m1a2 abrams main abttle tank ?

Question

would mortors, 50 cals, and small arms be enough to take one down in a fire fight?

Answer 1

Depends on the size of the mortar. 120mm mortar rounds impacting on the roof of the turret or the roof over the engine compartment might do some external damage, but I doubt they'd penetrate the armor, as I've never heard of AP mortar rounds. If by luck a mortar round hit the treads then you could disable the tank. It all depends on what you mean by "take one down in a fire fight". There's many ways to immobilise a tank, but to actually destroy it is a whole 'nother ball o' wax.

gregory_dittman is living in a fantasy world if he thinks a .50 machine gun can penetrate the armor on a M1A2 (or any other modern MBT). It's an even further reach to say that explosive rounds would do the trick, they'd be the LEAST effective, when you need AP (armor-piercing) rounds. You can fire a .50 machine gun point-blank at the armor of a tank all day long, and you're not going to do much more than ding it, and it's ludicrous to assert that "the armor will eventually crack up and expose the crew". He obviously knows nothing about how MBT armor and anti-armor weapons work.

Answer 2

There are mortors that can destroy the tank. The hatch doors are weak points for the tank. That's why many anti tank missles such as the Hellfires go for the top of the tank. Some tanks have a hatch underneath which is vunerable to anti tank mines and IEDs using among other things, mortor shells. It depends on the .50 cal. If the rounds were explosive and enough rounds were used, then the armor would eventually crack up and expose the crew. Most crew members in a tank that are killed by small arms fire are from having their bodies exposed out of the turrents. One exposed guy in Iraq was shot point blank in the back because the Iraqi climbed up on the tank from behind.

Answer 3

There was a story of an M1A1 during the first Gulf War that got stuck in the mud during the ground war that got hit with not 1 but 3 rounds from the 125mm guns on 3 separate T-72's. Not only did the rounds bounce off the M1, the M1 killed all three tanks. When the M88's couldn't get it out it was decided to destroy it in place and other M1's couldn't destroy it either, it was finally retrieved and upon examination it was revealed after all these hits the only thing wrong was the sights were out of whack. As for a mortar, maybe a lucky hit on the roof or the engine box, but then again mortars really aren't designed to hit moving targets. As for a .50 cal not likely and forget small arms.

Answer 4

this is due to it's performance against Iraq. the Tank is actually no better than it's NATO cousins like the German Leopard 2,Challenger2 and Frances brand new Le Clerc tanks all have an excellent weapons and the same armor. They all have the same fire control abilities except the french tank which has a more advanced system. However the Abrams is vastly superior to all non-NATO tanks.

Answer 5

Not likely. You might destroy its tracks and keep it from moving, but the turret would still be able to turn, and it would then become a stationary strong point. The smallest possible weapon that could be used to defeat any tank, and particularly the M1A2 would be whatever is the equivalent of the bazooka in the modern army, and it would probably take several shots with it. The only thing that could stop an Abrams with one shot would have to be another tank specifically buitl by NATO countries (and as a member of NATO, the US won't be going to war with them), and even then, it'd probably have to be a shot that manages to hit the engine or armament's stores.

Answer 6

the m1 is the toughest and most powerful tank we have ever put into use, it is also the safest.. a 50 could prolly used properly take a track off the tank rendering it immobile a mortor could do the same but the crew could nort be killed with small arms

Answer 7

I'm not even sure another Abrams could, honestly. The M1 is the best tank ever, and I doubt another tank will be produced in ten more years that will be better.

Answer 8

How about a bunch of styrofoam and diesel fuel?

Or how about 20 guys crawling on it with hammers?

True stories both.

You might also be able to feed the motor intake with propane and disable it.
The new and improved IED's might even do it.

Answer 9

no

Answer 10

NO