![]() ![]() In September, Desobry convinced the Army to incorporate the new armor. The armor performed exceptionally against shaped charges such as HEAT rounds. In spring 1962, Desobry was briefed by the British on their own newly developed "Burlington" armor from the British Army's labs. The task force prepared design studies with the technical support of Tank-automotive and Armaments Command (TACOM). The Main Battle Tank Task Force was established under Major General William Desobry. The Army began the XM815 project in January 1972. Congress canceled the XM803 in December 1971 but permitted the Army to reallocate remaining funds to develop a new main battle tank. The Army's changes were insufficient to allay concerns about the tank's cost. ![]() Army began work on an austere version of the MBT-70 called the XM803. Development of the tank continued on an austere basis until January 1970, when the DoD and Germany ended their partnership. By 1969, the unit cost stood at five times the original estimates, causing the Department of Defense to suspend the program. While the design was highly capable, its weight continued to grow, as did its budget. ![]() The American version used a 152 mm gun whose primary long-range weapon was the Shillelagh missile. New 1,500 hp (1,100 kW) engines powered the designs which could both reach 43 miles per hour (69 km/h). A hydropneumatic suspension provided improved cross-country ride quality and also allowed the entire tank to be raised or lowered by the driver. The resulting design, the MBT-70, incorporated new technologies across the board. The overall goal was to have a single new design with improved firepower to handle new Soviet tanks like the T-62, while providing improved protection against the T-62's new 115 mm smoothbore gun and especially high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) rounds. Through the 1960s the US Army and Bundeswehr had collaborated on a single design that would replace both the M60 tank and the Leopard 1. service, while Iraqi Abrams tanks have seen action in the war against the Islamic State and have seen use by Saudi Arabia during the Yemeni Civil War. The Abrams was first used in combat in the Gulf War and has seen combat in both the War in Afghanistan and Iraq War under U.S. The export version is used by the armies of Egypt, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Australia, Poland and Iraq. The M1 Abrams entered service in 1980 and serves as the main battle tank of the United States Army and formerly of the United States Marine Corps (USMC). Army service by the XM1202 Mounted Combat System, but since that project was cancelled, the Army has opted to continue maintaining and operating the M1 series for the foreseeable future by upgrading with improved optics, armor, and firepower. There are three main operational Abrams versions, the M1, M1A1, and M1A2, with each new iteration seeing improvements in armament, protection, and electronics. The M1 Abrams was developed from the failure of the MBT-70 project to replace the obsolete M60 tank. Initial models of the M1 were armed with a 105 mm M68 gun, while later variants feature a license-produced Rheinmetall 120 mm L/44 designated M256. Conceived for modern armored ground warfare and now one of the heaviest tanks in service at nearly 68 short tons (62 metric tons), it introduced several modern technologies to US armored forces, including a multifuel turbine engine, sophisticated Chobham composite armor, a computer fire control system, separate ammunition storage in a blowout compartment, and NBC protection for crew safety. The M1 Abrams ( / ˈ eɪ b r ə m z/) is a third-generation American main battle tank designed by Chrysler Defense (now General Dynamics Land Systems) and named for General Creighton Abrams. US$6.21 million (M1A2 / FY99) Estimated in 2016 as US$8.92 million (with inflation adjustment) Army M1A2 Abrams with production TUSK explosive reactive armor package installedĬhrysler Defense (now General Dynamics Land Systems) ![]()
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