T95 Medium Tank The T95 was an American prototype medium tank developed from 1955 to 1959 . These tanks used many advanced or unusual features , such as siliceous - cored armor , a new transmission , and the OPTAC fire - control system . The OPTAC incorporated an electro - optical rangefinder and was mounted on the right side of the turret , and was used in conjunction with the APFSDS - firing 90 mm T208 smoothbore gun , which had a rigid mount without a recoil system . In addition , although the tanks were designed with a torsion beam suspension , a hydropneumatic suspension was fitted , and one of the tanks was fitted with a Solar Saturn gas turbine for demonstration purposes . The siliceous cored armor consisted of fused silica , which has a mass efficiency of approximately three versus copper - lined shaped charge s , embedded in cast steel armor for an overall mass efficiency of 1 . 4 . The early APFSDS penetrators fired by the T208 had a low length - to - diameter ratio , this being limited by their brittle tungsten carbide construction , with a diameter of 37 mm , although they had a high muzzle velocity of 1 , 525 meters per second ( 5 , 000 feet per second ) . The rangefinder , the " T53 Optical Tracking , Acquisition and Ranging ( OPTAR ) " system , emitted pulsed beams of intense but incoherent infrared light . These incoherent beams scattered easily , reducing effectiveness in mist and rain and causing multiple returns , requiring the gunner to identify the correct return after estimating the range by sight . This , combined with the large and vulnerable design of the transmitter and receiver assembly , led to the abandonment of the OPTAR system in 1957 . History . Development . In the early 1950s , work began in the US to develop an eventual replacement to the M48 tank , the operational medium tank at the time . In September 1954 , out of many submitted plans , two main examples were chosen – one of them , the T95 ; the other , the T96 , which used a heavier gun and a 105 mm round . Both tanks used smooth - bore barrels with a fixed mount and no recoil system . In November 1956 , it was finally decided that nine tanks would be produced . Four of them would be original T95s . One would be a T95 with a 90 mm gun on a mount with a recoil system , receiving the designation T95E1 . The remaining four would use the T95 chassis and the T96 turret , and were designated the T95E4 . Production . Because the T96 turrets were not yet constructed ( and were never completed ) , it was decided that of the four T95E4s , two would be fitted with the M48A2 turret , and the other two were fitted with T54E2 turret and with 105 - mm T140 cannon . The first T95 variant to go into production was the T95E2 , in May 1957 . The T95E3 was produced in July of the same year , and the first original T95s were ready in February 1958 . Description . The T95 tank was created using a traditional design with a driver in the front , the fighting compartment in the center , and the engine compartment in the rear . The tank had a four - man crew , consisting of a commander , a gunner , a loader , and a driver . The driver ’ s work area is in the forward compartment . The driver ' s hatch is located in the glacias above his head . . With the hatch sealed the driver operates using three periscopic visual devices , the middle of which is equipped with a night - vision infrared camera from the T161 . Ammunition stores are located on either side of the driver ’ s chair . Hull and turret . The majority of the hull is welded , but the front is a single massive casting . The upper part of the forward armor , or glacias , has a thickness of 95 mm and is at an angle of 65 degrees from vertical . The thickness of the roof and floor of the hull around the driver ' s compartment is 51 and 19 mm respectively ; the thicknesses of said areas are 25 and 13 mm , respectively , around the fighting and engine compartments . The thickness of the main side plates vary from 102 mm up front down to 32 mm around the engine . The cast turret has a ring diameter of 85 inches ( the same as the M48 ) . The frontal turret armor is 178 mm , and the sides are 78 mm . The shape of the turret is elongated compared to the M48 . The gunner ’ s seat is situated to the right of the main gun in the front of the turret . The commander ’ s seat is also in the turret with a built - in 12 . 7 mm M2 machine gun , with an M28 periscopic sight for aiming . For 360 - degree vision , 5 armored viewports are installed in the turret . Primary shells are stored in the lower section of the turret , beneath the ring . Armament . The T95 and the T95E1 are equipped with a T208 90 mm smooth - bore gun . The T95 equipment was installed on a fixed mount and was stabilized in two axises . The T95E1 equipment was installed on a recoil mount , but lacked stabilization systems . All T95 models were equipped with T320 armor - piercing rounds , which had a tungsten core , a diameter of 40 mm , and a muzzle velocity of 1520 meters per second . These rounds could successfully penetrate a 127 mm armor plate when fired at a 60 - degree angle from 2000 yards . A standard T95 was equipped with 50 rounds . The T95E2 retained the armament of its predecessor , the M48A2 . With a 90 mm gun , it could fire a 74 mm anti - armor shell at 915 meters per second for a range of 2000 yards . It was equipped with 64 rounds . The T95E3 was armed with a T140 105 mm rifled gun . With a muzzle velocity of 1079 m / s , the armor piecing capability at 2000 yards is 122 mm at a 60 - degree firing angle . Standard equipment was 64 rounds . The T95E4 was planned to have a T210 105 mm smoothbore gun . In order to accommodate the extra length of the rounds ( 112 cm ) , the gun was moved forward , preventing stabilization . The muzzle velocity of the round was 1740 m / s , with an armor penetration of 152 mm at 60 degrees at 2000 yards Standard equipment – 40 rounds . With the appearance of the T123 120 mm rifled gun , it was decided that it should be installed on two of the four planned T95E4s . This variant was designated T95E6 . Muzzle velocity – 1070 m / s , armor - piercing capability of 122 mm at 60 degrees at a range of 2000 yards . Fire - control system . The T95E2 and the T95E3 were equipped with a fire - control system , identical to the one used in the M48A2 , with a stereoscopic rangefinder and a mechanical ballistics computer . The T95 also had an FCS which had an OPTAR optic rangefinder , as well as an electronic ballistics computer . It also featured a periscopic sight from the T44 and a T50 ballistic computer . The T95E1 used a simplified targeting system – a rangefinder and a ballistics computer were omitted . Powerplant . Under the original proposal , T95 and T96 tanks had to be equipped with an X - shaped 750 hp 12 - cylinder diesel engine . However , because this engine was only in the early stages of development , it was decided to temporarily equip the tanks with a 4 - stroke , 8 - cylinder AOI - 1195 gasoline engine . The engine was placed transversely and was connected with the XTG - 410 four - speed transmission . Three fuel tanks , with a total capacity of 780 liters , were installed in the engine compartment . Despite higher fuel economy compared to the M48A2 engine , gasoline engines provided insufficient torque . At the same time , the development of the X - shaped diesel engine failed , so starting in mid - 1958 , other options were considered . As an interim measure , they decided to use a modified version of the civilian 12 - cylinder , two - stroke , water - cooled , V - type , 570 hp GM 12V71T diesel engine . A contract was signed with the Continental Motors Company in the development of the AVDS - 1100 air - cooled diesel engine , and with Caterpillar to develop the LVDS - 1100 water - cooled diesel engine . Both engines are quad - V - shaped , with an estimated 550 hp . However , tank testing with the three new power plants began after the retirement of the T95 program . Chassis . The suspension consists of five sets of double road wheels with torsion bar springs . The system does not have track return rollers . The forward and rearmost road wheels are equipped with hydraulic shock absorbers . On some of the tanks lightweight openwork road wheels were used . Caterpillar treads were used , with rubber bushed pins . The width of the tracks were 533 mm or 610 mm . The number of tracks in a tread was 80 and the length of the bearing surface was 4 . 2 m . Retirement . During the development of T95 tank , it became clear that it would not have a significant advantage over the M48A2 . The X - shaped motor and optical rangefinder were both discarded due to performance , and the accuracy of smoothbore gun continued to be unsatisfactory . All this led to the closure of the project on July 7 , 1960 . At the same time , work on the T95E7 turret was continued , which led to the creation of the fairly successful M60A1 turret . References . 1 . Hunnicutt R . P . , " Abrams . A history of American main battle tank " Vol . 2 , Novato 1989 2 .