Country of origin |
United States |
Entered service |
1980 |
Crew |
4 men |
Dimensions and weight |
Weight |
54.54 t |
Length (gun forward) |
9.77 m |
Hull length |
7.92 m |
Width |
3.65 m |
Height |
2.38 m |
Armament |
Main gun |
105 mm rifled |
Machine guns |
2 x 7.62 mm, 1 x 12.7 mm |
Elevation range |
? |
Traverse range |
360 degrees |
Ammunition load |
Main gun |
55 rounds |
Machine guns |
? |
Mobility |
Engine |
Avco Lycoming AGT1500 gas turbine engine |
Engine power |
1 500 hp |
Maximum road speed |
72.4 km/h |
Range |
498 km |
Maneuverability |
Gradient |
60% |
Side slope |
40% |
Vertical step |
1.24 m |
Trench |
2.74 m |
Fording |
1.2 m |
Fording (with preparation) |
1.98 m |
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The M1
Abrams main battle tank was developed by Chrysler Defence.
Production of the M1 started in 1980 and ceased in 1992. This MBT
was named in honor to the General Abrams, commander of US forces
during Vietnam War. The M1 Abrams MBT replaced the
M60 Patton
in service with 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. US Army has
over 2 300 of these tanks in reserve storage. The original M1 was
never exported.
The M1
Abrams features composite armor similar to British Chobham, which
features multiple layers of steel and ceramics. It may also be
fitted with explosive reactive armor. Interior of the tank is lined
with Kevlar protecting the crew against spalling. Ammunition is
stored in the turret bustle with blow-out panels.
It is fitted
with the M68A1 105 mm rifled gun. It is a license-produced 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.
But the US Army had planned to fit the tank with a larger gun at the
later date. Eventually the 120 mm gun was integrated on improved
M1A1
Abrams, which replaced in production the original M1 in 1985.
The M1 is
compatible with all standard NATO 105 mm tank ammunition. 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.
Secondary
armament consists of 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.
Vehicle has
a crew of four, including 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 is faster than many other tanks and has
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 comparing
with diesels. The engine can be replaced in field conditions within 30
minutes. The tank can be fitted with mine plow and mine roller
attachments.
The M1 was followed in
production by the improved M1 with additional armor,
M1A1
and later the
M1A2.
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 in order to increase armor
protection. Also the M1A2 has 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. First upgraded tank was
delivered in 1999. Some of these tanks were newly built, while a
number of 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 a number of 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.
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