The PT-76 is a Soviet amphibious light tank introduced in the early 1950s and produced by the Volgograd Tractor Factory and the Kirov Factory, with around 12,000 built between 1951 and 1969 and the type remaining in service with numerous countries into the present day. Weighing 14.6 tonnes and armed with a 76.2mm D-56T rifled gun and a coaxial machine gun, it is powered by a 240 horsepower diesel engine that also drives waterjets, giving a road speed of 44 kilometers per hour and a swimming speed of just over 10 kilometers per hour. Designed as the standard reconnaissance tank of the Soviet Army and the wider Warsaw Pact, the PT-76 was exported widely to India, Indonesia, Iraq, Syria, North Korea and North Vietnam among others, and its chassis formed the basis for other Soviet armored vehicles including the BTR-50 armored personnel carrier and the ZSU-23-4 self-propelled anti-aircraft gun.
Facts
Classification
Service Status Weapon Class Introduced Year Weapon Class
Weapon Class (category) Connections
In the Other Atlases
Sources
1. PT-76, Wikipedia
Lead paragraph
Soviet amphibious light tank
Service history
officially adopted on 6 August 1951
service-status
service = 1951-present
Used In: Angolan Civil War, Wikipedia article text
The People's Armed Forces of Liberation of Angola (FAPLA) deployed PT-76s during the Angolan Civil War, as did Cuba during its lengthy military intervention in that country.
Used In: Croatian War of Independence, Wikipedia article text
During the Yugoslav wars, the PT-76 served with the Yugoslav People's Army and later the army of the Krajina Serbs in a few battles during the Ten-Day War in Slovenia (1991) and Croatian War of Independence (1991-1995).
Used In: Yom Kippur War, Wikipedia article text
During the Yom Kippur War in 1973 PT-76s were used during the crossing of the Great Bitter Lake by the Egyptian 130th Marines Brigade.
Used In: Yugoslav Wars, Wikipedia article text
During the Yugoslav wars, the PT-76 served with the Yugoslav People's Army and later the army of the Krajina Serbs in a few battles during the Ten-Day War in Slovenia (1991) and Croatian War of Independence (1991-1995).
Operated By: United States Army, Wikipedia article text
5 in service in 1995 *, The US Army used a number of PT-76s in the OPFOR role for training *, 100 PT-76B ordered in 1962 from the Soviet Union and delivered 1963 ===Evaluation-only operators=== *, Bought and evaluated one example, but, declined acceptance ==See also== * M551 Sheridan, US light
Operated By: Indian Army, Wikipedia article text
PT-76s were in service with the Indian Army and they were in reserve status before they were withdrawn from service in 2009, after which they were used for target practice by the army and as static memorials at various military facilities.
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