The T62 And T72 Tanks: Soviet Innovations And Cold War Combat The T-62 and T-72 represented major leaps in Soviet armored doctrine during the Cold War. The T-62, entering production in 1961, was the world's first production tank featuring a smoothbore gun, reaching speeds of 31 mph. Its successor, the T-72, debuted in 1973 and became a global icon. Reaching 37 mph, it introduced a revolutionary autoloader that reduced the crew to three. Armed with a lethal 125mm cannon, the T-72’s rugged design