Cold War tank formations


During the Cold War, NATO and the Warsaw Pact both had large tank formations present in Europe.
The following gives the number of armoured formations and tank strength as of 1981/1982 for Warsaw Pact and NATO member countries. These include formations and vehicles deployed outside Europe, such as North America or the Asiatic USSR.

NATO

Grand Total: 35,000+ Tanks

[West Germany]

;German Army Formations
  • 6 Tank Divisions
  • 4 Armored Infantry Divisions
  • 1 Mountain Division
  • 6 Home Defense Tank Brigades
  • 6 Home Defense Armored Infantry Brigades
MBTsIn reserveOn orderOther
1,200 M48 A2C/A2GA2
2,437 Leopard 1 A2/A3/A4
500 Leopard 2
770 Kanonenjagdpanzer
350 Raketenjagdpanzer		–––

Total: 4000+ tanks

United States

;Formations as of 1981/1983
;Number of tanks:
Total: 19,225+ tanks
CENTAG mainly consisted of the US 5th and 7th corps and more mech divisions. The US army had a fair amount of tanks, making up for the shortcomings of NATO tank numbers.

[France]

In 1984 :
;Formations
  • 6 Tank divisions
  • 2 Light Armoured Divisions – the 12th, 14th
MBTsIn reserveOn orderOther
1,114AMX 30–145 AMX 30340 AMX 13 light tanks

Total: 1,454 tanks

[United Kingdom]

;Formations
TanksOn orderOther
900 FV4201 Chieftain MBT
420 FV4030/4 Challenger MBT271 tracked armoured reconnaissance vehicles


Total: 1,171 tanks
Before the 1980s, equipment included the Conqueror tank and FV4101 Charioteer. Initially containing three armoured divisions, BAOR was reformed by 1960 into three mixed divisions and additional brigade groups. Then in the 1970s, as four smaller armoured divisions before reorganization as 3 armoured divisions in 1981–83.

[Turkey]

As of 1981/83:
;Formations
MBTIn reserveOn orderOther
3,000 M48 Patton
500 M47 Patton		–70 Leopard 1A3 MBT–

Total: 3,500 Tanks

[Italy]

As of 1981/82:
;Formations
  • 5 Armored Brigades )
  • 9 Mechanized Brigades
  • 4 Motorized Brigades
  • 2 Armored Carabinieri battalions
  • 2 Armored independent battalions
  • 4 Recce independent battalions
  • Armored Troops School with the 31st Tank battalion
  • Armored Training Camp with the 1st Armored Regiment
;Number of tanks:
Total: 1,750 tanks

[Netherlands]

As of 1981/82:
;Formations
  • 1 armoured division
  • 2 mechanised divisions
;Number of Tanks:
Total: 942 tanks

[Denmark]

As of 1983:
;Formations
  • 1 Mechanised Division The Jutland division/Jyske division.
  • 1 Light Battlegroup/Jyske kampgruppe. 3 Motorized battalions with 8 Centurion tanks with 105 mm guns and a battalion of 24 105mm light howitzers.
  • 2 Independent Mechanised Brigades
  • 4 Light Battlegroups Each battlegroup with 8–10 Centurion with 84 mm gun and a field artillery battalion. Plus motorized infantry battalions.
  • 1 Battlegroup Motorized infantry and a battalion of 24 light artillery pieces.
  • 1 Battlegroup/Kampgruppe Funen/ 2 motorized infantry battalions. Light artillery battalion of 24 howitzers 105mm.
;Number of Tanks:
JutlandThe Jutland Division/Jyske division.
  • 120 MBT Leopard 1A3
  • 18 light tank M41 Walker Bulldog
  • 50 Centurion tank Mk.V with 84 mm gun in the tank destroyer battalion of the division. 10 Centurion with 105 mm gun with the motorized infantry battalion of the Jutland division. 6 × Anti-tank Squadrons in reserve in four regions and one Light-Battlegroupe with 10 centurion with 105 mm gun. In each 3 regions of Jutland there was an infantry battalion. 1 of 3 also with a battalion of light howitzers. Jyske Kampgruppe/Jutland battlegroup with its tanks and artillery was to assist each region if overwhelmed and the strongest force in Jutland. The Jutland division was in Sleswig/Holstein.
Zealand
Bornholm
  • 16 light tank M41 Walker Bulldog
  • Possibly a number om M10 tank destroyers, when taking absolutely all reserves into account. I have not listed a number
Total: 350 tanks,

[Belgium]

As of 1981/82:
;Formations
  • 1 Armoured Brigade
  • 3 Mechanised Brigades
  • 1 Reserve Mechanised Brigade
;Number of tanks:
Total: 602 tanks and tank destroyer

[Canada]

As of 1981/82:
;Formations
The Leopards and Cougars came into service in the late 1970s and replaced 274 Centurion Tanks used by Royal Canadian Armoured Corps units.
Total: 114 MBT

[Norway]

As of 1981/82:
;Formations
  • Independent Armoured Squadrons
;Number of tanks:
Total: 186 tanks

[Portugal]

As of 1981/82:
;Formations
  • 1 Tank Regiment
  • 2 Cavalry Regiments
;Number of tanks:
Total: ~80 tanks

[Greece]

As of 1981/82:
;Formations
MBTIn reserveOn orderOther
230 AMX 30
810 M48 Patton
350 M47 Patton
190 M24 Chaffee
80 M41		––

Total: 1,660 tanks

[Spain]

Members of NATO from 30 May 1982:
;Formations
  • 1 Armoured Division
  • 1 Mechanised Division
  • 3 Armoured Cavalry Brigades
  • 1 Light Cavalry Regiment
;Number of tanks:
Total: 880 tank, an other 32 M48 in the Marines

Warsaw Pact

Grand Total: 59,100+ Tanks

[USSR]

;Formations
As of 1981/82 the Soviet Ground Forces had:
  • 36 Tank Divisions, including six Tank Armies with four tank divisions each.
  • 85 Mechanised Infantry Divisions
  • 6 Airborne Divisions
  • 2 Naval Infantry Divisions
  • 3 Naval Infantry Brigades
;Tank strength
Total: 40000 tanks

[East Germany]

As of 1981/82:
;Formations
  • 2 Tank Division
  • 4 Mechanised Infantry Divisions
;Number of tanks:
Total: 1,620+ tanks

[Poland]

As of 1981/82:
;Formations
  • 5 Tank Divisions
  • 8 Mechanised Infantry Divisions
  • 1 Amphibious Assault Division
;Number of Tanks:
Total: 4,010 tanks

[Czechoslovakia]

As of 1980
;Formations
  • 7 Tank Divisions
  • 8 Motor-Rifle Divisions
;Number of Tanks as of year 1980:
Total in 1980: 4,223 tanks

[Bulgaria]

As of 1981/82
;Formations of the Bulgarian People's Army
;Number of Tanks:
Total: 2,400 tanks

[Hungary]

As of 1981/82
;Formations
  • 1 Tank Division
  • 5 Motor Rifle Divisions
;Number of Tanks:
Total: 1,100 tanks

[Romania]

As of 1981/82
;Formations
  • 2 Tank Divisions
  • 8 Mechanised Infantry Divisions
;Number of Tanks:
Total: 1,845 tanks

Other

[Sweden]

As of ca 1980
;Formations
  • 4 Armoured Brigades, type PB 63
  • 1 Armoured Brigade, type Gotland
  • 1 Mechanized Brigade, type MekB 10
  • 2 Independent Armoured Battalions, I 19/P 5
;Number of tanks
The Swedish army was in the process of forming a mechanized brigade, type MekB 10, which became active in 1983/84. This brigade was only equipped with 48 MBT's compared to the 72 MBT's of the regular armoured brigades, but instead received 24 Infanterikanonvagn 91 infantry support vehicles.
Total: 456 tanks