targets over long distances. This tank is hugely expensive and is unlikely to be produced in the numbers that the UK would need to make this tank truly worthwhile.

9. British Challenger 2

The British Challenger-2 is one of the most hyped main battle tanks imaginable. It is a third-generation tank used by the British Army and in Oman (although the British are retiring this main battle tank in favor of the aforementioned Challenger-3). Equipped with a 120mm L30 tank gun firing both long-barrel and high-explosive crush head (HESH) ammunition, this tank was handed over to the Ukrainians during last year’s tank boom, according to the website of Rheinmetall (the manufacturer of the Challenger tanks).

Unfortunately challenger are far too heavy and get stuck in the soft ground of the Ukrainian battlefield. Although these battle tanks were used successfully in both Bosnia and Iraq, they did not actually compete against a nearly equal competitor such as the Russians. According to reports, the challenger have already suffered at least two losses (out of 14 units) since their deployment late last year, mainly due to their lack of mobility on the soft ground of Ukraine. So this tank is completely overrated.

8. German Leopard II

This tank is one of the most modern battle tanks in the world. It was touted as the tank that would save the struggling Ukrainians in the second year of their three-year campaign against the Russian invaders. But these tanks have made little of the difference we promised them. In fact, pictures are circulating on the Internet showing the Russians using a battle-damaged leopard back to Moscow to be put on display after it was abandoned in battle by its Ukrainian tank crew. These tanks are highly advanced, they are maneuverable, they have efficient engines and even greater firepower.

But as with all Western technology, there are not enough tanks, and the system is far too expensive and complex to be easily reproduced in a short period of time. In areas where these tanks can be deployed in large numbers, they can be quite effective. But there will never be enough tanks to fight the advancing Russian invaders.

7. Russian T-14 Armata

Considered Russia’s greatest tank, this tank is almost too overrated to waste time writing about. Yes, it really is on a whole new level.

But it is so advanced that its mass production is far too expensive and complicated. Due to its unique technological characteristics, the tank was withdrawn from the front lines of Ukraine early on, fearing that the loss of even one of these main battle tanks would severely damage Russia. Regardless of the high technological level of this platform and regardless of how much Western strategists fear it, it is a useless asset for Russia.

6. Chinese T-99

Developed in 2000, this third-generation main battle tank is a strange copy of the old Soviet T-90 and combines plagiarized designs from other Western tanks, which are mixed together in the T-99. For example, it has the modular, additional explosive reactive armor that

Germany’s above-mentioned Leopard II MBTs so popular. It has an active laser protection system that protects it from incoming missiles, disrupts the optical equipment of enemy tanks and can even be used against enemy helicopters.

China has mass-produced 1,200 of these tanks over the past 20 years, making them the backbone of its armored force. However, these tanks are relatively untested in combat. Still, it is a relatively affordable, easily mass-produced tank that brings some useful features. While the American M1 Abrams is probably a better tank, the fact is that China’s ability to produce more equipment means the Americans will have a deficit.

5. Korean K2 Black Panther

Peter Suciu has called this main battle tank the best in the world. It has a superb engine, incredible defensive mechanisms and a powerful 120mm smoothbore gun that can fire up to 10 to 15 rounds per minute. South Korea has developed this next-generation main battle tank to counter a feared possible North Korean invasion.

This tank is comparable to, and even surpasses, anything the North Koreans have in their arsenal. The Turks prefer this tank to any other.

There is just one problem: the K2 is incredibly expensive. How can this system be mass-produced and maintained in a protracted war in which South Korean infrastructure is destroyed or severely damaged?

Apart from that, this tank’s electronic warfare capabilities and its overall technical performance in combat are likely to make it the best tank in the world.

However, it will be difficult to replace these systems if they are lost in large numbers in a major war and thus become suspect.

4. French Leclerc XL

This main battle tank is designed for speed and maneuverability. It can travel at 80 km/h and hit targets up to 4 km away. This tank is lighter than many of its third generation main battle tanks, such as the M1 Abrams.