![]() By 1969, the unit cost stood at five times the original estimates, causing the Department of Defense to suspend the program. While the design was highly capable, its weight continued to grow, as did its budget. The American version used a 152 mm gun whose primary long-range weapon was the Shillelagh missile. New 1,500 hp (1,100 kW) engines powered the designs which could both reach 43 miles per hour (69 km/h). A hydropneumatic suspension provided improved cross-country ride quality and also allowed the entire tank to be raised or lowered by the driver. ![]() The resulting design, the MBT-70, incorporated new technologies across the board. The overall goal was to have a single new design with improved firepower to handle new Soviet tanks like the T-62, while providing improved protection against the T-62's new 115 mm smoothbore gun and especially high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) rounds. Through the 1960s the US Army and Bundeswehr had collaborated on a single design that would replace both the M60 tank and the Leopard 1. ![]() History This article is a stub, please expand it! See also: History of the M1 Abrams ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |