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Chieftain
Photo: Peter Trimming from Croydon, England · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0
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Chieftain

Tanks · United Kingdom · 1966
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Chieftain

Chieftain
Chieftain Photo: Peter Trimming from Croydon, England · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0
* Absolute score — assessed within category · no era adjustment
Firepower
88
Protection
85
Mobility
70
Technology
78
Reliability
75
Crew Survivability
82
Operational Range
72
Logistics
65
Historical Performance
87
Strategic Impact
80
Origin United Kingdom
CategoryTanks
EraCold War
In service1966–1995
Operators7 countries
Quantity1,896
Data Quality87%
MASS(Military Archive Scoring System)
80
Tanks MASS Rating
4/89
Cold War
12/563
All-Time
Tanks · 10 axes scored
Firepower
88
Protection
85
Mobility
70
Technology
78
Reliability
75
Crew Survivability
82
Operational Range
72
Logistics
65
Historical Performance
87
Strategic Impact
80
ⓘ Regardless of era, the same scoring system applies to all units in the tanks category.
01 / Overview
Chieftain
Category
Production
1966–1995
Quantity
1,896
Unit Price (current)
$1.1M↗ 864% inflation · 1967→2025
Original Price
$110.0K (1967)
Operators
💰 PERFORMANCE / PRICE ASSESSMENT Methodology ↗
TANKS · COLD WAR
4
PERFORMANCE/PRICE
82
UNIT COST (2025 USD)
$1.1M
Original: $110.0K (1967)
Inflation: +%864
80
tanks category
ⓘ Performance/Price and MASS score are computed across all units in the tanks category, regardless of era.
02 / Specs & Design
◎General5MOD.5
  • Tank ClassificationMain Battle Tank (MBT)
  • GenerationCold War
  • Combat Weight55.88 t
  • Crew Size4
  • Service Entry Year1960
◈Firepower7MOD.7
▣Protection7MOD.7
◇Mobility7MOD.7
  • Engine Power750 hp
  • Power-to-Weight Ratio11.1 hp/t
  • Fuel TypeMultifuel
  • Transmission TypeSemi-Automatic
  • Suspension TypeCoil Spring
  • Max Road Speed43 km/h
  • Operational Range (Road)500 km
◆Dimensions4MOD.4
  • Length (Hull)7.5 m
  • Width3.66 m
  • Height2.9 m
  • Ground Clearance0.56 m
▲Production & Service3MOD.3
  • Years in Production30 year
  • Current Service StatusActive Service
  • Notable Variants Count11
03 / History
SERVICE LIFESPANStill in Service
  1. 1965Entered service
  2. 1966Production started
  3. 1971Sale: Iran (707 units)
  4. 1974Sale: Kuwait (175 units)
  5. 1976Sale: Iran (125 units)
  6. 1980First deployment: Iran–Iraq War
  7. 1981Last sale: Oman (27 units)
  8. 1995Production ended
60
years in service
29
years in production
1,896
units produced
6
countries operating
ⓘ The producing country still actively operates it. 1 countries retired it.
04 / Variants
▚ WEAPON FAMILY
Chieftain 1966
// DERIVATIVES
05 / Operators
Operator Inventory3country · 1,008units
1,008active
ChieftainSALES5records
YearBuyerQuantityAmountPresent Value (2025)
1981Oman27——
1978Jordan274——
1976Iran125——
1974Kuwait175——
1971Iran707——
ⓘ "Present Value" is an estimated amount adjusted for inflation.
📖 TERMS ON THIS PAGE14terms
Armour-piercing fin-stabilized discarding sabot: a type of kinetic energy penetrator ammunition.
Steel alloy cast into shape for armour applications.
Coil spring: a helical metal spring used in vehicle suspension to absorb shocks and maintain wheel contact, compressing under load.
Computerised Basic: a fire control system generation in tanks that provides fundamental computer‑assisted ballistic calculations without advanced targeting aids such as laser rangefinders or thermal imaging.
High-Explosive Fragmentation: ammunition that explodes on impact, releasing fragments.
Optical device that uses laser pulses to measure the distance to a target with high precision.
A main battle tank is a heavily armored vehicle with a large caliber gun, used for front-line combat.
Multifuel: a fuel type designation for tanks whose engines can operate on several fuel varieties (e.g., gasoline, diesel, jet fuel) without modification.
Nuclear, Biological, Chemical protection for tank crews.
Enhanced low-light visibility through specialized optics or sensors.
A rifled gun has spiral grooves cut into its barrel.
A semi‑automatic transmission in a tank automatically shifts gears using hydraulic or mechanical mechanisms while the driver selects gear positions, reducing manual clutch operation.
Handheld or vehicle-mounted devices that release dense smoke to obscure vision, conceal movements, or screen friendly forces from enemy observation.
Thermal sights are infrared imaging devices mounted on a tank's gunner station that detect heat emitted by objects, enabling target identification and aiming in low‑visibility conditions.
These terms are listed automatically because they appear on this page.full encyclopedia →
📚 Sources
📖 ENCYCLOPEDIA Browse the Tanks entry →