10mm Modern: Russian T-54 Main Battle Tank

Perfect for gaming a wide range of conflicts from about 1950 and beyond. These models can be used in conflicts including Korea, Vietnam, Indo-Pakistan, Arab-Israel and more. Pendraken is constantly adding more to this range, so keep an eye out for new releases.

The T-54/55 eventually became the main tank for armoured units of the Soviet Army, armies of the Warsaw Pact countries, and many others. T-54s and T-55s have been involved in many of the world's armed conflicts since the later part of the 20th century.

Soviet Union and Russia

At the initial stage of the war in Afghanistan in 1979-1980, about 800 Soviet tanks were used, consisting of 39 battalions, mainly armed with T-54s and T-55s. In 1979, only one T-55 tank was lost. Since the beginning of 1980, they began to be replaced by modern T-62 and T-64 tanks.

All remaining T-62 and the T-55 tanks remaining in service were auctioned off in 2012, with all Russian active-duty military units mainly operating the T-72, the T-80 and the T-90 from that point forward.

Middle East

During the 1967 Six-Day War, U.S. supplied M48 Patton tanks, Centurion tanks, and even upgraded World War II-era Sherman tanks faced T-55s. This mix of Israeli tanks, combined with superior planning of operations and superior airpower, proved to be more than capable of dealing with the T-54/T-55 series.

During the 1970 Jordanian Civil War, Syrian tanks inflicted heavy losses on Jordanian Centurions. In one case, a squadron of T-55s stopped the advance of a large Jordanian column, with 19 Centurions destroyed and up to 10 Syrian T-55s lost in the battle. According to Israeli intelligence, Jordan lost 75 to 90 tanks out of 200 involved, most to Syrian T-55 engagements.

By the 1973 Yom Kippur War, the T-54A and T-55's gun was starting to lose its competitive effectiveness relative to the 105 mm Royal Ordnance L7 gun mounted in Israeli Centurion Mk V and M60A1 tanks. However, these upfitted Israeli tanks were discovered to be extremely vulnerable to the new Soviet HEAT 3БК5 ammunition fired by the T-55s.

Israel captured a few T-55s from Syria and many from Egypt in 1967, pressing some of them into service with the IDF. These tanks were upgraded with a 105 mm NATO-standard L7 or M68, a US version of the L7, gun replacing the old Soviet 100 mm D-10, and a General Motors diesel to replace the original Soviet diesel engine. The Israelis designated these Tiran-5 medium tanks, and they were used by reserve units until the early 1990s. Most of these were then sold to assorted Third World countries, some in Latin America, with the rest being heavily modified, and converted into the Achzarit heavy armored personnel carriers.

In the Lebanese Civil War, on 10 June 1982, eight Israeli M48A3s, two M60A1s and at least three M113 APCs were lost in an ambush to Syrian T-55 tanks and BMP-1 APCs during the Battle of Sultan Yacoub.

This tank was heavily used during the Iran–Iraq War of 1980–88. The T-54/55 participated in the biggest tank battle of the war in early 1981. Iran lost 214 Chieftain and M60A1 tanks in the battle with Iraq losing only 45 of their T-55 and T-62 tanks.

Many Iraqi T-55s saw action during Operation Desert Storm in Iraq and Kuwait in January/February 1991, and during the 2003 US/UK invasion of Iraq with poor results.