Description

In 1972, the US Army introduced a variant of the M60 main battle tank to compliment existing 105mm equipped M60A1 tank units. This new tank used the same chassis, but mounted a new lower-profile turret that housed the M48 152mm main gun that could fire larger caliber rounds at closer ranges than the M60A1 as well as the MGM-51 Shillelagh anti-tank missile through the tube. This new variant was designated M60A2 and nicknamed Starship for the sophisticated electronics used inside. Of course the low-profile turret was offset by a large commanders cupola on top which assured the M60A2 was as visible on the battlefield as the M60A1.