Changes

Military doctrine on tank design and employment remained stagnant following the end of WWII, though designs continued to improve through the early years of the Cold War. The reigning philosophy on tank warfare relied on two distinct types to fill separate roles on the battlefield. The first type was a slower, heavy tank equipped with a general purpose main gun and machine-guns for supporting infantry. These were called "Infantry Tanks" by the British and simply "Tanks" by the US. Prime examples would be the British "Matilda" or US M-4 "Sherman." The second type was fast, light armored tank that carried a powerful, armor-piercing main gun. These were referred to as "Cruiser Tanks" and "Tank Destroyers" by the British and US militaries respectively. The concept of two separate tank types eventually proved impractical for battlefield employment and became obsolete by the end of the 1950's as countries shifted towards the Main Battle Tank concept.  

Military doctrine on tank design and employment remained stagnant following the end of WWII, though designs continued to improve through the early years of the Cold War. The reigning philosophy on tank warfare relied on two distinct types to fill separate roles on the battlefield. The first type was a slower, heavy tank equipped with a general purpose main gun and machine-guns for supporting infantry. These were called "Infantry Tanks" by the British and simply "Tanks" by the US. Prime examples would be the British "Matilda" or US M-4 "Sherman." The second type was fast, light armored tank that carried a powerful, armor-piercing main gun. These were referred to as "Cruiser Tanks" and "Tank Destroyers" by the British and US militaries respectively. The concept of two separate tank types eventually proved impractical for battlefield employment and became obsolete by the end of the 1950's as countries shifted towards the Main Battle Tank concept.  

The first Main Battle Tanks (MBTs)were developed at the end of the 1950's and entered service around the world in the early 1960's. The basic idea being that a tank with adequate protection, firepower and mobility can fulfill the roles of both infantry support and tank combat at once. The first generation of MBTs were primarily upgrades of the existing infantry support tanks with bigger guns and modernized targeting systems. The US Army's M60 Patton was the first American MBT and served in the Army from 1960 to 1997. Many upgraded M60 tanks are still in service around the world under a diverse range of flags including Egypt, Turkey, Israel and Taiwan to name a few. Contemporary designs to the M60 included the British Chieftan and Soviet T-64 MBTs.  

The first Main Battle Tanks (MBTs)were developed at the end of the 1950's and entered service around the world in the early 1960's. The basic idea being that a tank with adequate protection, firepower and mobility can fulfill the roles of both infantry support and tank combat at once. The first generation of MBTs were primarily upgrades of the existing infantry support tanks with bigger guns and modernized targeting systems. The US Army's M60 Patton was the first American MBT and served in the Army from 1960 to 1997. Many upgraded M60 tanks are still in service around the world under a diverse range of flags including Egypt, Turkey, Israel and Taiwan to name a few. Contemporary designs to the M60 included the British Chieftain and Soviet T-62 MBTs.