Data Quality88%
MASS(Military Archive Scoring System)
ⓘ Regardless of era, the same scoring system applies to all units in the tanks category.
01 / Overview
T-55AM Merida
Category
Country
Prime contractor
Production
1946–1981
Unit Price (current)
$2.4M↗ 1084% inflation · 1956→2025
Original Price
$200.0K (1956)
Operators
💰 PERFORMANCE / PRICE ASSESSMENT Methodology ↗
TANKS · EARLY COLD WAR
29
PERFORMANCE/PRICE
75
UNIT COST (2025 USD)
$2.4M
Original: $200.0K (1956)
Inflation: +%1084
ⓘ 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 Weight38 t
- Crew Size4
- Service Entry Year1948
◈Firepower10MOD.10
- Main Gun Calibre100 mm
- Main Gun TypeRifled
- Main Gun Length (Calibres)46
- Muzzle Velocity (Max)990 m/s
- Effective Range (Main Gun)2,000 m
- Ammunition Stowage43
- Can Fire APFSDSYes
- Can Fire HEATYes
- Can Fire HE-FragYes
- Coaxial / Secondary MG Count1
▣Protection8MOD.8
- Armour TypeCast Steel
- Hull Front Thickness (Max)120 mm
- Turret Front Thickness (Max)205 mm
- Frontal RHA Equivalent (KE)300 mm
- Frontal RHA Equivalent (CHEM)400 mm
- Has ERAYes
- NBC ProtectionYes
- Smoke GrenadesYes
◇Mobility9MOD.9
- Engine Power580 hp
- Power-to-Weight Ratio15.2 hp/t
- Fuel TypeDiesel
- Transmission TypeManual
- Suspension TypeTorsion Bar
- Max Road Speed51 km/h
- Max Off-Road Speed25 km/h
- Operational Range (Road)325 km
- Fording Depth1.5 m
◆Dimensions5MOD.5
- Length (Hull)6.45 m
- Length (Overall, Gun Forward)9 m
- Width3.37 m
- Height2.4 m
- Ground Clearance0.425 m
▤Electronics & Optics3MOD.3
- FCS GenerationComputerised Basic
- Laser RangefinderYes
- Night VisionYes
⬢Production & Service2MOD.2
- Years in Production35 year
- Current Service StatusActive Service
03 / History
SERVICE LIFESPANStill in Service
- 1946Production started
- 1981Production ended
80
years in service
35
years in production
4
countries operating
ⓘ 3 countries retired it.
04 / Operators
05 / MASS Score
TANKS RANKING Tanks · Early Cold War
MASS RANKINGSMASS ↗
235TANKS29EARLY COLD WAR · TANKS130POLAND · ALL WEAPONS50PRICE · TANKS582PRICE · ALL WEAPONS67PERFORMANCE/PRICE · TANKS
ⓘ Rankings are within theTankscategory.
📖 TERMS ON THIS PAGE15terms
Armour-piercing fin-stabilized discarding sabot: a type of kinetic energy penetrator ammunition.
Steel alloy cast into shape for armour applications.
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.
Type of internal combustion engine fuel, refined from crude oil.
Explosive Reactive Armor (ERA): Modular armor system that detonates upon impact to disrupt incoming warheads, reducing penetration of shaped charges and kinetic energy projectiles.
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.
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.
Manual: a tank transmission in which the driver selects gear changes manually, typically using a clutch pedal and gear lever to engage gears.
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