M48A3 Patton
M48 Patton
Combat in Vietnam, 1967 and 1973 Arab-Israeli wars, and Turkey.
Specifications
- Crew
- 4
- Combat weight
- 45 t
- Engine
- 750 hp
- hp / tonne
- 16.7
- Road speed
- 48 km/h
- Range
- 460 km
- Main gun
- 90 mm M41 (A3); many allies later 105 mm
- In service
- 1953–1987 (U.S. front line)
Continental AVDS-1790 diesel on A3 (gasoline on early marks — a fire hazard)
Armor: Cast elliptical hull and hemispherical turret
Secondary: .50 cal commander, 7.62 mm coaxial
Briefing scores
Relative 1–10 for teaching, not a wargame rating.
- Firepower
- 6/10
- Protection
- 6/10
- Mobility
- 5/10
- Awareness
- 5/10
- Logistics
- 7/10
Ammunition natures
History
Rushed into production after Korea with a new cast hull. Early gasoline engines and range-only fire control aged fast. The A3 diesel rebuild and later M48A5 105 mm conversions kept it relevant into the 1980s with NATO allies.
Doctrine
First true U.S. MBT in practice: one tank to replace mediums and heavies. Fought as the armored fist of pentomic and ROAD divisions, then in Vietnam where mines and RPGs taught hard lessons about belly armor and infantry overwatch.
Strengths
- Roomy turret
- Diesel A3 reliability
- Easy to upgrade
Limits
- Early gasoline fires
- 90 mm outclassed by T-62
Related hulls
4 of 25 in the atlas