Summary and Key Points: Senior Defense Editor Christian D. Orr evaluates the M60 Patton main battle tank, specifically the high-performance M60A3 TTS variant.
-Though never “officially” named for General George S. Patton Jr., the M60 became the backbone of the Cold War armored corps.
M60 Tank. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
M60 Tank. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
-During Operation Desert Storm, U.S. Marine Corps M60A3s utilized Tank Thermal Sights (TTS) and laser rangefinders to achieve a staggering 100-to-1 kill ratio against Iraqi T-72 armor.
-While retired by the U.S. Army in 1997, the platform remains a 2026 strategic asset for 17 nations, including Egypt, Turkey, and Taiwan, proving the enduring lethality of its 105mm rifled gun.
The M60A3 Patton Legacy: Evaluating the 105mm Legend’s Role in 2026 Global Armor
Though not quite as famous or successful as the M1 Abrams main battle tank, the M60 “Patton” MBT was plenty powerful in its own right.
It was appropriately (though unofficially) named for one of my boyhood heroes, General George Smith Patton Jr., an early proponent of tank warfare who progressed from a foresighted lieutenant in World War I to commanding the Third Army during World War II, leading armored divisions in the Allied offensive that broke the back of Nazi Germany’s Wehrmacht.
The M60 was initially designed in 1957 and was manufactured by the Chrysler Corporation. More than 15,000 M60 specimens were built over the course of the program’s lifetime. The Patton did not remain frozen in time—multiple variants of this tank were built, and the best of the bunch was the M60A3.
Before we focus on that variant, a side note: Unlike the M48 Patton, this particular make and model of tank was actually never officially christened as the Patton.
Instead, the official designation was the Tank, Combat, Full Tracked: 105mm Gun, M60.
But then again, to use an aviation analogy, the Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II ground-attack plane was never officially christened the “Warthog,” yet everybody conversationally calls it by the latter name, not the official one.
A U.S. Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II flies a presence patrol over the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, Feb. 26, 2025. The A-10 aircraft is employed throughout the region to bolster regional security and counter the growing threats of adversarial unmanned aircraft systems and other emerging threats. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Jackson Manske)
A-10 Warthog Elephant Walk.
About the M60A3
As noted by the ever-handy Army Recognition website:
“The first M60A3s completed at the Detroit Arsenal Tank Plant in February 1978 were the first of a low-rate initial production quantity of 296 M60A3s. … improved version of the M60A1 fitted with a laser rangefinder, M21 solid state ballistic computer, and a crosswind sensor. Late production units omitted the commander’s cupola.”
Proof of Concept: M60A3 TTS Blooded in Operation Desert Storm
By the time the 1991 Persian Gulf War rolled around, the Army had switched from the “Patton” to the Abrams.
However, the U.S. Marine Corps was still clinging doggedly to the M60A3 TTS variant with a tank thermal sight (hence the TTS acronym) that gave the crew the ability to pick out an enemy vehicle in the dark. The TTS variant was also equipped with a meteorological sensor that fed data directly into its ballistic battle movements.
During Desert Storm’s epic tank-on-tank engagements, such at the Battle of Medina Ridge and the Battle of Norfolk, these upgraded leatherneck Pattons destroyed 100 Iraqi tanks while losing only one of their own.
M60 Patton
Where Are They Now?
The M60A3 was retired from U.S. military service in 1997.
However, amazingly enough, Old Blood and Guts’ armored namesake soldiers on for 17 foreign countries, including Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Jordan, Taiwan, Greece, Egypt, and Turkey.
Egypt has the largest fleet of M60s, at more than 1,000, while Turkey uses the most sophisticated variant, the Sabra Mk II.
Further Reading
For an excellent firsthand account of life as an M60 crewman, read the semi-autobiographical novel Grunts, Gramps & Tanks by my friend Rick Bogdan, Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army (retired).
About the Author: Christian D. Orr, Defense Expert
Christian D. Orr is a Senior Defense Editor. He is a former Air Force Security Forces officer, Federal law enforcement officer, and private military contractor (with assignments worked in Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Kosovo, Japan, Germany, and the Pentagon). Chris holds a B.A. in International Relations from the University of Southern California (USC) and an M.A. in Intelligence Studies (concentration in Terrorism Studies) from American Military University (AMU). He is also the author of the newly published book “Five Decades of a Fabulous Firearm: Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Beretta 92 Pistol Series.”