Wherever the U.S. Army has fought over the last four decades, the M1 Abrams has steadfastly provided armored support. The main battle tank has proven to be an incredible success story; there have been approximately 10,000 produced since they were first introduced in 1980. Named after General Creighton W. Abrams, the tank has gone through dozens of revisions over the years, with the M1A2 SEP Abrams being the most recent version.
Costing over $10 million per unit, the M1 Abrams is not only one of the heaviest tanks ever created but also among the most expensive. The most widely used tank across the globe, it has seen action in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Yemen, and is used by the militaries of such countries as Australia, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia.
The tank now comes fitted with a 120 mm L/44 M256 smoothbore gun (but has previously been equipped with a 105 mm L/52 M68A1 rifled gun), has a 1,500-horsepower engine, and can reach a top speed of 42 miles per hour. The M1A2 SEP also features graphite-coated armor and the Trophy active protection system, adding further defensive capabilities. This variant weighs a total of 71.2 tons, up from the 60-ton weight of the original model.
