Otomatic m60 tank upgrade#
Otomatic m60 tank full#

The amount of ammunition carried was increased from 57 to 63 rounds. The gun was still the 105mm M68 rifled cannon, but the gun mount was changed from the M116 model of the M48 turret to the M140 model, allowing the vehicle to have better gun depression and elevation (-9/+19 increased to -10/+20). It took approximately 35 seconds for the vehicle to reach its maximum speed on hard surface. The original M60 engine (AVDS-1790-2 650hp diesel) was replaced by yet another improved variant (the AVDS-1790-2A), the main advantages of which were reduced exhaust smoke and fuel consumption – the power remained the same, as did the maximum speed (48 km/h, 30 mph), even though the combat weight was increased (compared to the M60) by 1.36 tons to 47.63 tons.

Rear hull armor: 41-30mm (the grill was 25mm thick).

Lower frontal hull plate: 143-85mm (angled at 55 degrees).

Upper frontal hull plate: 109mm (angled at 65 degrees, increased from 93mm).

It remained steel-only, no composites were used, but the upper frontal plate thickness was increased: The M60A1 had – compared to the M60E1 – an improved hull armor.

Otomatic m60 tank full#

It would take a full year (till October 1962), however, before the production switched to this upgraded variant. On October 22 1961, the M60E1 was officially accepted in service under the designation of 105mm Gun Tank M60A1. In this configuration, the vehicle passed the military tests successfully, although some additional modifications were made (such as replacing the older M17C coincidence rangefinder with the newer M17A1 model). The turret was covered with the M19 cupola, known already from the original M60. XM34 or XM36 commander periscope (the latter had IR capability).The M60E1 was also equipped with a number of advanced electronic devices, such as: Given the fact that the majority of the hits were expected to impact on the turret rather than the hull, the new turret represented a massive jump in M60 protection. Gun mantlet: 127mm (angled at 60 degrees – the line of sight mantlet armor changed from 130mm to 254mm)Īs you can see, the line of sight armor thickness was practically doubled.The new (all-steel) turret was well-protected: The suspension was further improved compared to the older M60 model. The first prototype was sent to Aberdeen for testing, the second went to Detroit Arsenal for maintenance testing, and the third one was assigned to Fort Knox. The attempts to mate a modified M60 hull with the T95E7 turret took place from March 1960 with the first two prototypes (designated Pilot 1 and 2) ready in May 1961 and the third (Pilot 3) in June 1961, when the vehicle also received its official designation: 105mm Gun Tank M60E1. That, of course, did not stop the ongoing development. However, by the time the M60 went into production, it was not ready yet and the initial M60 model was therefore equipped with a modified M48 turret. The turret was also longer, allowing for the gun to be shifted more to the front, thereby increasing the internal space for the crew. The T95 turret was sleek and, most importantly, better protected than the original M48 turret.

The M60 was supposed to originally be equipped with a new turret, based on the T95 tank program (specifically the T95E7 variant, designed with a 105mm gun in mind). The project was relatively successful and the combination of a new 105mm gun and a diesel engine proved to be a formidable one, but there was still a lot of space for improvement, especially in the turret department.

Otomatic m60 tank upgrade#

The M60 interim tank was developed as an upgrade to the M48 series with the goals of improving its firepower and operational range.