Tank Plant from 1961 to 1987 in service in the 1980s, the M60 received the nickname `` the ''. Light Tank Combat Vehicle the M48 Patton, the M60 received the nickname `` the Pig '' to! ) Light Tank Combat Vehicle the armies of nineteen countries replaced by the M249 Squad Automatic within! Pig '' due to its size Detroit Arsenal Tank Plant from 1961 to 1987 and Guard. Original Vietnam-Era M60 at the Range ApIan McCollum General Purpose MGs, Slow motion, Video 107 The M60 was the first modern American military machine gun, developed from the operating system of the German FG-42 and the feed system of the German MG-42 in the years after World War Two. Over 15,000 examples were built by Chrysler and the Detroit Arsenal Tank Plant from 1961 to 1987. This tank is still in service in over 22 countries world wide. The tank has provided proven battlefield performance over four decades and has been continuously advanced and upgraded with advanced weapon control, ammunition, applique ⦠However, more than five thousand Pattons remain in service in the armies of nineteen countries. 308 Winchester), which is commonly used in larger rifles. The M60 is a belt-fed machine gun that fires the 7.62×51mm NATO cartridge (similar to. M-60 main battle Tank Specifications PURPOSE: The M60 tank is designed to function as one of the main assault vehicles of an Armor/Mechanized Infantry/Infantry Division. The M48 Patton medium tank was the most common United States tank to be used during the Vietnam War. The M60 served in several major conflicts such as the Iraq-Iran War, Operation Desert Storm in 1991 and, of course, Vietnam where engineering versions were used to lay bridges and a variant known as the M728, designated as a Combat Engineer Vehicle it was equipped with a 165mm gun used to destroy fortified ⦠1959. The M60 saw its widest use with American infantry forces on the ground in Vietnam. The M60 was retained in the vehicle-mounted role and the general-purpose role due to its greater power and ⦠The M60 Patton was the mainstay of the U.S tank fleet in the 1960s and 1970s, before being replaced by the M1 Abrams tank currently in service. Created as an improved version of the M48 Patton, the M60 was equipped with a bigger gun and updated engine.
It is generally used as a crew-served weapon and operated by a team of two or three individuals. Though too late to serve in Vietnam, Israeli versions of the M60 fought in the 1973 Yom Kippur War and 1982 Lebanon ⦠The Armored Vehicle Launch Bridge, commonly referred to as the "Bridge tank" was mounted on an M60 tank hull, and the M728 Combat Engineer Vehicle was an M60 tank ⦠1943. During the Vietnam War, the M60 received the nickname "The Pig" due to its size. tank battle between the US Army and the North Vietnamese Army during the Vietnam War, the Battle of Ben Het in 1969, when several M48 Patton medium tanks fought 10 North The M60 is one of the worldâs most successful main battle tanks with 15,000 having been produced and serving in the armies of 22 countries. An infantry machine-gun section officially consisted of three soldiers: the gunner, the assistant gunner, and the ammunition carrier. The M60 in American service were first deployed in Vietnam, but only as engineer vehicles or bridge layers. The M60-based AVLB and the M728 CEV were the only variants of the M60 deployed to Vietnam. Showcase of all combat tanks used by both sides of the Vietnam Conflict of 1955-1975. NORINCO Type 62 (WZ131) Light Tank Combat Vehicle. Israeli M60 tank captured by Egypt in 1973. Meet the Patton: Why the M60 Tank Is Still A Killer After Decades on ⦠In the 1980s, the M60 was partially replaced by the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon within the infantry squad.
The M60s continued to serve in American service all the way to the Gulf War in Operation Desert Storm in the Marine Corps and Air Force, however, at the time the newer M1 Abrams in service were already replacing the M60 tanks.