M1 Abrams (US)

M1 Abrams

Weight 67.6 tons

Length 6.77 m (+Cannon)

Height 2.44 m

Wide 3.66 m

Crew 4

Armor
-M1: Hull & turret - 350 mm vs APFSDS, 700 mm vs HEAT

-M1A1: Hull & turret - 600 mm vs APFSDS, 700 mm vs HEAT

-M1A1HA: Hull - 600 mm vs APFSDS, 700 mm vs HEAT, Turret - 800 mm vs APFSDS, 1,300  mm vs HEAT

-M1A2: Hull (turret) - 600 (780 mm) mm vs APFSDS, 800 mm (1,060 mm) vs HEAT

Weapon Cannon 105 mm L52 M68 rifled[1](120 mm M1A1,M1A2) Machine gun .50[1]

Speed 40-56 km/h

The M1 Abrams is a third-generation main battle tank produced in the United States. It is named after General Creighton Abrams, former Army Chief of Staff and Commander of US military forces in Vietnam from 1968 to 1972. Highly mobile, designed for modern armored ground warfare the M1 is well armed and heavily armored. Notable features include the use of a powerful gas turbine engine (multifuel capable, usually fueled with JP8 jet fuel), the adoption of sophisticated composite armor, and separate ammunition storage in a blow-out compartment for crew safety. Weighing nearly 68 short tons (almost 62 metric tons), it is one of the heaviest main battle tanks in service.

The M1 Abrams entered U.S. service in 1980, replacing the M60 tank. It served for over a decade alongside the improved M60A3, which had entered service in 1978. The M1 remains the principal main battle tank of the United States Army and Marine Corps, and the armies of Egypt, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Australia, and Iraq.

Three main versions of the M1 Abrams have been deployed, the M1, M1A1, and M1A2, incorporating improved armament, protection and electronics. These improvements, as well as periodic upgrades to older tanks, have allowed this long-serving vehicle to remain in front-line service. The M1A3 is currently under development.

The M1 Abrams was developed during the Cold War as a successor to the canceled MBT-70. The M1 Abrams contract went to Chrysler Defense and was the first vehicle to adopt Chobham armor. Adaptations before the Gulf War (Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm) gave the vehicle better firepower and NBC protection. Being vastly superior to Iraqi tanks, very few M1 tanks were hit by enemy fire. Upgrades after the war improved the tank's weapons sights and fire control unit. The invasion of Iraq in 2003 destroyed Iraq's military. The subsequent insurgency exposed the tanks' vulnerability to rocket-propelled grenades and mines. These problems were partially rectified with the TUSK kit. The Marine Corps sent a company of M1 Abrams to Afghanistan in late 2010.