M1 ABRAMS

The 'M1 Abrams' main battle tank is the principal combat tank of the United States Army and the United States Marine Corps, with three main versions being deployed starting in 1980: the 'M1', 'M1A1', and 'M1A2'. The latest versions of the M1A2 have a new armor and electronics package. It is named after General Creighton Abrams, former Army Chief of Staff and commander of the Army's 37th Armored Regiment.
The M1 Abrams replaced the M60 Patton in U.S. service, as well as the M48A5. It did, however, serve alongside the M60A3, which had entered service just two years before the M1 (in 1978), for over a decade. The Abrams is also the main battle tank of other nations such as Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

Contents

Background

Development

Design features

Armor

Armament

Main armament

Secondary armament

Aiming

Mobility

Combat history

Operation Desert Storm

List of ''Abrams'' disabled or damaged in Desert Storm

Iraq 2003–

Variants and upgrades

Specifications of variants

Tank Urban Survival Kit for M1A2

M1 Abrams Camouflage

Operators

See also

Notes

References

External links

Background

The first attempt to replace the aging M60 series of tanks was the abortive MBT-70, developed with Germany. The M60 Patton was itself a gradual evolution of a design starting with the World War II era M26 Pershing, with a very tall profile, and fairly average armor and weapon compared to the contemporary Soviet designs. The MBT-70 was very ambitious, like many American weapons programs of the 1960s. It had a gun launched missile system, kneeling suspension, a driver housed in the turret, and various other ideas that ultimately proved unsuccessful. Cancellation of this project paved the way for the much more successful M1 Abrams tank, which did not incorporate most of the troublesome innovations tried by the MBT-70.

Development

The 'M1' Abrams was designed by Chrysler Defense (in 1979, General Dynamics Land Systems Division purchased Chrysler Defense Division) and is currently produced by General Dynamics Corporation in Lima, Ohio, and first entered US Army service in 1980. An improved version of the M1, the 'M1A1', was introduced in 1985. The M1A1 has the M256 120 mm smoothbore cannon developed by Rheinmetall AG of Germany for the Leopard 2, improved armor, and a CBRN protection system. The 'M1A2' is a further improvement of the M1A1 with a commander's independent thermal viewer and weapon station, position navigation equipment, digital data bus and a radio interface unit.
Further upgrades include depleted uranium armor for all variants, a system overhaul that returns all A1s to like-new condition (M1A1 AIM), a digital enhancement package for the A1 (M1A1D), a commonality program to standardize parts between the U.S. Army and the Marine Corps (M1A1HC) and an electronic upgrade for the A2 (M1A2 SEP).
During Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm and for Bosnia, some M1A1s were modified with armor upgrades. The M1 can be equipped with mine plow and mine roller attachments if needed. The M1 chassis also serves as a basis for the Grizzly combat engineering vehicle and the M104 Wolverine heavy assault bridge.
Over 8,800 M1 and M1A1 tanks have been produced at a cost of $2,350,000–$4,300,000 per unit, depending on the variant.

Design features

Armor

The Abrams is protected by Chobham armor, a type of composite armor formed by multiple layers of steel and ceramics. It may also be fitted with reactive armor if needed (as in the Urban Survival Kit). Fuel and ammunition are in armored compartments with blowout panels to protect the crew from the risk of the tank's own ammunition cooking off if the tank is damaged. Protection against spalling is provided by a Kevlar liner. Beginning in 1988, M1A1 tanks received improved armor packages that incorporated depleted uranium (DU) mesh in their armor at the front of the turret and the front of the hull. Armor reinforced in this manner offers significantly increased resistance towards all types of anti-tank weaponry, but at the expense of adding considerable weight to the tank.
The first M1A1 tanks to receive this upgrade were tanks stationed in Germany, since they were the first line of defense against the Soviet Union. US tankers participating in Operation Desert Storm received an emergency program to upgrade their tanks with depleted uranium armor immediately before the onset of the campaign. M1A2 tanks uniformly incorporate depleted uranium armor, and all M1A1 tanks in active service have been upgraded to this standard as well, the armor thickness believed to be equivalent to 24 inches (610 mm) of RHA. The strength of the armor is estimated to be about the same as similar western, contemporary main battle tanks such as the Leopard 2. The M1A1/M1A2 can survive multiple hits from the most powerful tank munitions (including 120 mm depleted uranium APFSDS) and anti-tank missiles. In the Persian Gulf War, Abrams tanks survived multiple hits at relatively close ranges from Iraqi T-72s and ATGMs. M829A1 "Silver Bullet" APFSDS rounds from other M1A1 Abrams were unable to penetrate the front and side armor (even at close ranges) in friendly fire incidents as well as an incident in which another Abrams tried to destroy an Abrams that got stuck in mud and had to be abandoned.
In addition to the Abrams' advanced armor, some Abrams, most notably M1A1s of the US Marine Corps, are equipped with a Missile Countermeasure Device that can detect and jam the guidance systems of laser-guided anti-tank guided missiles (ATGM)[1]. This device is mounted on the turret roof in front of the Loader's hatch, and can lead some people to mistake Abrams fitted with these devices for the M1A2 version, since the Commander's Independent Thermal Viewer on the latter is mounted in the same place, though the MCD is box-shaped and fixed in place as opposed to cylindrical and rotating like the CITV.
Nevertheless the Army says 80 Abrams have been damaged so badly they had to be shipped back to the United States and at least 5 soldiers have been killed inside the tanks when they hit roadside bombs. One such incident including a IED of 500kg of explosives (including 155mm artillery rounds) triggered by an anti-tank mine. Additionally at least 10 more have died while riding partially exposed from open hatches, according to figures from the Army's Armor Center at Fort Knox, KY.

Armament

Main armament

;M68A1 rifled gun
The main armament of the original model M1 was the M68A1 105 mm rifled tank gun firing a variety of HEAT, high explosive, white phosphorus (smoke), and a highly efficient and lethal anti-personnel (multiple flechette) round. This gun is a license-built version of the British Royal Ordnance L7 gun. While being a reliable weapon, the 105 mm was becoming obsolete in the face of advances in armor technology, which meant that a better tank gun was needed for the M1.
;M256 smoothbore gun

The main armament of the M1A1 and M1A2 is the M256 120 mm smoothbore gun, designed by Rheinmetall AG of Germany. The M256 is a variant of the Rheinmetall 120 mm L/44 gun manufactured under license in the United States by General Dynamics Land Systems Division in their plant in Lima, Ohio. It is the same armament carried by the German Leopard 2 tank up to the version A5 until replaced by the longer L/55 gun in version A6.
Rounds like the M829A2 were developed specifically to address the threats posed by a T-90 or T-80U tank, given their high level of protection provided the tanks by kontakt-5 Explosive Reactive Armor, and high explosive anti-tank (HEAT) shaped charge rounds such as the M830, the latest version of which (M830A1) incorporates a sophisticated multi-mode electronic sensing fuse and more fragmentation which allows it to be used effectively against both armored vehicles and personnel and low-flying aircraft. Unlike the Soviet-built tanks it was designed to go up against, the Abrams uses a manual loader rather than an automatic device, due to the belief that having a person reload the gun is faster and more reliable. This decision was proven out as the Soviet-era automatic loading system proved troublesome and even dangerous to the tank crew in some cases.
The new M1028 120 mm anti-personnel canister cartridge was brought into service early for use in the aftermath of the 2003 invasion of Iraq. It contains 1,150 ten-millimeter tungsten shot projectiles which spread from the muzzle to produce a shotgun effect lethal out to 500 m. The tungsten balls can be used to clear enemy dismounts, break up hasty ambush sites in urban areas, clear defiles, stop infantry attacks and counter-attacks and support friendly infantry assaults by providing cover-by-fire.
In addition to this, the new MRM-KE (Mid-Range-Munition Kinetic Energy) is also in development. Essentially a cannon-fired guided round, it has a range of roughly 12 km and uses a KE warhead which is rocket assisted in its final phase of flight. This is intended to be the best penetrator yet, an improvement over the US 3rd generation DU penetrator (estimated penetration 790 mm).

Secondary armament

The Abrams tank has three machine guns:
# A .50 cal. (12.7 mm) M2 machine gun in front of the commander's hatch. On the M1, M1IP and M1A1, this gun is on a powered mount and can be fired using a 3× magnification sight, known as the Commander's Weapon Station (CWS for short), while the vehicle is buttoned up. On the M1A2 & M1A2SEP, this gun is on a flex mount (seen at right), the Commander having to expose himself to fire the weapon manually. With the forthcoming TUSK addon kit, an M2 or an Mk 19 grenade launcher can be mounted on the CROWS remote weapons platform (similar to the Protector M151 remote weapon station used on the Stryker family of vehicles).
# A 7.62 mm M240 machine gun in front of the loader's hatch on a skate mount.
# A 7.62 mm M240 machine gun in a coaxial mount. The coaxial MG is aimed and fired with the computer fire control system used for the main gun.
The turret is fitted with two six-barreled smoke grenade launchers (USMC Abrams use an eight-barreled version). These can create a thick smoke that blocks both vision and thermal imaging, and can also be armed with chaff. The engine is also equipped with a smoke generator that is triggered by the driver. The Abrams also has provisions for storing an M16 rifle or M4 carbine inside the turret in case the crew is required to leave the tank under potentially hostile conditions; while the crewmen are supplied with the M9 Beretta pistol as a personal sidearm.

Aiming

The Abrams is equipped with a ballistic fire-control computer that uses data from a variety of sources, including the thermal or daylight Gunner's Primary Sight (GPS), a laser rangefinder, a crosswind sensor, a pendulum static cant sensor, data on the ammunition type, ammunition temperature, and a muzzle reference sensor (MRS) that determines barrel drop due to gravity and temperature. The fire-control system uses this data to compute a firing solution for the gunner. The ballistic solution generated ensures a hit percentage greater than 95 percent at nominal ranges. Either the commander or gunner can fire the main gun. Additionally, the Commander's Independent Thermal Viewer (CITV) on the M1A2 can be used to locate targets and pass them on for the gunner to engage while the commander scans for new targets. In the event of a malfunction or damage to the primary sight system, the main and coaxial weapons can be manually aimed using a telescopic scope boresighted to the main gun known as the Gunner's Auxiliary Sight (GAS). The GAS has two interchangeable reticles; one for HEAT and one for APFSDS ammunition. The commander's M2 .50 caliber machine gun on the M1 and M1A1 is aimed by a 3x magnification sight incorporated into the Commander's Weapon Station (CWS), while the M1A2 uses either the machine gun's own iron sights, or a remote aiming system such as the CROWS system when used as part of the TUSK kit. The loader's M240 machine gun is aimed either with the built-in iron sights or with a thermal scope mounted on the machine gun.

Mobility

The M1 Abrams is powered by a 1500 hp (1119 kW) Honeywell AGT1500 (originally made by Lycoming) gas turbine, and a six speed (four forward, two reverse) Allison X-1100-3B Hydro-Kinetic Automatic transmission, giving it a governed top speed of 45 mph (72 km/h) on paved roads, and 30 mph (48 km/h) cross-country. With the engine governor removed, speeds of around 60 mph (100 km/h) are possible on an improved surface; however, damage to the drive train (especially to the tracks) and an increased risk of injuries to the crew can occur at speeds above 45 mph. The tank can be fueled with diesel fuel, kerosene, any grade of MOGAS (motor gasoline), or JP-4 or JP-8 jet fuel; the U.S. Army uses JP-8 jet fuel in order to simplify logistics.
The gas turbine propulsion system has proven quite reliable in practice and combat, but its high fuel consumption is a serious logistic issue (starting up the turbine alone consumes 40 liters of fuel). The high speed, high temperature jet blast emitted from the rear of M1 Abrams tanks makes it difficult for the infantry to proceed shadowing the tank in urban combat. The turbine is noisy, comparable to a helicopter engine, although the noise character (pitch) is significantly different from a contemporary diesel tank engine, reducing the audible distance of the sound, thus the nickname, "whispering death". Future US tanks may return to reciprocating engines for propulsion, as 4-stroke diesel engines have proven quite successful in other modern heavy tanks, e.g. the Leopard 2, Challenger 2 and Merkava. The small size, simplicity, power-to-weight ratio, and easy removal/replacement of the turbine powerpack does, however, present significant advantages over any proposed reciprocating replacement.
The Abrams can be carried by the C-5 Galaxy and C-17 Globemaster III. The limited capacity (one combat-ready tank or two transport-ready tanks in a C-5, one combat-ready tank in a C-17) caused serious logistical problems when deploying the tanks for the First Gulf War, though there was enough time for 1,848 tanks to be transported by ship. Tanks shipped in the transport-ready configuration require depot-level maintenance to install a number of sections of armor, and need to be fueled and loaded with ammunition. Tanks shipped in the combat-ready configuration can enter combat immediately.

Combat history

In World War II, it took a Sherman Tank an average of 17 rounds to destroy an enemy tank 700 meters away. The Abrams, by contrast, can destroy certain enemy tanks by firing, on the move, a single round from 2,000 meters away.^[1] As the Abrams entered service in the 1980s, they would operate alongside M60A3 within the United States military, and with other NATO tanks in numerous Cold War exercises. These exercises usually took place in Western Europe, especially West Germany, but also in some other countries like South Korea. During such training, Abrams crews honed their skills for use against the men and equipment of the Soviet Union. However, by 1991 the USSR had collapsed and the Abrams would have its trial by fire in the Middle East.

Operation Desert Storm

The Abrams remained untested in combat until the Gulf War in 1991. A total of 1,848 M1A1s were deployed to Saudi Arabia. The M1A1 was superior to Iraq's Soviet-era T-55 and T-62 tanks, as well as Iraqi assembled Russian T-72s, and locally-produced copies (Asad Babil tank). The T-72s like most Soviet export designs lacked night vision systems and then-modern range finders, though they did have some night fighting tanks with older active infrared systems or floodlights — just not the latest starlight scopes and passive infrared scopes as on the Abrams. Only 23 M1A1s were taken out of service in the Gulf^[2] and none of these losses resulted in crew deaths from Iraqi fire. Some others took minor combat damage, with little effect on their operational readiness. There were only 3 tank crew members wounded beyond doubt by enemy action.
The M1A1 was capable of making kills at ranges in excess of 2500 m. This range was crucial in combat against tanks of Soviet design in Desert Storm, as the effective range of the main gun in the Soviet/Iraqi tanks was less than 2000 meters (Iraqi tanks could not fire Anti-Tank missiles like their Russian counterparts). This meant Abrams tanks could hit Iraqi tanks before the enemy got in range - a decisive advantage in this kind of combat. In friendly fire incidents the front armor and fore side turret armor survived direct APFSDS hits from other M1A1s at the front and side armor. This was not the case for the side armor of the hull and the rear armor of the turret, as both areas were penetrated at least in two occasions by friendly DU ammunition during the Battle of Norfolk.^[3]
Nearly all sources claim that no Abrams tank has ever been destroyed as a result of fire from an enemy tank, but some have certainly taken some damage which required extensive repair. There is at least one account, reported in the following Gulf War's , of an Abrams being damaged by three kinetic energy piercing rounds. The DoD report indicates that witnesses in the field claimed it was hit by a T-72 ''Asad Babil''. The KE rounds were unable to fully penetrate and stuck in the armor, but because of the external damage it was sent to a maintenance depot. This is the only verified case of an M1A1 put out of action by an Iraqi MBT.^[4]
Presumably the impacts set the storage boxes on fire. The tests at the impact point indicate the sabot shells were conventional, since no radiological trace was found there.
Other six M1As were allegedly hit by 125 mm tank fire in the Gulf war official report, but the impacts were largely ineffectual.^[5]

On the night of February 26, 1991, four Abrams were disabled in a suspected friendly fire incident by Hellfire missiles fired from AH-64 Apache attack helicopters, with the result of some crew members WIA.^[6] The tanks were part of TF 1-37,^[7] attacking a large section of ''Tawakalna'' Republican Guard Division, their numbers being B-23, C-12, D-24 and C-66. However, C-12 was definitively hit and penetrated by a friendly DU shot^[8] and there is some evidence that another Iraqi T-72 may have scored a single hit on , besides the alleged Hellfire strike (see Iraqi T-72 article).
Tanks D-24 and C-66 took some casualties as well^[9] Only B-23 became a permanent loss. The DoD's damage assessments state that B-23 was the only M1 with signs of a Hellfire missile found nearby.^[10]
Also during Operation Desert Storm, three Abrams of the 24 ID were left behind the enemy lines after a swift attack on Talil airfield, south of Nasiriyah, on February 27. One of them was hit by enemy fire, the two other embedded in mud. The tanks were destroyed by US forces in order to prevent any trophy-claim by the Iraqi Army.^[11]

List of ''Abrams'' disabled or damaged in Desert Storm

No.	Identification Number	Type of Weapon	Place & Date	Description of damage	Casualties
1.	Bumper B-31[12]TF 1-5 CAV	Mine	February 19Ruqi Pocket	Tracks/Engine	None
2.	Unknown number[13]1st Brigade, 2nd Armored Division	Mine	February 24Southern Kuwait	Tracks	None
3.	Bumper K-42[14]2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment	Struck by DPICM artillery	February 2673 Easting	Loader machine-gun and left fuel cell destroyed	1 WIA
4.	Bumper B-66[15]TF 1-41, 2nd Armored Division(FWD)	Three DU kinetic energy rounds, after being hit by Iraqi RPGs	February 26Norfolk line	Penetration in the hull,below the turret	1 KIA,2 WIAs
5.	Bumper B-22TF 1-41, 2nd Armored Division(FWD)	One DU kinetic energy round	February 26Norfolk line	Front slope hitwith no internal damage	1 WIA
6.	Bumper A-14TF 1-41, 2nd Armored Division(FWD)	One DU kinetic energy round	February 26Norfolk line	One hit in the left side of the hull. Extensive damage by fire	3 WIAs
7.	Bumper A-31TF 1-41, 2nd Armored Division(FWD)	Splinters of one DU penetrator	February 26Norfolk line	Hit in the rear left hull	None
8.	Bumper A-33TF 1-41, 2nd Armored Division(FWD)	Two DU rounds, after being hit by TOW missile	February 26Norfolk line	Double penetration of the hull	3 WIAs
9.	Bumper D-24TF 1-37, 1st Armored Division	Small caliber shaped charge	February 26Assault on Tawakalna Division	Impact on NBC exhausts, compartment penetrated	2 WIAs
10.	Bumper B-23TF 1-37, 1st Armored Division	Large caliber shaped charge, then hit by an unknown round, likely a KE (non-DU)	February 26Assault on Tawakalna Division	Two hits, one on the rear grills, another penetrated both sides of the hull. Catastrophic damage by fire	1 WIA
11.	Bumper C-12TF 1-37, 1st Armored Division	One DU kinetic energy penetrator, then hit by antitank missile	February 26Assault on Tawakalna Division	KE round achieved a double penetration of the hull. The antitank missile set the storage area of the turret on fire	None
12.	Bumper C-66TF 1-37, 1st Armored Division	Two small shaped charges	February 26Assault on Tawakalna Division	Small penetration of the left rear side of the hull. Impact on the turret defeated by armor	3 WIAs
13.	Bumper C-12[16]TF 4-8th CAV, 3rd Armored Division	73 mm shell from a BMP-1	February 26Assault on Tawakalna Division	Minor damage to sponson box and .50 machine-gun	1 WIA
14.	Bumper B-24[17]TF 4-8th CAV, 3rd Armored Division	Enemy indirect fire	February 26Assault on Tawakalna Division	Damaged to sponson box and duffle bags	None
15.	Bumper C-24[18]TF 4-8th CAV, 3rd Armored Division	Friendly DPCIM	February 26Assault on Tawakalna Division	Storage area shredded by shrapnelMain gun punctured	None
16.	Unknown number197th Brigade, 24 Infantry Division	Crippled by enemy fire, then destroyed by DU rounds	February 27Assault on Tallil airfield	Ammunition blown-up	None
17.	Unknown number197th Brigade, 24 Infantry Division	Stuck in mud, then destroyed by DU rounds	February 27Assault on Tallil airfield	Ammunition blown-up	None
18.	Unknown number197th Brigade, 24 Infantry Division	Stuck in mud, then destroyed by DU rounds	February 27Assault on Tallil airfield	Ammunition blown-up	None
19.	Unknown number[19]Commander tank, TF 4-64 Armor, 24 Infantry Division	Two conventional KE or HEAT rounds from a 100 mm gun	February 27South-west of Basra	120 mm gun and fuel-cell punctured	None
20.	Unknown numberTurret number:5840UHull number:D10060[20]	Three conventional KE rounds from an Iraqi T-72	Unknown date/location	Two partial penetrations on the rear turret right side (possible fire in the storage area). Cosmetic damage on the turret front DU left armor plate.	None
21.	Bumper A-22[21]2nd Platoon, A Company, TF 4-64, 24 Infantry Division	Secondary explosions from an Iraqi T-72[22]	March 2Rumeilah Oilfields	Storage area devastated by fire.Ammunition blown-up.	1 WIA

Iraq 2003–

Further combat was seen during 2003 when US forces invaded Iraq and deposed the Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein. The campaign saw very similar performance from the tank with no Abrams crew member being lost to hostile fire during the battle in Iraq, mainly due to unopposed air-support. However, several tanks were destroyed due to secondary effects attributed to Iraqi 25mm AP-DU and anti-armor RPG fire - on no occasion were anti-tank guided weapons or anti-tank mines encountered.[2]
The most lopsided achievement of the M1A2s was the destruction of seven T-72 ''Lion of Babylon'' tanks in a point-blank skirmish (less than 50 yards) near Mahmoudiyah, about 18 miles south of Baghdad, with no losses for the American side (not surprisingly as a T-72 is unable to penetrate Abrams front and side).^[23] However, on October 29, 2003, two soldiers were killed and a third wounded when their tank was disabled by an anti-tank mine, which was combined with other explosives (500kg, including several 155mm rounds) to increase its effect. The massive explosion beneath the tank knocked off the turret. This marked the first time deaths resulted from a hostile-fire assault on the M1 tank from enemy forces. Following lessons learned in Desert Storm, the Abrams and many other US combat vehicles used in the conflict were fitted with Combat Identification Panels to reduce friendly fire incidents. These were fitted on the sides and rear of the turret, with flat panels equipped with a four-cornered 'box' image on either side of the turret front (the latter of which can be seen in the above image, similar flat panels also being employed on British Challenger 2 tanks serving in the conflict). In addition to the Abrams' already-formidable armament, some crews were also issued M136 AT4 shoulder-fired anti-tank rockets under the assumption that they might have to engage heavy armor in tight urban areas where the main gun couldn't be brought to bear. Some Abrams were also fitted with a secondary storage bin on the back of the existing bustle rack on the rear of the turret referred to as a bustle rack extension to enable the crew to carry more supplies and personal belongings.
During the major combat operations in Iraq, Abrams crew members were lost when one tank of the US Army's 3rd Infantry Division, and US Marine Corps troops, drove onto a bridge. The bridge failed, dropping the tank into the Euphrates River, where four Marines drowned.

During an early attack on Baghdad, one M1A1 was disabled by a recoilless rifle round that had penetrated the rear engine housing, and punctured a hole in the right rear fuel cell, causing fuel to leak onto the hot turbine engine. After repeated attempts to extinguish the fire, the decision was made to destroy or remove any sensitive equipment. Oil and .50 caliber rounds were scattered in the interior, the ammunition doors were opened and several thermite grenades ignited inside. Another M1 then fired a HEAT round in order to ensure the destruction of the disabled tank. The tank was completely disabled but still intact. Later, an AGM-65 Maverick and two AGM-114 Hellfire missiles were fired into the tank to finish its destruction. Remarkably, the tank still appeared to be intact from the exterior.^[24]

On November 27, 2004 an Abrams tank was badly damaged from the detonation of an extremely powerful improvised explosive device (IED). The IED consisted of three M109A6 155 mm shells, with a total explosive weight of 34.5 kg, that detonated next to the tank. The tank's driver received lethal injuries from shrapnel. The other three crew members were able to escape.
On December 25, 2005 another M1A2 was disabled by an explosively formed penetrator IED. The IED penetrated through a road wheel, and hit the fuel tank, which left the tank burning near central Baghdad. One crew member, Spc. Sergio Gudino, died in the attack.
On June 4, 2006 two out of four soldiers died in Baghdad, Iraq, when an IED detonated near their M1A2.
Some were disabled by Iraqi infantrymen in ambushes employing short-range antitank rockets, such as the Russian RPG-7, during the 2003 invasion. Although the RPG-7 is unable to penetrate the front and sides, the rear and top are vulnerable to this weapon. Frequently the rockets were fired at the tank tracks. Another was put out of action in an incident when fuel stowed in an external rack was struck by heavy machine gun rounds. This started a fire that spread to the engine.[3] [4].
There have also been a number of Abrams crewmen killed by sniper fire during times when they were exposed through the turret hatches of their tanks. Some of these attacks were filmed by insurgents for propaganda purposes and spread via the Internet. One of these videos shows a large IED detonating beneath an Abrams and nearly flipping the vehicle, though the tank landed back on its treads and appeared to have suffered no serious damage as it was still mobile and traversing the turret following the attack, a testament to the Abrams' survivability.

Variants and upgrades

★ XM1 Experimental model. Nine test-beds were produced in 1978.

★ M1 First production variant. Production began in 1979 and continued to 1985 (3,273 build for US).

★
★ M1IP (Improvement Production). Produced briefly in 1984 before the M1A1, contained upgrades and reconfigurations.

★ M1A1 Production started in 1986 and continued to 1992 (4,976 build for US, 221 for USMC, 555 for Egypt, 59 used US Abrams sold to Australia).

★
★ M1A1HC (Heavy Common) added new depleted uranium armor mesh, pressurized NBC system, rear bustle rack for improved stowage of supplies and crew belongings, and M256 120 mm smoothbore cannon.

★
★ M1A1-D (Digital) A digital upgrade for the M1A1HC, to keep up with M1A2 SEP.

★
★ M1A1-AIM (Abrams Integrated Management) A program whereby older units are reconditioned to zero hour conditions.[5]

★
★ M1A1 KVT (Krasnovian Variant Tank) M1A1's that have been visually modified to resemble Soviet-made tanks for use at the National Training Center, fitted with MILES gear and a Hoffman device.

★ M1A2 (Baseline) Production began in 1992 (77 build for US and more then 600 M1s upgraded to M1A2, 315 for Saudi Arabia, 218 for Kuwait).

★ M1A2 SEP (System Enhancement Package) Also with upgraded 3rd generation depleted uranium encased armor with graphite coding (240 new build, 300 M1A2s upgraded to M1A2SEP).

★ M1 Grizzly Engineer Vehicle [6]

★ M1 Panther II Remote Controlled Mine Clearing Vehicle[7]

★ M104 Wolverine Heavy Assault Bridge[8]

★ M1 Panther II Mine Clearing Blade/Roller System.

★ M1 Assault Breacher Vehicle.

★ M1 Armored Recovery Vehicle. Only a prototype produced.

Specifications of variants

	M1	M1IP	M1A1	M1A2	M1A2 SEP
Length	32.04 ft (9.77 m)
Width	12 ft (3.66 m)
Height	7.79 ft (2.37 m)		8.0 ft (2.44 m)
Top speed	45 mph (72 km/h)		41.5 mph (67 km/h)		42 mph (68 km/h)
Range	310 mi (498 km)		288 mi (465 km)	243 mi (391 km)
Weight	61.4 short tons (55.7 tonnes)	62.8 short tons (57.0 tonnes)	67.6 short tons (61.3 tonnes)	68.4 short tons (62.1 tonnes)	69.5 short tons (63.0 tonnes)
Main armament	105 mm M68 rifled		120 mm M256 smoothbore
Crew	4 (commander, gunner, loader, driver)

Note: All of the above produce a horsepower of 1500HP (1119kW).

Tank Urban Survival Kit for M1A2

The 'Tank Urban Survival Kit', or TUSK, is a series of improvements to the M1 Abrams intended to improve fighting ability in urban environments. Historically, urban and other close battlefields have been the worst place for tanks to fight—a tank's front armor is much stronger than that on the sides, top, or rear, and in an urban environment, attacks can come from any direction, and attackers can get close enough to reliably hit weak points in the tank's armor, or get sufficient elevation to hit the top armor square on.
Armor upgrades include reactive armor on the sides of the tank and slat armor (similar to that on the Stryker) on the rear to protect against rocket-propelled grenades and other shaped charge warheads.
A gun shield and a thermal sight system are added to the loader's top-mounted M240B 7.62 mm machine gun, and a Kongsberg Gruppen Remote Weapon Turret carrying a .50 caliber machine gun (again similar to that used on the Stryker) is in place of the tank commander's original .50 caliber machine gun mount, wherein the commander had to expose himself to fire the weapon manually. An exterior telephone allows supporting infantry to communicate with the tank commander.
The TUSK system is a field-installable kit that allows tanks to be upgraded without needing to be recalled to a maintenance depot.
While the reactive armor may not be needed in most situations in maneuver warfare, items like the rear slat armor, loader's gun shield, infantry phone (which has already seen use on Marine Corps M1A1s as early as 2003), and Kongsberg Remote Weapons Station for the .50 caliber machine gun will be added to the entire M1A2 fleet over time.
In addition to this, a Transparent Armor Gun Shield may also be implemented as part of this kit, as it is already seeing use on some Abrams serving in Iraq.

M1 Abrams Camouflage

Like all modern US combat vehicles (with the exception of the Stryker), the M1 series of Tanks come in two configurations of camouflage: an overall desert tan camouflage pattern and a three-color forest camouflage pattern used by other NATO combat vehicles consisting of brown and black on a green background. Replacement parts (roadwheels, armor skirt panels, drive sprockets, etc.) are painted overall green, which can sometimes lead to vehicles with a patchwork of green and desert tan parts. Prototype and early production M1s had the overall olive drab paint scheme of older US military vehicles from World War II through Vietnam.

Operators

★ - 58 M1A1 ^[25]

★ - 755 M1A1 ^[25]

★ - 218 M1A2 ^[25]

★ - 200 M1A2 ^[25]

★ - 7842 M1A1/M1A2 (was 7900 but 58 tanks were sold to Australia)

★
★ 1578 M1A2 (Army)

★
★ At least 4737 M1A1 (Army)

★
★ 403 M1A1 (USMC)

★
★ Remaining number of M1 (Army) (M1 in service according to the US Army Factfile but probably only used by National Guard).
Taiwan has expressed interest in purchasing 50 or more M1A2 SEP Abrams tanks, and Egypt is reportedly seeking up to 125 more M1A1s in a continuation of its existing tank co-production program.

See also

★ List of "M" series military vehicles

★ List of armored fighting vehicles

★ M1 Tank Platoon (computer simulation)

Notes

1. Rick Atkinson, ''Crusade'' p. 251, 1993.
2. "According to the Army’s Office of Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations and Plans, 23 Abrams tanks were destroyed or damaged in the Persian Gulf area. Of the nine Abrams destroyed, seven were due to friendly fire, and two were intentionally destroyed to prevent capture after they became disabled. Other Abrams tanks were damaged by enemy fire, land mines, on-board fires, or to prevent capture after they became disabled." From ''Early performance assessment of Bradleys and Abrams'', p. 24.
3. ; Sketch depicting the path of a DU 120 mm round through the hull of Abrams C-12, OSD.
4.
5. Zaloga, page 38.
6. George Forty cites an M1A1 tank platoon leader from TF 1-37:"Speculation continues concerning what knocked out our four tanks. The three most probable answers are T-72 main gun, dismounted anti-tank missile, or Apache launched Hellfire missile. The fact that Apaches were operating to our rear and witnesses's reports of high round trajectory support the friendly fire theory. However, ballistics reports suggest that 125 mm HEAT rounds produced the damage on some of the tanks. Visual examination of others reveals one obvious sabot hole. Overall, the physical evidence implies that T-72 fire took out our tanks, but the friendly fire possibility cannot be excluded."
7. OSD 1998-07-29.
8. DoD damage statement about C-12.
9. Two official damage assessments acknowledge casualties: D-24, C-66.
10. . Note that the M1 was hit in the rear hull, not in the turret.
11. "One of the M1s is hit and disabled. The crew is extracted safely and the tank left behind, not before it is destroyed by the task force commander who fires two rounds into it. The first bounces off, the second penetrates and set it on fire[…] The terrain is still causing problems. On the attack several vehicles get embedded in mud and can't be extracted. The problem is complicated by enemy missile and machine gun fire. Two tanks and two armored personnel carriers are destroyed and discarded." - Halberstadt, Hans: ''Desert Storm: Ground War''. Motorbooks International, 1991. p. 111.
12. Halberstadt, Hans: Desert Storm:Ground War. Motorbooks International, 1991. p. 35; Atkinson, Rick: Crusade, The untold story of the Persian Gulf War. Houghton Mifflin Company, 1993. pp. 332–3; Captain Todd A. Buchs, B. Co. Commader, "Knights In the Desert." Publisher/Editor Unknown. p. 111.
13. ''One M1 tank struck a mine in the breach and lost some road wheels. No one in the tank was injured, and the tank was back in action within a day''
14. See .
15. http://www.gulflink.osd.mil/du_ii/du_ii_tabh.htm
16. Scales, Brig. Gen. Robert H.: Certain Victory. Brassey's, 1994, p. 279.
17.
18.
19. Scales, Brig. Gen. Robert H.: Certain Victory. Brassey's, 1994, p. 257.
20. ''Table 2'', (the M1A maintenance codename is ''A2'').
21. Details on the identification of this particular tank in the talk page, by a first hand witness.
22. "The brigade losses were ''one wounded, one M-2A1 Bradley damaged, and one M-1A1 Abrams lost when secondary explosion of a T-72 set sleeping bags stowed on the M-1 on fire.''" US Army
23. Conroy, Jason & Martz, Ron: ''Heavy Metal: A Tank Company's Battle To Baghdad''. Potomac Books, 2005, p. 158.
24. Zucchino, David: ''Thunder Run: The Armored Strike to Capture Baghdad''. Grove Press, 2004, pp. 20-30, 73.
25. http://www.militarium.net/wojska_ladowe/m1_abrams.php
26. http://www.militarium.net/wojska_ladowe/m1_abrams.php
27. http://www.militarium.net/wojska_ladowe/m1_abrams.php
28. http://www.militarium.net/wojska_ladowe/m1_abrams.php

References

★ ''King of the Killing Zone'' by Orr Kelly, 1989. W.W. Norton Company.

★ Rostker, Bernard: ''Environmental Exposure Report:Depleted Uranium in the Gulf''. DoD Publication, 1998.[9].

★ United States General Accounting Office:''Operation Desert Storm: Early Performance Assessment of Bradley and Abrams.'' Washington, January 1992.PDF.

★ Halberstadt, Hans. Desert Storm Ground War. Osceola, WI, Motorbooks International, 1991. 128 pp.

★ Forty, George: ''Tank Action. From the Great War to the Gulf'', Allan Sutton Publishing Ltd., Phoenix Mill 1995.

★ Zaloga Steven J., & Sarson, Peter: ''M1 Abrams Main Battle Tank 1982-1992''. Osprey Military, New Vanguard. Reed International Books Ltd, 1993.

★ M1 Abrams Main Battle Tank

★ TUSK to update Abrams for urban battle

★ Army Times - Two soldiers die in attack on Abrams tank, October 29, 2003

★ DoD News: DoD Identifies Army Casualty - Dec 25, 2005 attack

★ DoD News: DoD Identifies Army Casualties - June 04, 2006 incident

External links

★ U.S. Army Fact File: Abrams

★ M1A1/A2 Abrams Main Battle Tank Information

★ Abrams page on the Armor Site

★ Main Battle Tank M1A1 Abrams

★ M1A1 Abrams, M1A2 Abrams, M1A2 SEP Abrams at army-guide.com

★ Anatomy of an M1 Abrams

★ howstuffworks page on the M1 Abrams, with a detailed overview of how the tank works

★ M-1 TUSK Tank Urban Survivability Kit

★ M1A1 AIM Upgrade Program

★ M1A2 SEP Upgrade program

★ M1 Abrams Main Battle Tank page on GlobalSecurity.com - Detailed overview of the M1 Abrams with pictures and specifications

★ Video of the M1 Abrams in action