It was also incredibly heavy at nearly 70 tonnes and often thought to be underpowered for the weight. It sported an 88 mm cannon and as much as seven inches of armour. This tank was a fearsome machine and represented Germany's engineering skills for creating incredible armoured vehicles and technological advancements during wartime. It was also known as the Königstiger (literally translated as Royal Tiger) and often feared by Allied forces. This is the Tiger II, perhaps the most infamous German tank of World War Two. This is said to be the first tank to feature such a layout and it is thought that the tank could continue to operate even if the main armour of the tank was penetrated but the crew cell remained intact. It has a number of innovative and unusual characteristics, including an unmanned turret and an armoured shell where all the crew sit together. The highlight of this tank is the crew protection. The main gun is also capable of firing all sorts of ammunition included guided missiles, high-explosive airburst rounds and more. It's said to have an effective penetrative range of just under five miles. It's a fast and powerful tank that packs some serious punch thanks to a 125mm main cannon supported by an autoloader that is capable of firing around 12 rounds per minute. The T-14 Armata is the newest generation of Russian main battle tank. The latest model of the Abrams has proven so effective that the US Army plans to keep running them until at least 2050.

The defences also include a halon firefighting system that can protect the tank crew by automatically extinguishing fires within the cabin. Its defensive systems include various Active Protection Systems designed to disrupt both wire and radio guided anti-tank missiles and homing missiles launched at it. The M1A2 Abrams boasts several innovative design features including a powerful 1500 hp engine, excellent composite armour system and a computer-based fire control system. It is perhaps one of the most well-known tanks in the world and played a big part in various modern battlefields including the Iraq war and the war in Afghanistan. The M1 Abrams is the US Army's main battle tank.

Modern battle with tanks