The M1 Abrams Has Been A Top-Tier Tank For 40 Years Thanks To Its Engineering

The M1 Abrams is the current main battle tank of the U.S. military and has been in service since the early 1980s, but the first time it saw real combat was during First Gulf War in 1991. While a lot of tanks have one or two features that set it apart from other armored units, like a high top speed or a potent turret gun, the Abrams has four different elements that make it one of the most dominant pieces of ground combat technology on the battlefield today. Those elements are the tanks gun, its powerplant, its maneuverability, and certainly the armor. 

No self-respecting modern tank would be complete without a huge cannon, and the Abrams delivers with the M256 120 mm smoothbore tank gun. It was originally engineered by Rheinmetall, a German defense company. It is also the same gun used by variations of Germany's Leopard 2 tank where it's designated as the L44. According to soldiers who fought in Desert Storm, the range of the gun itself was so far, that Abrams tanks could fire on enemy tanks while sitting safely out of range from return fire.

One of the most distinguishing features of the Abrams is its powerplant. It utilizes a 1,500 horsepower gas turbine, as opposed to a traditional diesel engine like tanks of the past. The Abrams' Honeywell AGT1500 gas turbine engine is uses a wide variety of fuels including kerosene and Marine Diesel oil in case the tank crew gets in a jam and doesn't have access to regular fuel. In addition to being adaptable, the AGT1500 is also relatively quiet in operation compared to internal combustion engines. It's a little difficult for a 70-plus ton tank to be "stealthy," but the crews that man the tanks for entire tours of duty are likely thankful for the reduction in noise.

Thanks to the gas turbine, the Abrams is also relatively quick. It's able to haul itself to 42 miles per hour on open ground and upwards of 30 miles per hour on harsher terrain. Former Army Lt. Kevin Butler noted that during training exercises in tough muddy conditions, that the Abrams sped through the muck like it wasn't even there.

A big gun and top speed are certainly vital to the Abrams' longevity over the years, but it wouldn't be a tank if it didn't boast beefy armor. And the Abrams is certainly capable of taking damage as it is dealing it. Although specifics of the armor are classified, reports indicate that M1 Abrams armor consists of depleted uranium, an extremely dense metal, similar in composition to the shells fired by the A-10 Thunderbolt II, also called the "Warthog." 

During battles with Iraqi tanks during Operation Desert Storm, the M1's armor saved the lives of AMerican soldiers were losing just 31 tanks, compared to around 3,300 tanks lost by the enemy. The tank can reportedly resist not only chemical and nuclear attacks, but majority of ordinance from enemy combatants.

The Ukrainian Army is set to receive a shipment of M1 Abrams tanks to more effectively fight Russian armor. How the Abrams will fair against Russian tanks is yet to be seen, but given how handily M1 took did against Iraq's then-leader Saddam Hussein's Soviet-built T-72 tanks during Desert Storm, the M1 Abrams will likely be a great asset in the fight.