Abrams main battle tank. M1 Abrams main battle tank (M1A2)
Initially, it was envisaged that the tank should undergo a series of successive upgrades. Standard production tank M-1 Abrams could be produced, if necessary, in a configuration with a 120 mm Rheinmetall smoothbore gun. The Army's attitude toward installing the 120 mm gun depended on progress in the development of new ammunition for the 105 mm gun and on the appearance of new tanks in the Soviet Union. In the late 70s and early 80s, 105 mm armor-piercing shells were significantly improved and could, according to US Army experts, successfully penetrate the armor of Soviet main battle tanks at normal combat distances (up to 2000 m). Until the end of the 70s, the standard sub-caliber projectile for American tanks was the M735 with a tungsten alloy core and initial speed 1501 m/s. This ammunition penetrated 350 mm thick steel armor at a distance of 2000 m. In 1979, production of M774 sub-caliber armor-piercing projectiles with a depleted uranium core began, capable of penetrating thicker armor at longer distances and having a greater destructive effect due to the pyrotechnic reaction of uranium and steel . In 1983, the army began to receive M833 sub-caliber ammunition with a longer and more massive core. This projectile penetrated a steel plate 420 mm thick at a distance of 2000 m at an impact angle of 60 degrees. For comparison, sub-caliber armor-piercing shells for an English 120-mm rifled gun penetrated 400 mm-thick armor at a distance of 2000 m, and ammunition from a Soviet 125-mm smoothbore tank gun (according to unofficial data) penetrated 450 mm-thick armor at the same distance.
M-1A1 Abrams, Company A, Battalion 1-37, 1st tank division, Kuwait Liberation Force, January 1991. The history of the unit dates back to World War II - Creighton Abram commanded the 37th Tank Battalion during the war. The diagram shows chevrons typical for units of the 7th Corps. Some battalions had their own symbols, for example, a drawing of a map of Iraq pierced by sub-caliber shells. The "bumper code" of the tank shown is 1 1-37 A-31. On individual tanks, caricatures were drawn on the powder gas ejectors mounted on the gun barrels; for example, in Company B they depicted a simplified version of Frank Franzetta’s famous “Horseman of Death” drawing. Franzetta's drawing was extremely popular among tank units stationed in West Germany, which was the motivation for painting the image of the “horseman” on the tanks that took part in the “Storm”. Option M-1E1 launched into mass production in August 1984 under the designation "M-1A1 Abrams main battle tank", armed with a 120 mm smoothbore gun. First M-1A1 rolled off the assembly line in Detroit in December 1985. First of all, these tanks entered service with US Army units stationed in Europe. All “European” tank battalions of the US Army were rearmed with M-1A1 until the end of 1989, and by July 1991 M-1A1 received all storage bases for military equipment of the US armed forces in Europe. In the event of the outbreak of hostilities, the personnel of the heavy divisions were planned to be transferred from America to Europe by air, where they were to receive equipment from storage bases. In October 1988 M-1A1 changed the option on the assembly lines M-1A1NA, which has enhanced armor protection (HA - Heavy Armor, heavy armor) due to the use of depleted uranium inserts. Externally M-1A1 practically indistinguishable from M-1A1NA. The new armor protection is equivalent to steel homogeneous armor with a thickness of 1300 mm when fired by cumulative ammunition and 600 mm when fired by armor-piercing sub-caliber projectiles - twice as much as the armor protection of the first options " Abrams" Tank armor protection M-1A1NA is the most effective among all tanks in the world. The contract for the production of M-1A1NA was signed in January 1991 with the end of deliveries in April 1993; after the completion of tank production M-1A1NA total quantity built " Abramsov» modifications M-1A1 should have amounted to 4802 copies. Case Marine Corps The US planned to purchase 564 tanks M-1A1 in 1986, but the procurement program was canceled due to financial problems. The Marine Corps financed the modification of the tank to adapt it to the requirements of the sailors, in particular, the installation of devices for overcoming water obstacles along the bottom, which were supposed to ensure the landing of the Abrams from special ships. It was decided not to produce modifications (for the army, for the marines), but to introduce “naval” innovations on tanks during their mass production; these cars were named M-1A1"Sottop Tank" (Single Tank). Sixty tanks M-1A1NA The Army transferred it to the Marine Corps during Operation Desert Storm. Delivery of 221 “United Tank” to the Marine Corps began in November 1990 and was completed in 1992.
M-1AI "Abrams", Battalion 3-66 1st infantry division, Kuwait Liberation Forces, January 1991. In the 1st Infantry Division, tank identification markings in units were carried out exclusively by chevrons, and the chevrons designated not companies, but tank platoons: 1st platoon - “U” up, 2nd platoon - “ V" to the right, 3rd platoon - "U" - down, 4th platoon - "U" - to the left. The two-digit number designated the battalion and company; The first digits of the number corresponded to the 1st and 2nd brigades: “1” - infantry battalion 5-16, "2" - tank battalion 1-34, "3" - tank battalion 2-34, "4" - infantry battalion 2-16, "5" - tank battalion 3-37, "6" - tank battalion 4-37. The third brigade was transferred to the 1st Infantry Division from the 2nd Tank Division, its battalions had their own code numbers: “1” - infantry battalion 1-41, “2” - tank battalion 2-66, “3” - tank battalion 3-667 The third digit of the number corresponded to the company - from “1” to “6” (companies “A” - “E”, respectively). The picture shows a tank from the 2nd platoon of Company “B” of Battalion 3-66. With the introduction of the “Block I” variant into mass production, the focus shifted to the “Block II” modification - a radical modernization of the tank’s electronic equipment. The US Army actively promoted the idea of integration electronic systems according to the type of aviation onboard radio-electronic complexes. "Block II" became the first American "digital" tank; its electrical wiring runs up to a mile long. The architecture of the avionics is based on the use of a 1553 digital data bus, similar to that used on aircraft NATO. An integrated command and control system facilitates the work of the tank commander and gives him additional opportunities to assess the combat situation and control the actions of crew members or other tanks. The Block II tanks are equipped with the POSNAV inertial navigation system; Finally, there is an independent panoramic commander's thermal imaging surveillance device. The integrated fire control system has unique capabilities: so. to determine the range to the target, the commander can use the new laser rangefinder on carbon dioxide. The electronic computer determines the exact location of the target taking into account the readings of the laser rangefinder and the POSNAV navigation system. This information maybe in automatic mode quickly transferred to divisional artillery positions for firing “on call.” Other improvements to the Block II modification include a new commander’s cupola with new wide-angle observation devices and a simplified 7.62 mm machine gun turret. Serial production of the “block II” variant was planned for 1992 under the designation “ M-1A2 Abrams main battle tank", armed with a 120 mm smoothbore gun. First prototype M-1A2 was ready in December 1990, and the first production one in November 1992. Tanks M-1A2 They ordered extremely little for the US Army - Congress allocated funds for the purchase of only 62 vehicles, although the army expected to receive about 3,000 vehicles of this modification. In 1991, it was decided on Capitol Hill that it would be more correct not to build new tanks, but to bring them to the level M-1A2 already built. Modernization made it possible not to close after the cessation of mass production " Abramsov» in 1993, a tank factory in Lima.
| Tactical and technical characteristics of the M1A1 Abrams tank | |
| Crew: | 4 people |
| Combat weight: | 62.6 t |
| Specific power: | 7.918m |
| Width: | 3.653 m |
| Engine: | GTE Textron-Lycoming AGT-1500 with a power of 1500 hp. |
| Transmission: | Allison HPOO-ZV, hydromechanical, 4 forward gears, 2 reverse |
| Fuel tank capacity: | 1907 l |
| Maximum speed by highway: | 72 km/h |
| Maximum off-road speed: | 48 km/h |
| Cruising speed: | 40 km/h |
| Highway range: | 443 km |
| Fording depth: | without preparation 1.22 m with preliminary preparation 1.98 m |
| Weapons: | armor-piercing finned sub-caliber projectile M829; multi-purpose cumulative projectile M830 |
| Maximum radius of effective target destruction: | armor-piercing projectile 3500 m; cumulative projectile 3000 m |
| Ammunition: | 40 shells |
| Gun pointing angles in the vertical plane: | from -10 to +40 degrees. |
The M1 Abrams is the main American tank, which has been in mass production since 1981. It belongs to the third post-war generation of tanks. This vehicle is in service with the US Army and Marine Corps, and is used by several other armies around the world.
Few tanks have earned as much attention as the Abrams. Hundreds of articles have been written about it, which often suffer from subjectivity, and either sing odes of praise to this machine, or descend to sweeping (and often undeserved) criticism. This is indeed a very interesting vehicle, which is a typical creation of the Western school of tank building. This tank is a product of the Cold War, it was not created to break through enemy lines, but rather as an anti-tank weapon. It was the Abrams that were supposed to stop the Soviet tank avalanche rushing towards the English Channel.
Americans consider Abrams best tank in the world, a real death machine that has no competitors. But does this opinion correspond to reality? Let's figure out what the strengths and weaknesses this tank.
The history of the M1A1 Abrams tank
At the end of the 60s of the last century, the leading NATO countries intensified work on the creation of new types of military equipment. The main efforts were aimed at developing new tanks. The reason for this was very simple: the gap between the United States and its allies and the USSR in this area was growing larger. It became especially obvious after the appearance of the newest Soviet tank T-72.
At that time, the main tank of the US Army was the M60 Patton, the appearance and characteristics of which were more consistent with the era of World War II. The main vehicle of the Bundeswehr was the Leopard 1, which was also significantly inferior to the latest Soviet tanks.
Back in the late 60s, Germany and the United States tried to jointly create the MVT-70 main tank. This approach was fully justified, since a single main tank for the leading NATO countries would seriously simplify the issues of supply and control in the event of joint military operations.
But soon significant disagreements arose between the military departments, and work stalled. The Americans wanted a tank suitable for any theater of war; the Bundeswehr was primarily interested in Europe. The Germans, taking into account the experience of World War II, insisted on a powerful tank gun with large caliber and high firing range. There were other, less significant disagreements. The joint project was closed, and each side began developing its own tank. Several prototypes of the MVT-70 were built, but they turned out to be too expensive and complex.
The problem of lagging behind the USSR in tank building was so serious that a secret hearing in the US Congress was devoted to it. It announced the acceleration of work on the creation of a new American tank.
By this time, the United States already had experience in developing a new main tank to replace the outdated M60. I must say that this experience was not very successful. The previous T95 program ended in failure. The T95 tank turned out to be no better than its predecessor.
At the development stage, the new tank received the index XM-1. The American military was not immediately able to decide on the gun and power plant for the new vehicle. Options for installing a 105 mm M68 gun, a British 110 mm rifled gun and a German 120 mm smoothbore gun on the XM-1 were considered. Initially, it was decided to install the M68 gun on the tank with a possible replacement for a 120 mm gun. Two variants of diesel engines (air and water cooling) and a gas turbine engine were considered as the power plant for the new tank.
In 1973, two American companies submitted applications to participate in the competition: General Motors and Chrysler. In the middle of the same year, contracts were signed with them to create prototypes of a new tank.
Great influence on the design and appearance the new car was influenced by the development of technology by the British multilayer armor"Chobham." It consisted of ceramic, aluminum and steel sheets held together bolted connections, and was significantly better able to withstand cumulative and sub-caliber ammunition.
The experience of the Arab-Israeli war of 1973 also influenced the design of the tank. He demanded to increase the ammunition capacity of the tank gun and the firing range, to increase the security and maintainability of the tank. Initially, the military wanted to install an M242 Bushmaster automatic cannon coaxial with the gun on the new tank, but then abandoned this idea, installing a 7.62 mm machine gun.
In May 1976, testing of prototypes of the new machine began. They showed that both prototypes met the stated requirements, but Chrysler was able to offer more interesting price, that's why she became the winner of the competition. Until 1979, the new vehicle was being finalized; the tank received the name “Abrams” in honor of the US Army general, who made a great contribution to the development of American armored forces.
In 1981, the Abrams was officially adopted by the US Army.
M1A1 Abrams tank modifications
Like most main battle tanks that have been in service with their armies for many years (Leopard 2, T-72, Challenger 2), the Abrams has gone through many modernizations. The tank the US Army uses today bears little resemblance to the Abrams that entered service in 1981.
M1. This is the basic model that was adopted. It was equipped with a 105-mm rifled cannon with 55 rounds of ammunition.
M1IP. This tank can be called a transitional model to the M1A1 modification. On this vehicle, the frontal armor of the turret was significantly strengthened, the suspension and gearbox were improved, and the tank's weight increased by 900 kg.
M1A1. This modification appeared in 1984, its main difference from the basic Abrams model is the installation of a new 120-mm smoothbore gun. The Americans took the proven German Rheinmetall L44 cannon and modified it slightly by changing the breech and cradle. Due to the increase in caliber, the tank's ammunition load was reduced to 40 rounds. This weapon can use ammunition German tank"Leopard-2".
In addition to installing a new gun, the tank's security was also strengthened. The M1A1 Abrams has a greater thickness of frontal hull armor compared to the base version. The tank was equipped with a new protection system (FVU) against weapons of mass destruction with a built-in air conditioner.
Additional armor protection, installation of a more powerful gun and a new FVU led to an increase in the vehicle's weight by 2.6 tons. Serial production of the M1A1 Abrams continued until 1993; a total of 3,546 units of this tank were produced.
One should not think that all Abrams tanks of the M1A1 modification were identical. This model was constantly improved, and numerous changes were made to it over the years of production. In 1988, the tank received first-generation uranium armor (M1A1HA), and a few years later the second (M1A1NA+). On later modifications of the M1A1 model, electronic equipment was improved and more advanced sighting devices appeared.
The M1A1 is the first modification of the Abrams tank to be exported. The first contract was signed with Egypt in 1988. Export modifications of the Abrams M1A1 were also specially manufactured for ground forces Iraq and Morocco.
M1A2 Abrams. This is a fundamentally new modification of the tank, work on which began in the early 90s. In the ten years since the Abrams was introduced, many technologies have advanced greatly. This primarily concerned electronics and computer technology. The impetus for the creation of the M1A2 Abrams modification was the appearance of the new German Leopard-2 tank with an advanced fire control system (FCS). The Americans began developing a similar system for their tank. It is the new control system that is the main difference between the M1A2 Abrams and previous models.
The control system is built on the basis of a new tire; the control system of the M1A2 Abrams tank includes: a stabilized gunner’s sight and a commander’s thermal imaging device, a more advanced laser range finder, and a thermal imaging observation device for the driver. The developers also seriously changed the rest of the tank’s onboard equipment: the vehicle received a new navigation system based on satellite navigation and a new generation communication system.
The armor protection of the turret was also increased; the M1A2's ammunition capacity was 42 rounds.
It should be said that the improvements that were made to the M1A2 increased its defensive effectiveness by 2 times and its offensive effectiveness by 1.5 times.
The first tank of the M1A2 modification appeared at the end of 1990; the US Army had serious plans for this vehicle. However, a year later, the USSR, the main enemy with which the M1A2 was supposed to fight, sank into oblivion, so plans for the production of the M1A2 Abrams were revised.
All crew members received next-generation thermal imagers, the on-board control system was improved, color monitors and new communications equipment appeared. All electronic components were manufactured using the most advanced processors. The tank also received third-generation armor protection, additional power plant, new system air conditioning.
The last modernization of the Abrams (SEP-3) was completed in 2018. Now the vehicle's ammunition load consists of two standardized ammunition:
- multi-purpose XM1147 AMP with a programmable fuse;
- armor-piercing sub-caliber projectile M829E4 AKE.
Another modification of the Abrams deserves attention - the M1A2 TUSK, which was designed specifically for the vehicle to operate in urban combat. Essentially, this is a set of equipment that can be installed on a tank in the field. It includes an additional set of dynamic protection, a thermal imaging sight for the M240 machine gun, special armor plates to protect crew members with open hatches and additional machine guns.
Description of the M1A1 Abrams tank
The Abrams main battle tank has a classic layout, with a control compartment located in the front, a fighting compartment in the middle of the vehicle, and a power compartment in the rear.
The tank has a crew of four people: commander, loader, gunner and driver.
The hull and turret of the tank are welded, made of multi-layer armor using Chobham technology. The angle of inclination of the frontal armor of the hull and turret is significant (82°); there is a large gap between the hull and the turret.
In the front of the tank, in the center, there is a place for the driver, as well as tank control mechanisms and partings. To the right and left of it are fuel tanks. The three remaining crew members are located in the fighting compartment.
The power compartment houses the engine and transmission, combined into a single unit.
Later modifications of the Abrams are equipped with an M256 smoothbore gun with a caliber of 120 mm. Unitary tank ammunition. The ammunition load includes armor-piercing sub-caliber and cumulative projectiles, grapeshot and high-explosive fragmentation ammunition with a programmable fuse.
The M240 machine gun is paired with the cannon, another similar machine gun is located in front of the loader's hatch, and a 12.7 mm machine gun is located on the commander's cupola.
The ammunition is located in the aft niche, separated from the combat compartment by an armored partition. There are knockout panels in the niche; if this compartment is hit, the energy of the explosion goes up.
The engine compartment is equipped with a powerful fire extinguishing system.
The Abrams is equipped with an AVCO Lycoming AGT-1500 gas turbine engine with a power of 1,500 hp. With. The gas turbine engine (GTE) has significant advantages: it has a higher specific power, it is quite simple and reliable, it has less noise and operates better at low temperatures. But at the same time, gas turbine engines consume more fuel (than diesel) and are very demanding on air quality. The air purification system on the Abrams has large sizes than the engine itself.
The transmission is automatic, providing four forward and two reverse speeds.
The chassis consists of seven support rollers and two support rollers on each side. Suspension – torsion bar.
The fire control system installed on later modifications of the Abrams is considered one of the best in the world today. All crew members (except the loader) have thermal imaging sights or surveillance devices. The vehicle is equipped with a sophisticated laser rangefinder and a host of other sensors; an electronic ballistic computer automatically processes information from the rangefinder, taking into account a huge number of factors.
The latest modifications of the tank are equipped with a tank information and control system, a modern navigation system, and a radio station. Latest models The Abrams have the FBCB2-EPLRS troop control system, through which they interact with other vehicles in the tank battalion.
Combat use
The Abrams is the main American battle tank. For this reason, the vehicle was involved in all recent conflicts in which the United States took part.
The first real test for the Abrams was Operation Desert Storm in 1991. Both modifications of the M1A1 and basic M1 vehicles took part in the battles. According to official data, the Americans lost 18 tanks in Iraq; other researchers give a different figure - 23 tanks. None of the Abrams were lost to Iraqi tank fire. At the same time, the basic models (M1) did not engage in battles with enemy tanks; this was done by the more protected and armed M1A1.
The combat vehicles were hit by hand-held anti-tank weapons, fell victim to “friendly fire” or were blown up by landmines.
Next serious conflict, in which Abrams tanks participated, became the second Iraqi campaign. In the first months of the war, combat vehicles actively participated in battles with regular army Iraq, several cases of clashes with Iraqi T-72s were described, of which the Abrams invariably emerged victorious.
In 2011, a Marine tank company was delivered to Afghanistan. However, the use of tanks in this mountainous country was limited due to the specific conditions of the area. Two vehicles were damaged as a result of landmine explosions, but were later restored.
Saudi Arabian troops used Abrams tanks in Yemen. 14 combat vehicles were lost in combat. Some of them were blown up by land mines, some were destroyed by anti-tank guided missiles, and some came under tactical fire. missile systems. Several cars were simply abandoned by the crews.
Price
Abrams is one of the most expensive tanks in the world. The cost of modifying the M1A2 in 1999 was approximately $6.2 million. It should be understood that the price of a tank greatly depends on its configuration. The M1A1 modification for the Iraqi Armed Forces cost “only” $1.4 million, and for Australia – $1.18 million.
In 2012, each vehicle cost the US Army $5.5-6.1 million.
Below are performance characteristics(performance characteristics) of the M1 Abrams tank.
| Speed, km/h: | |
| maximum on highway | 72 |
| cross-country | 48,3 |
| Overcoming obstacles, m: | |
| vertical wall | 1,07 |
| anti-tank ditch | 2,74 |
| Cruising range, km | 465 |
| Engine power, l. With. | 1500 |
| Dimensions, m: | |
| length | 9,8 |
| width | 3,65 |
| height (at the top of the tower) | 2,44 |
| Ground pressure, kg/cm2 | 0,96 |
| Combat weight, t | 54,5 |
| Weapon caliber, mm: | |
| smoothbore gun | 105 |
| commander's machine gun | 12,7 |
| machine gun loader | 7,62 |
| coaxial machine gun | 7,62 |
| Ammunition, pieces: | |
| charges for the cannon | 55 |
| cartridges for a 12.7 mm machine gun | 1000 |
| 7.62 mm cartridges | 12400 |
| smoke grenades | 247 |
| Crew, man | 4 |
Video about the M1 Abrams tank
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Main combat Abrams tank The M1 was developed by Chrysler Defense and produced under the General Dynamics brand.
It was built in 1979, entered service in 1980 and is still in service, albeit in different versions, after numerous upgrades. First used in combat during the Gulf War in 1991, after which it continued to be used in Bosnia, Afghanistan and Iraq. It is also exported to Australia, Egypt, Iraq, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. In total, about 8,800 different modifications of the Abrams were produced, and it itself is still used by both the American army and the Marine Corps.
MBT-70
The tank owes its appearance to a failed collaboration between the United States and West Germany to create a new generation main battle tank, superior to the Soviet T-72. The American army at that time used the M60 Patton, whose roots went back to the second World War, and western Germany Leopard-1. This technology was in many ways inferior to the latest T-72, so it was decided to jointly develop combat vehicle, satisfying all requirements. The project was called MBT-70 (Main Battle Tank 70).
The MBT-70 had a 152 mm XM-150 main gun with the ability to launch guided missiles in the American version and a 120 mm Rheinmetall cannon in the German version. An additional 20 mm gun was also installed in a remotely controlled installation and, which became standard, a 7.62 machine gun. The tower had a strong slope on all sides and housed the entire crew, whose number, thanks to the automatic loader, was 3 people. The hull had a strong frontal slope, the armor was about 400 millimeters equivalent, and there was an escape hatch at the bottom of the hull. The chassis consisted of a hydropneumatic suspension, which made it possible to adjust ground clearance and tilt from the driver's seat, drive wheels at the rear, 12 road wheels and guides at the front. The engine had about 1500 hp. depending on the version, it allowed a tank weighing more than 50 tons to accelerate to 64 km/h.
The project budget was constantly growing, the parties' ideas about the future tank diverged, and as a result, West Germany decided to focus on its developments, which ultimately led them to the Leopard-2. By 1971, the Americans decided to curtail the development of the MBT-70, despite its promise, and develop their own tank, without regard to anyone. That's how Abrams came into being.
Development
The Abrams XM1 prototype was developed by Chrysler Defense. Later, in 1979, it was bought by Chrysler Defense Division. The XM1 had the L7 series 105mm cannon, which was standard at the time and was used on many tanks. This version of the vehicle entered production in 1979 under the designation Abrams M1 and, a year later, entered combat duty. The tank received modern armor, fully protected compartments for fuel and ammunition, and a powerful engine. The crew consisted of 4 people due to the lack of an automatic loader. The weight reached 67.5 tons, making the tank one of the heaviest in the world.
Modifications
After a short period of service, it became obvious that the gun did not meet the new weapons standards. Therefore, it was decided to install a Rheinmetall AG smoothbore gun, known in the USA as the M256, with a caliber of 120 millimeters. This modification of Abrams was designated M1A1 and was produced from 1986 to 1992. The tank also received chemical, biological and nuclear protection systems.
Soon the M1A2 appeared, differing from the previous modification in digital communication and guidance systems, a thermal imager and improved navigation equipment. The M1A2 SEP (optional upgrade package) brought Abrams to even higher standards, including digital maps, a more powerful on-board computer and an improved cooling system. Depleted uranium was added to the armor, and the following modifications, M1A1, M1A1D, M1A1HC. Depleted uranium braiding was also part of the advanced upgrades, while other subsequent upgrade programs produced the M1A1, M1A1D, M1A1HC and M1A2 SEP received reactive armor and the Tank Urban Survival Kit.
Design
Crew accommodation in Abrams corresponds to the usual Western standards. The driver sits in the front, in the center of the body, and has a hatch. The commander, loader and gunner are located in a turret that can rotate 360 degrees, the gunner sits in front of the commander, the loader is on the left. The commander and loader have their own hatches and protective weapons, which, thanks to the special design of the hatches, can be used directly from the turret without being exposed to return fire. The British-developed Chobham armor is used to cover critical areas such as the crew and vital systems. This is a combined armor consisting of many layers of Kevlar, ceramics, plastic and steel.
Mobility
The tank is driven by a Honeywell AGT1500C multi-fuel gas turbine engine, which transmits torque to the drive wheels using an Allison DDA X-1100-3B automatic transmission. Thanks to this combination and a thrust-to-weight ratio of 24.5 hp. per ton, a heavy vehicle accelerates to 72 km/h on the highway and up to 50 over rough terrain. The suspension is torsion bar, the range is about 460 km.
Armament
The main armament remained represented by the 120 mm M256 cannon as the main weapon. The auxiliary consists of a 12.7 mm Browning machine gun, designed to engage air targets and controlled by the commander through his turret, and two M240 7.62 mm machine guns, one coaxial with the main gun and the second on the loader's hatch on top of the turret. The twin is aimed alongside the M256, and the second can be equipped with a night vision system and additional fencing to protect the gunner from enemy fire and shrapnel.
The following types of ammunition are used: feathered armor-piercing sub-caliber M829, M829A1, M828A2, M829A3, cumulative M830, cumulative fragmentation sub-caliber M830A1, concrete-piercing high-explosive sub-caliber M908, buckshot M1028. The ammunition includes projectiles tipped with depleted uranium, which have high penetration, but due to their high cost, their quantity is limited. In addition, after their use, the harm to the crew became obvious.
Abrams in battle
A baptism of fire in the Persian Gulf showed that the Abrams could easily deal with its outdated rivals like the T-55/62. The greatest losses were from friendly fire due to the lack of identification systems. On the other hand, outdated soviet tanks did not have night vision systems and modern ammunition, and the level of training of their crews was low. So the Abrams could shoot their enemies from a distance at which they were invulnerable to return fire.
But the war in Iraq has already shown weak points, when the Abrams were hit by thin side and rear armor and were blown up by mines. But the overwhelming advantage both in crew training and in the air bore fruit and the loss ratio was again in favor of the United States.
Abrams-based vehicles
Due to its high cost and complexity, Abrams was almost never used as a chassis for various vehicles. A heavy tank bridge layer, a roller mine sweeper, an armored repair and recovery vehicle, and several other examples were created.
The tank was named after General Creighton Abrams, who was commander in Vietnam from 1968 to 1972, and was designed to replace the M60 Patton, which was also named after the general. These tanks served together for about 10 years and only then the M1 Abrams completely replaced its predecessor.
Epilogue
Is the Abrams the best tank in the world, as many sources like to call it? It has very strong armor, but only in the front, a powerful engine, but redundant, it also has huge fuel consumption and heat radiation, manual loading of the gun, the vulnerability of an external additional engine, as well as a high price, exceeding 6 million dollars. However, Abrams is already in service for a long time and is constantly being modernized and one cannot say that the tank is bad, rather it was simply created for certain needs and with a certain vision necessary qualities. Therefore, we can call it a good car for its tasks and a strong average in the world of modern
M1 Abrams is the US main battle tank. Serially produced since 1980. It is in service with the US Army and Marine Corps, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq and Australia. He is a veteran of many military conflicts: from Operation Desert Storm and peacekeeping operation UN in Somalia, before the 2003 Iraq campaign and Afghanistan. Analysis combat use tank in these conflicts caused a flurry of criticism of its combat effectiveness (especially armor), gave rise to many myths and revealed the lion's share of classified facts. Is this tank really that bad, and is its criticism fair? Let's figure it out.
The Abrams has powerful passive combined frontal armor that provides comprehensive protection against both kinetic and cumulative threats. The thickness of the frontal projection of the turret of the first M1 (1980) is 663mm (62mm outer steel plate + 500mm combined armor + 101mm rear steel plate), the hull protection is presented in the form of a 563mm dimension (similar in thickness to the rear and outer plates and 400mm composite dimensions). On subsequent modifications, starting with IPM1 (1984) and ending with M1A2SEPv2 (2008), the thickness of the frontal armor of the turret is (62 - 700 - 101) 863 mm, and the thickness of the hull is (62-500-101) 663 mm.
The effectiveness of armor fillers is different for each modification of the vehicle: m1a1 (since 1985) has a corundum ceramic filler AD92. M1A1HA (since 1988) corundum ceramics AD92 and uranoceramics UO87, (1990) M1A1HA+\D\M1A2 corundum ceramics AD95, and 2nd generation uranoceramics uo100. (since 2000) M1A2SEP\SEPv2\M1A1SA\FEP have AD95 and 3rd generation UO100 uranium ceramics with graphite coating and titanium as the lining of interchangeable armor packages instead of aluminum. Also, in addition to the main armor fillers, Kevlar, fiberglass, titanium, rubber and other materials are used to a small extent.
Indicators of resistance of fillers against various threats:
AD90 - 0.84 - 0.95 from OBPS and 1.37 from KS
AD99 - 1.13 - 1.08 from OBPS and 1.42 from KS
UO87 - 1.93 - 1.75 from OBPS and 2.9 from KS
UO100 - 2.67 - 2.4 from OBPS and 4 from KS
Resistance of frontal armor for various modifications:
M1 (1980)
TURRET: 420mm from BOPS / 800mm from KS
CASE: 380mm from BOPS / 700mm from KS
IPM1/M1A1 (1984)
TURRET: 450mm from BOPS / 900mm from KS
CASE: 470mm from BOPS / 800mm from KS
M1A1HA (1988)
TOWER: 680mm from BOPS / 1100-1320mm from KS
CASE: 630mm from BOPS / 900mm from KS
M1A1HA+/D/AIM/M1A2 (1990)
TOWER: 880-900mm from BOPS / 1310-1620mm from KS
CASE: 650mm? from BOPS / 970mm from KS
M1A2SEP/SEPv2/M1A1AIMv2/FEP (2000)
TOWER: 940-960mm from BOPS / 1310-1620mm from KS
CASE: n/a / n/a
These figures are typical for areas of the frontal projection equipped with combined armor; in addition to them, a significant part also consists of areas with simple monolithic armor and weakened areas vulnerable to enemy fire. Let's look at them too: very often it is these zones that become the object of criticism and are considered vulnerable to fire from modern PTS, let's look at each zone separately:
1) VLD and lower part of the NLD housing:
They have a thickness of 50mm in the driver’s mechanic’s area and 80mm (50mm + 30mm fuel tank protection) on both sides of the driver’s mechanic’s position. They have an inclination of 83 degrees from the vertical. At first glance, this is very weak protection, but in terms of equivalent thickness they are 360mm and 570, respectively. But nevertheless, even the translated data is extremely low for the level of protection of a modern combat vehicle.
Now let's turn to the properties of anti- tank ammunition. Let's start with armor-piercing ones: even modern OBPS have the tendency to ricochet and deviate from the trajectory when overcoming inclined obstacles.
Projectiles with an OBPS boom extension of 10:1 at a speed of 1.7 km/s ricochet at angles of 78 degrees, 15:1 - 82-83 degrees, 30:1 - 84-85 degrees. (+- 1-2g depending on the OBPS material). Thus, only the most modern OBPS will be able to avoid a ricochet, but will encounter the next obstacle with a deviation from the trajectory. Even a slight deviation of 3-4 degrees. from the direction will lead to the fact that the OBPS arrow will have to overcome twice the distance in the thickness of the armor. Thus, even a 50mm barrier can be extremely difficult to hit. HEAT projectiles and ATGM warheads also face great difficulties when colliding with an obstacle at an extremely high angle: damaging factors cumulative jets strongly depend on the angle at which the ammunition meets the target (at meeting angles that differ by more than 30 degrees from the normal, the jet may be reflected from the obstacle, dissipated, and deflected). When contacting armor at such an extreme angle of 83 degrees, about half of the material of the cumulative jet will dissipate into the air from the obstacle, the remaining part will enter the armor, deviating several degrees from the direction, as a result of which penetration can drop by 3 - 4 times. At this angle, it is also obvious that the first thing to come into contact with the armor will not be the head part and the contact fuse, but the side of the ATGM or KS; this will cause deformation of the cumulative funnel, its detonation at an unplanned point and, as a result, the impossibility of forming a cumulative jet. (Only for warheads with contact detonation and its location in the front part).
2) The upper frontal sheet of the turret, covering the roof up to the commander’s and loader’s hatches:
has a thickness of 70mm, located at an angle of 84-85 degrees (properties are similar to (1)).
3) gun mantlet:
It is also considered a vulnerable area of the Abrams. Russian analysts estimate its durability from 250mm to 300 against OBPS and KS. The smallest thickness to the gun is about 550mm, the greatest - about 70mm. Consists of 2 parts shown in the photo. The outer one has replaceable packages with corundum and uranium ceramics, the rear one is hypothetically represented exclusively by monolithic steel armor, it is not denied that it also has packages with replaceable armor. Behind the gun mantlet, the armor is presented in the form of about 300mm of solid steel with a mechanism for attaching, rotating and stabilizing the gun in the vertical plane. The hypothetical resistance of this area of the frontal projection is estimated at 850-900mm from OBPS and 1100-1200mm from KS (provided that the rear part of the gun mantlet consists of monolithic rolled steel of medium hardness).
WEAK AREAS!:
Occupies 8.9% of the frontal projection.
1) A cutout in the gun mask for the driver’s mechanic’s head (thickness about 300mm).
2) The cutout between the hull and the turret: represented by the lower frontal part of the turret, going to the shoulder strap (the thickness gradually decreases from 850mm to 300mm.
RESERVATION OF SIDE PROJECTION
FRAME:
In the driver's mechanic's area, up to the BO, there is a 70mm onboard anti-cumulative shield + 25mm of the main armor with a welded 30mm sheet going to a little further than the middle of the BO + 30mm of the fuel tank armor.
In the area of the side, up to 1/3 of its part is similar (anti-cumulative shields fall in thickness to 6.5mm - 30mm additional sheet) in the MTO area there is 25mm of the main armor and a 6.5mm anti-cumulative shield.
As practice shows, up to and including the weakened zone near the MTO, the armor effectively resists the fire of 30mm cannons and old modifications of the RPG7; in the weakened rear part, the armor is vulnerable to fire from 14.5mm machine guns and the very first RPGs.
Ru/uploads/posts/2013-01/1359032111_iykkq2_p6cc.jpg
It has a thickness from 450mm to 500mm in different areas. The physical thickness on the starboard side is 450 mm, on the left side 450 in the area of the ammunition stowage, towards the frontal armor it increases to (500? mm).
COMPOSITION: 30mm outer plate of rolled armor steel of medium hardness, 20mm air gap, 3x19mm plates of uranoceramic filler between 2 rubber gaskets in titanium matrices, also a 19mm gap between the plates. Next comes 180mm air and a 120mm rear steel plate. The resistance of the latest modifications of the Abrams is 240-250mm from OBPS. At an angle of 60 degrees, it can withstand a hit from a Russian OBPS 3bm32 from 2000m and a hit from a 3bm42 from 1000m. From cumulative, taking into account the effects of 3 uranium plates on the jet, as well as a spaced design with air gaps + correction for the angle of inclination, durability is about 400mm. (takes only RPG7VL (500mm) and tandem (650mm) as well as RPG29 "vampire" (650mm), RPG22 (440mm) and RPG32 (650mm).. for the rest of the range of ammunition RPG7, RPG18, RPG22 such an obstacle is too tough. At the side the tower in the BC area has a different filler. Instead of an external 30mm steel plate, there is an aluminum plate several millimeters thick, and in the air gap between the package and the rear plate there is another package of plates at a large angle. The total resistance is about 300mm from OBPS and 500mm from KS. taking into account the spare parts boxes, we add another 5 millimeters from armor-piercing ones and 50-100 millimeters from ks. In this place, the protection is even more powerful. Also, to protect the side projections, it is possible to install ARAT (for the hull) and ARAT2 (for the hull and turret) dynamic protection complexes. increases the anti-cumulative protection of the Abrams side projections.
ROOF AND BOTTOM RESERVATION
The hull roof armor up to the ammunition is 50mm and 80mm, the turret roof protection up to the hatches is 70mm and 35mm up to the ammunition rack, the thickness of the ejection panels and the armor covering the MTO is even smaller. Such protection is questionable against cluster ammunition with cumulative subelements. Bottom armor - 80mm 50 and 20, depending on the area, it is possible to install a V-shaped 12.7mm sheet for additional mine protection.
ADDITIONAL PROTECTION
1) Frontal fuel tanks, built into the protection system, have a wall thickness of 30mm, increasing the resistance of the frontal and side projection. In addition, the fuel itself has the property of extinguishing the characteristics of a cumulative jet by up to 40-45% compared to a steel barrier, and armor-piercing by 10-15%. The fuel tanks inside are designed in the form of a honeycomb. With a frontal penetration, fire is impossible due to insufficient oxygen supply. Only penetration into the side projection can lead to a fire.
2) Protective walls separating ammunition, fuel and supplies from the crew increase their chances of survival.
3) Large armor volume over 19 m, minimizes the effectiveness of the armor impact of ammunition that has penetrated the armor. The armor design minimizes the destructive effect of the fragmentation field of cumulative and kinetic ammunition after penetration.
4) Personal protective equipment for the crew: wearing body armor with ceramic plates and Kevlar helmets is mandatory.
5) Fire extinguishing system.
In 1963, the United States, together with Germany, began developing the MVT-70 tank, intended to replace the M60 tanks. The experimental model had a general layout with a crew of three in the turret, missile and gun armament with Shilella guided missiles, an automatic loader, a 20-mm automatic retractable gun, hydropneumatic suspension, stabilized shooting and observation devices and other new devices for that time technical solutions.
As a result of the tests, disagreements arose between the partners regarding the main armament of the tank, as well as its size and weight. In addition, the cost of the car turned out to be five times higher than the design cost. In 1974, Germany refused further participation in the program, and the US Congress reduced funding for the development of the MVT-70 tank and its simplified version XM803.
In 1973, the US Army entered into contracts with Chrysler and General Motors to create a new tank, called the XM1. In 1976, based on the results of comparative tests of tanks from both companies and the experimental German Leopard-2AV tank, the Chrysler model was chosen to equip the US Army.
At the end of February 1980, the first production tank, manufactured at the tank plant in Lima (Ohio), was transferred to the army. It was officially named the M1 Abrams in honor of General Abrams, who commanded armored formations in World War II and a group of US armed forces during the Vietnam War. The turret was marked with the inscription “THUNDERBOLT” (lightning strike), which was on General Abrams’ tanks during the Second World War. Let's take a closer look at the design features of the modernized M1A1 tank.
Layout
Made in accordance with the traditional scheme. The driver is located in the control compartment on the longitudinal axis of the tank hull and, with the hatch closed, controls its movement in a reclining position. The driver enters the tank through his hatch with the gun turned toward the stern. It does not have an emergency exit hatch. To the right and left of the driver’s workplace, there are two fuel tanks in armored compartments.
The tank commander and gunner are located in the fighting compartment to the right of the gun, and the loader is located to the left of it, on a rotating seat. For the first time in foreign tank construction, a modular design of the tank commander’s workplace was used with the installation of a seat and main controls on a rising platform to ensure his actions in the “combat” and “travelling” positions.
The fighting compartment occupies a volume of 10.4 cubic meters. m in the middle part of the tank. The 120 mm gun has a barrel length of 5593 mm, that is, it exceeds the length of the 105 mm gun by only 246 mm. This made it possible to install it in the turret of the M1A1 tank without significant structural alterations. The main part of the gun's ammunition is located in the rear niche of the turret.
The engine compartment has a volume of 6.8 cubic meters. m with a longitudinally located gas turbine engine is located in the aft part and is isolated from the fighting compartment by a sealed partition. About one third of the MTO volume is occupied by aft fuel tanks.
Firepower
The main armament of the M1A1 tank is the 120-mm M256 smoothbore gun, developed in Germany for the Leopard-2 tank and manufactured in the USA under license with small design changes. The gun barrel is made of high-alloy steel of electroslag remelting.
The inner surface of the barrel tube is strengthened by autofrettage. The barrel is designed for a maximum pressure of powder gases of 7100 kgf/sq. cm, which allows us to have a reserve for improving tank ammunition, since currently the pressure value when fired reaches 6300 kgf/sq. cm. The survivability of the barrel is at least 500 shots.
To replace the barrel tube in the field, a quick-release connection to the breech is provided. Mounting and dismantling of the gun during repairs is carried out through the loader's hatch. The gun is equipped with a heat-protective casing and differs from the German 120-mm gun by an ejector made of steel and plastic.
Recoil devices consist of two symmetrically located hydraulic recoil brakes and a hydropneumatic knurler. A collimation device is attached to the muzzle of the barrel to align the gunner's sight.
The gun's ammunition consists of 40 unitary shots with partially combustible cartridges, of which 34 are located behind opening armored partitions in the rear niche of the turret, and the rest are in the ammunition stowage at the bottom of the fighting compartment.
The gun is loaded manually; a cartridge case collector is installed on the floor of the fighting compartment under the gun. After the shot, the used cartridge case is sent to a closed box with a revolving lid, which prevents crew members from coming into contact with the hot cartridge case.
For firing from a cannon, armor-piercing sub-caliber projectiles M827 (with a tungsten alloy core) or M829 (solid-body made of uranium alloy), as well as cumulative fragmentation projectiles M830 can be used. If necessary, it is possible to fire German shells intended for the gun of the Leopard-2 tank.
Fire from a cannon can be fired not only by the gunner, but also by the tank commander, who uses the gunner's sight attachment as day and night sights. The sight's field of view has independent stabilization in the vertical plane. In addition, the commander has a sight for firing a 12.7 mm anti-aircraft machine gun. In the dual fire control mode, the commander uses a removable handle with an extended cable and buttons for the laser rangefinder, electric trigger and the gunner's fire control selection key.
The gunner's main sight is combined with a laser rangefinder and has a thermal imaging channel for shooting at night. The sight's field of view also has independent vertical stabilization. The range measurement range of the laser rangefinder is 200-8000 meters, and the night vision range is up to 2000 meters. In addition to the main sight, the gunner has an auxiliary telescopic sight.
The tank is equipped with a weapon stabilizer with an electro-hydraulic guidance drive and an electronic digital ballistic computer. Taking into account the experience of battles in the Middle East, to reduce the fire hazard, a special working fluid with high temperature ignition. The tank has an automatic control system for the operation of fire control devices, structurally combined with a ballistic computer.
As auxiliary weapons, a 7.62 mm machine gun coaxial with the cannon, a 12.7 mm anti-aircraft machine gun with remote control from the commander, and a 7.62 mm anti-aircraft machine gun on a swivel for the loader are used. The ammunition for the machine guns consists of 1000 rounds of 12.7 mm caliber and 9400 rounds of 7.62 mm caliber.
Security
The tank's hull and turret are welded; their frontal parts are thick and have large angles of inclination (up to 83 degrees). The armor protection of the frontal part of the hull and turret consists of multi-layer combined barriers. Its design includes components of armor developed in the UK called Chobham. In 1988, troops stationed in Germany began to receive M1A1 tanks with armor protection, strengthened by the use of depleted uranium in the frontal parts of the hull and turret in the armor structures. The weight of the tank with this armor increased to 59 tons.
To reduce the armor effect of enemy shells, the gun's ammunition in the turret niche is located behind the armored partition, and ejection panels are provided in the turret roof. The protection of the sides of the hull is reinforced with multilayer anti-cumulative screens 70 mm thick.
To camouflage the tank, TDA, two 66-mm English six-barreled smoke grenade launchers installed outside on the sides of the turret, and deforming paint are used. In addition, a number of measures have been taken to reduce thermal radiation.
Fast acting automatic system PPO with infrared sensors and fire extinguishing agent "Halon 1301" is capable of preventing fire and explosion when armor is penetrated. The system has a manual autonomous drive, the switch for which is located outside on the left side of the housing.
The tank uses a combined system of protection against weapons of mass destruction with manual activation. It consists of a FVU, a degassing unit, a radiometer, a chemical warfare agent detector and an air conditioner. The FVU provides excess pressure in the habitable compartments and individual distribution of purified air to crew members. The collective protection system can only function when the engine is running and the tank is sealed. In other cases, personal protection (gas masks) must be used.
Mobility
The tank has an AGT-1500 gas turbine engine with a stationary heat exchanger installed in a single unit with the transmission and service systems. Short-term (up to 20 engine hours) operation of the gas turbine engine on motor gasoline is allowed. The engine can only be started using an electric starter. It takes one hour to replace a power unit weighing 3,783 kg.
The X-1100-3B double-flow hydromechanical transmission consists of a single-reactor complex hydraulic transmission with a locking clutch, a planetary gearbox, a differential type turning mechanism, a hydrostatic transmission in an additional drive, as well as two final drives.
The planetary gearbox with three degrees of freedom has automatic shifting of the three highest gears. To control the rotation of the tank, a T-shaped motorcycle-type steering wheel is used. The driver's panel is equipped with built-in equipment for diagnosing the functioning of the power unit and its systems. Oil pump transmission driven by its output shaft ensures turning and braking of the tank when towing.
The suspension system uses a torsion bar suspension with lever-blade hydraulic shock absorbers at 1, 2 and 7 nodes. The design of the suspension makes it possible to remove a damaged torsion shaft without dismantling the support roller on the opposite side of the tank.
The road wheels of the M1 and M1A1 tanks are interchangeable. The idler wheel, unified with the support roller, has a hydraulic crank mechanism for tensioning the track. The design features of the caterpillar with RMS are rubber-coated treadmill and removable rubber cushions, and to increase cross-country ability, spurs are installed.
The tank is equipped with equipment for fording depths of up to 2.36 meters. The installation of two air supply pipes on the left side of the hull near the turret and an exhaust pipe at the rear of the hull limits the rotation of the turret to the right. The use of the OPVT kit allows the M1A1 tank to overcome water obstacles up to four meters deep.
The tank is equipped with an ultra-short wave telephone simplex radio station AN/VRC-12 with a frequency range of 30 - 76 MHz. An autonomous power unit with a gas turbine engine with a power of 18.4 kW (25 hp) and a generator with a power of 10 kW ensures the operation of the weapon system and recharges the batteries when the tank engine is not running.
Mileage up to overhaul installed 9600 kilometers. It is possible to install a roller mine sweeper or a tank bulldozer on a tank (M1 series). An ARV and a tank bridge laying vehicle were created on the basis of the M1 tank.
Modifications of the M1 Abrams tank
M1 (1980)- a basic model, armed with a 105 mm rifled cannon.
M1E1 (1981) — prototype, which differed from the M1 by the installation of a 120-mm XM256 smoothbore gun, the presence of three knockout panels on the turret roof, and additional armoring of the turret by welding one package (of three armor plates) from the outside on the front side plates of the turret to the right and left of the gun. An additional armor plate was welded on the upper frontal part of the hull.
M1A1 (1985)- modernized sample. The main differences from the M1 tank are: the installation of a 120-mm M256 smoothbore gun manufactured under a German license; the grid divisions of the field of view of the gunner's and commander's sights, as well as the ballistic computer, were rebuilt to the ballistics of a 120 mm gun; The gun's ammunition capacity was reduced from 55 to 40 rounds; The ammunition load of the coaxial machine gun has been reduced from 4800 to 2800 rounds; two knockout panels of the same size are mounted on the roof of the tower instead of three; the use of depleted uranium in the armor materials from which the frontal parts of the hull and turret are made; introduction, in addition to individual protection, of a system of collective protection, ensuring the creation overpressure inside habitable compartments with the engine running; the gear ratio in the final drives was changed from 4.30 to 4.67; increased reliability of the transmission and chassis; The tank's weight increased by 2.6 tons.
M1A2 (1994)- modernized sample. The main differences from the M1A1 tank are: the use of a carbon dioxide laser rangefinder; installation of a commander’s thermal imaging sight with two displays and a driver’s thermal imaging device; equipping the tank with an information and control system and navigation equipment; use of built-in dynamic protection of the turret and strengthening of the armor protection of the hull roof.
The tank information and control system consists of subsystems for battle control, fire control, protection and camouflage control, traffic control and diagnostics. It expands the capabilities of a tank or unit commander to search, detect and recognize targets, as well as organize interaction and control in battle.
Production and export supplies
Serial production began in 1980 at the state tank plant (Lima, Ohio), and in 1982 at the Detroit Arsenal tank plant (Warren, Michigan). In 1982, General Dynamics Corporation acquired the right to lease these plants. Since August 1985, these factories have produced only M1A1 tanks armed with a 120 mm cannon. Production of these tanks ceased in 1993. A total of 3,268 M1 tanks and 3,546 M1A1 tanks were produced. During 1992-93, 62 M1A2 tanks were manufactured.
More than a thousand private enterprises were involved in the production of M1 series tanks. For example, the engine is manufactured by the aviation company AVKO-Lyco-ming (Stratford, Connecticut), the transmission by Allison (Indianapolis, Indiana), the 120-mm cannon by the Waterflight Arsenal (New York). York), fire control system devices - by Hughes (El Segundo, California), weapons stabilizer - by General Electric (Pittsfield, Massachusetts).
In 1988, a joint agreement was signed between the United States and Egypt to organize the assembly and joint production of 555 M1A1 tanks over ten years. Production of tanks began in 1992 at plant No. 200 in Abu Zaabal near Cairo. Saudi Arabia is purchasing M1A2 tanks to replace French-made AMX-30S tanks in its armed forces.
Specifications:
- Crew 4
Weight, kg 69540
Length, mm 9480
Width, mm 2290
Height, mm 3528
Maximum speed on the highway, km/h 67
Engine power, hp (kW) 1500
Cruising range on the highway, km 450
Specific power, hp/t 21.6
Number of forward gears 4
Number of reverse gears 2
Weapons:
Caliber anti-aircraft gun, mm 12.7
Main gun caliber, mm 120
Possible installation of anti-aircraft missiles short range
Main gun ammunition, pcs. 40
Anti-aircraft gun ammunition, pcs. 1000
Auxiliary gun ammunition, pcs. 12400
Elevation angle, maximum, degrees 20
Declination angle, minimum, degrees -10
Horizontal guidance angle, 360 degrees
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