Why The M1 Abrams Is Considered One Of The Best Tanks Ever Made – SlashGear

The United States Army Acquisition Support Center speaks to the potency of the vessel, noting that the Abrams enables “expeditionary Warfighters to dominate their adversaries through lethal firepower, unparalleled survivability, and audacious maneuver.” 

A blend of immense destructive capacity, armor, and agility combine to give the A1 Abrams tank its prowess on any battlefield. Underpinning the vessel is a 1,500 horsepower turbine engine and enough exterior and interior armor to withstand small arms fire with ease, shell fragments, and even the occasional direct hit from other explosive weaponry. The Abrams can travel across water with a depth of up to four feet and can reach a top speed of 45 miles per hour over a maximum range of 300 miles (doing 0-20 mph in just six seconds).

In addition to its armored body and propulsion system, the Abrams tank is outfitted with a grisly arsenal of weaponry. With those armaments, the four-person crew is capable of tackling a wide range of conditions on a myriad of battle landscapes. An M1A1 SA is outfitted with 40 rounds for its 120 mm cannon, alongside 900 rounds for the .50 caliber machine gun and 11,400 7.62 mm rounds for a secondary machine gun.