1 GV Russian T-55 tank on manoeuvres.

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GVs Tank moving through water ditch (2 shots)
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Background: Ten Soviet T-55 tanks which were confiscated by the South African armaments manufacturer, Armscor, last April, are being put through their paces at a number of bases throughout South Africa. The tanks and 150 tons of ammunition were seized from a ship making a refuelling stop at Durban. The South African authorities claim the cargo was being sent from Libya to support Uganda's leader Idi Amin, but by the time the ship had reached Kenya, Amin had been overthrown. The ship then went on to Durban where the cargo was seized. The Libyans are seeking compensation for the loss but no agreement has as yet been reached with South Africa.

SYNOPSIS: This model of the T-55 has been in service since 1961. It is designed for a crew of four and weighs about thirty-six thousand kilograms (79,362 pounds). The tank's main armament is a hundred-millimetre (four inch) canon with ancillary fire power from two machine guns and an anti-aircraft weapon.

The South Africans have not revealed what they have learnt about the tanks so far, and they are still in the process of far, and they are still in the process of evaluating their strength. The T-5 was used by Egypt against Israel in the 1973 war and is an earlier version of the T-72, the latest model produced by the Soviet Union.