page_title: Tanks of the post–Cold War era
section_title: Overview
hierarchical_section_title: Tanks of the post–Cold War era / Overview
caption_attribution_description: Deutsch: Soldaten der 1st Armored Division fahren während der Übung Ready Crucible mit ihrem M1A1 Abrams durch den Taunus nördlich von Frankfurt.English: Soldiers from the 1st Armored Division drive their M1A1 Abrams tank through the Taunus Mountains north of Frankfurt, Germany, during Exercise Ready Crucible.
context_page_description: The post–Cold War era is the period in world history from the collapse of the Soviet Union on December 25, 1991 to the present. During the Cold War, the Soviet domination of the Warsaw Pact led to effective standardization on a few tank designs. In comparison, France, Germany, the United States, and the United Kingdom had previously developed their own tank designs, but now tried to standardize their designs, while the smaller nations of NATO purchased or adapted these designs.
  The fall of the eastern bloc brought changes as the United States Military cut much of its expenditure, though the level rose again to comparable heights after the War on Terror started in 2001.
  After the Cold War, tank development continued into a third-generation main battle tanks and because of the effectiveness of antitank weapons, the technology advanced dramatically as well. Tanks became more survivable and their armour became thicker and much more effective.
context_section_description: The main battle tank became the standard as a necessity, as it was realized that smaller medium tanks could carry guns (such as the US 90 mm, Soviet 100 mm, and especially the British L7 105 mm) that could penetrate any practical level of armor at long range. An increasing variety of anti-tank weapons and the perceived threat of a nuclear war prioritized the need for additional armor. The additional armor prompted the design of even more powerful cannons.   Typical main battle tanks were as well armed as any other vehicle on the battlefield, highly mobile, and well armored.
caption: A M1A1 Abrams in the Taunus Mountains north of Frankfurt during Exercise Ready Crucible in February 2005.
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