It is the backbone of the armored forces of the United States military, and several of US allies as well. Abrams, former Army Chief of Staff and commander of the 37thĪrmored Battalion. Marines and other specialized forces also use some light tanks.The M1 Abrams Main Battle Tank (MBT) is the namesake of the late GeneralĬreighton W. Compared to older types MBTs are very heavy (Russian MBTS being about 40 tons and Western around 60 tons) with a 120 mm (Western) and 125 mm (Russian) calibre cannon and 2-3 machine guns. Most modern tanks are of the heavy or Main Battle Tank type, able to fight other tanks. Tanks have replaced the cavalry everywhere and do the things that soldiers on horseback did in the past. The tank is a major part of all large armies today. Combat engineers use special tank-based vehicles, for example minesweeper tanks or bridge-layer tanks.

Old tanks are often modified for other uses like carrying soldiers or equipment.

There had also been plans for much larger and more heavily armoured tanks such as the Maus but these were determined to be of little use due to their huge weight, which would have made moving them very difficult, and the huge size, which would have made them easy targets for heavy artillery.

Well-known World War II tanks were the German Panzer IV, Panther and Tiger I, Soviet T-34 (produced in the largest numbers of any tank of the war and second most ever), British Matilda, Churchill and Cromwell, and American M4 Sherman (second most produced tank of the war) and Stuart tanks.

Tanks became a main weapon during World War II, where battles between great numbers of tanks were fought, especially between the Germans and the Soviet Union.

Modern day tank battles