Unit of the Week #5 - M60A1

The M60A1 is a general-purpose medium tank of the US Army. Its production began in 1962 on the basis of the M60 tank. The M60 series became the primary main battle tank of the US Army during the Cold War.

The M60 series, except for the M60A2, utilized the excellent 105mm L7A1 British designed gun, which was produced in the U.S. and named M68. The 105mm main gun was so successful that it was later mounted on the first series M1 "Abrams" machines.

M60A1 featured a newly redesigned longer turret, with increased thickness of frontal parts and additional hull armor. The tank was also equipped with an air filtering system.

The highest priority in the supplies of the M60A1 was given to armored battalions deployed in Western Europe. M60A1 tanks fought in the Middle East wars (the Yom Kippur war, the Iran-Iraq war, the Lebanon War and a number of others) where it was effective against comparable USSR tanks such as the T-62.

Israel, Egypt, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Italy, Austria, Turkey and other countries continue to operate M60A1 until nowadays.

In 1961, one of the first M60A1s delivered to Iran was transferred to the USSR where it was extensively studied that influenced the design of the Soviet T-62 tank.