M1 Abrams, Main Battle Tank, US Army

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The M1 Abrams is a main battle tank produced in the United States. The M1 is named after General Creighton Abrams, former Army Chief of Staff and Commander of US military forces in Vietnam from 1968 to 1972. The M1 Abrams is a well armed, heavily armored, and highly mobile tank designed for modern armored ground warfare. Notable features of the M1 Abrams include the use of a powerful gas turbine engine, the adoption of sophisticated composite armor, and separate ammunition storage in a blow-out compartment for crew safety. M1 Abrams is one of the heaviest tanks in service, weighing in at close to 68 short tons.

Weight	67.6 short tons (61.4 metric tons)
Length	Gun forward: 32.04 ft (9.77 m) Hull length: 26.02 ft (7.93 m)
Width	12 ft (3.66 m)
Height	8 ft (2.44 m)
Crew	4 (commander, gunner, loader, driver)

Armor	Chobham, RHA, steel encased depleted uranium mesh plating
Primary armament	105 mm M68 rifled cannon (M1) 120 mm M256 smoothbore cannon (M1A1, M1A2, M1A2SEP)
Secondary armament	1 x .50-caliber (12.7 mm) M2HB heavy machine gun 2 x M240 7.62 mm machine guns (1 pintle-mounted, 1 coaxial)
Engine	Honeywell AGT1500C multi-fuel turbine engine 1500 hp (1119 kW)
Power/weight	24.5 hp/metric ton
Transmission	Allison DDA X-1100-3B
Suspension	Torsion bar
Ground clearance	0.48 m (M1, M1A1) 0.43 m (M1A2)
Operational range	289 mi (465.29 km) With NBC system: 279 mi (449.19 km)
Speed	Road: 42 mph (67.7 km/h) Off-road: 30 mph (48.3 km/h)

The M1 Abrams entered U.S. service in 1980, replacing the 105 mm gun, full tracked M60 Patton main battle tank. Three main versions of the M1 Abrams have been deployed, the M1, M1A1, and M1A2, incorporating improved armament, protection and electronics. These improvements, as well as periodic upgrades to older tanks have allowed this long-serving vehicle to remain in front-line service. It is the principal main battle tank of the United States Army and Marine Corps, and the armies of Egypt, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and since 2007, Australia.