Weapons That Changed the World

S02:É05 - S02:E05 - The Abrams Tank

Tanks have revolutionized combat since they first rolled onto the battlefield a century ago. From the bitter winter battles of World War Two, to the blazing desert conflagrations of the first Gulf Wars, host Wil Willis traces its evolution from a simple steel-armored box that broke the stalemate of trench warfare in World War One to its 21st Century descendants. The M1 Abrams Tank is the most potent Main Battle Tank in the world today. The Abrams’ 120mm gun, advanced reactive armor and top speed of 42 mph makes this the ultimate “Chariot of War.” Join Wil as he travels to a US Army base to ride and fire this beast of the battlefield. He’ll also follow a tank crew through their final tests for deployment in Afghanistan. Its main armament, the 120mm M256 smoothbore gun, has an effective range of approximately 8,000 feet. This range was crucial in combat against previous generation tanks of Soviet design in Desert Storm, as the effective range of the main gun in the Soviet/Iraqi tanks was less than 6,600?feet. This meant Abrams tanks could hit Iraqi tanks before the enemy got in range—a decisive advantage in this kind of combat. In the deserts of New Mexico, Wil learns how to drive a M18 Hellcat Tank Destroyer, and fire its 76mm gun against a pick-up truck with fiery results. Then, he tests the ultimate Cold War Soviet tank, the mighty T-55. How will a taxi cab fare it its path?