The M60-2000, or 120S, is modernized M60 Patton main battle tank marketed for export by General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS). The development of the M60-2000 was primarily due to thousands of M60 MBTs in service with many nations unable to afford a sufficient force of more modern main battle tanks. GDLS devised the M60-2000 upgrade, offering many features of the M1A1 Abrams to existing M60 users at a reduced cost.
The M60-2000 was a GDLS supplied conversion kit, including the gun turret and 120 mm (4.72 in) smoothbore gun of the M1A1/M1A2, to the M60. The upgrade was marketed at those M60 users with the industrial capability to convert the tanks themselves. Along with a new turret, a new diesel powerpack and the transmission system of the M1 were installed on the M60-2000, and has been tested in a standard M60 chassis.
Turkey has not accepted upgrading their M60s. General Dynamics Land Systems has offered to build a prototype of its proposed M60-2000 upgrade of the M60A3 main battle tank to be evaluated by Egypt. The Egyptian Army was considering this offer until it was finally refused and replaced by a national upgrade.
Famous quotes containing the words main and/or battle:
“Aggression, the writer’s main source of energy.”
—Ted Solotaroff (b. 1928)
“Hell grant soon we hear again the swords clash!
And the shrill neighs of destriers in battle rejoicing,
Spiked breast to spiked breast opposing!”
—Ezra Pound (1885–1972)