M48A5 Patton
Summary
| Origin country | 🇺🇸 United States |
| Category | Main Battle Tank |
| Sub-type | Medium Main Battle Tank |
| Manufacturer | Detroit Tank Plant |
| Number built | 6764 units |
Technical specifications
| Crew | 4 personnels |
| Range | 465 km |
| Mass | 52.0 tons |
| Height | 3.05 m (10.0 ft) |
| Width | 3.63 m (11.9 ft) |
| Length | 9.15 m (30.0 ft) |
| Max. speed | 48 km/h (30 mph) |
| Engine | Continental AVDS 1790 Diesel Engine with 690 hp |
| Weapon 1 | 1 M68 105mm rifled barrel (54 shells) gun |
| Weapon 2 | 1 M-2HB 12.7mm machine gun (3000 rounds) |
| Weapon 3 | 1 7.62mm M240 coaxial machine gun (10,000 rounds) |
Further Reading
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Historical operators
Description
The M48A5 Patton is an American main battle tank representing the final major production upgrade of the M48 series. It was standardized in May 1975 to modernize reserve inventories following the Yom Kippur War. The program was designed to provide reserve units with firepower and mobility characteristics common to the M60A1 by retrofitting existing M48A1, M48A2C, and M48A3 hulls.
The vehicle featured a cast homogeneous steel hull and a hemispherical turret. Under the Product Improvement Program (PIP), the M48A5 incorporated the M60A1 RISE hull update kit. Firepower was upgraded by replacing the 90mm M41 gun with the 105mm M68 rifled gun mounted in an M116 mount. Fire control was modernized with the M16 all-metric measurement system. Secondary armament initially included the M219 7.62mm coaxial machine gun, though this was later replaced by other 7.62mm NATO models. For the commander, many vehicles utilized the M19 cupola to allow for the use of daylight and infrared periscopes, while Israeli-modified versions, known as the Magach series, often employed the low-profile Urdan cupola.
Mobility was provided by the Continental AVDS-1790-2C RISE air-cooled, twin-turbo diesel engine. This was coupled with an Allison CD-850-6 cross-drive transmission featuring two forward and one reverse ranges. The suspension utilized a torsion bar system with three or five return rollers per side, depending on the original hull donor, and T142 track assemblies. Protection was enhanced with the inclusion of the M13A1 NBC protection system for the four-man crew.
In the United States, the M48A5 served with Army National Guard units until its retirement in 1987. The vehicle was widely exported and saw service in numerous regional conflicts. Moroccan forces deployed the M48A5 in the Western Sahara against Polisario guerrillas. During the 2025 Cambodia-Thailand conflict, Thai M48A5PI tanks engaged Cambodian T-55 tanks along the border. Iranian M48s participated in the Iran-Iraq War, notably during the Battle of Abadan. Israeli variants saw extensive action during the Yom Kippur War and the 1982 Lebanon conflict, where some were lost in engagements with Syrian armored units at Sultan Yacoub. The M48A5 remains in service with several nations, including Turkey, Greece, Taiwan, and Lebanon. Turkey currently operates the type in large numbers, having implemented various indigenous modernization programs to maintain the vehicle's effectiveness.