In those films, we can see for the first time the reactive armor M-19 ARAT-1, which is intended to be a response to Russian missiles. However, at that time, we didn’t know when the Abrams tanks would reach the front.

Now there are reports that the first of the classic American machines are near Avdiivka. This is where the largest armored battles and fights for every few dozen meters of terrain are currently taking place.

This is an important moment in this war. The American Abrams M1A1 tanks have not had the opportunity to engage in combat with Russian tanks in Ukraine before.

Although on paper, this equipment, which is almost 40 years old since its first introduction into the army, should not dominate the modern battlefield, in practice, it turns out that the Russian machines are significantly worse than what their specifications suggest. The M1 Abrams is a third-generation tank produced in the United States and remains one of the heaviest constructions of its kind in active service.

Its designers introduced several innovative solutions that make it one of the deadliest machines on the battlefield despite its age. These include a multifuel engine, composite armor, and a computerized fire control system.

The Abrams tanks also introduced a special, separate compartment for ammunition, which protects the crew in the event of a hit, as well as a system for protection against weapons of mass destruction (radiological, biological, nuclear). This visibly reduces the rapid-fire ability of the Abrams but at the same time increases the safety of the crew.

Even in the event of an ammunition explosion, soldiers have a chance of survival. Currently, three variants of the Abrams remain in service—M1, M1A1, and the M1A2 version.

With each subsequent version, the tank naturally received a range of improvements in terms of electronics, armor, and armament, and there are already plans for the M1A3 version. The vehicle is operated by a 4-person crew (commander, gunner, loader, driver) and has a range of over 420 km on roads (in the M1A2 version) or 200 km off-road.

The M1A1 version reaches speeds of 72 km/h on roads and 48 km/h off-road.