A Prolific Design The T-55 was born in an era of increasing West-East Cold War tension, as an upgrade to the existing T-54. This low-profile design with hemispherical turret was extremely well suited to mass production, and even featured rudimentary protection from chemical weapons. It was also produced under license in Czechoslovakia and Poland, and when added with the T-54 its production run is said to have run to the astonishing number of 100,000 units. Warsaw Pact countries and Arab client states were among those who operated the T-55, meaning it saw significant action in the Middle East and even the Gulf War. |