These Russian Tanks Are the Ultimate War Machines

Guided by German technology, the Soviet Union first began developing tanks back in 1926. Within just two years, the country produced the MS-1 tank and continued to refine its designs over the next several years. By 1935, the country’s armored fleet was the largest in the world. Today, Russia continues to utilize modern tanks like the T-90M, which was used in the country’s invasion of Ukraine. (This is every Russian tank ever built.)

Here 24/7 Wall St. is taking a closer look into Russia’s tank arsenal over the years. To identify the most heavily armed Russian tanks ever built, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed a catalog of tanks from Military Factory. We ranked each tank according to the caliber of the main gun and then secondary guns. We included supplemental information from Military Factory regarding the type of tank, year, manufacturer, top speed, and number manufactured. We excluded prototypes, projects, and tanks with limited production runs. (These are the fastest Russian tanks ever built.)

Why Are We Covering This?

Russia’s historical and current tank developments reflect its status as a major military power. Russian tanks have not only been pivotal in wars but also a tool of diplomatic influence, shaping Russia’s standing on the world stage through both their physical might and strategic deployment.

Here is a look at the most heavily armed Russian tanks:

30. T-38

• Type: Light tank
• Year introduced: 1937
• Armament: 7.62mm machine gun
• Total units manufactured: 1,300
• Manufacturer(s): Factory No. 37
• Top speed: 25 mph

29. T-27

• Type: Light tank
• Year introduced: 1931
• Armament: 7.62mm machine gun
• Total units manufactured: 3,000
• Manufacturer(s): Bolshevik Works / GAZ
• Top speed: 26 mph

28. BMP-1 (Boyevaya Mashina Pekhoty)

BMP-1 (CC BY 2.0) by Mikey

• Type: Infantry fighting vehicle
• Year introduced: 1966
• Armament: 7.62mm PKT coaxial machine gun, 7.62mm PKT bow-mounted machine gun
• Total units manufactured: 26,000
• Manufacturer(s): State Factories
• Top speed: 40 mph

27. T-60

• Type: Light tank
• Year introduced: 1941
• Armament: 20mm TNSh L/82.4 main gun, 7.62mm machine gun
• Total units manufactured: 6,292
• Manufacturer(s): Factory No. 37 / Factory No. 38 / GAZ
• Top speed: 27 mph

26. BMD-2 (Boyevaya Mashina Desanta)

• Type: Amphibious light tank
• Year introduced: 1985
• Armament: 30mm 2A42 cannon, ATGM missile launcher, 7.62mm PKT coaxial machine gun, 7.62mm PKT bow-mounted machine gun
• Total units manufactured: 2,150
• Manufacturer(s): Volgograd Tractor Plant
• Top speed: 50 mph

25. BMD-3 (Boyevaya Mashina Desanta)

• Type: Amphibious light tank
• Year introduced: 1990
• Armament: 30mm cannon, 7.62 machine gun, AT-4 ATGW launcher, 5.45mm machine gun, 40mm grenade launcher, smoke dischargers
• Total units manufactured: 123
• Manufacturer(s): Volgograd Tractor Plant
• Top speed: 44 mph

24. BMP-2 (Boyevaya Mashina Pekhoty)

• Type: Infantry fighting vehicle
• Year introduced: 1982
• Armament: 30mm 2A42 main gun, 7.62 PKTM coaxial machine gun, 9M113 Konkurs mssile launcher, smoke dischargers
• Total units manufactured: 35,000
• Manufacturer(s): Kurgan Machine Construction Plant
• Top speed: 40 mph

23. T-70

• Type: Light tank
• Year introduced: 1942
• Armament: 45mm 20K main gun, 7.62mm machine gun
• Total units manufactured: 8,226
• Manufacturer(s): State Factories
• Top speed: 28 mph

22. BT-7 (Bystrochodnij Tankov)

BT-7 (Bystrochodnij Tankov), G... (CC BY 2.0) by Andrew Milligan sumo

• Type: Light tank
• Year introduced: 1934
• Armament: 45mm main gun, 7.62mm machine gun
• Total units manufactured: 4,613
• Manufacturer(s): State Factories
• Top speed: 32 mph

21. T-26

T-26 (twin turret) u2018351u2019 ?... (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Alan Wilson

• Type: Light tank
• Year introduced: 1931
• Armament: 45mm main gun, 7.62mm machine gun, 12.7mm machine gun
• Total units manufactured: 12,000
• Manufacturer(s): Factory No. 174 / Stalingrad Tractor Factory
• Top speed: 17 mph

20. BMD-1 (Boyevaya Mashina Desanta)

• Type: Infantry fighting vehicle
• Year introduced: 1966
• Armament: 73mm 2A28 smoothbore cannon, 9M14M anti-tank guided missiles
• Total units manufactured: 2,000
• Manufacturer(s): Volgograd Tractor Plant
• Top speed: 50 mph

19. KV-1 (Klimenti Voroshilov)

• Type: Heavy tank
• Year introduced: 1939
• Armament: 76.2mm main gun, 7.62mm machine guns
• Total units manufactured: 5,219
• Manufacturer(s): Kirov Factory
• Top speed: 22 mph

18. PT-76

• Type: Amphibious light tank
• Year introduced: 1952
• Armament: 76.2mm main gun, 7.62mm coaxial machine gun, 12.7mm anti-aircraft machine gun
• Total units manufactured: 12,000
• Manufacturer(s): State Factories
• Top speed: 27 mph

17. T-44

SU-101 Prototype Assault Gun ?... (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Alan Wilson

• Type: Medium tank
• Year introduced: 1944
• Armament: 85mm D-5T main gun, 7.62mm machine guns
• Total units manufactured: 1,823
• Manufacturer(s): Factory No. 75
• Top speed: 32 mph

16. T-34

T34/76 model 1941 [R-105 / Ps.... (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Alan Wilson

• Type: Medium tank
• Year introduced: 1940
• Armament: 85mm D-5T / ZiS-S-53 main gun, 7.62mm DT MG coaxial machine gun, 7.62mm DT machine gun
• Total units manufactured: 84,070
• Manufacturer(s): State Factories
• Top speed: 32 mph

15. T-54

T-54 Tank. (CC BY 2.0 DEED) by Mohit S

• Type: Medium tank
• Year introduced: 1949
• Armament: 100mm D-10TG main gun, 7.62mm SG MT coaxial machine gun, 7.62mm bow-mounted machine gun
• Total units manufactured: 50,000
• Manufacturer(s): State Factories
• Top speed: 30 mph

14. T-55

T-55 (CC BY 2.0 DEED) by John Harwood

• Type: Medium tank
• Year introduced: 1958
• Armament: 100mm D-10 rifled main gun, 7.62mm PKT coaxial machine gun, 12.7mm anti-aircraft machine gun
• Total units manufactured: 50,000
• Manufacturer(s): State Factories
• Top speed: 31 mph

13. BMP-3 (Boyevaya Mashina Pekhoty)

• Type: Light tank
• Year introduced: 1987
• Armament: 100mm 2A70 rifled main gun, 30mm 2A72 coaxial machine gun, 7.62mm PKT coaxial machine gun, smoke grenade dischargers
• Total units manufactured: 1,840
• Manufacturer(s): Kurgan Machine Construction Plant
• Top speed: 43 mph

12. BMD-4 (Boyevaya Mashina Desanta)

• Type: Light infantry fighting vehicle
• Year introduced: 2005
• Armament: 100mm main gun, 30mm cannon, AT-5 Spandrel anti-tank guided missile launcher, 7.62mm coaxial machine gun, 40mm automatic grenade launcher, 5.45mm general purpose machine gun, smoke grenade dischargers
• Total units manufactured: 200
• Manufacturer(s): Volgograd Tractor Plant
• Top speed: 43 mph

11. T-62

Tank, probably Soviet T-62 (CC BY 2.0) by Marco Metzler

• Type: Medium tank
• Year introduced: 1961
• Armament: 115mm smoothbore main gun, 12.7mm DShKM anti-aircraft heavy machine gun, 7.62mm PKT coaxial machine gun
• Total units manufactured: 22,750
• Manufacturer(s): State Factories
• Top speed: 28 mph

10. IS-2 / JS-2 (Josef Stalin)

• Type: Heavy tank
• Year introduced: 1943
• Armament: 122mm D25-T main gun, 12.7mm DShK heavy machine gun, 7.62mm machine guns
• Total units manufactured: 2,250
• Manufacturer(s): State Factories
• Top speed: 23 mph

9. IS-3 / JS-3 (Josef Stalin)

• Type: Heavy tank
• Year introduced: 1945
• Armament: 122mm D-25T main gun, 12.7mm anti-aircraft heavy machine gun, 7.62mm machine guns
• Total units manufactured: 2,311
• Manufacturer(s): State Factories
• Top speed: 25 mph

8. IS-10 / T-10 (Josef Stalin)

• Type: Heavy tank
• Year introduced: 1953
• Armament: 122mm D-74 main gun, 14.5mm KPV machine guns, 12.7mm DShK anti-aircraft machine gun
• Total units manufactured: 8,000
• Manufacturer(s): State Factories
• Top speed: 26 mph

7. 2S25 (Sprut-SD)

2008 Moscow Victory Day Parade (CC BY-SA 4.0 DEED) by Vitaly V. Kuzmin

• Type: Light tank
• Year introduced: 2007
• Armament: 125mm 2A75 main gun, 7.62 coaxial machine gun, smoke grenade dischargers
• Total units manufactured: 70
• Manufacturer(s): Volgograd Tractor Plant
• Top speed: 43 mph

6. T-80 (MBT)

Russian Tank T-80 with Gas Tur... (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Andrey Korchagin

• Type: Main battle tank
• Year introduced: 1976
• Armament: 125mm main gun, 12.7mm air defense machine gun, 7.62mm coaxial machine gun, smoke grenade dischargers
• Total units manufactured: 5,500
• Manufacturer(s): Omsk Transmash / Malyshev / LKZ
• Top speed: 43 mph

5. T-90

T-72M Russian Battle Tank (CC BY-SA 2.0) by A Guy Named Nyal

• Type: Main battle tank
• Year introduced: 1995
• Armament: 125mm smoothbore main gun, 7.62mm coaxial machine gun, 12.7mm anti-aircraft machine gun, smoke grenade dischargers
• Total units manufactured: 2,055
• Manufacturer(s): Uralvagonzavod
• Top speed: 40 mph

4. T-72 (Ural)

• Type: Main battle tank
• Year introduced: 1972
• Armament: 125mm smoothbore main gun, 7.62mm coaxial machine gun, 12.7mm anti-aircraft machine gun, smoke grenade dischargers
• Total units manufactured: 25,000
• Manufacturer(s): State Factories
• Top speed: 42 mph

3. T-64

T-64BV mod 2017, Kyiv 2021, 16 (CC BY-SA 4.0 DEED) by VoidWanderer

• Type: Main battle tank
• Year introduced: 1966
• Armament: 125mm D-81 smoothbore main gun, 7.62mm PKT coaxial machine gun, 12.7mm NSVT anti-aircraft machine gun
• Total units manufactured: 13,000
• Manufacturer(s): Malyshev Factory
• Top speed: 43 mph

2. T-99 Armata

4mayrehearsal 05 (CC BY-SA 4.0 DEED) by Vitaly V. Kuzmin

• Type: Multirole tracked armored vehicle
• Year introduced: 2013
• Armament: 125mm smoothbore main gun, 12.7mm coaxial machine gun, 57mm automatic grenade launcher
• Total units manufactured: 40
• Manufacturer(s): Uralvagonzavod
• Top speed: 50 mph

1. T-14 (Armata)

• Type: Main battle tank
• Year introduced: 2016
• Armament: 125mm 2A82 smoothbore main gun, 30mm autocannon, 12.7mm heavy machine gun, 7.62mm machine gun, smoke grenade dischargers
• Total units manufactured: 45
• Manufacturer(s): Uralvagonzavod
• Top speed: 50 mph