The Abrams tank entered the United States military service in 1980, and has since operated over 39 million miles worldwide. It's named after Creighton Williams Abrams Jr., who served in WWII, the Korean War, and was a U.S. Army General during the Vietnam War. The M1 was designed by Chrysler Defense in the late '70s, and manufactured by General Dynamics under government contract. Its 1,500hp Honeywell turbine engine can burn a variety of fuels including diesel, jet fuel, gasoline, and marine diesel. The advantage of a turbine engine versus a diesel engine is that it requires no warm-up period, has less moving parts, and needs no cooling system. Manufacturers that build parts for your truck also build equipment for the M1. For example, Alcoa makes the Abrams' wheels, and the transmission is an Allison unit.
The Abrams has evolved over the years, and is constantly getting improvements to its armor, suspension, engine, and weapon stations. The three variants of the Abrams include the M1, M1A1, and M1A2. The base M1 started with a smaller 105mm gun, which was increased to 120mm on the later models. The M1A1 received armor, suspension, and far-target-designation capability. The M1A2 modernization program includes high-tech upgrades for navigation, safety (automatic fire detection and suppression), and weapon systems. This tank is in high demand with other countries. The following either own a fleet, or are in the process of procuring one: the United States, Australia, Egypt, Greece, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Turkey. DP
Honeywell's Total InteGrated...
Honeywell's Total InteGrated Engine Revitalization program (TIGER) is a contract with the U.S. Army to improve performance and durability on the AGT1500. The overhaul affects approximately 1,000 engines at a cost of more than $1 billion.
MIL-SPEC
Designer: Chrysler Defense
Manufacturer: General Dynamics
Engine: Honeywell AGT1500 turboshaft
Horsepower: 1,500 @ 3,000 rpm
Torque: 2,750 lb-ft @ 3,000 rpm
Shaft Rotation: Counterclockwise
Exhaust Temperature: 930 degrees F
Total Dry Weight of Engine: 2,500 pounds
Fuel Types: Diesel, jet fuel, gasoline, and marine diesel
Oil type: Synthetic
Transmission: Allison DDA X-1100-3B four-speed
Crew: 4
Length: 387 inches
Width: 144 inches
Height: 93.5 inches
Curb weight: 69.54 tons
Ground clearance: 19 inches
Ground pressure: 15.4 psi
PERFORMANCE
Maximum Speed: 42 mph
Acceleration (0-20 mph): 7.2 seconds
Cruising Range: 265 miles
Maximum Trench Crossing: 9 feet
Vertical Obstacle: 42 inches
Power to weight Ratio: 21 hp/ton
ARMAMENT
Primary: 120mm M256 smooth-bore cannon
Coaxial weapon: 7.62 M240 machine gun
Loader's weapon: 7.62 M240 machine gun
Commander's Weapon: .50 cal. M2 machine gun
ARMOR
The M1A2 uses composite Chobham armor made from layers of steel, ceramic, Kevlar, and depleted uranium. Its true construction is classified, but it is designed for high-energy anti-tank (HEAT) and kinetic energy weapons. In addition, 30 tiles of reactive armor can be fitted to each side of the M1 to protect against anti-tank guided missiles.