page_title: M60 tank
section_title: Super M60/AX
hierarchical_section_title: M60 tank / Development / Foreign upgrades / Super M60/AX
caption_attribution_description: English: General Dynamics Super M60/AX prototype, 1985
context_page_description: The M60, sometimes referred to as the M60 Patton, is an American second generation main battle tank. It was officially standardized as the Tank, Combat, Full Tracked: 105-mm Gun, M60 in March 1959. Although developed from the M48 Patton, the M60 series was never officially classified as a member of the Patton tank family, but as a "product-improved descendant" of the Patton tank's design. The United States fully committed to the MBT doctrine in 1963 when the Marine Corps retired the last heavy tank battalion. The M60 tank series became America's primary main battle tank during the Cold War. Over 15,000 M60s were built by Chrysler. Hull production ended in 1983, but 5,400 older models were converted to the M60A3 variant ending in 1990.
  It reached operational capability with fielding to US Army units in Europe beginning in December 1960. The first combat usage of the M60 was with Israel during the 1973 Yom Kippur War where it saw service under the "Magach 6" designation, performing well in combat against comparable tanks such as the T-62.
context_section_description: The Super M60/AX, also called Super 60, was a comprehensive update package for the M60A1 and A3 tanks, first offered in 1985 by General Dynamics. The vehicle was developed as a private venture for the export market and was never evaluated for US military service. The upgrade offered to increase the protection, firepower and mobility for the M60A1 and A3 tanks.
  Although the US Army chose not to pursue the installation of a new power pack or suspension system in the M60 series, General Dynamics formed a co-operative private venture with Teledyne Continental to develop an upgrade. The new engine and suspension not only smoothen the off-road ride, but also allowed the M60/AX to handle well in spite of its considerable weight increase over the original M60A1. After initial tests, additional modifications were applied, featuring an armor upgrade intended to increase protection from shaped charged projectiles. It was referred to as the Super 60 Program.
  The tank upgrade is based on the M60A1 RISE hull and the T95E7 turret as used on the M60A1 and A3 variants of the M60 series. Mobility was increased by 20% with a new engine and transmission. It featured the AVCR-1790-1B engine coupled to a Renk RK-304 transmission with 4 forward and 4 reverse gears. The torsion bar suspension system of the M60 was replaced with the National Waterlift hydropneumatic suspension system (HSS). Survivability was enhanced with a layer of Chobham spaced applique armor built around the M60A1 turret, that noticeably changed its appearance. The hull armor is enhanced with a layer of laminated steel armor panels covering the frontal arc of the hull. A pair of steel track skirts were added as well as Kevlar spall liners for the fighting compartment. It has a crew of 4, the commander, loader and gunner are positioned in the turret and the driver in the front of the hull.
  The weapons of the M60/AX are similar to those of the M60A3, but different models were used. The main gun is the rifled 105 mm/L55 M68A1E2 with a longer XM24 tube and a thermal sleeve, the same weapon used on the M1 and M1IP versions of the M1 Abrams MBT with 43 rounds.  The 7.62 mm M73 coaxial machine gun used on the M60A1 is replaced with a 7.62 mm M240C, with the same number of rounds. The M19 cupola was replaced with a low silhouette model with a pop-up hatch for the commander and a 12.7 mm M2HB machine gun on a pintle mount with 600 rounds. The Fire Control System (FCS) is essentially the same as used on the M60A3TTS consisting of an M21E1 solid-state ballistic computer, Raytheon AN/VSG2 Tank Thermal Sight (TTS) for the gunner, a Raytheon AN/VVS2 flash-lamp pumped ruby-laser based range finder, accurate up to 5000 meters, an M10A2E3 electro-mechanical ballistic drive and solid-state analog data card bus.  The prototype built did not have an optical range finder but one could have been easily installed.
  As one of the first upgrade packages offered for the M60 series, the M60/AX prototype demonstrated the potential for upgrading the M60A1/A3 and even the M48 series as well. Even though this update package offered M60 users an opportunity to dramatically increase the combat capabilities of their tank fleets, no country ever bought the update, and the program effectively ceased by the end of the Cold War. Only one prototype was built. The overall failure of the Super 60 Program was likely due to the lack of immediate necessity for such a vehicle. This design was also developed independently by Israel in their Magach 7 series.
caption: General Dynamics Super M60/AX prototype, 1985
exif: {}