ABS Plastic Model Kit - requires ABS cement and includes decals/instruction booklet
The M48 Patton is an American (MBT) introduced in February 1952, being designated as the 90mm Gun Tank: M48. It was the main battle tank of the US Army and US Marine corps in the Vietnam War. Nearly 12,000 M48s were built, mainly by Chrysler and American Locomotive Company, from 1952 to 1961. The M48 Patton was the first U.S. medium gun tank with a four-man crew, featuring a centerline driver's compartment and no bow machine gunner. As with nearly all new armored vehicles it had a wide variety of suspension systems, Cupola styles, power packs, fenders and other details among individual tanks.
The early designs, up to the M48A2C, were powered by a gasoline engine. The M48A3 and A5 versions used a diesel engine, however, gasoline engine versions were still in use in the US Army National Guard through 1968 and by many West German Army units through 1975. Numerous examples of the M48 saw combat use in various Arab-Israel conflicts and the Vietnam War Beginning in 1959, most American M48A1s and M48A2s were upgraded to the M48A3 model.
The M48 Patton-series saw widespread service with the United States andNato until it was superseded by theM60 Tank It was widely exported. The tank's hull also became the basis for a wide variety of experimental, utility and support vehicles such as armored recovery vehicles and bridge layers. Some M48A5 models served into the mid-1980s with US Army National Guard units, and M48A3s were used as targets for weapons and radar testing into the mid-1990s.
Many M48s remain in service in countries other than the US. Most of these have been modified and their firepower, mobility and protection upgraded to increase their combat effectiveness on the modern battlefield. As of 2015, Turkey is the largest operator with over 750 units in service, Taiwan is second with approximately 500 upgraded variants, and Greece is third with 390 in service.
