M60A1 (AOS)

M60A1 (AOS)

M60

M60A1 RISE (P)

M60A1 (AOS)

M60

M60A1 RISE (P)

USA

VI Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
8.3	8.3	8.3

Class:

Medium tank

Research:135 000

Purchase:380 000

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This page is about the American main battle tank M60A1 (AOS). For other vehicles of the family, see M60 (Family). For other uses, see M60 (Disambiguation).

Description

The 105 mm Gun Tank M60A1 (AOS) is a rank VI American medium tank with a battle rating of 8.3 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update 1.61 "Road to Glory".

General info

Survivability and armour

The M60A1 is well-protected for a medium tank of its battle rating. From the front, it can resist most types of full-calibre armour-piercing shells, even at the muzzle. Across the turret, line-of-sight armour thickness varies from approximately 200-440 mm, sufficient against all types of 105 mm APDS. Across its hull, line-of-sight protection ranges from 220 mm over the upper glacis, to 280 mm on the lower glacis. The upper glacis may be penetrated from 100 mm and 105 mm APDS from ranges inside of 1,000 m, while the lower glacis is completely immune to those shells. The M60A1's own 105 mm M728 APDS can defeat the upper glacis even at 2,500 m, but the lower glacis can reliably stop M728 at ranges exceeding 1,500 meters.

The M60A1 is at risk of being engaged with APFSDS, HEAT, and large-calibre (>105 mm) APDS shells, which may easily bypass its protection, despite being stronger than average. The M60A1 also features numerous weak spots that make it vulnerable to vehicles that would not normally be expected to penetrate its armour. In particular, the mantlet, commander's cupola, and turret ring are vulnerable to APCBC shells, which can instantly destroy the tank upon detonation inside of the vehicle. The sloped turret roof is easily defeated by APFSDS and the vehicle's own M728 APDS, but with some luck, it can cause HEAT-FS and HESH shells to bounce harmlessly off.

The vehicle's armour is optimized for head-on protection. The turret's line-of-sight thickness quickly decreases as more of its side profile is exposed. Likewise, the thin side armour of the hull may be easily overmatched and is also insufficient to protect against most armour-piercing autocannon shells, such as 35 mm DM23 APDS. The roof is resistant to most types of armour-piercing bullets or shells fired by aircraft, but specialized munitions such as German MK103 30 mm HVAP, or 50 mm AP, will penetrate the M60A1's 20-30 mm thick roof.

When facing an M60A1 head-on, a shell penetrating the left side of the turret may incapacitate the gunner and commander. A follow-up shot to the right side of the turret may strike the loader and first-stage ammo stowage, while a shell to the middle of the hull may incapacitate the driver. Shells aimed at the right side of the vehicle, when being faced head-on, present the greatest chance of setting off ammunition.

When facing an M60A1 from the side, shells penetrating the turret bustle, or hull between the front and middle return rollers, may strike the vehicle's large supply of first-stage ammunition. Some M60A1 drivers may select a reduced ammunition load, so although shells which strike the driver's compartment may incapacitate the driver, they cannot be guaranteed to set off ammunition. Otherwise, shells aimed at the turret between the bulbous rangefinder housing, and before the area where the 25mm flat roof plate meets the sloped 48 mm roof plate, have the greatest chance of incapacitating the entire turret crew.

Armour type:

• Cast homogeneous armour
• Rolled homogeneous armour (Rear roof, Engine grille)

Armour	Front	Sides	Rear	Roof
Hull	108 mm (66°) Front Glacis 137 mm (54°) Lower Glacis	36 - 70 mm	25 mm (1°) Engine Grille 40 mm (31°) Top 28 mm (61°) Bottom	36 mm Front 20 mm Engine deck
Turret	215 + 50.8 mm (1-43°) Turret front left 230 + 50.8 mm (4-50°) Turret front right 127 mm (8-57°) Gun Mantlet	215 - 49 mm	57 mm	48 mm Front 25.4 mm Center
Armour	Front	Sides	Rear	Roof
Cupola	127 mm	70 mm	50 mm	101.6 mm

Notes:

• Tracks are 30 mm thick while suspension wheels are 20 mm thick.
• Belly armour is 19 mm in the front, 13 mm in the rear.
• 15 mm RHA plate between the engine and crew compartment.

Mobility

Game Mode	Max Speed (km/h)		Weight (tons)	Engine power (horsepower)		Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
	Forward	Reverse		Stock	Upgraded	Stock	Upgraded
Arcade	54	13	48	1,162	1,431	24.21	29.81
Realistic	49	12		663	750	13.81	15.63

Armaments

Main armament

105 mm M68					Turret rotation speed (°/s)					Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode	Capacity	Vertical	Horizontal	Stabilizer	Stock	Upgraded	Full	Expert	Aced	Stock	Full	Expert	Aced
Arcade	63	-10°/+20°	±180°	Two-plane	21.4	29.7	36.0	39.8	42.4	8.71	7.70	7.10	6.70
Realistic					13.4	15.8	19.1	21.1	22.5

Ammunition

Penetration statistics
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
		10 m	100 m	500 m	1,000 m	1,500 m	2,000 m
M728	APDS	260	258	250	240	231	222
M393A2	HESH	127	127	127	127	127	127
M456	HEATFS	400	400	400	400	400	400

Shell details
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Velocity (m/s)	Projectile Mass (kg)	Fuse delay (m)	Fuse sensitivity (mm)	Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)	Ricochet
							0%	50%	100%
M728	APDS	1,426	4.65	N/A	N/A	N/A	75°	78°	80°
M393A2	HESH	732	14.85	0.4	0.1	4,310	73°	77°	80°
M456	HEATFS	1,173	10.5	0.05	1	1,270	65°	72°	77°

Smoke shell characteristics
Ammunition	Velocity (m/s)	Projectile Mass (kg)	Screen radius (m)	Screen deploy time (s)	Screen hold time (s)	Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
M416	730	11.4	20	5	25	50

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of the M60A1 (AOS)

Full ammo	1st rack empty	2nd rack empty	3rd rack empty	4th rack empty	5th rack empty	Visual discrepancy
63	49 (+14)	38 (+25)	17 (+46)	4 (+59)	1 (+60)	No

Notes:

• As they are modeled by sets of 2, shells disappear from the rack only after you fire both shells in the set.
• Racks 3*, 4* and 5* are first stage ammo racks. They total 37 shells and get filled first when loading up the tank.
• These racks are also emptied early: the rack depletion order at full capacity is: 3 - 4 - 5 - 1 - 2.
• If you pack 17 (+46) shells, it will keep the front hull and the turret rear empty of ammo.
• Simply not firing when the gun is loaded will move ammo from non-essential into ready racks. Firing will interrupt the restocking of the ready racks.
• When refilling from racks 1 and 2, the refill order of ready racks is 5 - 4 - 3.

Machine guns

12.7 mm M85
Mount	Capacity (Belt)	Fire rate	Vertical	Horizontal
Pintle	900 (200)	625	-9°/+60°	±180°

7.62 mm M73
Mount	Capacity (Belt)	Fire rate	Vertical	Horizontal
Coaxial	5,950 (250)	500	N/A	N/A

Usage in battles

The M60A1 (AOS) performs similarly to the earlier M60, but with a number of differences. With the add-on stabilizer (AOS), the M60A1 is capable of firing on the move, allowing it to engage enemies much quicker and without having to stop the vehicle first. Overall, the gun handling of the M60A1 (AOS) is quite respectable. The turret traverse is good (although not outstanding) and the stabilizer allows firing on the move and much greater reactionary ability. The only letdown in this regard is the gun's elevation speed, which is slow but not exceptionally so. Just be aware that elevating or depressing the gun to get it on target may take more time than expected.

The M60A1 (AOS) cannot rely upon its armour as much as the previous M60 could, since the armour is negated by HEAT-FS ammunition that is common at the rank. It should be noted that it will stop most full-calibre rounds, meaning the commander must know which tanks use full-calibre rounds (mostly T-54/55, all French tanks with exception of the AMX-30). Additionally, the armour is still relatively thick and is able to bounce and absorb even APDS depending on where it hits. Still, the armour should not be relied upon.

When in urban combat:

As previously said, the armour of the M60A1 can sometimes be reliable and sometimes not, meaning you should always act as if the tank you are engaging will penetrate your armour nevertheless. The AOS adds the capability to peek around corners while moving and doing a hard stop, compared to its previous counterparts (the M47, M48, M60), it is able to have faster engagements without the need to stop, adjust the gun elevation and fire as the stabilizer will keep the gun aiming where you are aiming all the time while moving. It should be noted that, when peeking around corners, the M60A1 lacks fast reverse speed. Aim for their breech, cannon barrel or gunner when peeking out of corners to be safe while reversing, use smoke if needed.

When in rural combat:

The M60A1 has really good sniping capabilities and decent hull armour to withstand impacts with exception of chemical energy ammunition (HEAT, ATGM, PG, etc.). When hull-down, the turret mantlet is capable of withstanding a wide variety of ammunition (sometimes even chemical energy ammunition but do not count on it happening all the time). It is recommended to use the HEAT-FS round as it will not lose armour penetration at any distance, it also has more penetration than the APDS shell but lower muzzle velocity, rounds should be taken at commander's discretion. Use rangefinder to increase accuracy at long ranges.

Modules

Tier	Mobility		Protection	Firepower
I	Tracks		Parts	Horizontal Drive
II	Suspension	Brake System	FPE	Adjustment of Fire	M393A2
III	Filters		Crew Replenishment	Elevation Mechanism	M416	NVD
IV	Transmission	Engine		Artillery Support	M456	Rangefinder

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Powerful gun
  • Very accurate gun at long ranges when upgraded
  • Good stock shell (APDS)
  • HEAT-FS and HESH shells available
• Decent turning capability
• Very good stock turret transverse speed
• Great off-road speed (but not as great as Leopards and T-10Ms)
• Sloped armour can be quite bouncy at range
• Once fully upgraded it offers very sharp handling and manoeuvrability
• Excellent acceleration when fully upgraded
• Gun comes with AOS (Add-On-Stabilizer)

Cons:

• Very high profile, made worse by a cupola
  • Commander cupola armour is very large and very thin, can be penetrated easily by APCBC and HEAT rounds
  • Enemy shells can bounce off the turret roof (due to the angle) and could enter the cupola
  • Commander's .50cal HMG is slower in manoeuvrability and not as effective compared to earlier vehicles due to the cupola
  • .50 cal coverage is limited due to commander's cupola
• Sides are only 41 mm thick, they can be penetrated easily
• Turret ring can be penetrated by enemy rounds
• Front is vulnerable to HEAT and the more powerful APHE (T-10M, Maus) at close range
• No shells with HE core

History

M60A1

Development

In 1960, work was started to upgrade the M60 main battle tank, as the T95 project and the project to create composite armor ended. The prototypes fitted the T95E7 turret on the hull of the M60. In order to increase the room in the turret for the crew the gun used the M140 mount, which moved the gun forward 5 inches. The first two prototypes (Pilot 1 and 2) were ready in May 1961, and the third prototype (Pilot 3) was ready in June 1961. The prototypes were designated as the M60E1, and they were all built by Chrysler Defense. Pilot 1 was tested at Eglin Air Force Base, Pilot 2 was tested at Yuma Test Station, and Pilot 3 was tested at Fort Knox. The M60E1 was accepted for American service on 22 October 1962. The designation for production M60E1 tanks was Tank, Combat, Full Tracked: 105-mm Gun, M60A1. Production began on 13 October 1962, with an order of 720 units by the Army.

Design

Hull

The upper glacis armor of the hull was upgraded from 3.67 inches to 4.29 inches at 65°. The steering wheel was replaced with a T-bar control, and the break and accelerator pedals were rearranged for easier usage by the driver. The tank was upgraded to the Continental AVDS-1790-2A engine and the CD-850-5 cross drive transmission, and it used the T97 track assembly. The first return roller was moved slightly, and shock absorbers were added to the second road wheel pair. The addition of the shock absorbers was due to the increased weight of the armor and new M60A1 turret.

Turret

The main feature of the M60A1 was a new turret, which was the turret of the T95E7 medium tank prototype. The new turret had more armor protection, and it also could had more room for the crew, because of the new M140 gun mount. A fume extractor was added to the rear of the turret bustle, on the left side; this would prevent fumes and smoke from accumulating inside the vehicle when the weapons were fired. The loader and gunner received padded seats, replacing the wire mesh seats which were uncomfortable. Ammunition for the main gun was increased to 63 rounds, with 15 rounds in the turret bustle, several rounds in the turret ring, and the rest stored in the hull. The turret was equipped with a new traversing mechanism, and an AN/VSS-1(V)1 IR searchlight was fitted above the gun mantlet. It received the M19 FCS, which consisted of the M17A1 coincidence rangefinder, M10A1 ballistic drive, and the mechanical M19E1 ballistic computer for the gunner. The M60A1 tank uses the M68E1 105 mm gun. The M68E1 gun shared the same firing characteristics as the M68, but had several design improvements including an updated gun hydraulic configuration, a stabilization upgrade for the gun (but not a full stabilizer), a gun elevation kill switch for the loader, an improved ballistic drive, and other component refinements.

M60A1 (AOS)

In 1972, the M60A1 (AOS) was introduced, which gave the tank an add-on stabilization (AOS) system. It was a kit that could be applied to M60A1 tanks with very little modification to the hydraulic gun control system. The AOS allows for stabilization of the gun vertically and of the turret horizontally. This allowed the gunner to track targets and control the gun and turret while the vehicle was moving; this increased the hit-on-the-move capability significantly. Before the AOS upgrade the fire-on-the-move accuracy at 2000 meters was practically 0%, whereas with the upgrade 70% accuracy was achieved. The AOS had three modes: power-with-stabilization-on, power-with-stabilization-off, and manual. Power-with-stabilization-on was the mode which stabilized the gun, power-with-stabilization-off allowed the turret to be controlled electrically when the stabilizer was not necessary, and the manual mode allowed the crew to still traverse the turret and elevate the gun if the electrical or hydraulic systems were inoperable.

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the M60A1 (AOS) from live.warthunder.com.

Videos

The M60 family discusses the M60A1 (AOS) at 2:48 - War Thunder Official Channel

See also

Vehicles equipped with the same chassis

• M60 (Family)

Vehicles equipped with the same gun

• XM-1 (Chrysler)
• XM-1 (GM)

Other vehicles of similar configuration and role

• Type 59

External links

• [Devblog] M60A1: Facing the Enemy