In 1980, the US Army feared Russian tanks were invincible

[mmacguinness]

Very interesting article re US Army fears of Soviet tank superiority in 1980.
https://www.sandboxx.us/blog/in-1980-th ... nvincible/

This is the study referred to in the article:
https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/docs/DOC_0001066239.pdf

[mmacguinness]

Selected quotations and related charts from the 1980 intelligence assessment:

Chart: Tank Quality: The AMSAA View

In brief, the United States is now behind, tank for tank, and even when our developmental XM-833 depleted-uranium round for the 105-mm cannon becomes available, the XM-1 is likely to be no more than an even match for the T-80.

Charts: Probability of Kill given Hit:

As may be seen, while all weapons have provided high assurance of kill against the T-62, the M735 - planned to be the most numerous round aboard US tanks - is impotent against the T-72. Our two most powerful ATGM are marginal in a frontal attack against the lower bound-best case T-72, and virtually useless against the upper bound-worst case T-72.

Chart: US ATGM vs. Soviet Tank

Our ATGM clearly can defeat the T-62, but the T-72 - and the like armored T-64 - could be largely invulnerable to them. In facvt, chances are better than 50-50 that either TOW or DRAGON would explode without effect against the nmose of the T-72, even if that tank's armor is onlt of "lower bound, best case"toughness.

[edb1815]

Subsequent events have proven this analysis flawed. Not including the current Ukraine war, the T-72 has proven to be a paper tiger after a number of variants saw combat action. Could be a good question for The Chieftain though.

Remember also that the Army needed justification for the M1 and later up gunning it to the 120mm Rheinmetal cannon, which was not a US developed weapon system.

[mmacguinness]

Certainly didn't do well in the wars in Iraq, but they were export models with poor quality Iraqi manufactured ammunition.

As for the current war in Ukraine, it's difficult to get a clear picture through all the propaganda and fog of war. It's too soon to make any conclusions.

I ran a few AB pure tank-on-tank simulations T-72s & T-80s v M60s
So far as AB is concerned, it appears to conform to US 1980 estimates.

[83Reforger]

You also have to take into account that the early models of the M1 were ironing out the kinks. The M60A2 tank had a 152mm gun that never really worked well and my guess is that had some effect on crews locking horns with Soviet tanks.

The recon element of an armored team also was slow to upgrade. Bradley’s didn’t show up in the AO until the mid 80’s. The Sheridan and the M114 were what crews leaned on for forward recon and the M114 was notorious for having its share of engine problems.

Those issues, coupled with an early doctrine of fighting based on WWII methods of fighting, both tactically and through the command structure, I’m sure put some uneasiness on tank commanders.