The M48 Patton MBT was utilized to good effect in Vietnam, though it was far from the perfect jungle tank. By Staff Writer
The M48 Patton Main Battle Tank was effectively the first tank engineering design in post-war America. The M46 and M47 Patton versions were merely developments of the World War Two M26 Pershing, which in itself, was a development of the M4 Sherman chassis.
The M48 Pattons underwent a modernization program in the 1970's and became known as the M48A5 featuring the more powerful 105mm main gun. The weapon system saw limited action in the Korean War and extensive action in the Vietnam War. The M48 Patton was the first tank to arrive in Vietnam with the 1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry in 1965.
The M48 is named after famed World War Two US General George S. Patton, Jr., and is in the family of the Patton series of tanks that include the aforementioned M46 Patton and M47 Patton along with the M60 Patton Main Battle Tank.
The M48 is no longer in a frontline service role for the US Army.
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Armored Vehicle Quick Profile
Image Courtesy of the United States Department of Defense.
1952
Designation:M48 Patton Classification Type:Main Battle Tank Contractor:Chrysler / Ford / General Motors / Alco Prods - USA Country of Origin: United States Number Built: 12,000
Operators: Greece, Iran, Israel, Jordan, South Korea, Lebanon, Morocco, Pakistan, Portugal, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand, Tunisia and Turkey.
Variants
T48 - Developmental Designation
M48 - Base production model designation
M48C - Trainer
M48A1 - 90mm main gun; Commander's internally mounted 12.7mm machine gun.
M48A2 - 90mm main gun; Continental Gasoline Fuel-injection air-cooled V-12 engine; 5 x track return rollers.
M48A2C - Same as M48A2.
M48A3 - Continental AVDS-1790 V-12 air-cooled diesel engine; 90mm main gun.
M48A4 - Cancelled variant
M48A5 - Updated with 105mm main gun, commander's cupola and upgraded engine.
M48 - Israeli modified variant with explosive reactive armor.
M48 - South Korean variant with side skirts and M48A5 standard features.
M48A5E2 - Spain variant
M48H - Taiwanese variant with M48 Patton turret on M60 Patton chassis.
M48A2GA2 - Modernized standard used by Germany and Turkey.
M48 AVLB - Bridgelayer
M48 - Mine Clearing Vehicle (Germany)
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