this post was submitted on 02 Sep 2023
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[โ€“] bdesk@kbin.social 10 points 1 year ago

The M1 Abrams is a third-generation American ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ main ๐Ÿ‘ฟ battle ๐Ÿ’ฅ tank ๐Ÿ‘ƒ designed ๐Ÿ˜‹ by Chrysler Defense ๐Ÿ›ก (now General ๐Ÿ’‚ Dynamics ๐Ÿ’ฏ Land ๐Ÿ›ฌ Systems).[9] Conceived ๐Ÿ‘ for modern ๐Ÿ•ธ armored ๐Ÿ‘•๐Ÿ‘– ground ๐Ÿ˜ซ warfare ๐Ÿ”ซ and now one โ˜ of the heaviest ๐Ÿ’ฏ tanks โ›ฝ in service ๐Ÿ“ฃ at nearly ๐Ÿ‘ฃ 68 short ๐Ÿšธ tons ๐Ÿ˜ (almost ๐Ÿ’ธ 62 ๐Ÿ™‹ metric ๐Ÿ˜๐Ÿ’ฆ tons ๐Ÿ‹), it introduced ๐Ÿ’๐Ÿ™‹ several ๐Ÿ’ฏ innovative ๐Ÿ’ฉ features ๐Ÿงฌ, including ๐Ÿ™Œ a multifuel turbine โœˆ engine ๐Ÿš’, sophisticated ๐Ÿ“–๐ŸŽ“๐Ÿ˜ Chobham composite armor ๐Ÿ’ช, a computer ๐Ÿ’ป๐Ÿ’พ fire ๐Ÿ”ฅ control ๐ŸŽฎ system โ˜„, separate โ†” ammunition storage ๐Ÿฌ in a blow-out compartment, and NBC protection ๐Ÿ† for crew ๐Ÿ‘ฌ safety ๐Ÿ‘ท๐Ÿป๐Ÿ›‘. Initial ๐Ÿ’ฐ models ๐Ÿ‘ง of the M1 were armed ๐Ÿ’ช๐Ÿ”ซ with a licensed-produced 105 ๐Ÿ‘‰ mm ๐Ÿฅด๐Ÿคค Royal ๐Ÿ‘‘ Ordnance L7 gun ๐Ÿ”ซ, while later ๐Ÿ‘‹ variants โš— feature ๐Ÿง  a licensed Rheinmetall 120 โค๐ŸŒป mm ๐Ÿ’ฅ L/44. The M1 Abrams was developed ๐Ÿš€ from the failure โŒ of the MBT-70 project ๐Ÿ‘ท to replace ๐Ÿ˜ฐ๐Ÿ˜ž the obsolescent M60 Patton. There are three 3๏ธโƒฃ main ๐Ÿ‘ฟ operational Abrams versions โ„น, the M1, M1A1, and M1A2, with each new ๐Ÿ†• iteration โคต seeing ๐Ÿ‘€ improvements โฌ† in armament ๐Ÿ’ฆ๐Ÿ’ช๐Ÿ˜, protection ๐Ÿ›ก, and electronics ๐Ÿ“บ. Efforts ๐Ÿ˜ฉ๐Ÿ˜ง to develop ๐Ÿ‘ฉโ€๐Ÿ’ป an M1A3 version ๐Ÿ“ผ were first ๐Ÿฅ‡ publicly ๐Ÿ†๐Ÿ˜ž๐Ÿ’ฆ disclosed in 2009.[10][needs update ๐Ÿšจ] Extensive ๐Ÿ‘† improvements ๐Ÿ’• have been implemented ๐Ÿ”ง to the latest โฐ๐ŸŒƒโฑ M1A2C and D (formerly designated M1A2 System โ˜„ Enhancement ๐Ÿ“ˆ Package ๐Ÿ“ฆ version ๐Ÿ“ผ 3 โญ•โ„น๐Ÿ•˜ or SEPv3 and M1A2 SEPv4, respectively ๐Ÿ˜๐Ÿคค) versions โ„น such as improved โœ” composite armor ๐Ÿ’ช, better ๐Ÿ‘ optics, digital ๐Ÿ‘ง๐Ÿฟ systems ๐Ÿ—บ and ammunition.[11] The Abrams was due ๐Ÿ’ข to be replaced ๐Ÿšท by the Future ๐Ÿ“… Combat ๐Ÿ‘Š Systems ๐Ÿ—บ XM1202 but ๐Ÿ‘ due ๐Ÿ™ˆ to its cancellation โŒ, the U.S ๐Ÿ‘จ. military ๐Ÿ‘จ๐Ÿผโ€โœˆ๏ธ has opted to continue โฉ maintaining ๐Ÿƒ๐ŸŒž๐Ÿšถ๐Ÿฝ and operating ๐Ÿค– the M1 series ๐ŸŽฌ for the foreseeable future ๐Ÿ“… by upgrading ๐Ÿ’ฏ๐Ÿ“ฑ๐Ÿ“ฒ with improved ๐Ÿ’ธ optics, armor ๐Ÿ’ช and firepower.

The M1 Abrams entered ๐Ÿ†• service ๐Ÿ›Ž in 1980 and currently โŒš serves ๐Ÿ’ as the main ๐Ÿ…ฑ battle โš” tank ๐Ÿš‚ of the United ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ States ๐Ÿ“” Army ๐ŸŽ– and Marine ๐ŸŒŠ Corps ๐Ÿ‘ฎ. The export ๐Ÿ“ธ version ๐Ÿ“ผ is used ๐ŸŽถ by the armies ๐ŸŽ– of Egypt ๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ฌ, Kuwait ๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ผ, Saudi ๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡ฎ Arabia ๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡บ, Australia ๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡บ, and Iraq ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ถ. The Abrams was first ๐Ÿ‘† used ๐ŸŽถ in combat ๐Ÿ”ซ in the Persian ๐Ÿ˜ฏ Gulf War โš”๐Ÿ’ฃ๐Ÿ”ซ and has seen ๐Ÿ‘€ combat ๐Ÿ”ซ in both the War โš” in Afghanistan ๐Ÿ‡ท๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ’‚๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡ซ and Iraq ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ถ War ๐ŸŒŸโš” under ๐Ÿ˜€ U.S ๐Ÿ‘จ. service ๐Ÿ“ฃ, while Iraqi Abrams tanks โ›ฝ have seen ๐Ÿ‘€ action ๐ŸŽญ in the war ๐Ÿ’ฅโš” against ๐Ÿšซ ISIL and have seen ๐Ÿ‘€ use ๐Ÿ˜๐Ÿ˜๐Ÿ˜† by Saudi ๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฆ Arabia ๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฆ during the Yemeni Civil ๐Ÿ‘Œ War ๐Ÿ”ซ.