M1 Abrams

M1 Abrams  main battle tank

The M1 Abrams is a US third-generation main battle tank that is both modern and technologically advanced, making it the most advanced battle tank in the world.

M1 Abrams Main Battle Tank, the most modern and technologically advanced battle tank in the world

The M1 Abrams is a third-generation American main battle tank

The M1 Abrams is an  American third-generation main battle tank and is the most modern and technologically advanced battle tank in the world.

  The M1 Abrams main battle tank was developed by Chrysler Defense. Production of the M1 started in 1980 and ceased in 1992.

This MBT was named in honor of General Abrams, commander of US forces during the Vietnam War. The M1 Abrams MBT replaced the M60 Patton in service with the US Army. Currently, the M1 Abrams main battle tank is no longer in operational service with the US military and a number of these tanks were upgraded to the M1A2 standard. The US Army has over 2,300 of these tanks in reserve storage. The M1 version was never exported. 

   The M1 Abrams features composite armor similar to the British Chobham, which features multiple layers of steel and ceramics. It was used over the front arc of the hull and turret. The special composite armor also covered the turret sides. It was estimated that protection of the front hull is equivalent to 600 mm against kinetic energy munitions and 700 mm against HEAT munitions. It was estimated that protection of the front turret is equivalent to 800 mm against kinetic energy munitions and 1 300 mm against HEAT munitions. The tank could be also fitted with add-on explosive reactive armor. The Interior of the tank is lined with Kevlar protecting the crew against spalling. The turret bustle has blow-out panels for ammunition storage. 

   It is fitted with the M68A1 105 mm rifled gun. It is a licensed version of the British L7 tank gun. This gun is loaded manually. Interestingly the M1 was designed from the start to accommodate a larger 120 mm gun. However, the US Army had planned to fit the tank with a larger gun at a later date. Eventually, the 120 mm gun was integrated into the improved M1A1 Abrams, which replaced in production the original M1 in 1985.

  All standard NATO 105 mm tank ammunition can be used with the M1. A total of 55 rounds are carried for the main gun, including 44 rounds stored in the turret bustle and 11 rounds stored in protective containers inside the hull.

   The M1 Abrams has a modern fire control system with a high first-hit probability. It can destroy tank-size targets at a range of 2 km while firing on the move.

   The secondary armament consists of a 7.62 mm coaxial machine gun. Also, there is a 12.7 mm and another 7.62 mm machine gun mounted on top of the roof.

   The vehicle has a crew of four, including the commander, gunner, and driver.
  The M1 Abrams is powered by an Avco Lycoming (now Honeywell) AGT1500 gas turbine     engine. Essentially it is a modified helicopter engine, adapted for use on tanks. It is a multi-     fuel engine, which can run on any grade of petrol, diesel, aviation fuel, and kerosene. This   engine has impressive performance and is compact for its power output. So even though the   Abrams tank is heavy and bulky, it is surprisingly agile. It was faster than many other tanks   and had superior cross-country performance. Also, the engine is remarkably quiet. Due to this feature, the Abrams is even nicknamed the Whispering Death. The gas turbine engine has   servicing intervals significantly longer than those of diesel engines. However, the gas turbine   also has some drawbacks. Notably, it is troublesome to maintain and has very high fuel   consumption compared with diesel. The M1 Abrams was the second production tank in the   world to use such an engine. First was the Soviet T-80 tank, which appeared several years   earlier. The engine on the M1 Abrams can be replaced in field conditions within 30 minutes. The tank can be fitted with a mine plow and mine roller attachments.

  The M1 was followed in production by the improved M1 with additional armor, M1A1, and later the M1A2. 

M1 Abrams M1A1 SA

Specifications

• Mass: 

                M1: 60 short tons (54 t)

                M1A1: 63 short tons (57 t)

                M1A1 SA: 67.6 short tons (61.3 t)

                M1A2 SEP v2: 71.2 short tons (64.6 t)

               
73.6 short tons (66.8 t)

• Length:       Gun forward: 32.04 ft (9.77 m)
• Hull length:  26.02 ft (7.93 m)
• Width:       12 ft (3.66 m)
• Height:       8 ft (2.44 m)
• Crew:       4 (commander, gunner, loader, driver)
• Armor:       Composite armor

Main armament

• M1: 105 mm L/52 M68A1 rifled gun (55 rounds)
• M1A1: 120 mm L/44 M256 smoothbore gun (40 rounds)
• M1A2: 120 mm L/44 M256 smoothbore gun (42 rounds)

Secondary armament

• 1 × 0.50 caliber (12.7 mm) M2HB heavy machine gun with 900 rounds
• 2 × 7.62 mm (.308 in) M240 machine guns with 10,400 rounds (1 pintle-mounted, 1 coaxial)

 Engine

• Engine Honeywell AGT1500 multi-fuel turbine engine 1,500 shp (1,120 kW)
• Power/weight From 26.9 hp/t (20.05 kW/t) to 23.8 hp/t (17.74 kW/t)
• Transmission Allison DDA X-1100-3B
• Suspension High-hardness-steel torsion bars with rotary shock absorbers
• Ground clearance M1, M1A1: 0.48 m (1.6 ft; 19 in) M1A2: 0.43 m (1 ft 5 in)
• Fuel capacity: 504.4 US gallons (1,909 L)
• Operational range    M1A2, road: 265 mi (426 km)
• Cross country:          93–124 mi (150–200 km)
• Maximum speed M1A1, road: 45 mph (72 km/h) M1A2, road: 42 mph (67 km/h) Off-                                        road: 25 mph (40 km/h)

 M1 Abrams M1A2 SEP V3

Variants

Grizzly combat engineering vehicle, specially designed to clear pathways through minefields. This program was canceled in 2001 before the Grizzly reached production.

   M1 Panther II mine detection and clearing vehicle.

   M104 Wolverine heavy assault bridge.

   M1A1 Abrams, a successor to the M1. It is armed with a larger 120 mm gun and has improved armor protection. Its production commenced in 1985. It is planned that the fleet of refurbished and upgraded M1A1 tanks will remain with the US military service until at least 2021.

   M1A2 Abrams is a further improved version. A depleted uranium armor mesh was added to the front arc to increase armor protection. Also, the M1A2 has a more advanced fire control system with a panoramic commander's sight. It gives this tank a hunter-killer capability. Production of the M1A2 commenced in 1992.

   M1A2 SEP is an improved and upgraded version of the M1A2. It has improved armor protection, improved system components, improved computer components, and some other improvements. The first upgraded tank was delivered in 1999. Some of these tanks were newly built, while several older M1 and M1A1 tanks were upgraded to this standard. Currently, the M1A2 SEP is the backbone of the US military armored forces. It is planned that these tanks will remain in service beyond 2050.

   K1 is a South Korean main battle tank, modeled after the Abrams. It was developed by General Dynamics, who designed and built the M1. It is based on the Abrams technology but has several changes to meet specific operational requirements of the South Korean Army. Series production commenced in 1985. Around 1,000 vehicles of this type were built by Hyundai for the South Korean Army.