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M60
M60A1
M60A2
M60A3

105mm Gun Tank M60^{1-15,27-28,30}

The M60 was an evolution of the M48A2 Patton tank, and bears a strong family resemblance, especially with the turret designs being related. The new tank was borne out of desire for greater range and increased firepower. Unlike the earlier tank, the M60 had a wedge-shaped front hull and forged aluminum wheels versus the M48A2's boat-shaped front hull and steel road wheels. The hull front was redesigned to allow easier use of siliceous cored armor, which in the event was never produced due to cost and lack of manufacturing capacity. The new aluminum road wheels on the M60 were interchangeable with the older steel wheels, but were 65lbs (29kg) lighter apiece than the steel wheels. Indeed the M60 tipped the scales ~3,000lb (~1,360kg) lighter than the M48A2 Patton despite its more powerful armament. The 105mm gun M68 was an equivalent of Britain's L7 gun, but used a vertical sliding breechblock instead of the L7's horizontal breechblock, and the US gun was fitted with an eccentric bore evacuator instead of a concentric model in order to provide more clearance over the rear deck. The gun tube was attached to the breech via a tapered pin and interrupted threads so that the tube could be dismounted from the gun shield without taking apart the mantlet. The exhaust for the personnel heater emerged from the front hull roof and ran to the vehicle's right. The first 300 M60s produced were armed with a .50cal M2HB machine gun in a pedestal mount welded to the left side of the commander's cupola due to production problems with the new M85 machine gun. Of these tanks, the first 45 manufactured were made without the cupola itself, also due to production problems. The M60 originally had no shock absorbers, however these were added in production near the beginning of 1962 and retrofitted to earlier tanks. Fifteen of the earliest M60s produced had insufficiently thick hull armor, and were therefore used by the Armor School as training tanks. M60 turrets had three lifting eyes. On early turrets these were arranged with one behind the 105mm gun and one on each rear corner. On later turrets this was reversed, with one on each front corner and a single eye on the rear of the turret.

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105mm Gun Tank M60A1^{1-11,16-20,28-29}

M60 was quickly followed by M60A1, and the major redesign was the turret. M60A1 featured a longer, "needle-nosed" turret derived from that of the T95E7 prototype, which placed the 105mm gun 5" (13cm) forward of where it would be in M60's turret. M60A1 also featured increased armor protection, improved location of the brake and accelerator pedals, hydraulic instead of mechanical linkages for those pedals, and improved seats. Friction snubbers were installed on the first two and last road wheels from the start of production.

There were many improvements to the M60A1 over its lifetime. Top-loading air cleaners, which were easier to maintain and provided better air filtration than earlier versions, were introduced in 1971. A stabilization system for the M68 was introduced in 1972; M60A1s fitted with stabilization were designated M60A1(AOS) for Add-On Stabilization. M60A1(RISE), or Reliability Improvements for Selected Equipment, was fielded in 1975. M60A1(RISE) had a more reliable engine with the top-loading air cleaners; stronger cylinders; improved starter, fuel injection lines, and nozzles; and better turbosuperchargers. The T142 track allowed for longer track life since the rubber pads were replaceable. M239 smoke grenade launchers were first installed in 1976 as a response to antitank missile proliferation. The top loading air cleaners were armored starting in January 1977. Improvements were also made to the tank's electrical system. M60A1(RISE)(PASSIVE), first seen in 1977, was fitted with a smaller gun shield-mounted searchlight that produced white and infrared light, and the gunner and commander were given passive night vision periscopes M32E1 and M36E1, respectively.

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152mm Gun-launcher Tank M60A2^1-8,18,21-24

M60A2 was composed of a new, narrow-profile turret placed on M60A1 hulls. The M162 gun-launcher fired the MGM-51C Shillelagh missile, also used by the M551 Sheridan. The missile was launched when the tank was stationary, had a maximum range of 3,000m (3,300yd), and a minimum range of 800m (875yd) since the onboard guidance control took that long to become effective. The conventional HEAT-MP round was accurate to 1,600m (1,750yd), making it the default against armor at closer ranges. The commander sat well to the rear of the turret in a cupola stabilized in elevation and traverse, and the gunner and loader each had hatches in the turret sides. Late-production gun-launchers were built without bore evacuators since they were made redundant by the closed-breech scavenging system (CBSS), which used compressed air to more effectively blow any remnants of the combustible ammunition case out of the gun-launcher before the breech was opened. In M60A2, the CBSS was located below the engine exhaust louvres in the hull rear, and this made a distinctive bulge below the exhaust louvres.

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105mm Gun Tank M60A3^1-7,25-26

M60A3 was an improved M60A1, featuring a laser rangefinder, solid state ballistic computer, and crosswind sensor. The laser rangefinder utilized the right-side rangefinder blister. The M68 gun tube was also wrapped in a thermal shield to prevent barrel droop due to temperature imbalances. In August 1979, the AN/VSG-2 tank thermal sight was added to allow better passive visibility for the gunner and commander in inclement weather conditions such as smoke or fog. M60A3s equipped with this device were designated M60A3(TTS). Steel road wheels were again used starting in May 1980, since they cost less than the lighter aluminum wheels. Drivers were provided with an improved floor escape hatch lock, and the AN/VVS-2 night vision viewer replaced the infrared periscope M24. The power of the turret motor was doubled from 5 to 10 horsepower. M60A3s also were later fitted with a muzzle reference system, a Halon fire extinguishing system, a vehicle engine exhaust smoke system, and hardware to allow the mounting of equipment such as chemical alarms.

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References

1. Hunnicutt, R.P. Patton: A History of the American Main Battle Tank, volume 1. Navato, CA: Presidio Press, 1984.
2. Crismon, Fred W. U.S. Military Tracked Vehicles. Osceola, WI: Motorbooks International, 1992.
3. Lewis, Jeff, and Joe D. M60 Spotters Guide, version 2. 5 August 2007. 5 December 2007 <http://www.com-central.net/index.php?name=Downloads&get=306> Com-Central.net Downloads
4. Miller, David. The Illustrated Directory of Tanks of the World. Osceola, WI: MBI Publishing Co., 2000.
5. Decker, Oscar C. "The Patton Tanks: The Cold War Learning Series." Camp Colt to Desert Storm: The History of U.S. Armored Forces. Eds. George F. Hofmann, Donn A. Starry. USA: University Press of Kentucky, 1999.
6. Foss, Chris. Modern Tanks. Glasgow: HarperCollins Publishers, 1995.
7. Federation of American Scientists. "M60 Series Tank (Patton Series)." DOD 101. 22 February 2000. 26 April 2001 <http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/land/m60.htm>. DOD 101
8. TM 55-2350-215-10-15 Transportability Guidance Tank, Combat, Full-tracked, M60-Series M60 (2350-00-678-5773) 105-mm Gun, M60A1 (2350-00-756-8497) 105-mm Gun, M60A2 (2350-00-930-3590) 152-mm Gun, M60A3 (2350-00-148-6548) 105-mm Gun. Washington, D.C.: Department of the Army, 31 October 1983.
9. TM 9-2350-215-10 Operator's Manual Tank, Combat, Full Tracked: 105-mm Gun, M60A1 W/E (2350-756-8497) Tank, Combat, Full Tracked: 105-mm Gun, M60 W/E (2350-678-5773) and Trainer, Tank Gunnery: Medium, XM30 (6920-790-2259). Washington, DC: Headquarters, Department of the Army, 28 September 1962.
10. Tank Data, vol. 3. Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD: US Army Ordnance School, Jul 1958.
11. TM 9-1000-213-35 Direct Support, General Support, and Depot Maintenance Manual for Cannon, 105-mm Gun, M68, Mount, Combination Gun, M116 and M140, and Cupola, Tank Commander's Caliber .50 Machine Gun, M19 Used on: Tank, Combat, Full Tracked: 105-mm Gun, M60A1 W/E (2350-756-8497) and Tank, Combat, Full-tracked: 105-mm Gun, M60 W/E (2300-00-678-5773). Washington, D.C.: Department of the Army, 8 July 1975.
12. Cullen, Tony, and Christopher F. Foss, eds. Jane's AFV Retrofit Systems 1994-95. Seventh ed. Coulsdon, Surrey: Jane's Information Group, Ltd., 1994.
13. TM 9-1220-203-34 Field Maintenance Manual Ballistic Computers M13, M13A1, M13A1C, and M13A1D. Washington, DC: Headquarters, Department of the Army, 4 March 1960.
14. TM 9-1240-258-34 Field Maintenance Manual Range Finder M17C. Washington, DC: Headquarters Department of the Army, 1 July 1960.
15. Tactical Vehicles. Fort Benning, GA: US Army Infantry School, June 1969.
16. TM 9-2350-257-10-1 Operator's Manual: Operator Controls and PMCS Tank, Combat, Full-tracked: 105-mm Gun, M60A1 (RISE) (2350-00-116-9765) Tank, Combat, Full-tracked: 105-mm Gun, M60A1 (RISE PASSIVE) (2350-01-059-1503). Washington, DC: Headquarters, Department of the Army, 31 July 1980.
17. TM 9-2350-257-10-2 Operator's Manual: Operation Under Usual and Unusual Conditions Tank, Combat, Full-tracked: 105-mm Gun, M60A1 (RISE) (2350-00-116-9765) Tank, Combat, Full-tracked: 105-mm Gun, M60A1 (RISE PASSIVE) (2350-01-059-1503). Washington, DC: Headquarters, Department of the Army, 6 January 1986.
18. TM 43-0001-13 Night Vision Equipment Datasheets. Washington, D.C.: Department of the Army, 26 April 1974.
19. Rouse, William G., and Raymond J. Malecki. History of Current U.S. Rapid Obscuration Systems (ROS). Aberdeen Proving Ground: Edgewood Research, Development & Engineering Center, December 1997.
20. TM 11-5855-217-12-1 Organizational Maintenance Manual Including Repair Parts and Special Tool Lists--Searchlight Set, Infrared AN/VSS-3A NSN 5255-00-177-3529 NSN 5855-00-405-0404. Washington, D.C.: Department of the Army, 31 March 1980.
21. TM 9-2350-232-10 C3 Operator's Manual for Tank, Combat, Full-tracked: 152-mm Gun/Launcher M60A2, W/E (2350-00-930-3590). Washington, DC: Headquarters, Department of the Army, 8 July 1975.
22. TM 9-2350-232-20-1 Organizational Maintenance Manual for Tank, Combat, Full-tracked: 152-mm Gun/Launcher M60A2, W/E (2350-930-3590) (Hull/Automotive). Washington, DC: Headquarters, Department of the Army, 16 April 1973.
23. TM 9-2350-232-34 Direct Support and General Support Maintenance Manual for Turret Elevating and Traversing Systems, Cupola, Gun/Launcher, and Mount Used on Tank, Combat, Full-tracked: 152-mm Gun/Launcher M60A2 (2350-930-3590). Washington, DC: Headquarters, Department of the Army, 12 March 1973.
24. FM 17-12-4 Tank Gunnery for M60A2 Tanks. Washington, D.C.: Department of the Army, 22 July 1977.
25. TM 9-2350-253-10 C12 Operator's Manual Tank, Combat, Full Tracked: 105-mm Gun, M60A3 (2350-00-148-6548) and (2350-01-061-2306) TTS (Tank Thermal Sight). Washington, DC: Headquarters, Department of the Army, 30 June 1989.
26. TM 9-2350-253-20-2 C6 Organizational Maintenance Manual--Tank, Combat, Full Tracked: 105-mm Gun, M60A3 (2350-00-148-6548) and (2350-01-061-2306) TTS Turret. Washington, D.C.: Headquarters, Department of the Army, 15 April 1980.
27. TM 9-1220-220-35P Field and Depot Maintenance Repair Parts and Special Tool Lists for Ballistic Drive M10 (T24E3). Washington, DC: Headquarters, Department of the Army, 21 July 1960.
28. TM 9-2815-200-34 Field Maintenance for Engine, Diesel, Turbosupercharged, Fuel Injection, 90-Degree "V" Type, Air-cooled, 12-cylinder, Assembly (Continental Model AVDS-1790-2) 2815-679-4963 and (Continental Model AVDS-1790-2A) 2815-064-6270. Washington, DC: Headquarters, Department of the Army, 7 February 1963.
29. TM 9-2815-200-35 Direct Support, General Support and Depot Maintenance Manual Including Repair Parts and Special Tools Lists for Engine, with Container: Turbosupercharged, Diesel, Fuel Injection, 90-Degree "V" Type, Air-cooled, 12-cylinder, Assembly; Models AVDS-1790-2M (2815-856-4996), AVDS-1790-2A and AVDS-1790-2AM (2815-856-9005). Washington, DC: Headquarters, Dept. of the Army, 15 Oct 1970.
30. TM 9-500 C3 Data Sheets for Ordnance Type Materiel. Washington, DC: Headquarters, Department of the Army, 12 October 1966.

Last updated 26 Oct 2024.
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