Centurion
In service 1946 - 1990s (foreign service)
The first true main battle tank: it ended the split between cruiser and infantry tanks and stayed relevant for fifty years.
Built byRoyal Ordnance Factories, Vickers, Leyland
Development history
Arriving days too late for the Second World War, the Centurion combined heavy-tank protection with cruiser mobility and, crucially, room to grow. The fitting of the L7 105 mm gun made it the benchmark tank of the 1960s and the gun itself became a NATO standard. Israeli Sho't Centurions fought on the Golan Heights, and Australian Centurions served in Vietnam.
Variants
One canonical record, 6 recorded variants.
Mk 1-2
194617-pdr gun; Mk 2 adds a fully cast turret and thicker glacis.
Mk 3
194820-pdr gun with a stabiliser; fought in Korea.
Mk 5/1 - Mk 7
1955Extra frontal armour, more fuel, improved commander cupola.
Mk 10-13
1959L7 105 mm gun, ranging machine gun, infrared night fighting equipment.
Sho't Kal
1970Israeli rebuild with a diesel engine and new fire control; fought on the Golan.
Centurion AVRE / ARV
1963Engineer and recovery conversions used into the 1991 Gulf War.
Related vehicles
Separate records that derive from this vehicle, grouped by how they relate to it.
Notable actions
- Korean War (1951-53)
- Suez Crisis (1956)
- Six-Day War (1967)
- Vietnam War (1968-71)
- Yom Kippur War (1973)