M1A1 Abrams Tank, America's Main Battle Tank.
When it came time to send the M1A1 Abrams tank and artillery back to the US from the Middle East, General Mattis sent a note to all the Iraqi leaders saying, "I come in peace. I didn’t bring artillery. But I’m pleading with you, with tears in my eyes: If you mess with me, I’ll kill you all." ( General Mattis Wikiquotes ).
The M1A1 tank is the most devastating weapon on the battlefield. The origins of the M1A1 tank started during the Cold War in 1963, the Russians were about to field their next generation of tanks and the Army knew there would be a serious technological gap with the M60 tank (Army's Main Battle Tank). Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara wanted a program to replace the M60 tank. The program was called MBT-70 and the replacement was to incorporate the best technology of that time. The specifications called for a Shillelagh gun/missile system, an automatic loader, layered armor, a hydro-pneumatic suspension, stabilized sighting system, a remotely controlled 20MM cannon, and an NBC filtered ventilation system. Integrating these technologies led to cost over-runs and the MBT-70 program eventually was stopped.
The next program to create a replacement to the M60 was called MBT-75 and the prototype was designated as XM-1. Chrysler and General Motors both delivered an XM-1 prototype to the Army and the Chrysler prototype was chosen for Full Scale Engineering Development (FSED) because of its 1,500 hp Avco Lycoming AGT-1500 gas turbine engine. General Motors' prototype had a diesel engine.
The main armament of the XM-1 was the M68 105mm rifled cannon and secondary armaments were a M240 7.62mm machine gun on the port side and a .50 caliber machine gun on the starboard side.
Here is a picture of the XM-1 in the field firing its 105mm rifled cannon.
The XM-1 pre-production tanks had problems in the air filter system, track life, transmission, mud buildup, and fuel systems. From 1978 to 1979, solutions to these problems were tested for approval which was given. In late 1979, the Department of Defense authorized production of fifty-four tanks under the designation M1.
On February 28 of 1980, the first production M1 was turned over to the Army at the Lima Tank Plant in Ohio. During the presentation ceremony the tank was christened the "Abrams" in honor of General Creighton Abrams, by his widow. General Abrams had been a World War II tank commander and the commander of U.S. Forces in Vietnam.
Picture of the first production M1 christened "Abrams". The name "Thunderbolt" on the turret is the name carried on General Abram's tank during World War II.
The 1,500 hp Avco-Lycoming AGT-1500 turbine engine.
The design specifications to the M1 Abrams.
The M1A1 has a 120mm smoothbore cannon, where the M1 has a 105mm rifled cannon. The armor on the M1A1 is thicker on the front lower hull and turrent faces. There are improvements that include a rear turret bustle rack, turret side stowage bins, NBC overpressure system, standardized rear armor skirt plates, a new style crosswind sensor, revised headlights and headlight guards, new gunner's sight housing, and deletion of track guards on the drive sprockets.
The M1A1 design specifications.
The information for this post originated from the book "M1 Abrams in Action" by Jim Mesko ( M1 Abrams in Action ).