Tankopedia
Late Cold WarMBTMain Battle TankUnited Kingdom

Chieftain

In service 1966 - 1990s (UK), later abroad

The best-armed and best-protected NATO tank of its generation, let down for years by a troublesome engine.

Built byRoyal Ordnance Leeds, Vickers

Chieftain
Chieftain tank — Peter Trimming, via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0

Development history

Chieftain introduced the reclining driver position to reduce hull height and the 120 mm rifled gun firing separated charges, giving it the hardest punch in NATO. The Leyland L60 multi-fuel engine was chronically unreliable and underpowered, making the tank slow and maintenance-hungry. Iranian Chieftains saw heavy fighting against Iraq, and the type led directly to Challenger 1 and Chobham composite armour.

Variants

One canonical record, 4 recorded variants.

  1. Mk 2

    1966

    First full-service mark with the uprated L60 engine.

  2. Mk 5

    1972

    750 hp engine, improved NBC and stowage; main British variant.

  3. Mk 10/11 (Stillbrew)

    1984

    Stillbrew appliqué armour on the turret front and ring, thermal sights.

  4. Khalid

    1981

    Jordanian export with Challenger-style powerpack.

Notable actions

  • Cold War British Army of the Rhine (1966-90)
  • Iran-Iraq War (1980-88)
  • Gulf War (1991, Kuwaiti and Iranian-derived use)