Russo-Ukrainian War: The M1A1 AIM Main Battle Tank

Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

     The impact on tank protection due to the nature of drone warfare in the Russo-Ukrainian War is fully displayed here by a M1A1 Abrams MBT (Main Battle Tank) belonging to the 425th. Assault Regiment “Skelya”. On the turret front, lower front glacis, turret sides, and hull sides are blocks of Kontakt-1 ERA (Explosive Reactive Armor). The blocks are arranged in bolt-on metal frames which are then secured to the turret, hull, and in the case of the sides, to the standard M1A1 side skirt panels. The next layer of protection comes from the rubber panels that hang down almost to the ground on the sides and front of the tank. Another strip of rubber paneling is seen underneath the rearmost frame of ERA on the turret side. Cheap to make and fix to tanks and other armored vehicles, the panels provide a small measure of defense against HEAT (High Explosive Anti-Tank) munitions and older anti-tank rockets. The third layer of defense, meant for drones specifically, is the collapsible metal frame seen over the tank. Shown deployed, the frame supports fishing netting (not fitted here) that serves to impede or defeat an FPV drone from striking the tank. Of interest, along the turret sides, there is framing for netting in front of the ERA. Framing for netting can also be seen on the rear of the tank's hull. As a note, the round object on the left front of the turret is a spare road wheel and the tank sports its original Australian Army three-tone camouflage pattern.

     The M1A1 seen here is former Australian Army. In 2006, the Australian Army purchased 59 M1A1 AIM (Abrams Integrated Management) tanks and replaced the Leopard AS1 then in service by 2007. In June 2022, Australia committed to a purchase of a large number of armored vehicles from the U.S. which included 75 modernized M1A2 tanks. On October 17, 2024, Australia announced it was providing Ukraine with a donation of 49 of its M1A1 tanks and by December 2025, all of them have been delivered. Of this total, it is not known how many are operational as a October 16, 2024 ABC Australia report by Andrew Greene stated some would have required repair and that those tanks may simply be sent to Ukraine for parts rather than be restored to operational readiness.

     It should be noted that the Australian M1A1 AIM, as well as the U.S. provided M1A1 SA tanks, do not feature the high-density depleted uranium (DU) mesh within the composite armor that makes up the tank's defense. The U.S. still restricts the export of M1 series tanks with DU mesh. Instead, the DU is replaced with either tungsten or titanium. This means the M1A1 AIM and M1A1 SA are more vulnerable to kinetic penetrator munitions in comparison to U.S. operated M1 series tanks.

     Power for the 61-ton M1A1 comes from a Avco Lycoming (Honeywell) AGT-1500 air-cooled gas turbine engine that develops 1,500 gross horsepower. This is paired to a Allison X1100-3B hydrokinetic, automatic transmission with a 6 speed gearbox (4 forward, 2 reverse). Steering is via hydrostatic T-bar. The maximum road speed is 41.5 miles per hour with a road cruising range of 289 miles. This relatively low range is due to the high fuel consumption of the engine despite the 505 gallons of onboard fuel carried. The engine is multi-fuel and for maximum efficiency, JP-8 fuel should be used. However, the AGT-1500 can run on standard diesel, gasoline, or even kerosene though performance will be impacted.

     The main weapon is the M256 120mm gun with the stabilized gun mount providing 20 degrees of elevation and 10 degrees of depression. The turret provides the gun with 360 degrees of traverse. A full turret traverse can be accomplished in 9 seconds while the maximum gun elevation can be achieved in under 1 second. Gun laying is electrohydraulic with a manual backup system. Gun loading is manual with a maximum fire rate of 6 rounds per minute. Firing is assisted using a mostly automatic digital ballistic computer. A total of 40 rounds are carried for the M256. As for ammunition, the M256 can fire any NATO compatible 120x570mm round. The M829A1 APFSDS (Armor-Piercing Fin-Stabilized Discarding Sabot) is able to drill through 650mm of RHA (Rolled Homogeneous Armor) at a 60 degree slope out to a range of 1.2 miles. The M830A1 HEAT-MP-T (High-Explosive Anti-Tank Multipurpose Tracer) has a maximum range of 1.6 miles and features a proximity fuse that is set prior to firing. The aluminum sabot is lighter than that fired by the M829A1, hence the longer range. In addition, the round is usable against armored targets, slow moving aerial targets (such as helicopters), hardened targets (bunkers and buildings), and light armored vehicles. Finally, the M908 HE-OR-T (High-Explosive Obstacle Reduction Tracer) is primarily utilized against hardened targets such as concrete blockhouses and buildings. The round is derived from the M830A1, replacing the sabot and fusing with a hard steel nose that allows the round to punch through concrete before detonating. Other munitions include the M1028 canister round filled with 1,100 tungsten balls (maximum effective range of 500 meters) and the M831 TP-T (Target Practice Tracer) round.

     Secondary armament consists of a coaxial M240 7.62mm machine-gun which is provided with 10,000 rounds of ammunition while the loader is also provided with a M240 outside his hatch on the turret along with 1,400 rounds of ammunition. The commander is provided with a M2 .50 caliber heavy machine-gun on the turret top along with a total of 900 rounds for the weapon. It can be operated from within the turret. Finally, there is provision for a 5.56mm M16A1 rifle with 210 rounds. In the photograph, the M2 is fitted but the loader's M240 is missing from the shielded gun mount.

     For protection, the M1A1 uses welded RHA steel armor on the turret and hull. The front of the turret and hull add composite armor arrays consisting of ceramic blocks set within resin between layers of RHA armor. The exact composition remains classified and neither has the specific protection capability of the M1A1 been released. What follows is a Soviet estimate as provided in Steven Zaloga's M1 Abrams vs. T-72 Ural: Operation Desert Storm 1991. From the front, the turret and hull provides 600mm of protection against APFSDS rounds and 700mm of protection against HEAT munitions. This estimate is based on the standard armor configuration that includes the DU mesh. Other protective features include two smoke grenade launchers (one on each side of the turret, with a total of 24 grenades), automatic Halon fire detection/extinguishing system, ammunition blowout panels (which shunt ammunition explosion forces outside the turret), two manually operated Halon extinguishers, overpressure NBC (Nuclear Biological Chemical) system, M13A1 gas/particulate filter, M43A1 chemical agent detector, AN/VDR radiac nuclear agent detector, and 1 ½ quart of ABC M11 decontamination fluid dispenser.

     For other systems and equipment, the gunner is provided with a primary and auxiliary sight, azimuth indicator, elevation quadrant, and a M1A1 quadrant which assist in direct and indirect fire. There is also a integrated Hughes (Raytheon) built thermal imaging subsystem (TIS). The driver has three periscopes and one night vision periscope while the commander has six periscopes and his own weapon sight. The loader only has a single periscope. For communications, the M1A1 has either a AN/VRC-12 or AN/VRC-64 radio system. To permit infantry working with the tank to talk with the crew, there is a external interphone box at the rear of the tank which connects to the crew's own internal AN/VIC-1 interphone network (which has four stations, one for each crew member).

Russo-Ukrainian War: M113AS4 Armored Logistics Vehicle (ALV)

Source: ArmyInform

     Australia, as part of the country's military aid to Ukraine, provided a total of 56 M113AS4 armored vehicles. While many are the M113AS4 armored personnel carriers (APCs), it is clear some of the delivered vehicles were variants of the M113AS4. One of them is clearly shown here and that is the M113AS4 ALV (Armored Logistics Vehicle), here in service with the 33rd. Mechanized Brigade. Behind the M113AS4 ALV is another M113AS4 though what model cannot be accurately determined. Because is lacks a turret, it is possible it is a M113AS4 AA (Armored Ambulance). A characteristic of the Australian M113AS4, which is a improved version of the M113AS1 and M113AS3 (that are themselves modifications of the U.S. Army's M113A1 APC), is the lengthened chassis that adds a sixth road wheel. The ALV variant appeared in 2007 and in total, 50 of them were built. 

     Power for the 18-ton ALV comes from a Daimler-Chrysler MTU 6V199TE diesel engine that develops 350 horsepower which is paired to a ZF LSG 1000 R transmission, 8-speed gearbox (6 forward, 2 reverse), and a FFG manufactured final drive. The ALV has a top road speed of 40 miles per hour and with a total of 95 gallons of fuel, the ALV has a maximum cruise range of 310 miles. On the standard M113AS4 as well as the M113AS4 AA, the fuel tanks are mounted externally on the back of the vehicle. These can be seen with the vehicle behind the ALV. However, with the ALV, the tanks are moved inside the hull. The ALV is not amphibious.

     The rear bed has the capacity to carry up to 5 tons of cargo or up to 20 soldiers can pile onto the bed though they would not benefit from any armor protection.

     This particular ALV is not fitted with any armament though the mount for a 12.7mm heavy machine-gun is seen in front of the open hatch. Usually, the weapon of choice is a Browning M2 fitted to the mount along with a small ACAV (Armored Cavalry Assault Vehicle) armored shield to offer the gunner a measure of protection from the front. As a standard, 2,000 rounds of ammunition is carried though this can be adjusted as needed. The only other armament would be any small arms the two man crew would have.

     For protection of the crew and any passengers, the hull of the ALV sports armor able to resist 14.5x114mm API (Armor-Piercing Incendiary) ammunition which means the ALV has STANAG 4569 Level IV defense. Against 155mm shell fragments, the armor is proof against them at a minimum distance of 25 meters. Finally, the vehicle can withstand anti-tank mines with up to 22 pounds of explosive payload. To improve the level of protection, there are appliqué ceramic armor panels fitted to the hull sides and front and internally, there are spall liners. The crew has added their own appliqué armor in the form of slat armor screens around the hull and portions of the roof as a measure of defense against HEAT munitions.

     Other ALV features include a radio system which complies with MIL-STD-461D (control of electromagnetic emission and susceptibility characteristics), 24V electrical system (which includes four SLABs [Sealed Lead Acid Batteries], twin caliper disk brakes with a dual hydraulic circuit, and a cooling system capable of operating in conditions as hot as 140 degrees Fahrenheit, and the ability to ford up to 5 feet of water without preparation.