The US Army's 68-ton M1 Abrams Main Battle Tank entered service in 1980 when it was deployed extensively in the stand-offs of the Cold War. It saw combat during Gulf 1 (1991), the invasion of Iraq in 2003, and in Afghanistan (2010). Its revolutionary design incorporates a powerful multi-fuel turbine engine, sophisticated Burlington composite armour, and a deadly main armament featuring a 105mm rifled gun (M1), and the 120mm smooth-bore gun (M1A1 and M1A2), which makes the Abrams capable of making a kill at ranges in excess of 8,200ft.
