Tankopedia
Late Cold WarMBTMain Battle TankUnited States

M1 Abrams

In service 1980 - in service today

Composite armour, a gas turbine and a thermal-sighted fire-control system made it the benchmark Western tank of the 1990s.

Built byChrysler Defense / General Dynamics Land Systems

M1 Abrams
M1A2 SEP v3 — Spc. Kali Ecton, via Wikimedia Commons · Public domain

Development history

The Abrams emerged from the collapse of the joint US-German MBT-70 programme with a focus on crew survivability: blow-out ammunition compartments, separated fuel and spall liners. Its gas turbine gives ferocious acceleration and quiet running at the cost of enormous fuel consumption and a hungry logistics tail. In 1991 its thermal sights and 120 mm gun destroyed Iraqi armour at ranges where the enemy could not even see them.

Variants

One canonical record, 6 recorded variants.

  1. M1

    1980

    105 mm M68 gun, Burlington-type composite armour.

  2. IPM1

    1984

    Improved turret armour and transmission.

  3. M1A1

    1985

    120 mm M256 smoothbore, NBC overpressure system.

  4. M1A1HA

    1988

    Depleted uranium mesh armour package.

  5. M1A2 SEP

    1999

    Commander independent thermal viewer, digital battlefield systems.

  6. M1A2 SEPv3 / TUSK

    2017

    New armour, auxiliary power, urban survivability kit.

Notable actions

  • Gulf War (1991)
  • Battle of 73 Easting (1991)
  • Iraq War (2003-11)
  • Russo-Ukrainian War (2023-)