| M103 heavy tank | |
|---|---|
 M103A2 at the Bovington Tank Museum | |
| Type | Heavy tank[1] |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1957–1974 |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | Chrysler |
| No. built | 300 |
| Variants | M103A1, M103A2 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 65 short tons (58 long tons; 59 t) |
| Length | 37 ft 2 in (11.33 m) |
| Width | 12 ft 2 in (3.71 m) |
| Height | 10 ft 6 in (3.20 m) |
| Crew | 5 (commander, gunner, driver, 2 loaders) |
| Armor | 127 mm (5 in) @ 60 degrees[2] 254 mm LoS (10 in) |
Main armament | (4.7 in ) 120 mm gun M58 L/60, 34 rounds |
Secondary armament | 2×.30-cal (7.62 mm) M1919A4E1 machine gun (co-axial) 1×.50-cal (12.7 mm) M2 AA machine gun |
| Engine | (M103A1) Continental AV1790 12-cylinder air-cooled gasoline 810 hp (604 kW) (M103A2) Continental AVDS-1790-2, V12, air-cooled, twin turbocharged diesel 750 hp (560 kW) |
| Power/weight | M103A2: 12.7 hp (9.5 kW) / tonne |
| Transmission | General Motors CD-850-4A or -4B, 2 ranges forward, 1 reverse |
| Suspension | torsion bar |
| Fuel capacity | 280 US gallons (1,100 L; 230 imp gal) |
Operational range | M103: 80 mi (130 km) M103A2: 295 mi (480 km) |
| Maximum speed | M103: 21 mph (34 km/h) M103A2: 23 mph (37 km/h) |
The M103 heavy tank (officially designated 120mm gun combat tank M103, initially T43)[3] was a heavy tank that served in the United States Army and the United States Marine Corps during the Cold War. Introduced in 1957, it served until 1974, by which time evolution of the concept of a main battle tank considered heavy tanks obsolete.
- ^ Hunnicutt 1984, p. 35.
- ^ Hunnicutt 1988, p. 144.
- ^ Hunnicutt 1988, p. 134.