M-60 tank facts for kids

Quick facts for kids M60 Patton
An M60 Patton Tank
Type	Main battle tank
Place of origin	United States
Service history
In service	1961–1997 (United States)
Used by	See Operators
Wars	Yom Kippur War Turkish invasion of Cyprus Iran–Iraq War Persian Gulf War Western Sahara War Shia insurgency in Yemen Turkey–PKK conflict
Production history
Manufacturer	Detroit Arsenal Tank Plant, Chrysler
Produced	1960–1987
No. built	Over 15,000 (all variants)
Variants	See Variants
Specifications
Mass	M60: 50.7 short tons (46.0 t; 45.3 long tons) M60A1: 52 to 54 short tons (47 to 49 t; 46 to 48 long tons) depending on turret design.
Length	M60: 6.946 meters (22 ft 9.5 in) (hull), 9.309 meters (30 ft 6.5 in) (gun forward)
Width	M60: 3.631 meters (11 ft 11.0 in)
Height	M60: 3.213 meters (10 ft 6.5 in)
Crew	4
Armor	6.125 in (155.6 mm)
Main armament	105 mm (4.1 in) M68 gun (M60/A1/A3) 152 mm (6.0 in) M162 Gun/Launcher (M60A2)
Secondary armament	.50 cal (12.7 mm) M85 7.62 mm M73 machine gun
Engine	Continental AVDS-1790-2 V12, air-cooled Twin-turbo diesel engine 750 bhp (560 kW)
Power/weight	15.08 bhp/t
Transmission	General Motors, cross-drive, single-stage with 2 forward and 1 reverse ranges
Suspension	Torsion bar suspension
Ground clearance	0.463 meters (1 ft 6.2 in)
Fuel capacity	1,457 liters (320 imp gal; 385 U.S. gal)
Operational range	300 miles (500 km)
Maximum speed	30 miles per hour (48 km/h) (road)

The M60 Patton is a main battle tank (MBT) introduced in December 1960. The M60 became the Army's primary tank during the Cold War. When the Soviet Union got the T-54 tank, the United States decided to upgrade the M48 Patton tank. The armor was improved. It was fitted with the British L7 105 mm tank gun. The army also decided to switch from gasoline to diesel.