Another thing is that the choice of the turbine engine turned out to be not very successful because it requires very careful maintenance and is prone to catching fire. M1 Abrams It is primarily characterized by unprecedented - before 1979 - in tanks of this class, mobility and maneuverability, thanks to the use of a powerful 1500 HP engine. Despite a very long process of analytical, study and experimental work lasting almost 15 years, it was introduced to the line in the early 1980s M1 Abrams It turned out to be an almost revolutionary structure and far superior to the then Soviet ones. However, after a few years, the cooperation was terminated and further work was focused only on American companies, especially in the Chrysler Defense concern. Initially, cooperation with German companies was initiated in the project designated as MBT-70. The new vehicle was to replace the Patton family tanks (M47-M48-M60) in the US Army. The M1 Abrams was created in response to the demand for a new Main Battle Tank announced by US Army already in the 60s of the twentieth century.
The additional armament is 1 12.7 mm machine gun and 2 7.62 mm M240 machine guns. The vehicle is armed with a 105mm M68A1 tank gun in the M1 version, and a 120mm M256 tank gun in the M1A1 and later versions. The M1 Abrams is powered by a turbo-shaft (turbine) engine Avco Lycoming AGT-1500C 1500 hp. To date (2018), about 10500 tanks of this type have been produced. The first prototypes of the vehicle were created in the 1970s, and serial production started in 1979 continues to this day. The M1 Abrams is a modern 3rd generation American Main Battle Tank.