Several new and improved tanks were introduced to the battlefield during the Second World War, and while the conflict was nearing its end, the British Army was testing a vehicle that would go on to inspire the modern Main Battle Tank (MBT): the Centurion. 2025 marks the tank’s 80th anniversary, and the Tank Museum in Bovington, United Kingdom, is celebrating the milestone.
The origins of the Centurion date back to 1940-42, when the British Army was fighting in North Africa. As the Tank Museum explains, the combat taking place required “a balance of firepower, armour and speed.”
By the time the tank was introduced in the spring of 1945, the Second World War was over in Europe, meaning it didn’t make its combat debut until the Korean War in 1950. Operated by the United Nations (UN) forces, it wound up having 13 iterations, or “marks,” and several specialist variants. Impressively, some of these continued to see service into the early 2000s – the true sign of a well-made armored vehicle.
Speaking about the Centurion’s impact, Chris Copson, the Tank Museum’s Content & Research Officer and one of the presenters of its famed YouTube channel, said, “The Centurion is a hugely significant tank of the Cold War era. Designed as a Heavy Cruiser, it became the first Universal Tank, a tank capable of taking on a wide variety of roles on the battlefield.
“Serving with the British Army in Korea and the Australians in Vietnam, it was one of the most widely used and influential tank designs for armies around the world,” he continued. “The Tank Museum is the perfect place to see the Centurion up close, with several vehicles on display, including a cut-in-half Mark III, which visitors can walk through, giving a unique view of the inside of a tank.”
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Happy anniversary to the Centurion tank!