#17 — M60 Patton: Three Decades of American Armored Muscle
The M60 served as America's main battle tank for an unbroken 27 years — from 1960 until the M1 Abrams fully replaced it in 1987 — the longest frontline tenure of any American tank since World War II. Over 15,000 were built, and 20 nations still operate M60 variants today.
Armed with the proven 105mm M68 rifled gun (a licensed L7) and protected by up to 254mm of cast steel armor, the M60 was the definitive Western tank of the 1960s and 1970s. The M60A3 TTS variant introduced a thermal imaging sight that gave American and allied tankers the ability to fight effectively at night — revolutionary military technology for its time. During Operation Desert Storm, USMC M60A1s with ERA fought Iraqi armor in the battle for Kuwait City. Israeli M60 Magachs dominated Middle Eastern battlefields for decades. Turkey still operates over 750 M60T Sabra variants, upgraded by Israel with modern fire control and armor. The M60's durability and upgrade potential make it one of the most commercially successful pieces of defense technology ever produced.
