Cold War tank formations


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

;German Army Formations
MBTsIn reserveOn orderOther
1,200 M48 A2C/A2GA2
2,437 Leopard 1 A2/A3/A4
150 Leopard 2
770 Kanonenjagdpanzer
350 Raketenjagdpanzer		---

Total: 3,787 tanks

United States

;Formations
;Number of tanks:
Total: 12,320 tanks

[France]

In 1984 :
;Formations
MBTsIn reserveOn orderOther
1,259 AMX 30-145 AMX 30340 AMX 13 light tanks

Total: 1,868 tanks

[United Kingdom]

;Formations
TanksOn orderOther
900 FV4201 Chieftain MBT
420 FV4030/4 Challenger MBT271 tracked armoured reconnaissance vehicles


Total: 1,901 tanks and armoured cars
Before the 1980s, equipment included the Conqueror tank and FV4101 Charioteer. 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
MBTIn reserveOn orderOther
3,000 M48 Patton
500 M47 Patton		-70 Leopard 1A3 MBT-

Total: 3,500 Tanks

[Italy]

As of 1981/82:
;Formations
;Number of tanks:
Total: 1,620 tanks

[Netherlands]

As of 1981/82:
;Formations
;Number of Tanks:
Total: 918 tanks

[Denmark]

As of 1983:
;Formations
;Number of Tanks:
Jutland
Zealand
Bornholm
Total: 388 tanks

[Belgium]

As of 1981/82:
;Formations
;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.
Total: 114 MBT = 309 tanks

[Norway]

As of 1981/82:
;Formations
;Number of tanks:
Total: 186 tanks

[Portugal]

As of 1981/82:
;Formations
;Number of tanks:
Total: ~80 tanks

[Greece]

As of 1981/82:
;Formations
MBTIn reserveOn orderOther
170 AMX 30
800 M48 Patton
150 M47 Patton
190 M24 Chaffee		--

Total: 1,310 tanks

[Spain]

from 30 May 1982:
;Formations
;Number of tanks:
Total: 830 tanks

[Warsaw Pact]

Grand Total: 71,700+ Tanks

[USSR]

;Formations
As of 1981/82 the Soviet Ground Forces had:
;Tank strength
Total: 57,670 tanks

[East Germany]

As of 1981/82:
;Formations
;Number of tanks:
Total: 1,620+ tanks

[Poland]

As of 1981/82:
;Formations
;Number of Tanks:
Total: 4,010 tanks

[Czechoslovakia]

As of 1980
;Formations
;Number of Tanks as of year 1980:
Total in 1980: 4,223 tanks

[Bulgaria]

As of 1981/82
;Formations
;Number of Tanks:
Total: 2,400 tanks

[Hungary]

As of 1981/82
;Formations
;Number of Tanks:
Total: 1,100 tanks

[Romania]

As of 1981/82
;Formations
;Number of Tanks:
Total: 1,845 tanks

Other

[Sweden]

As of ca 1980
;Formations
;Number of tanks
The Swedish army was in the process of forming a mechanized brigade, type MekB 10, which became active in 1983/84. This brigade was only equipped with 48 MBT's compared to the 72 MBT's of the regular armoured brigades, but instead received 24 Infanterikanonvagn 91 infantry support vehicles.
Total: 432 tanks

Footnotes