The M60A3 participated in CAS trials with the F-16 in the 1980s. The M48A3 was withdrawn from Europe by October 1961, being replaced with the M60 tank. George F. Hofmann, Donn A. Starry. The vehicle was one of the most technologically complex of its era, eventually garnering an unofficial nickname of "Starship". The T95 program, which began in 1955 was intended to supersede the M48. M48 Patton tank in a museum in Saigon (Vietnam). The United States chose not to pursue further upgrades to the M60 tank series after 1978. It was determined that a less deep key would significantly extend the service life of the barrel. [129] The Marines also encountered T-62 tanks in dispersed and understrength platoon and company units. [85] Most of the M60A2 tanks were rebuilt as M60A3s, or the hulls converted to armored vehicle-launched bridge (AVLB) vehicles[84] and M728 Combat Engineer Vehicles with a few M60A2s retained as museum pieces.[92]. Vietnam War Weapons. It was the main battle tank of U.S. forces, up to 1980. But the development of a main-battle tank variant was bogged down by having too many design proposals. Of the 1,435 tanks in Europe, 1,311 have been cascaded to other NATO countries under the terms of the Conventional Forces Europe Agreement (CFE), 18 reserved for non-combat use and 106 returned to CONUS. Until the missile reached this range it flew beneath the tracking system's infrared beam and could therefore not be guided by the infrared command link. The commander was in the rear compartment under a large redesigned cupola, which somewhat negated the low profile silhouette of the turret. Egyptian modified version of the M60A3 participates with the Egyptian Army in Operation Bright Star. This weapon system had several drawbacks. ... M60 (Patton) Main Battle Tank (MBT) 7. The US Army considered it as a "product-improved descendant" of the Patton tank's design. M60 Series Tank (Patton Series) ... Used in Vietnam and Desert Storm, it proved itself to be a dependable vehicle in all areas of operation. This variant was known as the Magach. No where does the US Army manual use the words Patton for the M60 tank. But the continual technical and reliability difficulties with the dual purpose gun caused this to be abandoned. The M60-based AVLB and the M728 CEV were the only variants of the M60 deployed to Vietnam. Although the US Army chose not to adopt the installation of a new power pack or suspension system in the M60 series, General Dynamics formed a co-operative private venture with Teledyne Continental to develop a comprehensive upgrade package. Mounted on former M60 hulls, they were to provide test beds for the evaluation of the Shillelagh weapon system. PT-76. [117], Mobility is improved via either a full refurbishment of the existing power packs or an upgrade. In the early 1950s, the prototypes for US military Armored Vehicle-Launched Bridge (AVLB) were based on the M48A2 hull. Pattons formed the basis for many 'new' tank designs, some using the chassis but with all-new turrets others using various upgrade packages. Navato, CA: Presidio Press, 1984 p.632, Sabot Publications, M60A2 Main Battle Tank in Detail, Volume 2, TM 9-2350-232-20-2 Organizational Maintenance Manual for Turret, Elevating and Traversing Systems,Cupola, Gun/Launcher, and Mount Used on Tank, Combat, Full-Tracked, 152-MM Gun/Launcher M60A2 (2350-00-930-3590) 15 Feb 75, Sabot Publications, M60A2 Main Battle Tank in Detail, Volume, U.S. Marines in the Persian Gulf, 1990-1991 With the 1st U.S. Marine Division in Desert Shield and Desert Storm Cureton P.94, U.S. Marines in the Persian Gulf, 1990-1991 With the 1st U.S. Marine Division in Desert Shield and Desert Storm Cureton P.94,95. The M60A2 proved a disappointment, though technical advancements would pave the way for future tanks. This AVDS-1790-5T 908 hp engine replaces the 750 hp engine and is connected to an upgraded CD-850-B1 transmission. The 401st TFW (P), deployed to Doha, Qatar had two M60s intended for use by explosives ordnance disposal personnel. [47] The main battle tank thus took on the role the British had once called the "universal tank", exemplified by the British Centurion, filling almost all battlefield roles. The M60 served in several major conflicts such as the Iraq-Iran War, Operation Desert Storm in 1991 and, of course, Vietnam where engineering versions were used to lay bridges and a variant known as the M728, designated as a Combat Engineer Vehicle it was equipped with a 165mm gun used to destroy fortified emplacements. The 105mm gun M68 as standardized for the M60 tank was considered as an alternate armament system. Foss, Christopher F., ed. It reached operational capability with fielding to US Army units in Europe beginning in December 1960. [95] These M60A1 Hull/Turret PIP conversion programs concluded in 1990. Later on, the modernized M60 tanks took part in Operation "Desert Storm" and in the liberation of Kuwait. Cast aluminum road wheels were used to save weight. The M728 was used in fire support, base security, counter ambush fire, direct assault of fortified positions, and limited reconnaissance by fire. [59] The first two prototypes (Pilot 1 and 2) were ready in May 1961 and the third (Pilot 3) in June 1961, when the vehicle also received its official prototype designation as the M60E1. It was expected that the Shillelagh or some other missile then could be introduced at a later date. They saw service with the United States Marine Corps, and the Saudi Arabian Army. The fourth used the T95E1 turret and the T208 main gun. The M60A1(RISE) Passive featured the implementation of all previous updates plus Kevlar spall liners for the turret, AN/VVS-2 passive night vision block for the driver, a deep water fording kit, the capability to mount Explosive Reactive Armor (ERA)[70][62] and the AVDS-1790-2D RISE engine with CD-850-6A transmission and a Vehicle Engine Exhaust Smoke System (VEESS) that visually obscured the area around the vehicle. Some M48A5s were retrofitted with the M19 cupola to maintain training levels of National Guard units. A direct infrared beam missile tracker in the gunner's sight detected any deviation of the flight path from the line-of-sight to the target, and transmitted corrective commands to the missile via an infrared command link. The first of which was Top Loading Air Cleaner (TLAC) in 1971. [78] The XM81 Gun/Launcher also experienced frequent faulty breaches, often not closing correctly during a missile firing, allowing the exhaust of the launching Shillelagh to vent hot noxious gasses into the crew compartment. It featured several design improvements including an updated gun hydraulic configuration, a stabilization upgrade for the gun, a gun elevation kill switch for the loader, improved ballistic drive and other component refinements. The latest versions, the Magach 7 (with variants A through C), are still in use with the IDF reserve units. It also featured a 152 mm main gun similar to that of the M551 Sheridan light tank, which fired conventional rounds as well as the Shillelagh anti-tank guided missile (ATGM). [77] Secondly was the high minimum range of about 730 m (2,400 ft). [72] The turret interior also received Kevlar spall liners. [102] This design was similarly developed independently by Israel in their Magach 7 series. Based on these tests, the 105 mm T254E1 was selected, modified to the T254E2 and standardized as the "Cannon, 105mm Gun, M68". The appearance of main force NVA units in South Vietnam helped overcome the resistance of many senior leaders in the U. S. Army who initially felt that there was no place for tanks in the battle for Southeast Asia. This AVLB prototype launcher assembly used an M48 tank with its turret removed from the chassis, fitted with a launching system for the scissors bridge carried on top of the hull. It had 2,000 rounds of ammunition. Mar 18, 2019 - Explore Rick Herrington's board "M60, M48" on Pinterest. However, many Israeli M60s were destroyed by Egyptian troops armed with AT-3 Sagger anti-tank missiles. [38] After creating a full-sized mock up of this design using the T95E6 turret, it was dropped in favor of a design based on the M1 cupola of the M48A2's turret. As US armored and cavalry units rotated out of combat deployments to South Vietnam most of their M48A3 tanks were either directly transferred to the South Vietnamese Army or to Thailand. During the early testing of the XM81 main gun it was noted that misfires and premature detonations of the M409 conventional case ammunition were caused by unburnt propellant in the bore and breech. Osceola, WI: Motorbooks International, 1992, Танк Т-62. The US Army Technical Manual (TM), also referred to as the dash ten (-10), which is (or was during the cold war) the operators manual for army vehicles. [93] In 1990, M60A3/E60Bs from Army surpluses were sold to Oman, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia. [48] The first American nomenclature-designated second generation MBT was the M60A1 version of the M60 series. Notable are the British Chieftain and German Leopard 1. The first M60A3s were assembled at the Detroit Arsenal Tank Plant in February 1978[55] where the first of a low-rate of initial production quantity of 296 M60A3s were produced through October[94] with fielding to Army units in Europe starting in May 1979. M60s for use in foreign military service were designated as the E60 series by the US Foreign Military Sales (FMS). The M60 Patton is a main battle tank (MBT) introduced in December 1960. [68] Early TLAC panels were made from aluminum and were vulnerable to damage from small arms fire. The M60A3's turret was similar to the A1's but with increased armor protection for the frontal arc and mantlet in an effort to provide additional protection of the turret's hydraulics system. Correctly predicting that Congress would not approve the procurement of the M48A2 after the fiscal year 1959, the Deputy Chief of Staff, Logistics (DCSLOG) proposed a tank based on the M48A2 featuring improved firepower and the AVDS-1790 engine. [79] The M60A1E2 finalized the turret design with the use of a compact turret which reduced exposed frontal area by 40% compared to the M60A1 and continued development of the M51 Missile Guidance System (M51MGS). The commander had an M36E1 passive periscope and the gunner an M32E1 passive sight. It did however enable the coaxial machine gun to be brought to bear while moving. The front vision block can be replaced by a M19E1 infrared periscope or an M36E1 passive periscope for night observation. A mock-up of this design using the Type C turret was constructed. [131] One MCRS missed a mine, which blew apart a track of the tank pushing it, immobilizing the tank and blocking the lane. Both were unsuccessful. This also offers a weight reduction compared to the original M19 cupola as used on the M60A3. They were used in the OPFOR Surrogate (OPFOR(S)) role by D Company 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment (Team Dragon) until May 2005. After being retired from combat use in 1991, 18 M60A3s, with the M19 cupola removed, continued in active Army service to provide tactical combat training to US and NATO forces in Europe. NORINCO Type 62 (WZ131) Light Tank Combat Vehicle. The term MBT is used in strategic doctrine and the composition of force as determined by the United States Army. M60A1s configured to this standard were denoted as M60A1(RISE)+. Its 100 mm gun was a significant advancement over the weapon of the T-44. The Missile Control System was also very fragile owing to its dependence on vacuum tubes which often broke when firing the gun. The Marine tank crews faced sporadic resistance, knocking out a BRDM-2 armored car. The main gun was chosen after a comparative firing test of six different guns carried out on the Aberdeen Proving Grounds in 1958. 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