Explore the M60 Patton, the U.S. Army's first main battle tank, a saga of war, technology and an arms race, from the miracle of the Hungarian Revolution to the Soviet T-54's counterattack. From the legendary L7 gun inherited from its design to multiple upgrades, the M60 Patton has left a deep mark on military history. Take a look back at the origins of this tank and discover how widely it is used around the world, as well as why it is constantly being upgraded. Follow in the footsteps of the M60 and uncover the story of this shocking tank.
During World War II, tanks and other armored vehicles experienced rapid development - both technically and theoretically, tanks clearly became the backbone of modern armies. In fact, the war ended with a new arms race, this time against former allies – the Soviet Union and the United States.
In 1956, the situation was not rosy for the countries of the Warsaw Pact. A full-fledged revolution broke out in Budapest. The Soviet response was unusually brutal, sending new T-54 and T-55 tanks to destroy cities and crush the rebellion.
During the battle, the Hungarian rebels miraculously captured a T-54 tank and drove it to the British embassy in Budapest.
The U.S. Army's M60A1 tank Xi participating in a multinational military training exercise
The British gladly accepted the gift and began an in-depth study of Soviet design. They came to a serious conclusion - this tank was superior to anything that the Anglo-Americans had to offer. The Soviet-built 105 mm tank gave birth to the legendary British design, the Royal Ordnance L7.
Based on these findings and information provided by the British, the M60 Patton was born – a main battle tank that combines firepower and protection to carry out assault missions while maintaining the mobility of a medium tank. The M60 Patton is based on the predecessor M48, but is armed with an advanced 105-mm gun.
The M60A2 tank nicknamed Starship
Its secondary armament consisted of two machine guns with armor ranging from 93 mm (6.7 in) to 258 mm (10.15 in). The tank is powered by Continental AVDS-1790-2 V12 air-cooled twin-turbo diesel engines and can reach a top speed of 30 miles per hour (48 km/h).
In 1961, the M60A1 entered service as the first version, and subsequent developments gave birth to the M60A2 (nicknamed "Starship" because of its use of computer technology) and the M60A3, the latter taking full advantage of numerous technological improvements.
Despite the more advanced modifications, the original version was still very popular, as it experienced the most extensive battles. Israel bought several M60A1s in the 60s of the 20th century and has been increasing their purchases to as many as 150 units.
Israeli M60 tank captured by Egypt in 1973
In the Arab-Israeli War, the M60 Patton earned a reputation for its superior maneuverability and devastating firepower.
In addition to the United States, countries that rely on the M60 Barton include Kuwait and Iran, which adopted the M60 extensively during the Iran-Iraq war of 1980-1988. In 2005, various modifications of the M60 entered service with Bahrain, Bosnia, Brazil, Egypt, Greece, Israel, Jordan, Portugal, Spain, Tunisia, Turkey, Thailand, the Republic of China (Taiwan), Iran and many other countries.
Bosnian M60A3 tank
Between 1961 and 2005, a total of 15,000 M60 Patton tanks were produced, the last of which were decommissioned from the US army that year. Despite this, the Patton is still widely used and is constantly being upgraded to meet today's military standards.