M60 Super/AX (Super M60)

History of the M60 Super/AX (Super M60)

During the Cold War (1947-1991) M60 Main Battle Tank (MBT) with over 15,000 built, American product was a worldwide success, bringing operators from Bosnia/Herzegovina and Bahrain to Turkey, the U.S. captured Yemen . Over time, however, its basic design was continually overtaken by enemy tank developments (mainly from the Soviet Union) and new battlefield threats (emerging anti-tank missile (ATGM) technology). To bridge the gap between the 1960 M60 and newer types such as the 1980 M1 Abrams (described in detail elsewhere on this site), interested buyers and current owners of the M60 MBT were offered the "M60 Super/AX" .

Single occupant vehicle built to Super M60 standard with significant improvements in armor protection on hull surfaces (decals), turret fairings (decals, sloped surfaces) and track/wheel sections (skirts). The suspension system has been upgraded for better off-road capability, while many of the features and qualities of the M60A3 production model have been carried over into the development of the M60 Super.

Power comes from a Teledyne Continental Motors CR-1790-1B V12 diesel engine producing 1,180 hp, giving the vehicle a road speed of 72 km/h and a range of up to 500 km. The structural dimensions include a total length of 9.5 meters, a width of 4.20 meters, and a height of 2.92 meters to the top of the tower.

The weight reaches 56.3 tons.

The crew is still four (gunner, loader, commander and driver) when laser ranging is handled by the AN/VVG-2 system. An AN/VVS-2 thermal imaging camera provides low-light capability, and aiming/shooting is aided by the M21 ballistic computer system.

NBC (Nuclear Biochemical) protection is standard, and a fire suppression system is installed to protect the crew from munition explosions and similar cabin threats.

Armament is 105mm main gun L52 M68A1 with towed main gun, mounted in front of 360 rotating turret (carrying 63 x 105mm shells). The remote-controlled machine gun location on the original M60 turret has been removed and replaced with a manually trained/operated 12.7mm heavy machine gun for local anti-air defense (carrying 600 x 12.7mm bullets). A coaxial 7.62mm machine gun was retained at the front of the turret as an anti-infantry measure (carrying 6,000 x 7.62mm shells).

Smoke grenade launchers should provide the vehicle with a measure of self-control.

While the M60 Super was promising, the product never went beyond the single prototype offered. The Cold War between the West and the Soviet Union ended in 1991 with the disintegration of the latter, which made major European companies less interested in the M60 upgrade - leaving the M60 Super/AX without a steady stream of potential buyers.

Globally, the M60 has been replaced by the more powerful M1 Abrams main battle tank.

Specification

Basic

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Performance

Armor

63 x 105mm projectiles (various warhead types).

600x12.7mm ammo.

6,000 x 7.62mm ammo.

12 x Smoke Grenade.

Changes