LATEST Ancient Prototypes of Proxy Warfare: The Economic and Logistical Burden of Roman and Persian Proxy Networks among Arab Tribes and Caucasian Powers
SEARCH
DB ONLINE
EN ▾
M1A1 Abrams
Photo: U.S. Air Force photo by Tech Sgt John Houghton · Wikimedia Commons · Public domain Use of this image does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD).
REC // INTEL FEED

M1A1Abrams

Tanks · United States · 1985
ADD TO COMPARE

M1A1Abrams

M1A1 Abrams
M1A1 Abrams Photo: U.S. Air Force photo by Tech Sgt John Houghton · Wikimedia Commons · Public domain Use of this image does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD).
* Absolute score — assessed within category · no era adjustment
Firepower
82
Protection
78
Mobility
85
Technology
65
Reliability
60
Crew Survivability
92
Operational Range
45
Logistics
40
Historical Performance
95
Strategic Impact
88
Origin United States
ManufacturerJoint Systems Manufacturing Center
CategoryTanks
EraCold War
In service1985–1992
Operators11 countries
Data Quality87%
MASS(Military Archive Scoring System)
75
Tanks MASS Rating
9/89
Cold War
24/563
All-Time
Tanks · 10 axes scored
Firepower
82
Protection
78
Mobility
85
Technology
65
Reliability
60
Crew Survivability
92
Operational Range
45
Logistics
40
Historical Performance
95
Strategic Impact
88
ⓘ Regardless of era, the same scoring system applies to all units in the tanks category.
01 / Overview
M1A1 Abrams
Category
Production
1985–1992
Unit Price (current)
$11.2M↗ 160% inflation · 1989→2025
Original Price
$4.3M (1989)
Operators
💰 PERFORMANCE / PRICE ASSESSMENT Methodology ↗
TANKS · COLD WAR
9
PERFORMANCE/PRICE
74
UNIT COST (2025 USD)
$11.2M
Original: $4.3M (1989)
Inflation: +%160
75
tanks category
ⓘ Performance/Price and MASS score are computed across all units in the tanks category, regardless of era.
02 / Specs & Design
◎General5MOD.5
◈Firepower9MOD.9
▣Protection5MOD.5
◇Mobility7MOD.7
  • Engine Power1,120 hp
  • Power-to-Weight Ratio17.74 hp/t
  • Fuel TypeMultifuel
  • Transmission TypeFully Automatic
  • Suspension TypeTorsion Bar
  • Max Road Speed72 km/h
  • Operational Range (Road)426 km
◆Dimensions5MOD.5
  • Length (Hull)7.93 m
  • Length (Overall, Gun Forward)9.77 m
  • Width3.66 m
  • Height2.44 m
  • Ground Clearance0.48 m
⬢Amphibious & Special3MOD.3
▲Production & Service2MOD.2
  • Years in Production7 year
  • Current Service StatusActive Service
03 / History
SERVICE LIFESPANStill in Service
  1. 1985Production started
  2. 1990First deployment: Gulf War
  3. 1992Production ended
41
years in service
7
years in production
11
countries operating
ⓘ The producing country still actively operates it.
04 / Variants
▚ WEAPON FAMILY
M1 Abrams 1980
M1A1 Abrams 1985
05 / Operators
Operator Inventory8country · 2,437units
2,437active
📖 TERMS ON THIS PAGE19terms
Armour-piercing fin-stabilized discarding sabot: a type of kinetic energy penetrator ammunition.
A Battle Management System (BMS) is a command‑and‑control software suite that gathers, processes, and shares battlefield data to provide situational awareness and coordinate the actions of military units.
Armour made from multiple materials, such as metals and ceramics, to increase effectiveness.
Computerised Advanced: a tank fire‑control system generation that uses digital computers to calculate ballistic solutions and integrate sensor data for enhanced targeting accuracy.
A front-mounted armored plate on a tank, primarily used for clearing obstacles, creating cover, or breaching fortifications.
A fully automatic tank transmission shifts gears without driver intervention, using hydraulic or electronic controls to select appropriate gear ratios based on engine speed and vehicle load.
High-Explosive Fragmentation: ammunition that explodes on impact, releasing fragments.
High-Explosive Anti-Tank: a type of projectile that uses a shaped charge to penetrate armor.
Optical device that uses laser pulses to measure the distance to a target with high precision.
A main battle tank is a heavily armored vehicle with a large caliber gun, used for front-line combat.
A mine plough is a device attached to a tank to clear mines from its path.
Multifuel: a fuel type designation for tanks whose engines can operate on several fuel varieties (e.g., gasoline, diesel, jet fuel) without modification.
Nuclear, Biological, Chemical protection for tank crews.
Enhanced low-light visibility through specialized optics or sensors.
Handheld or vehicle-mounted devices that release dense smoke to obscure vision, conceal movements, or screen friendly forces from enemy observation.
A smoothbore gun is a firearm with an unrifled barrel, allowing projectiles to travel without spin; it is commonly used in modern tank main guns for firing fin‑stabilized ammunition.
Thermal sights are infrared imaging devices mounted on a tank's gunner station that detect heat emitted by objects, enabling target identification and aiming in low‑visibility conditions.
A torsion bar is a steel rod that resists twisting and serves as a spring in tank suspensions, with one end fixed to the hull and the other connected to a lever arm moving the road wheel.
These terms are listed automatically because they appear on this page.full encyclopedia →
📚 Sources
📖 ENCYCLOPEDIA Browse the Tanks entry →