MBT-70: The Powerhouse NATO Tank That Never Fired a Shot

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Key Points and Summary: The MBT-70 tank was an ambitious joint project between the United States and West Germany during the Cold War, designed to counter Soviet armored threats.

-It featured cutting-edge technologies like hydropneumatic suspension, advanced armor, and a 152mm gun capable of firing Shillelagh missiles.

-However, the program was plagued by disagreements over design, language barriers, and skyrocketing costs, ultimately making the MBT-70 too heavy and expensive to be viable.

-The project was canceled in 1971, paving the way for the development of the successful M1 Abrams and the German Leopard 2 tanks.

The Failed MBT-70 Tank, A Great Idea, But Never Worked

The MBT-70 tank program was a great idea born out of the Cold War. In the 1960s, tensions were rising between East and West, and there was a very real possibility that the Soviet Union, with its masses of armor, would attempt to blast its way through the Fulda Gap. 

After WWII, the US gradually withdrew combat troops from West Germany to the United States. However, the Russians in East Germany stayed and had masses of motorized infantry and armored divisions with improving tank designs. As the US gradually began to place more troops on West German soil to bolster NATO’s defense of Western Europe, the numerical superiority was a real threat. 

American troops had the M-60 main battle tank and the Leopard 1 manned West German armor. Both tanks had their vulnerabilities. So, the US and West Germany decided to build a tank together in 1963; since they’d be fighting against the Soviets, the idea made perfect sense. 

Issues Right From the Start

The joint project was called the “KPz-70 by the Germans and MBT-70 by the Americans. The idea was to take two excellent tank-building countries, the US and Germany, and build a super tank that would rule the battlefield if the Soviets ever decided to cross the Fulda Gap.

Immediately, troubles began between the two countries. One was a language barrier that hindered open communication of ideas. As a result, rather than working together, a rivalry started between the two camps. Disagreements ensued over engine power plants, main gun calibers, and whether to use metric or “SAE.”

Each side built its version of the tank, prolonging testing and causing costs to soar. 

Agreements on Armor Protection and Suspension

The designers did agree on a couple of salient points. The armor would consist of two spaced layers. The outer layer would be cold-rolled steel and the inner layer of softer steel. The inner protective shell would be “steel-layered tungsten alloy … with uniformed rolled steel armor.” This would protect the tank crews from the current Soviet anti-tank ammunition and anti-tank missiles. 

The MBT-70’s suspension was far ahead of its time. It featured a hydropneumatic suspension that enabled the vehicle to lower its silhouette, making it difficult to target. The suspension could also be raised for better cross-country movement and on roads. This capability allowed the tank’s main gun a higher elevation range for targets in built-up areas or cities.

Both agreed to power the tank with a rear-mounted diesel engine. The Americans opted for Continental AVCR 12 Cylinder Air-Cooled Diesel, which produced 1,475 horsepower, while the Germans wanted the MTU Diesel, which produced 1,500 horsepower. With either engine, the MBT-70 could race along roads at 43mph, making it the fastest tank in the world at the time.

Main Gun Differences

The Americans chose a far larger and more intriguing main gun. The 152-mm auto-loading main gun had the range to engage enemy targets outside the range of Soviet anti-tank missiles. The 152-mm gun could also launch its Shillelagh anti-armor missiles. A 20-mm anti-aircraft cannon could protect against airplanes and helicopters.

However, the 152mm main gun had several deficiencies. The Shillelagh missile never worked well with the fire control system. And the ammunition was problematic, as we saw with the smaller 152mm in the Sheridan light tank. 

MBT-70 Tank,

The round was attached to the propellant charge, which was combustible. Many times, shells did not wholly burn through, leaving still-burning elements in the barrel—a dangerous result that slowed follow-on firing. Heat and moisture adversely affected the rounds. 

The Germans opted for the 120mm Rheinmetall. This caliber was the better choice. Plus, the 20mm gun was too technical and never performed well enough as the designers thought. 

Too Big, Too Expensive

Ultimately, the tank weighed 54 tons, far more than the 46 tons envisioned for the MBT-70. The weight was an issue for bridges, especially in Germany, where the domestic rail transportation infrastructure was not equipped to carry tanks of this size.

The expense became out of control. The cost rose to almost one million dollars per tank, five times the original estimated cost. By 1969, the Germans had pulled out of the program in favor of developing the very successful Leopard 2. Congress also had enough and canceled the MBT-70 program at the end of 1971. The following month, the Army used the funds to begin the development of the XM-1 tank, which became the Abrams tank.  

MBT-70. Artist Rendering. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

About the Author: 

Steve Balestrieri is a 19FortyFive National Security Columnist. He served as a US Army Special Forces NCO and Warrant Officer. In addition to writing for 19FortyFive, he covers the NFL for PatsFans.com and is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA). His work was regularly featured in other military publications.