Russia’s T-62 Tank Reportedly to Remain in Service With Russian Army Until 2030

The T-62 tank, originally manufactured in the Soviet Union from 1961 to 1975, will remain a part of the Russian Army, in a limited capacity, until 2030, according to reports.

While the tank was quickly surpassed by more sophisticated and economic tanks developed for the Soviet Army, thousands remain in active service in militaries across the globe.

The T-62 will likely remain in service in the Russian Army through 2030. Many have remained in warehouses throughout Russia, with plans to update and export their remaining inventory. The Cold War-era tank has been predominantly deployed throughout the Middle East over the past decade, and has been used by Ethiopia in the Tigray Civil War.

The T-62 tank was originally designed by the Soviet Union to replace their T-55 tank, which fell behind the armory of Western tanks, and proved unable to sufficiently support a cannon capable of piercing their frontal armor.

The T-62 maintained a similar design to the T-55, but proved to be large enough to carry newer armor-piercing weaponry. Production began in 1961 in Kharkiv and stopped in 1973, with 20,000 units being produced. Production ultimately ceased in 1975 in the Soviet Union.

The tank was first featured in the Sino-Soviet border conflict, with the People’s Liberation Army disabling and capturing one of the tanks. It later turned out that the captured T-62 was studied and used to help design the PLA’s Type 69 tank, which was the first battle tank to be independently developed by China.