M1A2 Abrams (Main battle tank) – 1174

In service: 1980-present

Designer: Chrysler Defense (now General Dynamics Land Systems)

Designed: 1972-79

Manufacturer:

Lima Army Tank Plant (since 1980);

Detroit Arsenal Tank Plant (1982-1996)

Unit cost: $8.58 million (with inflation adjustment)

Produced: 1979-present

Number built: 9,000+

Specifications

Weight: 62 t

Length:

Gun forward – 9.77 m;

Hull length – 7.93 m

Width: 3.66 m

Height: 2.44 m

Crew: 4 (commander, gunner, loader, driver)

Armor – depleted uranium mesh-reinforced composite armor:

Hull – 600 mm vs APFSDS, 700 mm vs HEAT;

Turret – 800 mm vs APFSDS, 1,300 mm vs HEAT

Main armament: 120 mm L/44 M256A1 smoothbore gun (42 rounds)

Secondary armament:

1× Browning .50-caliber (12.7 mm) M2HB heavy machine gun with 900 rounds;

2× 7.62 mm M240 machine guns with 10,400 rounds (1 pintle-mounted, 1 coaxial)

Engine: Honeywell AGT1500C multi-fuel turbine engine, 1,500 shp (1,120 kW)

Power/weight: From 20.05 kW/t to 17.74 kW/t

Transmission: Allison DDA X-1100-3B

Suspension: High-hardness-steel torsion bars with rotary shock absorbers

Ground clearance: 0.43 m

Fuel capacity: 1,900 L

Operational range: 426 km

Speed:

Road – 67 km/h (governed);

Off-road – 40 km/h

System Enhancement Package

M1A2SEP has upgraded third-generation depleted uranium armor components with graphite coating.

Tank Urban Survival Kit

The TUSK is a series of improvements to the M1 Abrams intended to improve fighting ability in urban environments.

M1A3

Under development, with prospective prototypes by 2014, operational by 2017. Improvements are to include a lighter 120 mm gun, added road wheels with improved suspension, a more durable track, lighter armor, long-range precision armaments, and infrared camera and laser detectors. A new internal computer system is also desired, with current wiring replaced by fiber-optic lines that could decrease weight by some two tons.