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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. Why so few systems publish one →

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.

Performance specifications
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 4% 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.

Firepower specifications
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.

Protection specifications
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.

Physical specifications
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.

Propulsion specifications
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 15% 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 & avionics specifications
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

Program

Cost, production scale and operators.

Program specifications
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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