Summary and Key Points: The M1 Abrams tank, a defining American main battle tank for over 40 years, remains a formidable force on the battlefield, known for its incredible speed and power.

-Weighing around 68 tons, the Abrams can reach speeds of nearly 45 mph, thanks to its Honeywell AGT1500 gas turbine engine—a jet engine that powers this armored beast.

Most Important Point: The M1 Abrams’ speed, combined with its maneuverability, advanced weaponry, and ability to run on any liquid fuel, makes it a nearly unbeatable force when used by trained crews with proper air cover. This battle-hardened tank continues to be a major threat to America’s adversaries.

Why the M1 Abrams Tank is a Battlefield Speed Demon

The M-1 Abrams tank remains the greatest American Main Battle Tank (MBT) of the last 40 years. The defining weapons platform that defeated Saddam Hussein’s military during Operation Desert Storm, the Abrams has been used repeatedly by the Americans and its allies in various conflicts across the world. It remains one of the most feared MBTs in existence. It has a variety of incredible capabilities. 

One of those capabilities, however, stands out.

The Army's M1 Abrams Tank is Fast 

That is the extremely fast speed that this armored land battleship can cruise at. The tank has a top speed of just shy of forty-five miles per hour. That is insane, when one considers the kind of weapons this beast is packing, the fact that it is heavily armored, and it carries a crew of four US Army tankers onboard. Weighing around sixty-eight tons, the Abrams MBT is one of the heaviest tanks in the world. 

Yet, it can cruise around at those speeds while in combat.

The speed of the Abrams MBT makes it highly maneuverable as well. What’s more, the Abrams weapons package is such that it has a greater range than most other tanks—notably those built by the Soviets and that are still used by so many American enemies (and many of our allies, due to their relative affordability). 

Combining speed, maneuver, and longer ranges with their potent weapons capability, means that this is one nasty tank for anyone who might challenge it on the battlefield.

Sure, the Ukrainians completely misused the handful of older Abrams tanks they had received from the Americans to fight the Russians in the ongoing Ukraine War. But that’s more of a result of Ukrainian unfamiliarity with this complex and impressive platform. It’s also a result of the geography of Ukraine in the war. 

Plus, these systems only work well when combined with effective air support. The Ukrainians have no air force whatsoever (and the US has no business building them one), meaning that deploying these tanks into combat against Russia is silly.

Besides, as great as the Abrams is—and it is—the idea that it can be used effectively in an environment where there’s not only zero air cover for them, but there are also increased threats of armed drones, is similarly ridiculous.

The Jet Engine Powering an Abrams Tank

Anyway, one of the reasons for the high speed of the tank is its impressive powerplant. It was given a jet engine by Honeywell. Specifically, the AGT1500 gas turbine engine. Before Honeywell shocked the United States Army with their decision to use a jet engine for the tank, diesel-powered engines were the norm for most land military vehicles. It was, in the words of Justin Paulus, the Honeywell director of Large Turboshaft Engines, “a paradigm-shifting” decision on the part of Honeywell in the 1970s, when the Army was first designing the Abrams MBT.

Another important feature of the AGT1500 is that, unlike many other engines powering other MBTs in the world, the Honeywell jet engine can run on any available liquid fuel. This is huge in warfare when logistics can become strained. The AGT1500 is also designed to function in almost any extreme weather environment, from the sub-Arctic to the desert (which is why the Abrams did so well in the Gulf War in 1991). 

What’s more, the AGT1500 produces no visible engine emissions. That’s a key advantage for any tank operating during battle when rival tanks are hunting them down. AGT1500 engines are ultra-quiet (for a tank, that is). 

America’s Enemies Should Beware

Oh, and the Honeywell AGT1500 allows for the Abrams to accelerate from zero to twenty miles per hour in under six seconds! 

A tank with a literal jet engine in it is not one to mess around with. When used by properly trained tank crews, in almost any environment, with the requisite level of air cover, an Abrams tank is almost unbeatable. America’s enemies should beware. 

Author Experience and Expertise: Brandon J. Weichert

Brandon J. Weichert, a National Interest national security analyst, is a former Congressional staffer and geopolitical analyst who is a contributor at The Washington Times, the Asia Times, and The-Pipeline. He is the author of Winning Space: How America Remains a Superpower, Biohacked: China’s Race to Control Life, and The Shadow War: Iran’s Quest for Supremacy. His next book, A Disaster of Our Own Making: How the West Lost Ukraine, is due October 22 from Encounter Books. Weichert can be followed via Twitter @WeTheBrandon.

All images are Creative Commons or Shutterstock.

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