| M1 Abrams | |
|---|---|
.jpg) U.S. Army M1A2 SEP v2 Abrams during a training exercise in Germany | |
| Type | Main battle tank |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1980–present |
| Used by | See Operators below |
| Wars | |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Chrysler Defense (now General Dynamics Land Systems) |
| Designed | 1972–1976 |
| Manufacturer | Lima Army Tank Plant (since 1980)[1] Detroit Arsenal Tank Plant (1978, 1982–1991) Egyptian Defense Company Tank Plant[2] |
| Unit cost | M1A1: $4.3 million (domestic cost, FY1989) (~$10.66 million, FY2023)[3] M1A2 SEPv3: $24 million (export cost, FY2022)[4] |
| Produced | 1979–present |
| No. built | approx. 10,300 as of 2017[5] |
| Variants | See variants |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | M1: 60 short tons (54 t)[6] M1A1: 63 short tons (57 t)[6] M1A1 SA: 67.6 short tons (61.3 t) M1A2 SEPv2: 71.2 short tons (64.6 t) M1A2 SEPv3: 73.6 short tons (66.8 t)[7] |
| Length | Gun forward: 32.04 ft (9.77 m)[8] Hull length: 26.02 ft (7.93 m) |
| Width | 12 ft (3.66 m)[8] |
| Height | 8 ft (2.44 m)[8] |
| Crew | 4 (commander, gunner, loader, driver) |
| Elevation | +20° / −10°[6] |
| Traverse | 9 seconds/360 degrees[6] |
| 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 | 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)[9] |
| Maximum speed | M1A1, road: 45 mph (72 km/h) (governed); M1A2, road: 42 mph (67 km/h) (governed); Off-road: 25 mph (40 km/h)[9] |
The M1 Abrams (/ˈeɪbrəmz/)[10] is a third-generation American main battle tank designed by Chrysler Defense (now General Dynamics Land Systems) and named for General Creighton Abrams. Conceived for modern armored ground warfare, it is one of the heaviest tanks in service at nearly 73.6 short tons (66.8 metric tons). It introduced several modern technologies to the United States armored forces, including a multifuel turbine engine, sophisticated Chobham composite armor, a computer fire control system, separate ammunition storage in a blowout compartment, and NBC protection for crew safety. Initial models of the M1 were armed with a 105 mm M68 gun, while later variants feature a license-produced Rheinmetall 120 mm L/44 designated M256.
The M1 Abrams was developed from the failed joint American-West German MBT-70 project that intended to replace the obsolete M60 tank. There are three main operational Abrams versions: the M1, M1A1, and M1A2, with each new iteration seeing improvements in armament, protection, and electronics.[11]
The Abrams was to be replaced in U.S. Army service by the XM1202 Mounted Combat System, but because that project was canceled, the Army has opted to continue maintaining and operating the M1 series for the foreseeable future by upgrading optics, armor, and firepower.
The M1 Abrams entered service in 1980 and serves as the main battle tank of the United States Army and formerly of the United States Marine Corps (USMC) until the decommissioning of all USMC tank battalions in 2021. The export modification is used by the armed forces of Egypt, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Australia, Poland and Iraq. The Abrams was first used in combat by the U.S. in the Gulf War. It was later deployed by the U.S. in the War in Afghanistan and the Iraq War, as well as by Iraq in the war against the Islamic State, Saudi Arabia in the Yemeni Civil War, and Ukraine in the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
- ^ Rader, Craig (30 May 2017). "Factory tour shows how an Abrams comes to life". Defense Logistics Agency. Archived from the original on 21 January 2023. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
- ^ "Egypt continues to produce locally M1A1 Abrams main battle tanks — August 2019 Global Defense Security army news". Army recognition. 26 August 2019. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
- ^ "The Army's M1 Tank: Has It Lived Up To Expectations?". Project On Government Oversight. 1 January 1990. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
- ^ Mizokami, Kyle (15 July 2021). "Poland Just Bought America's M1 Abrams Tank. That's Ironic". Popular mechanics. Archived from the original on 22 July 2021.
- ^ "M1A2 Abrams". Deagel. Archived from the original on 13 December 2017. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
- ^ a b c d Hunnicutt 2015, p. 306.
- ^ "ASAALT Weapon Systems Handbook 2018" (PDF). Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Acquisition, Logistics and Technology). Archived (PDF) from the original on 19 October 2018. Retrieved 19 October 2018.
- ^ a b c "Abrams Tank Fact File for the United States Army". United States Army. Archived from the original on 15 November 2013. Retrieved 16 November 2015.
- ^ a b Foss, Chris (2005). Jane's Armour and Artillery 2005–2006. Jane's Information Group. p. 162. ISBN 0-7106-2686-X.
- ^ "Abrams tank". Merriam-Webster. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
- ^ Majumdar, Dave (2 June 2016), "Inside the US Army's Lethal New M1A2 SEP v.3 Abrams Main Battle Tank", The National Interest, archived from the original on 18 October 2017, retrieved 18 October 2017