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T-54/55
Photo: John Harwood · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0
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T-54/55

Tanks · Russia · 1946
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T-54/55

T-54/55
T-54/55 Photo: John Harwood · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0
* Absolute score — assessed within category · no era adjustment
Firepower
45
Protection
40
Mobility
55
Technology
30
Reliability
70
Crew Survivability
45
Operational Range
55
Logistics
70
Historical Performance
65
Strategic Impact
80
Origin Russia
ManufacturerMalyshev Factory
CategoryTanks
EraEarly Cold War
In service1946–1985
Operators73 countries
Quantity96,500
Data Quality88%
MASS(Military Archive Scoring System)
51
Tanks MASS Rating
20/54
Early Cold War
172/563
All-Time
Tanks · 10 axes scored
Firepower
45
Protection
40
Mobility
55
Technology
30
Reliability
70
Crew Survivability
45
Operational Range
55
Logistics
70
Historical Performance
65
Strategic Impact
80
ⓘ Regardless of era, the same scoring system applies to all units in the tanks category.
01 / Overview
T-54/55
Category
Country
Prime contractor
Production
1946–1985
Quantity
96,500
Unit Price (current)
$2.4M↗ 1084% inflation · 1956→2025
Original Price
$200.0K (1956)
Operators
Conflicts
💰 PERFORMANCE / PRICE ASSESSMENT Methodology ↗
TANKS · EARLY COLD WAR
20
PERFORMANCE/PRICE
85
UNIT COST (2025 USD)
$2.4M
Original: $200.0K (1956)
Inflation: +%1084
51
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)
  • GenerationEarly Cold War
  • Combat Weight36 t
  • Crew Size4
  • Service Entry Year1948
◈Firepower10MOD.10
▣Protection7MOD.7
◇Mobility7MOD.7
  • Engine Power500 hp
  • Power-to-Weight Ratio14.6 hp/t
  • Fuel TypeDiesel
  • Transmission TypeManual
  • Suspension TypeTorsion Bar
  • Max Road Speed51 km/h
  • Operational Range (Road)325 km
◆Dimensions5MOD.5
  • Length (Hull)6.04 m
  • Length (Overall, Gun Forward)9 m
  • Width3.37 m
  • Height2.4 m
  • Ground Clearance0.425 m
▲Production & Service3MOD.3
  • Total Production Units96,500
  • Years in Production39 year
  • Current Service StatusActive Service
03 / History
SERVICE LIFESPANStill in Service
  1. 1899First deployment: Six-Day War
  2. 1946Production started
  3. 1947Entered service
  4. 1985Production ended
80
years in service
39
years in production
96,500
units produced
55
countries operating
ⓘ The producing country still actively operates it. 18 countries retired it.
04 / Conflicts
05 / Operators
T-54/55SALES1records
YearBuyerQuantityAmountPresent Value (2025)
—Egypt———
ⓘ "Present Value" is an estimated amount adjusted for inflation.
📖 TERMS ON THIS PAGE12terms
Steel alloy cast into shape for armour applications.
Type of internal combustion engine fuel, refined from crude oil.
High-Explosive Fragmentation: ammunition that explodes on impact, releasing fragments.
High-Explosive Anti-Tank: a type of projectile that uses a shaped charge to penetrate armor.
A main battle tank is a heavily armored vehicle with a large caliber gun, used for front-line combat.
Manual: a tank transmission in which the driver selects gear changes manually, typically using a clutch pedal and gear lever to engage gears.
A fire control system relying on optical sights and manual input for aiming and range estimation without computer assistance.
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.
Handheld or vehicle-mounted devices that release dense smoke to obscure vision, conceal movements, or screen friendly forces from enemy observation.
A torsion bar is a steel rod that resists twisting and serves as a spring in tank suspensions, with one end fixed to the hull and the other connected to a lever arm moving the road wheel.
These terms are listed automatically because they appear on this page.full encyclopedia →
📚 Sources
📖 ENCYCLOPEDIA Browse the Tanks entry →