Firstly, I would like to say that this is a work in progress and will be updated. It is in the correct section, as when it is completed, I will repost it under suggestions so that this will become a form of backup for that.
History of The M60
The M60 was developed in the late 1950s as a response to the perceived threat of new Soviet tanks such as the T-54/55, which outclassed the existing M48 Patton. It entered U.S. service in 1960 and was designed to offer improved firepower, armor protection, and range. Initially, it retained a similar turret shape to the M48 but was armed with a more powerful 105mm M68 rifled gun.
Throughout its service life, the M60 underwent several key upgrades. The M60A1, introduced in 1962, was the most numerous variant, featuring a redesigned “long-nose” turret with improved armor protection and more internal space. It also saw upgrades to its fire control system and reliability. Many M60A1s later received further enhancements like the Reliability Improvement Selected Equipment (RISE) package and Explosive Reactive Armor (ERA) for increased survivability. A more radical departure was the M60A2 “Starship,” produced in limited numbers from 1973 to 1975, which mounted a 152mm gun/launcher capable of firing both conventional rounds and the MGM-51 Shillelagh anti-tank missile. However, its complex systems proved problematic, and it saw very limited service. The M60A3, introduced in 1978, was the last of the M60 series. It incorporated significant technological advancements, including a laser rangefinder, a ballistic computer, thermal imaging sights (TTS - Tank Thermal Sight), and a turret stabilization system. These upgrades vastly improved its target acquisition.
Combat History: While never seeing direct combat in Vietnam (though M60-based variants like the M88 recovery vehicle and M728 Combat Engineer Vehicle did), the M60 series gained significant combat experience with allied nations, notably Israel, in the 1973 Yom Kippur War and 1982 Lebanon War. For the U.S. military, the M60’s combat debut was during Operation Urgent Fury in Grenada in 1983. Its most significant combat role for U.S. forces came during the 1991 Gulf War (Operation Desert Storm). Although the M1 Abrams was the primary U.S. tank in this conflict, the U.S. Marine Corps extensively utilized their M60A1s (many equipped with ERA and dozer blades) against Iraqi forces, achieving notable success against Soviet-built T-72 tanks.
Retirement: After Desert Storm, the M60 was gradually phased out of front-line service with the U.S. Army as the M1 Abrams became fully established. The U.S. Marine Corps retired its M60s shortly after the Gulf War. By 1997, the M60 was officially retired from all U.S. service, including National Guard units, marking the end of its nearly four-decade run as a cornerstone of American armored power. Despite its retirement from U.S. service, the M60 continues to be operated and upgraded by numerous countries worldwide.
M60A1 (AOS)(L) CEV specific Info
The M60A1 (AOS)(Late) CEV, referred to from this point forward as the M60A1 CEV for brevity reasons, was a standard M60A1 AOS that was given additional equipment, including an AN/VSS-1 Xenon Visible/IR spotlight (this was standard for most M60’s at the time however it was not a part of the tank out of the factory) and the M9 bulldozer blade (both are also seen on the M728 CEV); it retained its standard armarment and was created with the intention of being able to clear paths through obstacles such as rubble and embankments, as well as create defensive hull down positions for itself and its standard counterparts. However, the M60A1’s stabilization system had to be reworked to function with the M9 installed, and the M9 was only compatible with M60s that used a top-loading air cleaner.
The xenon IR/Visible spotlight was used during nighttime operations to “illuminate” an area (in-game, only its IR mode would be available) and would enable it to illuminate targets under low light conditions that may otherwise be difficult to see under standard night vision.
While this may sound like it offers only benefits, they do come with tradeoffs. The M9 dozer, when equipped, would increase the tank’s weight by approximately 4.45 tons and would subsequently decrease its performance. However, the Xenon AN/VSS-1 offers a different kind of downside, when it’s in use any vehicle with night vision can and will see you due to the “illumination” that it gives off, which increases your visibility to other vehicles with NVD, but can also be used to your advantage, as it can be used to blind your enemies to obscure your tank. This would increase the amount of time that your enemy would take to identify you and locate your weak spots. The AN/VSS-1 weighed over 200 lbs and was mounted to the turret mantlet on the three truck hitch-looking pieces.
In addition to this, the M60A1 CEV also had access to smoke grenades identical to the ones seen on the M60A1 RISE, which would give it the ability to obscure its movement.
STATS: (standard M60A1 AOS)
data
General Data:
Crew: 4 (Commander, Gunner, Loader, Driver)
Combat Weight: Approximately 52 tons (47,000 kg) M9 dozer blade would increase weight by 4.45 Tons
Overall Length (Gun Forward): 30 ft 6.5 in (9.309 meters)
Overall Width: 11 ft 11 in (3.631 meters)
Overall Height (to top of cupola): 10 ft 9 in (3.27 meters)
Ground Clearance: 1 ft 6.2 in (0.463 meters)
Engine & Performance:
Engine Type: Continental AVDS-1790-2C, V12, Air-cooled, Supercharged Diesel
Gross Horsepower: 750 hp at 2400 rpm
Transmission: Cross-drive CD-850-6A, 2 forward, 1 reverse ranges
Maximum Road Speed: 30 mph (48 km/h)
Maximum Range: 300 miles (approximately 500 km)
Maximum Vertical Obstacle: 36 inches (0.91 meters)
Maximum Trench Crossing: 102 inches (2.59 meters)
Maximum Gradient: 60%
Armament:
Primary Weapon: 105mm M68 Rifled Gun
Ammunition Carried: 63 rounds
Elevation: -9 to +20 degrees (depending on variant)
Traverse: 360 degrees
Coaxial Weapon: 7.62mm M240 Machine Gun
Commander’s Weapon: .50 Cal M85 Machine Gun
Armor:
Hull: Cast, homogeneous steel (early models), later cast and welded
Front: 3.67 inches (93mm) at 65 degrees (M60); 4.29 inches (109 mm) at 65 degrees (M60A1/A3)
Turret: Cast, homogeneous steel
Front: Up to 10.9 inches (276mm)
Gun Shield: 5.0 to 6.36 inches (127 to 162 mm)
Fire Control & Vision:
-Gunner’s Vision: M16 Fire Control System with a coincidence rangefinder (NVD)
-Commander’s Vision: M28/M32 Periscopes (M60/M60A1) (NVD) (commanders sight)
-Driver’s Vision: M24 Periscope (NVD)
Ammo:
M728: APDS
M456: HEATFS
M393A2: HESH
M416: SMOKE
PLACEMENT:
I believe that the CEV would fit fairly well at the same BR as the standard M60A1: 8.3 (GRB) however, I think that it would be beneficial and reasonable for it to be foldered with the M60A1 (AOS) as well, since its is a derivative of the current M60A1 and since it gains little advantages over its standard counterpart in terms of armor, and weponry.
(source R.P. Hunnicut: Patton, A History of the American Main Battle Tank)
more images
Please note that the M9 bulldozer was often not used during operations, and each unit only generally had a single M60A1 CEV, but was used on the Rise and TTS M60s during Desert Storm, and is fully compatible regardless of the model of M60 in most cases.
- Yes
- No
sources:
R.P. Hunnicut: Patton, A History of the American Main Battle Tank
FM 17-12 (1968, Tank Gunnery), chapter 6 and chapter 9
FM 17-12 (1978, Tank gunnery) 4-7, 4-8, 13-12
M60 Patton in Action - Armor Number 23 (1986) pages: 15, 16, 17, 18
(M60 family Update system assessment, Unclassified unlimited distribution) (see below)
TM-9-2590-209-14-P (M9 dozer blade TM number): https://operatormanuals.tpub.com/TM-9-2590-209-14-P/