Bulgarian OBB

[Smersh]

The Bulgarian OBB (obat 87) still has T-62s (units 11-13), they were removed from the E. German OBB, and as far as I know Bulgaria did not recieve any either. Lewis's Warsaw Pact confirms this

Another interesting thing is that in the Bulgarian OBB the tank is called T-62A, in the Russian/Soviet OBB the same model ,with the 12.7mm AAMG, is called a T-62M.

[Mobhack]

see fas link

the t-62A designation (as used by NATO, presumably not the WP!! - seems to assign the A designator if it has the AAMG.

Similar to trying to decipher German WW2 designations of T-34s vis-a-vis the Soviet ones I suppose!

Any further discussion of t-62 designations should really be put into the dedicated thread or this one witll drift off-topic.

Andy

[Smersh]

there is a already a dedicated thread: http://www.shrapnelcommunity.com/thr...t=1#Post492228

I meant this thread to be about the Bulgarian OBB, my comment about the T-62 is as a side note, on the inconsistancies between WP OBBs on T-62 designations.

[Gooseman2448]

Most of Bulgaria’s post-cold war exports of large military equipment, such as tanks and armored combat vehicles, have involved surplus weapons no longer required by the Bulgarian army. Although it often has to destroy what it cannot sell, Bulgaria has chosen to export its surplus weapons whenever possible.72 Such sales have been prominentthroughout the decade: of five confirmed sales by Bulgaria of tanks or armored combat vehicles from 1990 to 1997, four have comprised items from surplus Bulgarian stocks.73 In 1993, for example, Bulgaria sold Angola twenty-four surplus T-62 tanks and twenty-nine surplus BMP-1 armored combat vehicles from its arsenal, and it also delivered twenty-one surplus BMP-1s originating in Belarus.74 The arms exports were officially acknowledged by the Bulgarian government, which reported them to the United Nations the following year.


http://www.hrw.org/reports/1999/bulg...ulga994-02.htm

"I meant this thread to be about the Bulgarian OBB, my comment about the T-62 is as a side note, on the inconsistancies between WP OBBs on T-62 designations. "

"The Bulgarian OBB (obat 87) still has T-62s (units 11-13), they were removed from the E. German OBB, and as far as I know Bulgaria did not recieve any either. Lewis's Warsaw Pact confirms this"

well, you are disputing designation of tanks and inconsistances, how about checking your facts...

[Smersh]

this is the first time that I've heard bulgaria had T-62s. Any more information?I did not think it was exported to WP nations.

edit: your right, as of 1990 Bulgaria had at least 200 T-62s. No information on when they where introduced. In Lewis's Warsaw Pact: Arms, doctrine, and strategy from 1982 for the Bulgaria entry he says they have no T-62s. Although a lack of information existed at that time.

from country studies and cia world factbook:

"In all, the ground forces had over 2,400 tanks, including more than 300 T-72, 1,300 T-55, and 600 older T-34 vehicles. " no mentioning of T-62s. adding the stated amount of tanks models has you 300 hundred short of 2,400 tanks.

It's possible Bulgaria was the only WP country to recieve T-62. But again there is a lack of introduction dates. The T-62s being sold in 1993-94 could have been recieved in 1989, as soviet aide.

[Gooseman2448]

My apologies Smersh, I too need to double check my facts, ;}

The article I found has got to be a typo. I found stories of Constript soldiers from using them during the Czech Rebulic revolt but nothing about Bulgaria actually having any. (T-55s and T-34s and T-72s)

http://hamish.blog-city.com/russian_rubbish.htm

[Gooseman2448]

Here is a good site for finding who has what and who makes what and then some.

http://www.army-guide.com/eng/index.php

[Smersh]

I've been looking into this more, all WP countries evaluted the T-62 at some point. and apparantly only Bulgaria accepted them. According to David Isby, Bulgaria as of the late 70s early 80s, had about 100 T-62s. Some sources I've looked at says in the early 90s, Bulgaria decommissioned between 300-400 T-62s. This either means Isby's estimate is to low or Bulgaria continued to recieve more T-62s in the 80s.

Bottom line is Bulgaria does indeed seem to have had T-62s, so my orginal post that this was an OBB error is incorrect, I based it on the assumption that the T-62 was not exported to WP nations: only T-55 and T-72 models. Bulgaria receives the T-62A (with the 12.7mm AAmg) in 1971 according to the Bulgarian OBB right now.

I know a small bulgarian force took part in the events in 1968. If the article you found is not a typo, it could mean that Bulgarians had the T-62 as early as 1968. But the Bulgarian military was generally less advanced then other WP countries, so it would be a big suprise for them to have such an advanced tank, for that time. The blogger must have meant a T-55, (its easy to confuse the two).