M1 Abrams

History of M1 Abrams

The M1 Abrams were designed by Chrysler Defense and produced under the General Dynamics brand. Introduced in 1979, the tank entered service in 1980 and is still in production. The system was used in the Gulf War and Bosnia in 1991 and the US invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 and Iraq in 2003. In addition to the United States, Abrams' operators include Australia, Egypt, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.

To date, approximately 8,800 Abrams in various forms have been produced. In U.S. military operations, Abrams currently serves in the U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps.

The origins of the M1 Abrams can be traced back to the failed partnership between the US and West Germany to produce a new generation main battle tank system with the latest capabilities to counter whatever the Soviets were brewing (as it turns out). T- 72).

The US Army was using the M60 Patton series (which originated from the WWII-era M26 Pershing heavy tanks) as its main battle tanks, and the T-72 is widely believed to be Patton's fastest tank - and the West Germans and their postwar Leopard 1 main battle tank. The general design is called MBT-70.

The MBT-70 has a low profile and is armed with a powerful main gun (152mm gun, XM-150 autoloader on US models, 120mm Rheinmetall autoloader on German models). The turret was slanted on all sides and placed in the center of the design to accommodate the entire crew (the very low profile - just over 6 feet tall - required the driver to sit in the turret with the tank commander and gunner).

Using an autoloader, operation of the MBT-70 requires only three personnel to be deployed, similar to the Russian autoloader MBT. The fuselage sloped forward, flattened in the rear engine bay, and had little surface exposure on the sides above the track. In the anti-aircraft role, a 20mm cannon was available, extending from behind the driver's cupola. A coaxial 7.62mm machine gun mount is standard on the MBT-70, by the way, on every tank since WW2.

The profile of the MBT-70 is characterized by its medium-sized wheels with six wheels mounted on one side. The American version of the MBT-70 will fire barrel-loaded Shillelagh anti-tank missiles at long distances. The suspension is an advanced hydropneumatic type that is fully adjustable on the fly by the rider.

Despite the tank design weighing more than 50 tons, the MBT-70 reportedly reached a staggering 52 mph top speed.

When the budget for the MBT-70 project spiraled out of control - naturally the two sides had different ideas about the design direction of the new tank - the West Germans eventually dropped their support for the project, instead devoting resources to The successors were designed to produce their successful Leopard 1 main battle tank, and the new design eventually became the equally powerful Leopard 2. In 1971, the U.S. Congress saw the ballooning MBT-70 program scrapped and reinvested those funds into the program that would eventually produce the M1 Abrams.

The MBT-70 project, despite its revolutionary design tools, proved too ambitious and was effectively crushed by Congressional decisions.

The XM1 Abrams prototype was designed by Chrysler Defense. General Dynamics Land Systems subsequently acquired Chrysler Defense in 1979. The XM1 is fitted with a Royal Ordnance L7 series 105mm rifled main gun, a licensed production copy made in the USA. The XM1 entered production in 1979 as the M1 Abrams and entered service the following year. Abrams equipped the crew with state-of-the-art armor protection, with armored compartments for fuel and ammunition supplies.

The crew compartment is designed for four people and consists of the tank commander, gunner, loader and driver. At 67.5 tons, the new tank is one of the heaviest systems of its kind in the world.

After some time in service, it became clear that the British 105mm rifle weapons could not keep up with the conventional tank standards used in the East. For this reason, the Abrams is armed with a German-made Rheinmetall AG 120mm smoothbore gun, known in American inventory as the M256.

The Abrams is now produced under the M1A1 name and appeared in 1986 and production continued until 1992. Other upgrades include improved armor distribution and chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) protection systems.

The M1A1 was followed by the improved M1A2. The A2 is equipped with an improved tank commander weapons station, including the latest digital systems, a separate thermal imaging display system and improved navigation equipment.

The M1A2 SEP (System Enhancement Package) brings Abrams to a higher technical standard by including digital maps, additional processing computers for handling digital workflows, and an improved cooling system. Depleted uranium armor also became part of subsequent upgrades, while other subsequent upgrade programs produced the M1A1 AIM, M1A1D, M1A1HC, and M1A2 SEP. Reactive armor and layered armor became optional and offered as part of the Tank Urban Survival Kit (TUSK) designed for urban combat - where the traditional rules of fighting long-range tanks effectively fly out the window .

Sitting in the Abrams in a traditional Western fashion, the driver sits in the center of the front of the fuselage, just below the bottom of the main gun (ie the turret points straight ahead). The tank commander, loader and gunner occupy their respective positions in the full 360-degree rotating turret, with the gunner sitting in front of the tank commander and the loader to the tank commander's left. Tank commanders and loaders each have their own hatch and defensive machine gun weapons. These hatches were designed so that the gun could be fired from inside the turret without exposing any of the crew to the enemy.

Abrams features British-designed Chobham RHA depleted uranium steel cladding for her crew and vital systems. Chobham uses a variety of Kevlar alloys, ceramics, plastic composites and steels to achieve a near-perfect mix of penetration resistant surfaces. Power comes from a 1,500-horsepower Honeywell AGT1500C multi-fuel turbo engine mated to an Allison DDA X-1100-3B transmission.

Specifications include a top speed of 42 mph on-road and a top speed of 30 mph off-road -- in this regard, it's not uncommon for Abrams tank crews to refer to their vehicles as the "Cadillac of a tank." The power-to-weight ratio is 24.5 hp/metric ton, and the suspension is achieved through the use of a torsion bar assembly. Range is reportedly limited to 289 miles.

The Abrams family of weapons started with the British M68 105mm rifled gun, but as mentioned, has since been "upgraded" to the standard M256 smoothbore 120mm system, which covers the M1A1, M1A2 and M1A2SEP variants and Applicable upgrades. Heavy 12.7mm Browning M2HB anti-aircraft machine gun as a secondary weapon, operated by the tank commander through his cupola. The armament was further enhanced by the addition of 2 x 7.62mm Self-Defense Infantry M240 machine guns, one mounted coaxially in the turret next to the main gun and the other mounted on a trunnion bracket in the loader hatch.

The coaxial mount is operated by the main gun control. The loader's machine guns can be equipped with night vision goggles and additional shields - the latter of course adding protection if crew members need to expose their torso when firing the loader's M240.

By default, the M1 can fire high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT), HEAT-type high-explosive, shotgun-type anti-personnel and white phosphorus projectiles on demand. The XM1111 is a gun-fired "guided" projectile currently in development, most likely to be used by the Abrams family.

Although Abrams served in 1980, he was not baptized in combat until the 1991 Gulf War. Abrams performed extremely well against the Soviet-developed T-55, T-62 and the latest T-72 product. One of the biggest drawbacks of Iraqi tanks is that their night vision equipment is poor or non-existent, and they also lack adequate training.

The lack of effective air support also does not help the Iraqi cause. In the ensuing battle, only 23 Abrams were killed. One of the biggest advantages of the Abrams system is its main gun range, which is at least 500 meters higher than Iraqi tanks.

In fact, friendly fire incidents appear to be a greater threat to Abrams tanks than Iraqi main battle tanks and anti-tank weapon systems.

Abrams wasn't quite done in Iraq, but the 2003 Iraq invasion - organized under Operation Iraqi Freedom - saw similar tank-versus-tank results, which worked in Abrams' favor. Although the Iraqis disabled about 80 Abrams armored systems, the Abrams still enjoyed its superior technical advantages, as well as better crew training and refined tactics (and an overly effective air support element).

In the ensuing battle, several Abrams tanks were hit by Soviet-designed RPG-7 rocket-propelled shells that were fired at the tank tracks, the rear of the tank and the top of the turret - three of the most vulnerable of any tank Ballistic points, especially in urban fights, are now bumpy as an advantage for defenders.

Like any other expensive but successful line of armor, the Abrams chassis remains a staple of other readiness systems. These include the M1 Grizzly Combat Motor Vehicle, the M1 Panther II RC Minesweeper, the M104 Wolverine Heavy Assault Bridge, the M1 Panther II Minesweeper Blade/Roller System, the M1 Assault Destruction Vehicle and the M1 Armored Rescue Vehicle (single prototype).

The Abrams tank itself can be converted to operate minesweeping plows and minesweeping rollers for demining services.

Abrams is named after former Army Chief of Staff Gen. Creighton Abrams, who served as U.S. military commander in the Vietnam War from 1968 to 1972. The M1 was designed to replace the venerable M60 Patton series, although the two eventually coexisted for about 10 years.

An Abrams can receive up to $4 in bonuses. $35 million and up, depending on model and variant.

Regardless, Abrams should continue to serve the United States and its allies on the front lines for some time. The modernization program clearly keeps the system relevant on today's battlefield.

Strength, survivability, lethality and technology have come a long way in creating the best legacy for the M1 Abrams.

M1 Abrams Spec

Basic

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Performance

Armor