The Insane Engineering of the M1 Abrams 

For the first time ever this episode is available with both French and Spanish voice overs. We have also made a sound effect and music free dub under “English (Ireland)” for anyone they prefers the most pure version of my voice 😂

The fact that this tank is technically over 40 years old ( I say technically since it's been constantly updated ) yet is still considered a top tier asskicker is definite kudos to the people who designed them.

Love the ever-increasing layers of armor for specific scenarios. "The lab nerds told us to spread a thick layer of chunky peanut butter on top. We don't understand why, but they assure us its 100% necessary."

"The exact specifications of the M1 Abrams armour is strictly classified" War Thunder Players: "Not for long."

We were on patrol and FREEZING one night when we came up on the Cav & took a break. Man this tank is a life saver the TC in the turret provides watch and the heat from the engine keeps us warm (and dry) until it’s time to move on. I love this tank.

When I was in the military (2000-2004). I remember these things being Insanely quiet when they needed to be. Like people had to put up glow lights in order to make sure the tanks didn't run them over by accident while they were sleeping. I thought it was very stupid until I heard one only 30 feet from where I was getting ready to go to bed, and I could barely hear it. It was very eerie, like seeing an elephant tiptop or something.

16:45 The Chieftain cannon is rifled, the Leopard cannon is smooth bore. So even though both are 120mm, they can't use the same ammunition.

As a retired USMC Tanker who participated in Desert Shield/Storm, OIF, OEF, this is a comprehensive and most interesting video. Thanks for making it! SEMPER FI...SEMPER TANKS

Forty years of top performance. What a tribute to all involved, from designers to operators, to maintenance. Thanks to all who serve(d)!

Fun fact: The M1 and many modern MBTs can travel upwards of 100kph, it's just that their transmission is governed to around 68-72kph to preserve the tank's lifespan and for the safety of the crew

For those not familiar with US designation convention, M is short for Model, and A is Alteration. SEP refers to a specific series of upgraded equipment. So the Model 1, Alteration 2 with a Systems Upgrad Package becomes M1A2 SEP. Abrams is the model name. Specifically, the tank is named for Creighton Abrams, a Vietnam era General. After all, we have a lot of pieces of equipment called M1, so it helps to specify the model's name.

"Bad News" written on the barrel😂

I was a tank mechanic for 5 years! Great stuff. My favorite part was taking apart the engine completely one time and rebuilding it. My worst was replacing the transmission! 😆

The engine heat signature animation was super cool. The 3d model of the interior is also gnarly!

I was chosen to work on the xm project,in its early developement,due to my MOS of 63Hotel20(Heavy wheeled/tracked repairman). The hydrogas chamber kept leaking ,so we chose the torque rod system. I left the military,in 1981,after 9 years service. Seeing all the improvements,makes me proud to see the tank has become so advanced,and safer ,for the crew !

The sheer quality of production of these videos absolutely boggles the mind. These animations are top of the line. Great work from your team..

Such technician detail simplified,deserves recognition.

the model of the abrams in this video is insane. i love that dedication.

Great work! Your engineering skills and attention to detail are really impressive. Well done!

Started out as a loader in this thing during desert storm, then driver, then gunner and then track commander. Loved it, smooth, fast, accurate and a beast. I miss tha turbine wind up soooo much.

In high school I wanted to be a Marine tanker. I enlisted and got put in artillery, but I served with a few tankers and being on base, you are bound to see everything else you are stationed with, so it was always a treat to see an Abrams roll by. I never saw them on the range unfortunately.

I actually saw the tank when it was still the XM1 at McGregor Range. Two of my buddies were tank commanders during the testing phase, they were both in the 3rd ACR. I heard a lot about it from them.

Metal hunk of beast! Also the 3D visuals of delving further into the tank is insane! good stuff

There is no better auto loader in the world than Greg off several monster energy drinks

I've been learning about tanks from all kinds of sources for a long time but never realized torsion bars have to be asymetrical. I had also never seen an explanation like that about hydraulic suspension. Good stuff.

Actually one of the reasons why the Turbine engine was chosen over a diesel engine is because of noise. While the Turbine engine does produce a louder noise at closer distances, at longer distances the diesel engine is louder because the higher frequency noise of the turbine easily dissipates over distance while the lower frequency of the diesel persists. Autoloaders are not a Russian unique mechanism. Some NATO tanks, heck even American vehicles use them like the French LeClerc tank, American M1128 MGS, Japanese Type 10, etc... The US even considered an autoloader for their MBTs during the MBT-70 program. The Autoloader fitted in the MBT-70 was the German Rheinmetall autoloader. While it was fast, it was ultimately unreliable. The US then opted for their own homemade autoloader which was more reliable but sacrificed loading speed. In the end the autoloader system was too expensive, unreliable, and complex.

The sheer quality of production of these videos absolutely boggles the mind

This is a GREAT video. I really appreciate your details and explanation in easy to understand terminology. As an engineer, I find this type of video very intriguing.

*I absolutely love that you cover the engine!* 🎉 I'm tired of hearing channels say it requires _"jet fuel."_ There are a lot of good reasons a turbine engine was chosen -- Yes, it's a gas guzzler...but, you can also fuel it with cooking oil in a pinch and logistics has been a US strong suit for nearly a century. 😉🇺🇲

I once parked my car in a row of 8 or 10 M1 Abrams at Ft. Knox over at the motor pool because the tiny parking lot there was full and I had a printer to replace. When I was walking in I turned around to see my Ford Focus in a line of multi-million dollar, state of the art tanks and it brought a huge smile to my face. I'll never forget it 😂😂

The M1 Abrams series have proven too robust to be easily replaced. My Marine Corps brother-in-law has seen these tanks return under power looking as if they’ve been badly damaged. Like the A-10 “Warthog,” the M1 Abrams is just too damned good to replace.

An idling M1 is an Infantryman's favorite hand warmer.

Retired 6 months ago from this beast. I fuckin miss it everyday. No matter how many times I see a video pop up about the M1, I always have to watch it. I love how the Armor community is so small I always see friends in these vids. I'll also add that the US Army does not use the HEAT round anymore except to basically get rid of expiring training lots. The MPAT has been the round of choice over that, which will soon most likely be replaced by the new AMP round that many have seen around the internet.

As a soldier who began his Armor career on the M60's, went to M1's, was on the Design/Development Team of the M1A1 and Plt Sgt of an M1A1 Armor Company and later worked for 3 yrs with Russian Armor, I believe I am qualified to say, "Great Job"!

Thanks so much for the different audio tracks! I’m a polyglot and as much as I love your voice, it’s great to learn another language at the same time as watching your amazing videos!

Wow, this is an extremely comprehensive video. Thank you soo much for doing this!

HESH rounds are mostly used as anti-fortifications since it decimates brick walls and such, but the round most armies carry loaded in the chamber are HEAT rounds since they can be used on almost any target effectively.

Hearing and feeling the rumble of those monstrous jet turbine engines approaching for the first time is something I'll never forget.

Once upon a time back in the mid 1980s I joined the Army as an Airborne Infantryman, a Paratrooper. After getting out later I joined the National Guard of another state and became a Tank Commander on the M1A1 Abrams. Being a former infantry NCO I learned how to operate and maintain it, I was sent to Boise Idaho for a 5 week course or National Guard AIT. First I was a gunner then became a TC Tank Commander. In the Guard I met many former active duty Tank Commanders and I listened and learned armor tactics over beer and bullshit sessions. I had acquired knowledge from being in mechanized infantry on how to work with tanks. I learned very quickly on how to work within my platoon, Troop, and Squadron. I loved the gunnery and tank qualification tables. It was great to qualify on gunnery because I had a very good and loyal crew, that what makes the Abrams a lethal weapon in combat.

Turbine so good, they've wanted it to be removed for 30 years now lol

I am impressed, I have watched several videos on the Abrams but I found your video to be excellent. As a former tank crewman in Vietnam on the M48A3 1967-1969 it was often challenging to explain to novices many of the aspects your video covers very well. I have shared this video with several friends for that purpose. Compliments to the chef. FYI re replacing torsion bars in a tank. In the field changing torsion bars can be a challenge and on more than a few occasions we used some C4 to remove the road wheel arm where it was stuck in the housing. I doubt we could have done this in a workshop environment. Thought I would share a little story from the jungle.

Many Marines in firefights saw one of these coming to help and felt that sigh of relief, amazing.

The only the most accurate and the most detailed video of the Abrams tank I've ever watched.

This channel is a genuine treasure trove. Seriously if it wasn't for the educational and science/tech infotainment channels like this, RU-vid would have died in oblivion of increasingly predatory social media sites spawning nowadays.

The fact, that it retained the M4's reputation of speed, maneuverability AND being spacious is insane. The designers really had the crew's survivability in priority

Excellent video, love how it's been broken down so well, makes understanding easier. 👍

The M1A2 Abrams comes in multiple versions, one for US only and another that is made available via the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program. The US only variant does not use Chobham composite opting instead for an extremely classified depleted uranium composite. This stuff is so classified that whenever there is a tank accident and the armor is exposed, they evacuate the area, throw a bunch of tarps onto everything and wait for a specialist team to show up. I was at Knox (home of armor corps) during the development of the M1A2 SEP upgrade package and got to be involved in some of the prototypes the Mounted Maneuver Battle Lab (MMBL) was doing. Yeah that DU armor is essentially indestructible and takes a ridiculous amount of punishment to render a tank inoperable. This is why our enemies target the tracks instead to render the tank immobile, though still operational.

Best job I ever had! I remember the first time I got to climb inside the turret in Ft Knox like it was yesterday.

Great video. My only criticism is when mentioning the M60 MBT it shows images of the older M48 Patton MBT.

As a long time viewer, I am constantly blown away by the increasing production value of these videos. Keep up the awesome work, these mini documentaries are phenomenal!!

The US military really managed to land on a ton of great platforms toward the end of the cold war. The AH-64, A-10, CH-47, F-15, F-16 all from the 60s and 70s and have been crazily modernized but with essentially unchanged bones.

Hola vengo del futuro, los abrams ya fueron entregados pero ahora la guerra es con drones así que los tanques no tienen oportunidad y ya han sido destruidos como si se tratara de piezas obsoletas.

Gas turbine gobbles fuel like nothing else and gives a heat signature that can be spotted more easily. It is very fragile and prone to failure

Thank you for bringing so many more great details and comparisons that other engineering explainer videos just quickly gloss over. This is my "nerd candy" and worth watching several times over BC of the vast info presented. Keep up the great work my friend.

It’s hard to explain but having Armor made out of Depleted Uranium is just so badass

👏🔧🚀 It's truly remarkable that the M1 Abrams tank, despite its age, has been continuously updated to maintain its top-tier performance. This speaks volumes about the ingenuity and dedication of the designers behind it. However, it's worth considering the evolving nature of warfare and the emergence of new technologies. How does the M1 Abrams fare against more modern and advanced tank designs? Exploring these comparisons can shed light on the tank's true capabilities and its place in the ever-changing landscape of military technology.

I didn’t know a lot of this. Excellent detail s particularly on engine, armour and suspension.

I was in the Army 89’ to 92’, joined the Army after high school graduation in 88’ (best decision I ever made). I was M1A1/M1A2 tank engine mechanic and tank recovery specialist, did my basic training and tank mechanic school at Fort Knox Ky and was then stationed at Fort Stewart Ga. The video is awesome and pretty much spot on, those torsion bars are heavy as hell and takes at least 3 people if not four just to carry one. I remember during desert shield when the tanks were still being shipped over, we were at a forward area in a hanger near a pier (forgot the name of it) and they took a handful of the M1A2 tanks and started doing brake tests on the street (the street was as long as a landing strip). They would go down the street in the tank and speed up to 45mph back to where we were and the driver would then slam on the brake pedal and the entire back of the tank would come up 2 to 3ft off the ground (I kid you not), then the tank would slam back down to the ground and I was just shaking my head and thinking to myself are these fools trying to actually snap those those torsion bars on purpose ?? That’s at least 6 torsion bars you’d have to replace if they actually broke in half from the force and weight of the back half of the tank slamming back to the ground, I’ve seen numerous tanks that were towed back to the motor pool from the field on maneuvers because of broken torsion bars with the M88 recovery vehicle (I’ve even towed some in myself) and that was on dirt/mud ground etc…..you can imagine how much worse and damage can be done on hard concrete. 63E/10 H8 HHC 4/64 Armor Delta Team Maintenance Fort Stewart GA 24th Infantry Division Operation Desert Shield/Storm Aug ‘90- March 91’

I'd love an episode on the leopard 2 or challenger 2, seeing how good and in depth this one is And being British myself I have a bias for the challenger...

I have been in the factory in Lima Ohio where these beast are made. It was a religious experience for military enthusiast like me. Just an amazing place. And the test track where they run them thru their paces is also a dream. Amazing machine

Currently a tanker in 1st Cav. At 3:15 that’s not true we use jet fuel primarily, it can take diesel or gasoline but really performs best with JP8.

Man this is just so incredibly good. I just graduated as a mechanical engineer and would always like more details but this strikes the line between well explained and in-depth so well. I was particularly fascinated by the use of a ceramic over a high toughness material like tungsten. It seems incredibly obvious if you've even taken a beginner's course in materials but it seems so clever as a way to essentially "cut" the incoming material with one of the same materials we use in cutting tools and then disperse the chips or fragments across something extremely dense and tough. Awesome.

Thank you for mentioning that the Abrams often uses diesel!! Most people seem to think that it can only use JP8 because it’s a turbine…

I'm grateful to have lived one of my dreams and driven a M1Abrams1 camouflage Tank in training 1990!

Nice job on the 3D and CGI! Looks good

hey Brian, I’m an American, who grew up with imperial measurements, jan of last year I joined my schools robotics team and realized the insane benefit of metric. It is my standard units know in onshape. it’s difficult to gauge scale in metric but I’m learning.

The main reason a turbine engine was chosen over a diesel was not just because it was quieter in the front, which allows you to sneak up on the enemy. It was the lessons that we learned in WWII and the logistics of getting diesel throughout Europe. So we chose an engine that can burn literally anything, including cologne, perfume and alcohol.

Excellent review of the Abrams. New turbines use less fuel in recent variants. Smaller turbines just developed could provide an option at almost 1/2 weight with quick spool up. The new designs where initially for small and medium turbo props, but have promise in tanks and quieter.

And to think, that nerd you picked on in grade school probably works for General Dynamics today.

I love fairytales...but in flames....😂

Thank you so much for adding the french audio option. Im currently studying French and being able to do so and watch one of my favorite channels at the same time is just amazing.

As a gemmologist, I have to say, excellent explanation of hardness (scratch) vs tenacity (impact). A steel/ceramic sandwich makes sense.

Thank you, this is the exact information I was looking for!

My grandfather helped develop the infrared systems on the M1 Abrams. I’m not sure what he did specifically, but I do know that he was part of the team that developed it.

All the top secret tech probably got leaked by War Thunder players already

Great breakdown. 1500 hp, 70 tons, 120mm cannon and LOVED using it all. Shoot, move and communicate. Edit: You might enjoy "King of the Killing Zone", Orr Kelly, 1989.

Are there any publicly available details on the stabilization system used in the M1? I've tried searching and have found no results except for a stabilization system for the commander's machine gun which I believe is outdated now with the CROWS. I noticed this video only very briefly mentions the stabilization but gives no details

2:58 i love how you converted the weight from metric to imperial units

15:59 Perfect example of the need for these compartments. The tank was being engaged directly from the front, and yet the missile still found its way around the side and punching straight up and into the rear end of the turret. Crazy ballistics. Yet, the crew survives.

Can you post links to your primary sources on the lead liner for spall?

De los mejores vídeos sobre carros de combate que he visto. Gracias

Another great video, thank you! My understanding is 1. That depleted uranium also helps to reduce the penetration of kinetic energy projectiles. 2. That an important mechanism of reactive armor is that HEAT projectiles where we hit perpendicular to the surface. As the outer plate of the ERA (Explosive Reactive Armor) goes toward the projectile the jet is forced to cut and elongated hole in the plate effectively using up more of the jet. I can dig up references, if you need. Thanks again for your great work. I appreciate your videos!

I always try to differentiate in life, which is difficult for many people. I say war is terrible, but when viewed in a differentiated or technical manner, war is very interesting, especially for engineers, scientists, and so on. I also find it amusing, for example, how a tank generates smoke from fuel, which reminds me of defense mechanisms in the animal kingdom

Fairly accurate, aside from how comfy the gunner’s seat looked in the animation @15:00 I only wish…

Thank's for your team to to have made the effort of tranlating your audio in french, i do speak english from a long time, but i know that most of my fellow citizens do not speak english (neither any other foreing language...)

I once saw an American convoy of 4 M1 and 8 HMMWV rumbling through a small German village, of course blocking all traffic. That was in 2002. It was dark and you could barely see these vehicles. It still amazes me that a 70 ton tank on rubber padded tracks can use a public road without making too much damage... 😲 Needless to say: With an Army base and an airstrip nearby you could see all sorts of military vehicles back then. C-130 and UH-60 regulary flew overhead and one evening I even could watch a night training of 4 Apache helicopters near my workplace... 🤟

The production value is really on another level nowadays. Well done, this is insane! Also helps to understand exactly how these systems work

I just admire what these people where able to do...they whent from passing the sound barrier in rocket powered x planes to building the biggest plane at the time that could also go Mach 3 in less than 15 years ... and all of that without real computers....just wow

Most of these weapons, like the Abrams, Apache helicopters, F15 Eagle, even the M2 Bradley, etc most of these vehicles came out in the late 70s and early 80s and it's still just effective. They are so well made that they can be out there for 50+ years as long as they get updated with new electronics.

Really top notch information; most other sources tend to get things wrong when it comes to HEAT or armor packages, but this touched on some advanced concepts accurately and understandably.

Bonjour , merci . La traduction , et la qualité des images sont premium . Au revoir et bonne journée .

4:22 Inflammable is one of the wierdest English words: in- as a prefix that means "not": inactive means "not active," inconclusive means "not conclusive," inconsiderate means "not considerate." Therefore, inflammable should mean "not flammable."

Well done researching this to the point of being able to, and then making such clarifying animations! The animations for this one were vital for easy understanding ❤

Packed with relevant and accurate information not found in most RU-vid channels...FANTASTIC...Keep up the good work

This channel is a genuine treasure trove.

Destruido el primero 😂

This video is a great source of information about the engineering behind the M1 Abrams tank. It's impressive how the tank has been constantly updated and is still considered a top-tier ass-kicker even though it is technically over 40 years old. The production value of the video is fantastic, and the engine heat signature animation and the 3D model of the interior are particularly noteworthy. I also found it interesting to learn about the asymmetrical torsion bars and the hydraulic suspension. The M1 Abrams has many impressive features, but the fuel consumption and complexity of the turbine engine are potential disadvantages. Overall, this is the best informational video on the M1 family that I've seen, and it's fascinating to learn about the tank's history and evolution.

Such fantastic models and animations, it must've taken hundreds of hours of work to make them! Looking forward to the MRI video!

I love that they went from the 105 to the 120 to get away from using depleted uranium rounds to only start using 120 depleted uranium rounds

not only is crew survivability good, but the reliability of this tank is amazing