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Main battle tank

United States Legacy

General Dynamics Land Systems

M60A3 Patton

The last and most refined production version of the M60 series, adding a laser rangefinder, ballistic computer and improved stabilization. Retired from U.S. service, it still equips several allied armies as a legacy export tank.

In service since 1978 · 20 operator countries

Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02

km/h

480

km range

hp/t

105

mm gun

52,600

Procurement snapshot

Availability & export

US ITAR-controlled

Export needs U.S. State Dept (DDTC) approval; end-use & re-transfer restrictions apply.

Channel: Foreign Military Sales (FMS) or Direct Commercial Sale

Fielded & proven

Widely fielded · 20 operators

In service since 1978. Status: legacy · ~15,000 built.

Lifecycle cost (est.)

No public unit price to model from.

Interoperability

105 mm NATO

Derived guidance from public data, export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.

Compatible munitions & weapons

Publicly reported weapons the M60A3 Patton can carry. Linked items have a full spec page.

M735 APFSDS M456 HEAT M393A2 HEP-T

Full specifications

Performance

Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.

Max speed Maximum level speed. For aircraft this is at optimal altitude; for ground vehicles, top road speed. Higher means faster response and better kinematic performance.: 48 km/h

Bottom 5% of main battle tanks
Range Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence.: 480 km

Stronger than 47% of main battle tanks
Power-to-weight Engine power per tonne of vehicle weight. Higher means better acceleration and cross-country mobility.: 15 hp/t

Bottom 3% of main battle tanks
Muzzle velocity Projectile speed leaving the barrel. Higher means flatter trajectory and better armor penetration.: 1,500 m/s

Bottom 7% of main battle tanks

Firepower

Armament, payload and guidance.

Main armament Primary weapon: main gun, cannon or missile type.: 105 mm M68 rifled gun
Secondary armament Additional weapons: coaxial MG, remote weapon station, gun pods.: .50 cal M85 + 7.62 mm coaxial machine gun
Caliber Bore diameter of the main gun or rifle. Larger throws heavier projectiles; not simply better, ammunition commonality matters.: 105 mm
Ammunition Rounds carried (main gun) or standard magazine capacity.: 63

Top 1% of main battle tanks

Protection

Armor, countermeasures and survivability.

Armor Armor technology: composite, modular, ERA-fitted, uranium-ceramic. Exact compositions are classified.: Rolled homogeneous steel armor
Reactive armor Explosive reactive armor (ERA) blocks that disrupt shaped-charge jets.: No
Countermeasures Self-protection: chaff, flares, DIRCM, towed decoys, smoke dischargers, jammers.: smoke grenade launchers
NBC protection Sealed crew compartment with overpressure filtration for nuclear/biological/chemical environments.: Yes

Physical

Dimensions, weight and crew.

Length Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.: 9.44 m
Width Overall width, matters for rail/road transport of vehicles.: 3.63 m
Height Overall height. Lower profile is harder to spot and hit for ground vehicles.: 3.27 m
Combat weight Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor.: 52,600 kg
Crew Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity.: 4

Propulsion

Engine, power and fuel.

Engine Powerplant model and type.: Continental AVDS-1790-2C V12 diesel
Engine power Engine output power. Higher moves more weight faster.: 750 hp

Stronger than 16% of main battle tanks
Fuel capacity Internal fuel volume.: 1,420 L
Propulsion type Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet…: Diesel

Sensors & avionics

Radar, sensor suite and datalinks.

Sensors IRST, EO/IR turrets, laser designators, sniper pods, thermal sights.: laser rangefinder, AN/VVG-2 ballistic computer
Thermal imaging Thermal sights for night and obscured-visibility operations.: No

Munition

Round type, penetration, velocity and projectile data.

Caliber Bore diameter the round is fired from.: 105 mm

Program

Cost, production scale and operators.

Units built Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability.: 15,000

Top 1% of main battle tanks
Operator countries Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.: 20

Top 1% of main battle tanks

Specifications compiled from public General Dynamics Land Systems and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations, treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.

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