M60 Main Battle Tank 1961-91

Entering service in the early 1960's, the M60 tank was in production for 23 years and formed the backbone of US Army and Marine armoured units during the Cold War. Over 15,000 were built in four basic models: the M60, M60A1, M60A2, and the M60A3. At its peak the US Army used over 8,887 tanks of this type, with reductions starting in 1990 and continuing through the 1990s. At the time of Desert Shield and later Desert Storm, the M60 had been phased out of US Army service but still served with the US Marine armoured units. US Marine M60's participated in the ground offensive and entered Kuwait. This book explores the design and operation of such a widely-used vehicle.