The arms race between the Soviet Union and the West that started in about 1950 made clear to the US forces that the M48 battle tank was far from a permanent solution. From the outset it was assumed that the Soviets were developing a successor to the T-55 tank (the T-62) and that a response to it was needed. As they were fundamentally satisfied with the basic layout of the M48 and the different versions of it, it was upgraded in order to eliminate its weaknesses and improve its performance. Consequently the first version of the tank designated the M60 was still so similar to the M48 that it could be mistaken for it, as they both had the same turret shape. The armour on the hull was improved, but the commander’s cupola, the 105 mm cannon and the more economical dieselengine were new. With a new turret shape that gave rise to the M601A version in 1963, the M60 received its typical appearance with a roomier interior that gave it a more ballistic shape and better armour. Compared with conventional armaments it was now regarded as the optimum solution and after that the M60A1 only received modifications. In 1972 with the AOS programme it receive cannon stabilisation, from 1975 RISE was essentially designed to improve the engine and in 1977 PASSIVE received new night vision equipment. As the M60A2 proved to be a failure, all attention was concentrated on the M60A1, which was modified by the improvements listed and a new fire control system to become the M60A3. The M601A is or has been in service in Austria, Brazil, Egypt, Greece and Spain, where these tanks were often upgraded to the A3 level subsequently or complemented by them. Israeli M60A1s were used for the first time in 1973. Their battle capability has been upgraded several times and they have only recently been withdrawn from active service and are held in reserve. The US Marine Corps equipped parts of the M60A1 RISE and PASSIVE fleets with reactive armour in order to protect them better against the hollow charge munitions that were fired from anti-tank rocket launchers and guided missiles. These tanks were used successfully in 1991 in Operation Desert Storm to regain control of Kuwait International Airport. Later some of these were passed to the Italian UN contingent in Somalia.

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