Th? M60 st?n?s t?ll ?s ?n? ?? th? m?st ??n?wn?? ??ttl? t?nks ?l???ll?, ???stin? ? l???c? ?? s?cc?ss with ?v?? 15,000 ?nits m?n???ct???? ?n? ???l???? ?c??ss th? ??m?? ???c?s ?? 22 n?ti?ns.
O?i?in?ll? ?nt??in? s??vic? with th? US A?m? in 1960, th? M60 ?v?lv?? ?v?? th? ????s. Th? M60A1, int????c?? in 1962, ???t???? si?ni?ic?nt ???????s incl??in? ? n?w t????t ??si?n, ?nh?nc?? ??m??, ?n? im???v?? ?mm?niti?n st????? s?st?ms. D?s?it? ?tt?m?ts t? int????c? th? ??v?l?ti?n??? M60A2 with ? 152mm ??n ?n? missil? l??nch??, ?tt?nti?n shi?t?? t? ?????ctin? th? ???mi???l? M60A3 v??i?nt, which ????t?? in 1978, inc??????tin? ??v?nc?? ??n?i?? c?nt??l s?st?ms.
Whil? ?????cti?n ?? th? M60 h?s c??s??, G?n???l D?n?mics L?n? S?st?ms Divisi?n c?ntin??s t? ???vi?? c??ci?l ?l??t m?n???m?nt s?????t t? th? US A?m? T?nk A?t?m?tiv? C?mm?n? ?n? t? ?s?? n?ti?ns w??l?wi??.
As ?? 2010, E???t ?????t?s ?????xim?t?l? 1,700 ???????? M60A3s, with T??k?? ?n? Is???l ?i?l?in? 900 ?n? 700 ?nits ??s??ctiv?l?.
U??????s ?n? Inn?v?ti?ns
An int??n?ti?n?l c?ns??ti?m ?? c?nt??ct??s h?s ??v?l???? ??????? ??ck???s ??? ??th th? M60 t?nk ?n? th? M60 ??m???? v?hicl?-l??nch?? ??i???. This c?ll?????ti?n incl???s G?n???l D?n?mics L?n? S?st?ms, Allis?n T??nsmissi?n, ?n? Nim?? C?m??n?, ???lin? ?x???tis? ???m ?iv??s? c??n??s ?? th? ?l???.
G?n???l D?n?mics L?n? S?st?ms h?s ?i?n????? th? 120S M?in B?ttl? T?nk, ???t??in? ?n M1A1 t????t m??nt?? ?n ?n ???????? M60 ch?ssis. A?m?? with ? ???mi???l? 120mm M256 sm??th???? ??n ?n? ???i???? with ? s??histic?t?? c?m??t??iz?? ?i?? c?nt??l s?st?m, th? 120S ??it?miz?s c?ttin?-???? t?chn?l??? in ??m???? w??????.
A?v?nc?? W????n?? ?n? S?st?ms
E??i???? with ? ??t?nt 105mm M68 ?i?l?? ??n ???stin? 63 ???n?s ?? ?mm?niti?n, th? M60 ?ns???s ?i????w?? s????i??it? ?n th? ??ttl??i?l?. Enh?nc?? with ? ??ll? st??iliz?? ??n ?n? th??m?l sl??v?, ??th ??nn?? ?n? c?mm?n??? c?n ????ctiv?l? ?n???? t????ts with ???cisi?n.
Th? t?nk ?ls? ???t???s tw? sm?k? ??n???ti?n s?st?ms, incl??in? ?n ?n?in? ?xh??st sm?k? s?st?m ?n? ???l six-?????l?? sm?k? ???n??? l??nch??s, ?nh?ncin? its s??viv??ilit? ?n? t?ctic?l c????iliti?s.
St?t?-??-th?-A?t Fi?? C?nt??l
Th? M60A3 is ???i???? with ? s??histic?t?? R??th??n ?i?? c?nt??l s?st?m, int????tin? ?n AN/WG-2 ???s??? l?s?? ??n???in??? ?n? M21 ??llistic c?m??t??. B???si?ht?? with th? l?s?? ??n???in???, th? ??nn??’s si?ht ?ns???s ?in??int ?cc???c? in ?n????m?nts.
Utilizin? in??t ??t? ???m v??i??s s?ns??s, incl??in? t????t ??n??, c??sswin?, ?n? in??ti?l t??ckin? ??t?s, th? M21 ?i?? c?nt??l c?m??t?? ?n??l?s ???cis? t????tin? ?v?n whil? th? t?nk is in m?ti?n, ?ns??in? ????ctiv? ?n????m?nt ???inst m?vin? t????ts.
Unm?tch?? M??ilit? ?n? P??t?cti?n
Th? M60 ???sts im???ssiv? m??ilit?, c????l? ?? t??v??sin? v??tic?l st??s ?? t? 36 inch?s, ????i?nts ?? ?? t? 60%, ?n? si?? sl???s ?? ?? t? 30%. With th? ??ilit? t? ???? w?t?? ?? t? 48 inch?s in ???th with??t ???????ti?n ?n? ?? t? 90 inch?s with ? ????in? kit, th? M60 ??it?miz?s v??s?tilit? in v??i??s t????ins ?n? c?m??t sc?n??i?s.
C?ncl?si?n
F??m its inc??ti?n in th? 1960s t? its ?v?l?ti?n int? th? m????n ??ttl??i?l?, th? M60 t?nk ??m?ins ? s?m??l ?? milit??? ???w?ss ?n? t?chn?l??ic?l inn?v?ti?n. With c?ntin???s ???????s ?n? ?nh?nc?m?nts, it c?ntin??s t? s??v? ?s ? ???mi???l? ???c?, ?m????in? th? s?i?it ?? ??sili?nc? ?n? ????t??ilit? in ??m???? w??????. As c?n?licts ?v?lv? ?n? n?w ch?ll?n??s ?m????, th? l???c? ?? th? M60 ?n????s, st?n?in? ?s ? t?st?m?nt t? th? in??n?it? ?n? ???ic?ti?n ?? th?s? wh? ??si?n, ??il?, ?n? ?????t? th?s? l???n???? m?chin?s.
