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Description
The M1 Abrams was developed from the failed joint American-West German MBT-70 project that intended to replace the obsolete M60 tank. There are three main operational Abrams versions, the M1, M1A1, and M1A2, with each new iteration seeing improvements in armament, protection, and electronics.[11]
The Abrams was to be replaced in U.S. Army service by the XM1202 Mounted Combat System, but since that project was canceled, the Army has opted to continue maintaining and operating the M1 series for the foreseeable future by upgrading with improved optics, armor, and firepower.
The M1 Abrams entered service in 1980 and serves as the main battle tank of the United States Army and formerly of the United States Marine Corps (USMC). The export version is used by the armies of Egypt, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Australia, Poland and Iraq. The Abrams was first used in combat by the U.S. in the Persian Gulf War and later, both the War in Afghanistan and the Iraq War, while other countries deploying Abrams tanks have been Iraq in the war against the Islamic State and Saudi Arabia in the Yemeni Civil War.
