The range of vehicles in Armored Warfare will be so vast that it could get confusing. We're excited to tell you about one of the most outstanding main battle tanks in the project - the M1 Abrams. It has long been known throughout the world largely because of its participation in different U.S. military campaigns.
The U.S. lag in tank construction was becoming increasingly obvious at the start of the 70s: the main battle tank of the U.S. armed forces was the already old-fashioned M60. Attempts to work with Germany and produce MBT-70 tanks and the cheaper version, the XM803, were unsuccessful. Both tanks were too technically complex and unjustifiably expensive. Meanwhile, the USSR achieved a new level of quality and America could not permit itself to fall behind its main geopolitical rival.
In the mid seventies two construction companies, General Motors and Chrysler submitted their prototypes at tender. Suspension reliability, improved composite armor configuration, upgraded fire control systems and a lower cost at the time enabled the Chrysler XM-1 to win the tender to make new main battle tanks for the U.S. army.
After two test stages, the first samples of the new tank were produced. It was called M1 Abrams, named after Creighton Abrams, former Army Chief of Staff, who made a great contribution to the development of U.S. armored forces.
The steel giant has not had a smooth ride, undergoing so many changes that little is left of the original version. Armor was upgraded with depleted uranium, the chassis was bolstered and the fire control system improved along with the tank weapon itself.
Although the modifications still continue, some shortcomings have not been entirely eliminated. A diesel engine, rejected at the design stage, proved better than a gas turbine engine, the exhaust is so hot that it is even visible from satellites, and fuel consumption is much higher than diesel analouges.
The dimensions and weight of the tank meant that to successfully rotate the turret a vulnerable auxiliary power unit had to be installed, the armour of which can be penetrated by even a large caliber machine gun. And maintaining the giant is the sore point of the entire series. It not only requires a group of specialists, but a huge amount of equipment as well.
The tank also suffers from a lack of automatic charging, poor side and rear armouring, poor ventilation and filter blocking, which often leads to forced evacuation of the crew. And the use of depleted uranium is a real threat to the health of the crew.
