The M1 Abrams Main Battle Tank is the backbone of the armored forces of the United States military, and several of US allies as well. The purpose of this vehicle is to provide mobile firepower for armored formations, and to successfully close with and destroy any opposing armored fighting vehicle in the world. The Ml provides protection for it's crew in any conceivable combat environment. It is capable of engaging the enemy in any weather, day or night, using its firepower, maneuverability, and shock effect. Three versions of the Abrams tank are currently in service: the original M1 model, dating from the early 1980s, and two newer versions, designated M1A1 and M1A2. The M1A1 series, produced from 1985 through 1993, replaced the Ml's 105mm main gun with a 120mm gun and incorporated numerous other enhancements, including an improved suspension, a new turret, increased armor protection, and a nuclear-chemical-biological protection system. The newer M1A2 series includes all of the M1 A1 features plus a commander's independent thermal viewer, an independent commander's weapon station, position navigation equipment, and a digital data bus and radio interface unit providing a common picture among M1A2s on the battlefield. In lieu of new production, the Army has upgraded approximately 1,000 older M1 tanks to the M1 A2 configuration. The Army also initiated a modification program for the M1 A2 to enhance its digital command and control capabilities and to add the second generation FLIR (forward looking, infrared) sights to improve the tank's fight ability and lethality during limited visibility The Army will continue to field M1A2s in its first to fight units into the next decade. This was the basic information supplied by the DOD just before the War on Terror began. Undoubtedly things have changed, since another war has been fought with Iraq. The most significant development of this war was the live coverage of events literally from the hoods of Humvees and the tops of the tanks themselves. We saw for the first time Abrams tanks that had been either disabled or knocked out by enemy action. This is significant in light of the image of invulnerability the M1 has possessed up to now. As with any other AFV, the Abrams can be defeated. But the details of how we lost tanks and the counter measures we subsequently employed have not been published yet. One thing is for sure, no AFV is completely invulnerable. Specifications: M1/IPM1 / M1A1 / M1A2 Manufacturer General Dynamics (Land Systems Division) Crew 4 men: Commander, Gunner, Loader & Driver Weight 60 Tons/ 63 Tons/ 69.54 Tons Length (Gun Forward) 384.5 inches 387 inches Turret Height 93.5 inches Width 143.8 inches /144 inches  Ground Clearance 19 inches Ground Pressure 13.1 PSI 13.6 PSI 15.4 PSI Obstacle Crossing 49 inches 42 inches Vertical Trench 9 Feet Power plant GT-1500 turbine engine Power Rating 500 HP Power to Weight Ratio 25 hp/ton- 23.8 hp/ton -21.6 hp/ton Hydro Kinetic Transmission 4 Speed Forward, 2 Speed Reverse Speed Maximum 45 mph (Governed) 42 mph (Governed) Speed Cross Country 30 mph Speed 10% Slope 20 mph/17 mph Speed 60% Slope 4.5 mph/4.1 mph Acceleration (0 to 20 mph) 7 Seconds 7.2 Seconds Cruising Range 275 Miles 265 Miles Main Armament for M1 105mm M68A1 Rifled Cannon for M1A1 &M1A2 120mm M256 Smooth Bore Cannon Commander's Weapon .50 Cal M2 Machinegun Coaxial Weapon 7.62 M240 Machinegun Loader's Weapon 7.62 M240 Machinegun on Skate Mount NBC System 200 SCFM, Clean Cooled Air Back to Table of Contents The Messenger May 2003 Back to The Messenger List of Issues Back to MagWeb Magazine List © Copyright 2003 by HMGS/PSW. This article appears in MagWeb.com (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other articles covering military history and related topics are available at http://www.magweb.com